[The Badger]

Hi all

Just joined as googled the above and found this forum.

I have the above rotavator and I am having trouble starting it.

I bought it for £12 from an auction, stripped it down to clean and check everything is ok, valves, piston etc.  Once re-built I pulled the cord and got no spark so I adjusted the coil gap from the rotor and managed to get a very weak and inconsistent spark.

I have been tweaking the gap all day today but now I can't get a spark, does this point to the coil, the gap or is it something completely different?

It has the Briggs and Stratton "easy spin" starting 2.50hp 4 stroke engine on it, engine code: 80112 0242-01 77021101.  I have looked this up and downloaded the manuals but can't find anything in there with regard to the gap required.

Any advice, help on this matter would be greatly appreciated as I dont fancy turning my garden over by hand!!

Thanks in advance

James

[Gwiz]

As the machine is of a certain, shall we say politely, "vintage" I expect that there are a set of points behind the flywheel.
Have a go at our search facility, and I'm sure you will find a whole host of information on how to get at them, and adjust.
If you can't find what you're looking for, sing out, and I'll have a look for you.

[The Badger]

Thanks for the reply Gwiz, I shall go and have a perusal now!

[The Badger]

Just done a couple of searches, brigss and stratton points and briggs and stratton point location, I cant seem to find what I am looking for, could you point me in the right direction please!!?

Also it is quite simple to get to the points or is it a complete engine strip down?

Thanks once again

James

[Gwiz]

I'm not sure what type of recoil starter you have on your machine, It's always a good idea to put a picture in your post if you can, it helps forgetful old duffers like me that can't recall engine numbers and models!
Basically, you have been in the right area when you have been adjusting the air gap between the flywheel and the magneto. The flywheel will be held on by a central nut, or a starter assembly. Either way, this needs to be removed. A knock on the side of the flywheel with a copper mallet or a rawhide mallet, should loosen the flywheel from its tapered fit crankshaft. The timing for the points is controlled by an alluminium key.
Once the flywheel is removed, you will see the points cover, which looks a little like the top of an alluminium can with a round raised area. this is held on by two small screws (4ba- if memory serves) with the cover removed, you will see the points assembly. You can remove these and clean the faces with emery cloth, but I always chuck them away and fit a new set (you will find heaps on ebay.....) All Briggs points for their small engines are the same (well, I've never seen a different set) When you fit a new set, it is important to "dress" them with the emery cloth before putting them in, or you will rapidly find you haven't got a spark again. Points gap is listed at 20 thou, but I always set at 18Thou (these engines and coils are almost vintage now ))
If you need any more help, sing out again.
Just a thought, but if your engine has the starter assembly as the flywheel retaining nut, You may need further advice on how to get it off.

Have fun.

[The Badger]

Thanks once again Gwiz

I shall have a play about tomorrow and see whats what.

Regards

JAmes

[The Badger]

Right

I have had a look this morning and can't see any way to remove the flywheel, I have uploaded some photos here: http://s764.photobucket.com/albums/xx282/The_Badger_Badger/

So hopefully this will help!

Thanks in advance

James

[Gwiz]

You have a clutch starter holding the flywheel on. This unscrews anti clockwise, but before you do that a word of caution.
The centre of the clutch starter is turned by the recoil pulley. I see that you have removed the mesh screen that is fitted to the clutch starter by two small 4ba bolts. There is a cap that can be prised off  to reveal about 6 small ball bearings that will fall out and scatter to the four winds unless you put a large deep sided tray under the starter before you do anything. Having taken the cap off and caught your balls (ooer-Mrs) in the tray, the centre part of the starter can be removed to reveal a thin shiny part of the crankshaft. ON NO ACOUNT MUST YOU DAMAGE THIS< OR PLACE ANY GRIPS ON IT!!! or the starter will not turn correctly afterwards .
You can turn the body of the starter anti clockwise to remove it using a pipe wrench at a pinch, or you might knock it round on the lugs using a punch, or even invest in the right tool to do it so you won't damage anything I own two, I thought I'd lost mine so bought another only for the original one to turn up virtually at the same time the other one fell through the letter box. Lifes like that at times, Eh?
Having now removed the body of the starter, there is a washer and then the flywheel which is, as described in an earlier post, a tapered fit onto the crankshaft. A knock on the side of the flywheel with a copper mallet (on the alluminium part, and not the magnetic metal part that helps produce the spark..... )
Presto! you should now be able to remove the flywheel (making sure you don't loose the small alluminium key that locks the flywheel on in the correct position for the timing)
You should now be able to see the cover of the points that I mentioned earlier.
If you can't, then this is a magnetron ignition system and you've just wasted about an hour, bruised your fingers from hammer blows, and will curse my name fore-ever-more, but don't worry, I won't hold it against you.........
As I said to the Boss the other day, "I've been sworn at by a better class of people than you, you know!"

[The Badger]

Thanks Gwiz

Copied, pasted and printed out.

Its now on my kitchen table so i'll have a try tonight and update tomorrow.

Thanks again

James

[The Badger]

Right

Update:

Sorry for the delay but my broadband has been down.

I have removed the cover that hides the 6 balls, caught expertly by my magnetic tray!!  I can see the shiny silver shaft but can't see anyway to go any further without holding the silver shaft!

With out the special tool are you saying use a pipe wrench to turn the shaft anti-clockwise or the back part of the ball holder?

Either way how do I hold one part while turning the other part the opposite way??

Sorry if this is obvious but I don't want to damage anything!

Kind regards

James

[Gwiz]

If you have a look at this thread,
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=59358.0
You will see the correct tools for the job.
Getting the starter assembly of without them is a bit of a risk, but do-able.
In the past I have reorted to a pipe wrench griping the flywheel, and then another on the body of the clutch starter. On no account must you grip the shiny crankshaft that went into the starter, you WILL damage it.

[The Badger]

Sorted

With the help of my able assistant, namely my wife, I have got the flywheel off and the points, basically she held the flywheel with two screwdrivers while i gently tapped the back of the ball holder off with a large circular punch, no damage to anything either!

The contact parts on the points are black, so im gonna clean them off with emery cloth and see if the beast starts, if it doesn't does this mean the points are done and need replacing or does it point to the coil?

The inside of the points tray is spotless so hopefully cleaning them will sort it.

Thanks Gwiz for all the help so far, what did we do before the internet hey....!!??  Oh thats right pay someone else to do it for us!!

James

[Gwiz]

Sounds like a clean will sort them out.
Hey, before the internet, you would have brought the machine to me, and I would have charged you.

[The Badger]

Aye and probably an awful lot by the quotes I was getting for replacing the points!!

[The Badger]

Right

iv emery clothed the points so about to put it all back together, I shall set the points at 18 thou as per your previous post Gwiz, but, is there a specific distance for the air gap between flywheel and coil or does it need to be the same as the points gap?

James