PROBLEM GETTING 10HP B&S ENGINE TO START

Gentlmen,
I have a 281016be rer snapper riding mower with elec start, 10HP B&S engine. It has been running good until 1 week ago. I turned the fuel line on and turned the key to start it. It cranked just fine. I could not get it to start. Then I could smell gas, like it was flooded. I took the air filter off and pulled the spark plug out and cleaned it. Still would not start. I don't think it is getting spark to the plug.

I watched some youtube videos on how to check for spark & how the magneto works. It also showed how to clean it. First I checked for spark with the plug...........has plenty of spark. Put the plug back in and it started right up. Yipeeee! Turned it off and now it won't start again. I unpluged the secret wire to disconnect the safety switches and it still will not start. Everytime I pull the plug, I have spark.

I did remove and clean the magneto. Brushed all of the rust off of the magnet. Re-installed the magneto with a business card spacing between the magnet. I get tons of spark from the plug. With or without the safety grounding wire.

Tonight I am putting in a new plug to see if that helps.

Any idea what it could be or what I need to check next if this does not help?

Thank you for your help in advance.

You didn't say that you had cleaned the carb, that is where I would go.

EngineMan said:

You didn't say that you had cleaned the carb, that is where I would go.

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I was going to open that up tonight to clean it up too. That's about the extent of my engine repair knowledge.

If that doesn't work I will have to take it to the shop.

I took the carb completely off and cleaned it. Put it back on. Changed plug. It started right up. Only problem is, I dropped the float when I was cleaning it. The carp fills to the top with gas. I shut off the gass & drained the bowl where the float is an the fired up an ran fine until it used up the remaining gas.

So, I did it again just to see if it would start and run and it did.
There was oil coming out of the rubber tube the goes from the air filter base to the side of the engine block. I had the mower up on jack stands in the front and a floor jack on the back so I could sit & work on it. The back was about 4" higher than the front. I didn't have the air filter and the air filter cover on. Do you think it was spitting the oil out because of the slant and no filter cover in place?

At least I know it is the carb and not electrical.

You may have some fuel in the oil, so drop the old oil, replace the damage float with a good one, then your good to go....!:thumbsup: Almost forgot.....after you have new oil in the engine.