Tecumseh 16hp flywheel questions

Jmoxie

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Hello,

I started this in the Murray forum but it is more a Tecumseh engine issue. I have a Murray 1996 and 42828x8B, with 16hp Tecumseh OHV16-204211C

The motor died this weekend after starting up fine. Then engine would not crank. Opened up and tshot to bad solenoid and blown fuse. after jumping that the starter would engage the flywheel but the flywheel would not turn. I am trying to turn by hand , should I be able to turn by hand? Is there a mechanism that brakes the flywheel or holds it in place and maybe allows the flywheel to turn only when released? If so how do I disengage it to see if the engine is seized or I have something else wrong?

Thanks for your ideas.
 

bertsmobile1

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what are you looking for ? a magic pixie dust formula ?
pull the flywheel off
try to turn the engine if it don't turn with the flywheel off then there is a problem with the inside of the engine that can not be fixed from the outside of the engine.
 

Jmoxie

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pixie dust, really?

Sorry to waste your precious time.
 

bertsmobile1

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I am sitting here , lunch roll in one hand typing with the other so it is not my time you are wasting, it is your time.
There is no magic bullet, no secret switch nothing that words will fix it is spannar time weather you want it to be or not.
This is not a political inquirey where you can just keep getting more opinions till you find the one you wanted to hear all along and ignore everything else then blame the adviser when it does not work.
Days ago you were told what was the possible causes and what was needed to be done to verify which problem you have.
Going to a different sub section of the forum is not going to make any difference the problem is a seizes engine.
IF you like you can go to another site and they will all offer their condolences for your engine and pray for you, but that is not going to get you back on the grass until the engine gets stripped down and the cause of the seizure determined.

Now if you want a different opinion , try this:-
Since Tecumseh went belly up there have been a lot of parts that Lauensons ( the original owners ) are no longer making.
Thus doing a major overhaul on a Tecumseh engine can be a problem parts wise.
So if you walked into my shop I would send you out with a new superceeded Briggs engine and a wiring kit ( which I make ) to fit in your mower.
And because I am a nice person I might even give you a $ 100 trade in for your old engine .

Now freight rates US to OZ to US are a might on the expensive side so you would do better by buying one locally.
At this time of year lots of engines , particularly new model pulls come up for 50% of the retail price
These are the places I usually get complete engines from, generally a pallet load or 2 per season.

https://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/
http://www.surpluscenter.com/

And you will find the repair manual for your engine here http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Tecumseh-Service-and-Repair-Manuals/
 

upupandaway

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pixie dust, really?

Sorry to waste your precious time.

Moxie- being a riding mower, there shouldn't be a brake to stop the motor when it is turned off.
Being it won't turn over, I would start take out the spark plugs and then try turning the flywheel by hand first if it spins freely, u can try with the starter for kicks. If it is stuck at 1 point, then yeah likely something snapped inside. If no, maybe it just needs the valves adjusted?? (sorry didn't look up your exact model). Try this and post what u find.

See PM
 

bertsmobile1

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Moxie- being a riding mower, there shouldn't be a brake to stop the motor when it is turned off.
Being it won't turn over, I would start take out the spark plugs and then try turning the flywheel by hand first if it spins freely, u can try with the starter for kicks. If it is stuck at 1 point, then yeah likely something snapped inside. If no, maybe it just needs the valves adjusted?? (sorry didn't look up your exact model). Try this and post what u find.

See PM

You might like to read the whole post from his previous thread http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showthread.php/45821-Flywheel-no-crank-questions?p=277479#post277479
Two people have already advised him to pull the flywheel
 

Jmoxie

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UpUpand away, THANK you.

I am clearly a tinker type guy and NOT a small engine mechanic. I work on my stuff on weekends when the wife doesn't have me doing something else. I understand what I have been told and will do all these things this weekend or next.

I am a Theory of operation type guy as well so rather than give me "pixie dust" or a magic eraser please explain the theory behind why and I will go from there. Certain people ASSUME we are all looking for a silver bullet fix when I would rather learn something while I fix something. I would NEVER fix something and then rub someone's nose in the fact that it wasn't what was suggested.

And as far as going from one forum post to another I was in the Murray section and then it turned out I thought I was in the wrong section and went into the Tecmesuh section. If that is a forum taboo then delete my posts.

Thank you to all who have been so kind to give me their experienced opinion.
 

bertsmobile1

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IT just gets confusing because those who read the entire forum daily start seeing the same thing twice.

You have been sent a link to the free download for the factory manual, can't do much better than that for explaining .
If you troll around teh web you should be able to see some IPL's and in most cases if you right click them to open in a new window you can print them out.
I bought the 600 page master parts list so I don't have any links to IPL's on the web.
If you want to see how it is done properly google
Taryl fixes all
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpKkmevIGmU Donny Boy
then search their sites for "removing flywheels"
No matter what engine you have they all come off the same.

IMHO if there is nothing jambing the flywheel then I would not bother trying to fix it.
But it won't cost anything other than time to pull it apart and it is worth more as individual good bits than a siezed single lump.
 

upupandaway

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You might like to read the whole post from his previous thread....
Two people have already advised him to pull the flywheel

Hey bert, i don't live on this website so i didn't see it. Also, even if people said pull the flywheel- what are the odds of something between the flywheel and the engine block stopping it from turning??
I take the route of KISS and just pull the plugs and start checking from there. If his mower is in your shop go nuts! take the whole thing apart for what i care and take the trans apart first.
 

bertsmobile1

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Stuff stuck under the flywheels is a lot more common than most would think.
particularly small seed nuts and magnetic gravel.
The magnets themselves are only held in with contact adheasive and easily knocked off.
The space between the magnets & the stator is very small and despite the stator being held in place with tiny 1/8" bolts down here a little gum nut can lock the engine up solid.
Jmoxie did not give us much to work with, just he was mowing and the engine siezed, no mention if he checked to oil , or there was any oil , or if he was mowing across a slope.

The fried solenoid does not make any sense as it is out of circuit when the engine is running but a fried rectifier does make sense if the flywheel magnets jambed the flywheel as they fell off..
A bent crank caused by a dropped pushrod also makes sense and can cause the flywheel to ossilate and jamb against the magneto coil which is another symptom he has noticed.
 
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