Ok, Yardman is several years old (i believe about about ten years or so) but i have had it a few months. Worked fine for awhile. Last few times I would cut it would cut for a good while then it would just cut off. Battery is weak so i would always have to jump it off beforehand. No problem with that, just kinda aggravating. Well, when it would die on me in the middle of a cut, I would not even be able to jump it off. Last time it cut off, I pushed it back to the carport and it was VERY hard to push. Even after it sat for awhile it would not jump off or start or anything. Oil level is/was fine. I thought maybe the engine locked up, but like i said the oil level was fine and fairly fresh.

I found this site a couple days ago and noticed all the solenoid problems. I had noticed a clicking sound so I found the solenoid and jumped the two pegs with a screwdriver. Got a minor spark but that was it. So I hooked up cables (with truck turned off) and tried, got a little bigger spark. Tried holding the key turned on and tried the solenoid again. Nothing. SO I cranked my truck to get more battery power. Ok, now, when I jump the solenoid I get a BIG spark and can actually see the starter engage (hood and cover are removed). The starter does try to turn but the flywheel wont turn and the starter gear cannot engage it.

Please tell me this thing is not locked up. What else can I check?

Also after I did all this, I disconnected the cables (truck to mower) and turned the key. NO clicking no from the solenoid and it would actually engage the starter yet it still would turn the flywheel.

thebriggsdude

Try turning the flywheel by hand.... does it? (till it hits the compression stroke of course) ohv engine or side valve?

You could have a bad starter, mis-adjusted valves (if ohv).

How about the teeth on the ring gear on the flywheel? all there? How about the teeth on the starter gear? does the starter go all the way up? or just jam midway maybe?

broddam

No, but that does not surpise me. Due to the compression (i think?) i cannot even pullstart the mower. Never could. Even when all was fine. Although the pull string and gear it sits in work fine when you take the shroud off. If it is on the mower, there is NO pull starting this thing.

Dont know, late here will check tomorrow, not 100% on how to tell[/quote]

All the teeth are there on flywheel and starter...

Hmmmm...I am not sure. Looks like the starter gears just stay up, inline with the flyweel (or maybe they are midway) when i put power to it and/or let the power stop. but I will also check that tomorrow.


Thanks for the help so far.

thebriggsdude

Well on telling if its a ohv engine or not..... a ohv engine will have a big cover on the front of the cylinders, and be stamped ohv usually.....
flat head/L head/side valve engines have flat heads basically...... lot of fins on the head, spark plug out the front.... usually a ohv's is out the side.

broddam

Ok, well I do know that the plug is out the front. I work from the house and need to work a little bit (or ALOT, haha) this morning. Its 7am now but I will get out the shortly and look for the rest....


thx

broddam

Ok, still not 100% on the OHV or or side valve but if i had to out money on it would bet that its a side valve. Like i said earlier, the plug does stick out the front and that is where the head is also ( i believe) with the coil pack on top of the head up next to whatever the flywheel is inside of.

The starter....
As far as moving up all the way or only midway...it is not moving up and down at all. It is like it is up and teeth lined up perfectly 100% of the time right now. I can see what i believe to be a plastic piece that you can tell is supposed to move up and down to put the starter gear in line with the flywheel. It stays up right now continuously trying to turn the flywheel. Maybe it drops down after it starts?

I can back the flywheel up maybe a little over an inch, then try to start it. You see the starter gear turn the flywheel turn back to where it originally was before I turned it backwards. Hope this is some more good info and explained good enough.


Thx for the help...

thebriggsdude

Ok, the starter gear some of the time might not go back down until they start...
But the flywheel still doesn't.... can you turn it without the sparkplug (by hand) ?

broddam

I can only move it say, maybe 1.5 inches backwards and then back to the original spot. But keep in mind that even before I had troubles with this I could not pull start it. I mean you could not pull on the handle at all. And that part was NOT due to the pull rope being tangled or the jammed cause when I took the shroud off, which housed the pull rope, it pulled out easily then.

thebriggsdude

It sounds ( the pull start system) is that you have a older style clutch (instead of the newer bowl, where the pawls would catch indentations when you pulled the cord and turn it over)
It looks like a big square thing sticking up basically...... its a one way ratchet...... and should only turn one way

broddam

Ok, yes I do have that square thing sticking up and YES it will turn only one way. I was thinking though that it turns freely the way it does so the pull cord can wrap itself back up. I cannot turn it at all the other way. Without going out there to look at it, i think it turns freely counter clockwise.