quick question for small engine guys

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DanMcG

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Ok, thanks everyone for the help. So this morning I pulled the plugs to replace with fresh ones and one was wet. So I pulled the shroud off and found (using my new feeler gauge) that I had one module way off...Old guys with failing eyesight shouldn't work in poorly lit garages.... It now runs much better but still had some stumble when I engaged the mower, so I played with the carb some and it now runs pretty good, I think. Was tough to tell as it was 32° with a couple inches of snow so I couldn't put it under a real load. I'm good with it for now, thanks again.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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I was going to suggest something in the neighborhood of compression lost having dealt with this family of engines, but I’m glad you got it going right!
 

Camar068

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kohler courage engine? Read some bad stuff about those engines back in the day when I was looking at a mower. Ended up with a deere because of it.
 

AuroraGirl

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kohler courage engine? Read some bad stuff about those engines back in the day when I was looking at a mower. Ended up with a deere because of it.
its why you dont mess with flathead design, its perfect and needs no change!

Why isnt sbc flathead? No one knows, not even the experts. Crazy
 

austinado16

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Ok, thanks everyone for the help. So this morning I pulled the plugs to replace with fresh ones and one was wet. So I pulled the shroud off and found (using my new feeler gauge) that I had one module way off...Old guys with failing eyesight shouldn't work in poorly lit garages.... It now runs much better but still had some stumble when I engaged the mower, so I played with the carb some and it now runs pretty good, I think. Was tough to tell as it was 32° with a couple inches of snow so I couldn't put it under a real load. I'm good with it for now, thanks again.


Glad you got it. Nice work! The method for setting these up is; using a flexible card-stock type material, very similar to a standard business card, or a business card. Simply set the mag/coil unit in position and leave it's 2 mounting bolts loose. Then rotate the flywheel so that its magnet area is directly across from the mag/coil unit. This sucks the mag/coil unit into the magnet. Pull the mag/coil unit away from the magnet, slide in the card stock, and then let go of the mag/coil unit. It get's sucked back down onto the cardstock, creating the perfect gap. Snug up the 2 mag/coil unit mounting bolts, and then rotate the flywheel sufficiently to "eject" the card stock. This process works for any engine or machine that uses magneto style ignition, whether it's a big V-twin, or a little string trimmer.

Pick up some SeaFoam, add quite a bit of it to the fuel tank, and then run the engine with the deck engaged for a few minutes. Shut it down and leave it like that over winter. Continue to use SeaFoam in your fuel, and you may find that after a couple of mowings the carb jets, circuits, and emulsion tube start to clean up, and it runs better/normal. If it currently has old fuel in the fuel tank, I'd drain that, put in a few gallons of fresh, do your SeaFoam thing, and then leave it like that. SeaFoaming old fuel isn't going to do you any favors and you'll have a wrecked $350 carburetor come Spring.
 
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