[Shop-talk] briggs&stratton help

[Nolan]

Well, you don't just tear an engine down because it doesn't start, you 
diagnose it and fix it.

Spark, compression and a fuel mixture.  The basic three.

Pull the spark plug out, plug it in, lay it against the metal and pull the 
starter cord.  Look for a spark.  Odds are, you'll see one.  If not, look 
first at the ground or kill wire and see if it is grounded.  This is 
normally at the throttle linkage area.  If it's touching, the ignition will 
not fire.  If there's still no spark, the flywheel key would be my next 
suspect.  The entire ignition is on the outside of the engine, there's no 
tearing down.

When it spun, did it feel different?  It should spin freely now.  If it was 
spinning the same way earlier, you've got a problem with a stuck valve. 
Unlikely, imo.

That leaves fuel.  The most likely culprit imo.  Make sure gasoline is 
actually getting into the carburetor.  If yours have a petcock valve, make 
sure it's open.  Needles stick with remarkable regularity, in both 
directions.  Many a balky carburetor can be "fixed" with a quick rapping 
from the handle of a screwdriver.

Ether is a diesel engine starting fluid.  While gasoline engines can fire on 
it, it's far from a sure thing.  You're far more likely to get it to start 
with carburetor cleaner.