7 HP Briggs wont start!

[VWEngineer99]

Old school 7 HP Briggs L style engine with flo-jet carb. The engine powers the hydaulic pump on my wood splitter. Begain to have problems running last year, just thought it needed a new spark plug.

This year, it wont start!

1. No spark, so I changed the plug. Still no spark, so I tested the coil and it was bad! (used an ohmeter) Changed to new magnatron coil, nice spark....would crank 2-3X but wouldnt continue.
2. Thought it might be the carb---so did the rebuild-kit thing. Looked really good inside.....tried to crank, and NOTHING!....just a few sputters (2-3X)
3. It prefers to have no choke. When I choke it, it wont crank over at all.

Please help, i am going crazy with this one.

 

[Travelover]

You need three things to start.

1. Properly timed spark
   
2. Adequate compression - at least 90 - 100 PSI
   
3. Volatile gasoline (not stale).

Check these one by one and you will find the problem.

Will it fire if you squirt gas into the air inlet?

 

[leonz]

Old school 7 HP Briggs L style engine with flo-jet carb. The engine powers the hydaulic pump on my wood splitter. Begain to have problems running last year, just thought it needed a new spark plug.

This year, it wont start!

1. No spark, so I changed the plug. Still no spark, so I tested the coil and it was bad! (used an ohmeter) Changed to new magnatron coil, nice spark....would crank 2-3X but wouldnt continue.
2. Thought it might be the carb---so did the rebuild-kit thing. Looked really good inside.....tried to crank, and NOTHING!....just a few sputters (2-3X)
3. It prefers to have no choke. When I choke it, it wont crank over at all.

Please help, i am going crazy with this one.

About your power unit:


Did you try a squirt of ether?


Not to be a smart ***, but did you use the top flap of the
coil box as is recommended by the Briggs folks with the
piston at the TDC position which I believe is the proper position?-sorry
but its been 10 years since I changed the coil in our 30 year old 16 horsepower cast iron sleeved Briggs and Stratton I/C engine

Air filter, did you change it?

first I would pour SeaFoam in the gas tank and let
it sit for a day or two first then plan on adding some SeaFoam
to the crankcase and running the engine for a minute and then
draining it and replacing all the carbon heavy oil with fresh oil.

Its sounds as if you have sticky valves and the seafoam poured in the
crankcase and run for a minute hard will loosen all the carbon in the valve train.


Please check the spark plug gap again to assure its correct as well.



It may be that the valves, valve guides and springs have gone to the happy hunting ground and you will need to have them replaced.

 

[Fixemall]

Try a compression test to rule out valves etc, as others stated...give it a shot of juice and see if it runs.

 

[2458n]

A friend uses the old style oil can to hold gas. He removes the spark plug and gives it a squirt. This is now a fixture on my own work bench. The ethanol in gas has lead to alot of carb rebuilds.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Old school 7 HP Briggs L style engine with flo-jet carb. The engine powers the hydaulic pump on my wood splitter. Begain to have problems running last year, just thought it needed a new spark plug.

This year, it wont start!

1. No spark, so I changed the plug. Still no spark, so I tested the coil and it was bad! (used an ohmeter) Changed to new magnatron coil, nice spark....would crank 2-3X but wouldnt continue.
2. Thought it might be the carb---so did the rebuild-kit thing. Looked really good inside.....tried to crank, and NOTHING!....just a few sputters (2-3X)
3. It prefers to have no choke. When I choke it, it wont crank over at all.

Please help, i am going crazy with this one.

Did you have to remove the flywheel to replace the magetron ignition module? If you did, did you use a new key in the flywheel. The keys can be damaged through use and it you don't get the flywheel on correctly the timing can be off a bit.