Lawnmower wont start.. no spark?

[Kozworth]

Hey guys,

I have limited knowledge of small engines, but am going to school for automotive.

My lawnmower was running iffy (ride on 12hp saber mower) and then just died. Cranks but won't start.

The carb flooded because my bro kept cranking it. I def have gas in it. Pulled the spark plug, it was fouled and black as can be.

Replaced it, cranked and got one putt with a little smoke, and just cranking.

I am looking to test the plug wire, with a screwdriver and grounding the spark if its there. However, is there a way to disable the fuel, so I do not flood the carb. I noticed a little switch before the fuel filter... maybe if I close the feed line would it be ok to test around for spark?

Any ideas aswell, moneys tight and I feel confident that I can fix it adventually. Plus, id like to learn anyways. My lawn is turning into the amazon...

Thanks!

[Ryann]

If the carburetor's been sitting around all winter with E10 fuel in the float bowl you may have some weird brown crystalline shit crammed up inside the the fuel passages. I've seen this a couple of times recently, one was a Yamaha Rhino and the other a little 80cc Honda dirt bike. Rhino ran rich as hell, bike wouldn't run. Wound up replacing the carb in both cases.

[agile30]

Hire mexicans?

[Pantless Spency]

probably broken timing belt, should have done that 40k service

[MattAvino]

Hire mexicans?

hahaha

[der affe]

AIf you can remove the plug wire completely, you could test it with an ohm meter, but you would need specs to tell if it was bad.

You could always take vice grips and pinch the rubber fuel line closed the pull/crank it. There will still be gas in the float bowl though.

[JinormusJ]

probably broken timing belt, should have done that 40k service

:rofl:

[Pl3wA]

i too have a saber mower, green. maybe the same one. the gasoline kept getting into the oil and gasoline would find its way into the air filter. Darn, i forgot what i did.

o and on a side note, the belt kept falling off while mowing, does this happen to you?

[Kozworth]

i too have a saber mower, green. maybe the same one. the gasoline kept getting into the oil and gasoline would find its way into the air filter. Darn, i forgot what i did.

o and on a side note, the belt kept falling off while mowing, does this happen to you?

Yep.. I got the same one.

Idk about belt falling off, because I can't mow. I did smell gas in the oil too. And it looks where the engine seems to mount the 'chassis' it seems wet with gas.

I'm debating pulling the plug wire tomorrow too, and grabbing more info on the tractor. Ill check some passages in the carb for blockage. But I feel that if there was blockage..why would the plug be wet with gas? Gas still is getting into the cylinder, so I wouldn't believe blockage would be an issue.

[joshh]

If the carburetor's been sitting around all winter with E10 fuel in the float bowl you may have some weird brown crystalline shit crammed up inside the the fuel passages. I've seen this a couple of times recently, one was a Yamaha Rhino and the other a little 80cc Honda dirt bike. Rhino ran rich as hell, bike wouldn't run. Wound up replacing the carb in both cases.

This is it. But you should be able to clean it out.

[Ryann]

^To date I've had ZERO success, and I'm vigilant as fuck toxic carb-dip style.

[joshh]

Fuel stabilizer.

[der affe]

Yep.. I got the same one.

Idk about belt falling off, because I can't mow. I did smell gas in the oil too. And it looks where the engine seems to mount the 'chassis' it seems wet with gas.

I'm debating pulling the plug wire tomorrow too, and grabbing more info on the tractor. Ill check some passages in the carb for blockage. But I feel that if there was blockage..why would the plug be wet with gas? Gas still is getting into the cylinder, so I wouldn't believe blockage would be an issue.

Stuck needle and seat causing the float bowl to overflow gas down the carb throat.

[Pl3wA]

Yep.. I got the same one.

Idk about belt falling off, because I can't mow. I did smell gas in the oil too. And it looks where the engine seems to mount the 'chassis' it seems wet with gas.

I'm debating pulling the plug wire tomorrow too, and grabbing more info on the tractor. Ill check some passages in the carb for blockage. But I feel that if there was blockage..why would the plug be wet with gas? Gas still is getting into the cylinder, so I wouldn't believe blockage would be an issue.

ok, what i did to get it started. just. was take off the air filter, and put a leafblower there to kind of turbo charge it, idk how but it turned on. also, does your leak when its sitting for a little. in a day. a full tank would end up on the ground because it managed to go through the muffler

[cunninglinguist]

Crank Position Sensor