# lawn-boy won't start



## calhoontuna (Sep 28, 2005)

Have an M-Series Lawn-boy that I am having trouble starting. Two stroke.

When I pull the cord either nothing happens or the thing backfires (w/ choke closed).

Before this, I replaced the magnito/spark plug wire because the spark plug wire had gone bad. The mower had been getting progressively harder to start all Summer so perhaps my problems were more then just a bad magnito. 

Used a business card to gap the magnito from the flywheel and it seems to be working right because I am getting a spark.

I also checked the flywheel key and it looks fine. 

I took apart the carburator and everything seems to be moving fine (though I may not have gotten the two screws on top to their original positions).

Took off the muffler to make sure it wasn't clogged. It isn't.

Is there anything else I could try/test to try to get this thing started again?

One thing: when I pour gas directly into the spark plug hole, replace the spark, and pull the cord, the thing doesn't so much as briefly sputter.

Any suggestions?

Thank you for your time,
Brian


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## 2mcgrath (Oct 10, 2003)

sure the sparkplug is good and not fouled?


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## calhoontuna (Sep 28, 2005)

Brand new sparkplug.


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

I would pull the flywheel and make sure the key has not been sheared.

Edited: Opps, I see you did that. If it is backfiring it is a timing issue of some sort.


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## phryder (Oct 31, 2005)

Have you cleaned the exhaust ports? This is done with the muffler removed and the piston positioned so that the ports are closed (piston visible) with an unsharpened pencil or wood dowel and a shot of compressed air, for cleanup.

Have you tried starting fluid? With air cleaner removed, throttle and choke both fully open, squirt a small amount of starter fluid into throttle body. Attempt to start...should start right up and run vigorously for a second or two, inidcating that the ignition system is good. Word of advice...don't get too carried away with the starter fluid, you can blow the engine up with this stuff.


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