Any Small Engine Repair Whizes Out There?

I recently inherited a 5hp Briggs and Stratton Tiller from my late Grandfather, it's older than methuselah and has been sitting since at least 1989. We took it almost completely apart and cleaned the points, cleaned the carb.. and even looked at the piston, everything looked good. Put a little starting fluid in the carb. once we got everything back together, and it actually tried to trun over for a second so it was getting fire and when you crank it and you can smell gas in the exhaust so the carb. isn't clogged.
Went out this morning to try to start it again since we had to have it upside down to fix it and the oil needed time to drain back out of the engine, and now it isn't getting any spark at all. Can an old spark plug or the points fire once like that and then foul out or something? I'd love to get that thing running, it's an old school tiller that could probably dig to china and back if I can get it running but I'm on a shoestring budget and completely ignorant.

Thaat is an old one if it still has points.

Did you check the gap on the points and the plug?

Sometimes the lead from the points to the condensor needs cleaning at the ends as well.

forgot to add..

I have the B&S cd manuals, so if you can give me the data on your engine model, I can have a look see later on and see if I can help you that way

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
Thaat is an old one if it still has points.

Did you check the gap on the points and the plug?

Sometimes the lead from the points to the condensor needs cleaning at the ends as well.

Gaps are good, didn't think to clean the leads but I think they looked alright, will scrub them off when I get it apart again. It's frustrating because the ether turned it over for just a couple licks then nothing. :bnghd:

Edit:

I have the B&S cd manuals, so if you can give me the data on your engine model,

I may have to dremel to get to the engine model lol but I will definately see if I can find a model number somewhere under all that grime lol.

[edit on 1-5-2009 by twitchy]

reply to post by twitchy


If that doesn't work, I would tend to think the condensor is kaput..

You should be able to tell by holding the wire to the spark plug and giving the flywheel a spin, no shock, than itis most likely the condensor.

If you can get me the numbers from your 5hp, I can do some more research and probably get you some part numbers as well.

Good Luck


to make it spin easier, be sure to take the plug out which will eliminate the compression

[edit on 5/1/2009 by JacKatMtn]

Briggs and Stratton 4 Cycle Easy Spin Start
Model# 130202
Type# 0198 04
Code# 78020907

I also wanted to throw in that it has really good compression so that's one problem eliminated lol.

Edit:
Holy Crap, 1974, it's literally as old as I am!!!

[edit on 1-5-2009 by twitchy]

I came up with zero on your engine, my cd manual didn't have anything regarding points ignition, all were the magneto era

Sorry, I hope you can get that monster up and running soon...

reply to post by twitchy



Sometimes you can sand around the flywheel and the part that it contacts. Even though you said its firing it might not be firing enough. Here is a link that shows a picture of the parts.home-and-garden.webshots.com...

I have seen that trick work numerous times on those engines when they have set up a long time. They build up rust around the flywheel and the magneto and don't fire properly.


You might try taking the carb bowl off and cleaning it real good too. While you have the bowl off see if you can stick a sewing needle through the main jet. If you look in from the bottom in the center there should be little brass orffice stuck up in a sleeve so to speak that protrudes down into the bowl. Good luck with it, I hate for something not to run.