I bought a lightly used Toro super recycler lawn mower a few years ago and changed the oil and air filter since they were dirty. The engine is a 190cc OHV. I left the spark plug alone since it started in 2-3 pulls and ran fine.
I took the spark plug out over the weekend to check it since I hadn't ever before. I believe it is the original Champion brand plug. The plug looked OK, slightly rich and a light ash from oil, I cleaned it with a brass bristle brush and checked the gap. I have a wire-type spark plug gauge and the gap of the plug was <. 025 inch! (the smallest measurement wire on the gauge)
I gapped the plug to .045 just to see what happens on the on the extreme opposite side of the gap. (I believe the gap should be .030) And now, the engine starts first pull! It's never done that! And, seems to run the same.
I don't know why the spark plug was <.025, but I am glad I checked it. It seems like the larger gap helped the engine start easier, possibly due to larger spark? So, check your plugs on your small equipment if you haven't done so already!
I took the spark plug out over the weekend to check it since I hadn't ever before. I believe it is the original Champion brand plug. The plug looked OK, slightly rich and a light ash from oil, I cleaned it with a brass bristle brush and checked the gap. I have a wire-type spark plug gauge and the gap of the plug was <. 025 inch! (the smallest measurement wire on the gauge)
I gapped the plug to .045 just to see what happens on the on the extreme opposite side of the gap. (I believe the gap should be .030) And now, the engine starts first pull! It's never done that! And, seems to run the same.
I don't know why the spark plug was <.025, but I am glad I checked it. It seems like the larger gap helped the engine start easier, possibly due to larger spark? So, check your plugs on your small equipment if you haven't done so already!
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