Stuborn Old Briggs L head

chieffan

chieffan

Tractorologist
Senior Member
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Last year the tractor ran and worked good. 16 hp in a White 1655. This spring when I started it the first time it fired off good. Let it warm up a bit and back it out of the shed and it died. Would not start for nothing. Let it sit 2 days and fired right up. Drove it inside, pulled the gas tank for repair. This afternoon put the tank in and about a gallon of gas. Fired right up, drove it about 200 yd to the shop to fill the gas tank. shut it off, filled the tank. Would not start for anything again. Fire to the plugs is good. Put gas down the carb. Nothing. Guess it will sit till morning and see what it does then. Have not run into this before with a Briggs but guess there is a first time for everything, but I really do not want another project.
 
Try A new plug in it before you get in too deep, might be cracked, and show a spark with it laying on the head, but heat it up, crack opens up and it grounds out
 
Spark was checked with a good spark checker. I thought about a bad plug too but as long as I keep it running it runs fine. Just won't start after it is shut down. Will go after the plugs first and see what happens.
 
Lily'sDad said:
Coil?
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I don't think it is the coil as there is good spark with the spark checker. Being a 2 cylinder I would think it would run or at least try to on one cylinder if a valve was sticking. Anything is possible at this point. Will start easy and put in new plugs and go from there. It may fire up this morning and run fine. If it does it will do its work and won't be shut off till back in the shed. Thanks for the ideas and places to look.
 
Hi this is an opposed B&S if so they have the magnatron electronic mags so if you see spark that's good if its an intake valve it will backfire into the intake and if exhaust there will be little to no compression that leaves the carb I'm guessing the built fuel pump or a peice of gunk floating around clogging a passage
 
I tried putting gas down the carb and it still didn't fire off. No back firing, haven't got into the compression yet. The built in fuel pump was shot so parts removed and electric pump put on. Tank is big enough and sits high enough it will run on the top 2/3 gravity feed. Then the fuel pump is needed. Going to start with new plugs. Been a couple years since i got it running with new plugs anyway.
 
Put in new plugs and it took right off. ran good while I leveled out the ruts around the drive, pulled some piles out of the garage that fell of through the winter. Put it back in the shed and closed the door. Sprinkling all morning. My fuel tank repair did not work. Drained about a gallon of gas out last since yesterday. Think I am going to buy a regular 2 gal gas can and put that in for a fuel tank. Original is about 3 gallons so should not have much trouble making a 2 gallon fit.
 
Good to hear its running for you its amazing how a spark plug can be cleaned gapped and look ok but will fail under compression, I have an old AC spark plug blaster tester with air pressure and generally if a plug is blasted clean gapped and tested with 100 to 120 pSI and it fires it'll be good but once in a great while one will fail. The pressure can be adjusted with a knob so when testing the plug it can be firing and as the pressure is increased it will stop firing that means it no good
Finding a gas tank can be a pain so many different shapes and sizes
 
MNGB said:
Good to hear its running for you its amazing how a spark plug can be cleaned gapped and look ok but will fail under compression, I have an old AC spark plug blaster tester with air pressure and generally if a plug is blasted clean gapped and tested with 100 to 120 pSI and it fires it'll be good but once in a great while one will fail. The pressure can be adjusted with a knob so when testing the plug it can be firing and as the pressure is increased it will stop firing that means it no good
Finding a gas tank can be a pain so many different shapes and sizes
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I have one of the old AC Plug tester too. bought it when I had an H Farmall that fouled the front plug after about 3 hours running. I think the oild rings were stuck. Kept 2 or 3 clean plugs in the tool box all the time as I never knew when it was going to act up. Now it just sits there taking up room.
 
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