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Lawnmower engine problem / advice

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  • 09-04-2016 8:42pm
    #1
    clogher71
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I hope I am in the right fourm. I recently bought a S/H push mower from a guy who buys/sells and repairs lawnmower. It's supposed a husky, I am finding it very hard to start maybe 10 or more pulls. LAst week I took off the carb, blew air though it, fitted a new plug, it still is even hard start when hot, used easy start in where the air filter mounts to the carb, did not make a difference, rubbed sandpaper on the flywheel, there is a spark, so today a borrowed a compression gauge ( not that I any expert on how to use it) I took out plug screwed in compression gauge hand tight, pulled cord about five times, gauge read 50 psi, released the air and tried again, about 48 this time. What should it be? The mower feels 'dead' when I pull the cord. Is the engine done for? As I suspend it is, worth repairing the fact I bought it second hand?


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    #2
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,915 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    clogher71 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I hope I am in the right fourm. I recently bought a S/H push mower from a guy who buys/sells and repairs lawnmower. It's supposed a husky, I am finding it very hard to start maybe 10 or more pulls. LAst week I took off the carb, blew air though it, fitted a new plug, it still is even hard start when hot, used easy start in where the air filter mounts to the carb, did not make a difference, rubbed sandpaper on the flywheel, there is a spark, so today a borrowed a compression gauge ( not that I any expert on how to use it) I took out plug screwed in compression gauge hand tight, pulled cord about five times, gauge read 50 psi, released the air and tried again, about 48 this time. What should it be? The mower feels 'dead' when I pull the cord. Is the engine done for? As I suspend it is, worth repairing the fact I bought it second hand?

    If you bought it recently why don't you just bring it back where you got it?
    Problems such as you describe are usually down to fuel and or, dirt. Did you check the carburettor bowl to see if fuel is being delivered? If not you may have a clogged jet, get a can of carburretor cleaner and spray it into the jet housing. Clean the carburettor completely with the carb cleaner, old engines can have plasticky deposits from fuel deterioration. You don't say what condition the spark plug was in when you took it out or whether the engine runs well when it does run.
    You would need the manufacturer's specs to say what the compression rating should be but 50psi sounds reasonable for a small engine, I think you're jumping the gun by going into those realms, problems are usually simpler. If it turns out you have valve or ring problems, bin it.


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    #3
    clogher71
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭clogher71


    Well I have it two months, but only used it twice, so have it a while, and I did not buy local to me. I have taken off the carb and blew air though it, plug was black and rusty even though sold as 'fully serviced' and the air filter was rank. I found on a Google search that it should be minimum 80psi, so I was spooked on that one.


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    #4
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,915 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    clogher71 wrote: »
    Well I have it two months, but only used it twice, so have it a while, and I did not buy local to me. I have taken off the carb and blew air though it, plug was black and rusty even though sold as 'fully serviced' and the air filter was rank. I found on a Google search that it should be minimum 80psi, so I was spooked on that one.

    OK, 50psi is quite a drop then and does represent an engine that is worn. Depending on what you spent on it, it could be uneconomical to repair but it should still run and cut grass. I would take it for an estimate to a reputable repairer, they will confirm if there is a compression leak and there are relatively simple tests they can run to see from where the compression is leaking, from that can deduce what is required to repair it. If the cost of repair is more than you want to pay then just clean it up and run it until it dies.


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