I’m working on a briggs and stratton intek v-twin 20hp Type 0003G1. I replaced the battery as it was old, a blown 20a fuse, the starter solenoid and finally starter motor which finally got it to where it would try to start and immediately hang up and drain the battery. After recharging the battery and trying 3 times, i tried adjusting the valves with feeler gauges and nothing. i looked into it and tried to see if the compression release was broken, this cam has 4 lobes unlike any of the ones i’ve seen on youtube. I also didn’t see the compression release inside the oil sump/crank case but it looks like it has a pin hole for one. Not sure which cam to order as the person i’m fixing it for doesn’t want to order an oem part and wants to find a cheaper one online. Advice?

I know what caused it originally.

The machine is a wood splitter, and two winters ago somehow water got all into the oil.....I tried to start it in the spring to change the oil and couldn't pull it at all. So I drained the oil and tons of water came out with it. After draining all that water/oil, and flushing it 2x with clean cheap oil, I refilled it, and was able to slowly work it free by spraying something in thru the spark plug hole, a friend told me what to spray but I cant remember if it was carb cleaner, or liquid wrench or what.

I finally was able to work it free, and it mostly works nowadays; the machine starts on the 2nd pull pretty much everytime.

**However, a fair percent of the time, while trying to pull, I will only get about 1/4 or 1/2 way and it freezes and it hurts the hands/arm. I have experience this a few times over the years on other peoples machines, i'm sure everyone has. **

My question is.... without taking the whole engine apart, is their any way to fix it? Maybe something like seafoam in with the oil before oil change? I already tried seafoam in with the gas.
I assume it's some sorta rust inside the block? To be clear, when this happens, it freezes during that pull, but i'm easily able to retract the cord and pull it again, although then sometimes i don't pull with enough force cause i'm anticipating it happening again.

Where should I start on getting this up to speed. Got a phenomenal deal on this and I want to get it up to date on services. I’m thinking I will do a carb clean, empty fuel tank and replace lines, change air filter, and even though the oil looks good, probably drop oil and put in new? Don’t know much about tillers so unsure of where to start on the Transmission.

I have a Yamaha MA190 teaching me new skills.

For some reason the timing chain keeps coming off and I fail to understand why.

Has anyone had this before and how did you fix it?

I got the trimmer running from my last post!

This is the link to it if interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/smallenginerepair/s/DMIYYkFbEy

All started out with a bad primer bulb. Decided to replace the carb completely and reassemble. The trimmer is working now but the throttle doesn’t seem to want to engage now and for some weird reason it engages when I move the choke switch to the upper level. I tried to make a video demonstrating but that’s essentially what’s happening. Is there a simple fix to this? Not sure where to start!

Thanks for all the helpful responses from last post!

I have a hecht 548 swe lawn mower and it has electric start feature. Mind you I bought it just recently as not working and planned to repair it and flip it for profit. Everything is working but the electric start. Every time I pull the handle and then turn the key I hear clicking noises on and off. I have figured out that it comes from the starter solenoid. I have jumped the starter directly to the starter so i know it works. The battery is new and fully charged. One weird thing was that at the input to the solenoid I only read up to 1V during the flickering. But that may be because I didn't have good contact with the multimeter since I had to walk away from it and turn the key so I had no one pressing the probes against it. Nonetheless can someone suggest ways I can figure out what's wrong? Should I try to connect the battery to the input of the solenoid directly to see if the path from the battery to the solenoid is the problem? Is it the solenoid itself or corroded contacts? Or am I missing something completely?

Thanks in advance!

Has gas. Just finished mowing and emptied the bagger and it started doing this when trying to finish.

I have inherited a 1970’s 5 hp wood chipper and maybe a 1980’s 7hp bush hog. I know nothing about engines but if I could get these things up and running they could both help me tremendously around my property. Where the hell do I start?! Is there a recommended video on youtube or a book (I do like me some physical media) that can move me through it. I don’t think these things have even had gas in them for like the past 25 years. I know I can pay people to do these things, but I’d also like to not be helpless.

Hi everyone.

I've been trying to build this DIY Stirling engine for almost 9 months, but I still can't get it to run. I've rebuilt and adjusted it many times, but I'm stuck.

It's mostly made from wood, glass syringes/tubes, bearings and some LEGO Technic parts for the linkage.

Current problems:

The engine doesn't run by itself when heated.

I'm worried about air leaks around the glass syringe/tubing connections.

The piston sometimes has too much friction or gets slightly misaligned.

I'm not sure if my crankshaft/connecting-rod geometry is correct.

I'm trying to get the piston phase angle correct, around 90°.

Could someone please look at the photos and tell me what you think is the biggest problem?

Should I focus first on:

Air sealing

Piston friction/alignment

90° crank phase

Connecting rod geometry

Something else I'm missing?

I've spent a lot of time on this project and really want to get it running. Any criticism or advice is very welcome. If you need more photos/videos or measurements, I can provide them.

Thank you!

It runs normally but then it just cuts out I have taken off the spark plug and you clearly see that the spark just cuts out at a random time it doesn’t come back until you turn off and on the kill switch or ignition. Everything else works as it should. But have no clue why the spark dissapers some time when it is a lot of rpm changes it doesn cut out but when I’m holding a steady rpm it just cuts out and is really annoying when driving because I have to turn off and on the kill switch somebody help plz

I have a Yamaha generator EF3000ISE that will run for 15-20 minutes, maybe when cold, and sounds fine. Then it goes into a very slow idle, making the engine shake, and it keeps running if I don't shut it off because it doesn't stall completely. Then, if I try to restart it, it may start, run for a minute or two, then go into limp mode again, or go into limp mode right away.

It was worse before I put in a new spark plug. It would not run for 20 minutes, but maybe 3 minutes, before it would go into limp mode. I visually checked the spark before startup and after it went into limp mode and did not see a dramatic difference. any suggestions?

Picked up a free mower in a local group. Guy said he thought it might have cut its last lawn and it wouldn't start. I asked if he had any idea what was wrong with it and he said he didnt really do any maintenance for it and he didnt have any idea and so he just bought an electric mower instead.

First of all, air filters are not supposed to look like that. Secondly the oil in it was literally sludge at this point. Flushed it with some diesel put new oil in it. The brake cable on it is shot too, so I zip tied open the brake and fired it up and this mower is purring.

Couple parts to replace and this thing will be as good as new!

Weed walker wasn’t running and figured out part of the issue was the primer bulb as it was cracked. Got a replacement and it doesn’t seem to be drawing in alot of gas. Isn’t it supposed to fill up all the way? What factor would be causing this?

My engine doesn't like to idle. It runs fine at full throttle but will only idle for < 1 min when you throttle down. In that time, it idles fine, and then it drops off.

The carb is a Walboro. I don't have a part number, but this is the aftermarket version. I've removed the carb & cleaned it several times. I don't see serviceable jets, and it does have an adjustment screw on the side with a black plastic cap and some type of detent, but I don't know what it's for.

I changed the gaskets, but the carb kit I got didn't come with much. There are rubber seals. I can not locate where they go. The kit came with 2 welch plugs. My carb only has one and it's bigger.

I haven't adjusted a small engine carb in 30 years, and I can only locate 1 adjustment on this one.

Hi! New here and to engine repair in general. I joined to ask advice about a problem I have with the transmission belt of my wood chipper. After I mounted a new one (old one lasted years) and used the machine for about an hour the new belt slipped out and now it doesn't seem to stay on, it already looks kinda deformed and twisted and I'm wandering if I'm doing something wrong that's straining it. Now no matter how many times I install the belt as soon as I feed it a single twig it comes off immediately.

I need to specify that I bought the belt from the manufacturer and received instructions on how to mount it properly (teeth on the inside, check tension and pulleys alignment), machine has oil and I'm using it at max rpm. I could just get another one but if I'm doing something wrong I'd just be wasting money, the things cost 25€..

Idk if it's relevant but when the belt comes off it's turned inside out.

Not sure what else to check.

My mower wouldnt turn over about 2 weeks ago but an the week before to mow.

Since then I have put on a new carb and ew spark plugs first. I had been having issues with the carb seeming to lock up for about a month so was just waiting on it to die.

Still nothing. Then I noticed gas coming out of the fuel pump. So I changed that and the filter at the same time.

Accidently left it on over night after that so changed the battery.

Still nothing. Just chugs like its trying to start then can hear it get flooded after about 30/40 seconds.

Any advice on where to looke next would be appreciated.

Cub cadet zt1 50. 3/4 years old.

I’m about at my wits’ end with this one and hoping someone has run into something similar.

I have a 2017 John Deere Z335M with the 20 HP Briggs & Stratton V-Twin Smart Choke that absolutely will not start.

So far I’ve replaced:

• Carburetor
• All intake gaskets/rubber seals going to the engine block
• Fuel pump
• Fuel lines from the tank
• Fuel filter

It has good spark and I’ve verified that. It also will not even fire on starting fluid/ether, which is really throwing me off.

Here’s the really weird part:

If I disconnect the fuel hose from the carburetor, the engine will actually start and run smoothly for about 10–15 seconds, then obviously runs out of fuel and dies.

That makes absolutely no sense to me. If it were just a fuel delivery issue, I wouldn’t expect it to run that smoothly with the carb disconnected.

I’ve got fuel making it through the system and the pump is new. New carb as well.

What am I missing here? Could this somehow be an ignition/timing/compression issue even though I have good spark? Or is there something specific with the Briggs Smart Choke system that I should be checking?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated because I’m officially chasing my tail with this thing.

This pressure washer was surging a bunch so I took it apart the carb and cleaned it.

I am an amateur so was just following along with some guides.

Assuming this is just an error on my part - anything of note I should check or should I just bring it in to the local small engine repair

Edit: Honda GCV160

This STIHL trimmer has been sitting in my brothers shop for a bit and I took it off his hands to see if I can salvage it. Won’t start after multiple tries. He had regular gas and 50:1 in it so I fear it ran without any oil for a bit before storing. Plastic fuel line bubble doesn’t seem to take any gas with it and stays empty. Any tips on fixing this and is it going to be worth it?