Hello! I have a Craftsman LT2000 with a 19.5hp B&S engine. It was running great while I was mowing and then I hit a tree stump that my husband had cut down a while back. The stump was on a dirt mound so the mower lodged and jammed on the mound and stump. It came to an immediate halt. The mower shuddered slightly, died and a smal puff of black smoke came out of the engine. I immediately smelled a strong fuel odor that lasted for several minutes. I put all controls back into their off/disengaged position, pulled the mower off the stump and inspected the deck and blade. I did not remove the deck or blade. Just checked as it was. The blade(s) rotated ok. Deck looks ok. Belt is intact and ok. Checked inside the engine because of fuel smell. Fuel still holding in the tank ok. So I tried to restart it. It cranks, but it sounds "smoother/easier" as if something that it used to do is not happening anymore. It used to sound more "gutteral". Sorry, I am not sure how to explain the sound. It does not sound bad, just different. So it just cranks and cranks and nothing happens. It did backfire once while trying to start it.
Bare with me... this is my first experience working on a riding mower.
I made this video to try to get some help when it first happened. It gives you an idea of how it sounds and shows what I am doing to try to start it.
youtu.be/xCCDwVSBzqg
I took the shroud off and flywheel cover. I visually inspected the flywheel key ONLY from the top without removing the flywheel. It looks ok from the top, I think. Should I take it apart and inspect the whole key anyway? Could there be damage below that I can't see? I kind of assumed that if it sheared, I would see it from the top.
Here is a picture of the top of the flywheel key.
I used a spark tester by removing the spark plug and connecting the tester to the plug hole in the engine and the plug wire. The tester shows consistent repetitive flashes during cranking. That is apparently normal operation. I replaced the spark plug as well, just in case, and did an arch test. It arched/sparked ok. Still no change in cranking/starting with the new plug.
I charged the battery with a charger and no improvement. Battery shows charged and cranking is the same.
I tried spraying carburetor fluid into the air intake and cranking. Still no change and won't start. No combustion.
Today I am going to take the spark plug out and see if compression blows my finger off the hole (as instructed by a mower technician). I am also going to detach the fuel line from the incoming side of the fuel filter to test for fuel flow. Then test on the opposite side of the filter to see if the filter is plugged.
Can anyone think of anything else that I should try after those things or have any advice? Thanks!
Bare with me... this is my first experience working on a riding mower.
I made this video to try to get some help when it first happened. It gives you an idea of how it sounds and shows what I am doing to try to start it.
youtu.be/xCCDwVSBzqg
I took the shroud off and flywheel cover. I visually inspected the flywheel key ONLY from the top without removing the flywheel. It looks ok from the top, I think. Should I take it apart and inspect the whole key anyway? Could there be damage below that I can't see? I kind of assumed that if it sheared, I would see it from the top.
Here is a picture of the top of the flywheel key.
I used a spark tester by removing the spark plug and connecting the tester to the plug hole in the engine and the plug wire. The tester shows consistent repetitive flashes during cranking. That is apparently normal operation. I replaced the spark plug as well, just in case, and did an arch test. It arched/sparked ok. Still no change in cranking/starting with the new plug.
I charged the battery with a charger and no improvement. Battery shows charged and cranking is the same.
I tried spraying carburetor fluid into the air intake and cranking. Still no change and won't start. No combustion.
Today I am going to take the spark plug out and see if compression blows my finger off the hole (as instructed by a mower technician). I am also going to detach the fuel line from the incoming side of the fuel filter to test for fuel flow. Then test on the opposite side of the filter to see if the filter is plugged.
Can anyone think of anything else that I should try after those things or have any advice? Thanks!