This lawn mower was given to me and it ran last year. I replaced the spark plug. Replaced the gas. Replaced the pin and the gaskets in the carb.

I'm getting spark from the plug. Its getting plenty of gas... maybe too much?? After several attempts at starting it I removed the plug and actually dumpedgas out of the spark plug. Still after all this it doesn't sound even close to starting. What's the next step I should take?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Did you replace all of that stuff trying to get it to start or did you do it after it was dead trying to fix it? Also please tell me the gap you set on the plug. Back to you.

I replaced everything trying to get it to start. Didn't gap the plug because I was told that it comes pre-gapped. What's the gap supposed to be?

Plugs are pre-gapped but you should do it again before installing. They can get bumped around in shipping. I don't know your gap, varies from plg to plug, but your manual will spell it out. Any chance of talking to the previous owner to see if this is why it was given away? It might be helpful to see what the old owner did to the engine in his attempts to start it. Sounds like you are flooding.

Check if it is getting spark. Take the spark plug out, put it back in the ignition boot like it is hanging from the wire. Make sure the mower is in the on position. Ground the end of the sparkplug on the head of the engine. Just make sure that the end of the sparkplug is touching some part of the engine (metal). Pull the start cord you should see a blue spark in between the electrode. You may have to have someone hold the sparkplug while you pull the cord. If you get spark then it is a fuel problem. Then we can go from there! If no spark it is a bad coil or if it is a very old mower it could be points & condenser. Thomas

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the spark and it's there... the blue spark is visible. My dad was the previous owner and the mower WORKED great last summer (2006). The mower is about 3 years old. I stored it in my garage all winter long but I did not service it for the winter. The old gas was in the tank and the carb all winter long and I doubt if the fuel had any stablizer in it... I made the same mistake years ago with a chain saw of mine and it required a full carb. Kit. Do you think a full carb kit on the mower would solve my problem? Must be the time of year but I am getting zero help from any of the small engine repair shops in my area... they are all 3-4 weeks out... This is my first experience with internet message boards... thanks for the help!

Take the spark plug out and pour a small amount of fuel in the chamber see if it fires. Some times if you get it to fire & keep on primming the carb it might loosen up any dirt or bad fuel. Try this before you get a carb kit. Thomas

Might be the spark plugs