Rotavator cut out!

mic · Brolly Dolly Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Karma :

Hi

Bought an old rotavator. Seller showed it working and have a demo. Said had changed the points and gapped accordingly and it runs fine.

First time I use it yesterday and it took a few mins to start, looking for the right amount of choke (manual). It ran for about 30 seconds then died. Haven't been able to start it since! I'm assuming something simple needs doing (wet spark plug maybe?) as there's definanty a spark to that and I've seen it running before!

It's a basic engine it can't be that hard to sort out?!
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doggone · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

If it's a briggs and stratton it will probably be cheaper to get another one.
The basic things that can go wrong with these small engines - but are easily fixed - are needing a new plug or new carb diaphragm.

mic · Brolly Dolly Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Is it getting fuel?

Is it getting fresh fuel?
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mic · Brolly Dolly Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Karma :

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

I fixed a briggs rotavator in portugal last summer, as said the carb diaphragms are a weak point on them. The rubber stretches/perishes with age and provides weak/intermittent fuel pumping which is a real bugger to diagnose.

The motor I was working on would sometimes fire, sometimes not, and never ran for more than a few seconds whenever it fired up. A £3 piece of rubber and it fired up after a few pulls.

It only cost about a fiver delivered to get the diaphragm sent from a UK ebay seller to the farm I was working at in portugal. As the part is so cheap, if this rotorvator is an old-ish one it is probably worth changing just to be on the safe side, and to simplify potential problems.

Islander · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Aug 2012 Karma :

You can buy carb service kits for B&S engines - not expensive to service and dead simple.

Have you tried squirting a load of easy start into the air filter intake? My mower can be a bugger to start sometimes (B&S quantum engine) and I find that with East Start it'll go first pull whereas without I'll be at it for ages. Definitely worth a shot IMO. Thumbs Up