B&S Intek 22 "sticky spot"

[Hokiefyd]

I'm working on a friend's Craftsman rider with the 22 hp Intek. Initial condition: no crank, with just a click. Okay, no problem. I checked the battery. It appeared charged, but I topped it off anyway. Same click. It's a strong click. I can feel it in the seat...like the starter is actually engaging with the flywheel but it just won't turn it. So I thought I'd check to make sure the engine isn't actually locked. It was. Well, not locked TIGHT, but it took a slight effort then broke free. After that, it started and ran like a champ. I started and stopped it many times after that with no problems. So it's not a sticky/dead spot on the starter motor itself...but in the engine somewhere. I have to believe that this is something that happened when he last shut it down. I'll try it again in a few more days to see if it sticks again. Is there anything he can do to keep this from happening again? Is there anything that I, as his mechanic, can do to reduce the possibility of it happening on him again? Seafoam the cylinders? Methinks that it's got to be a fluke thing...how do you lock up an engine that is used regularly tight enough that the starter can't turn it but easy enough where it easily breaks free with a wrench and runs like a top right after?

 

[440Magnum]

Carb dribbled fuel into the cylinder, which then evaporated leaving a residue gluing the piston to the bore? Just spitballin'.

 

[Darwin1138]

I will check the state of the teeth of the starter and the flywheel maybe one is crooked and prevents movement.

 

[ddtmoto]

BAd connection cables on battery..

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Carb dribbled fuel into the cylinder, which then evaporated leaving a residue gluing the piston to the bore? Just spitballin'.

Something like this is all I can come up with. It was the engine itself that was stuck. The starter wasn't engaged and the battery connections were good. Once I freed the engine with a large wrench, it spun free and clear. I'm thinking about running some Seafoam through the cylinders and marking that one complete...

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

Carb dribbled fuel into the cylinder, which then evaporated leaving a residue gluing the piston to the bore? Just spitballin'.

Something like this is all I can come up with. It was the engine itself that was stuck. The starter wasn't engaged and the battery connections were good. Once I freed the engine with a large wrench, it spun free and clear. I'm thinking about running some Seafoam through the cylinders and marking that one complete...

Maybe install a fuel cut-off petcock and tell the owner to close it and run the engine 'till it stalls to drain the carb. Did that for years with the (gravity-fed) system on Dad's old JD-110 lawn tractor... otherwise you were going to be disassembling and de-gunking the carb before you got it running again. Either the needle valve in the carb would maintain the fuel level, but as the gas would evaporate out of the carb it would get thicker and thicker with additives and residues. Nasty. Or sometimes the needle valve would never shut off completely, and it would overflow the carb bowl and fill the cylinder (and crankcase) completely full of fuel over the course of a week. Also nasty. At work we have a couple of Honda EU2000i generators that tend to do the same thing, so if I ever get a spare afternoon I'll be putting brass shut-off valves in their fuel lines.

 

[Hokiefyd]

This tractor has the tank under the seat with a fuel pump on the side of the engine. Would this cause long cranking times, if the bowl were emptied each time? It also has an anti-backfire solenoid on the carb, which closes the jet at key-off.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

This tractor has the tank under the seat with a fuel pump on the side of the engine. Would this cause long cranking times, if the bowl were emptied each time? It also has an anti-backfire solenoid on the carb, which closes the jet at key-off.

Ah, then its like our newer JD, and fuel running into the cylinder really shouldn't be an issue(if everything works and its not parked too nose-down). In that case, I'm a bit baffled again as to what caused it to stick in the first place. Moisture/humidity caused a little surface rust in the cylinder, maybe? Weird. Before I let it go, I might pull the plug and rotate it by hand and see if there's still a 'rough' spot as you turn it.