# Briggs and Stratton Starting Difficulty



## Sharpera (Apr 19, 2009)

I have a Briggs and Stratton 5hp attached to a garden tiller. It's been in storage for some time. Last night I tried to get it started without any luck. It did turn over with some engine starter sprayed into the carburetor and even a few drops of gas, but as soon as that burned off, the motor stopped. I repeated this about 15-20 times but it would not stay running. I did dump the old gas that was in the tank and added fresh before starting any of this. 

What would some of you experts do next?


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## bgbass (Jan 11, 2008)

you need to clean the carb. it more than likely is all gummed up.


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## Jimbo_Indiana (Aug 10, 2020)

Alrighty folks, I have been a small engine repairman for forty something tears. I ran into a challenge with a Briggs and Stratton motor on a Craftsman power washer. It would start when cold, and when it was hot it would not start. There are several things that you should check before buying any parts. After you have gone through all the normal checks for spark, fuel, and compression, try this. First, take some emery cloth to your flywheel. Pay attention to the insulators between your magnet(s). If there is rust between your magnet(s) and the surface of the rest of the flywheel, sand/clean them. You do not want anything to be able to electronically connect your flywheel to the magnets on the flywheel. Next, check your magneto, armature, coil gap between your flywheel/magnets and your magneto. There are a whole bunch of whatever/responses out there about your magneto gap with the flywheel that recommend 0.020. From about 2005 on that gap needs to be 0.004 to 0.006. It is critical. A business card will not work, trust me. Check that gap and move on if it is right. This will get your Briggs and Stratton engine running most of the time without buying parts.


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## finaprint (Jan 29, 2006)

X2 on bumping the ignition gap closer. Those mag impulse sensors send a stronger signal the closer they are. I always run them on anything as close as possible with no contact permitted at all.


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