Toro Recycler Won't Start

[Boudreaux In Eunice La.]

Ok here's the video I made earlier............ Hope this helps ~!~!

https://youtu.be/LSf-pQ2_oIg

 

[bertsmobile1]

View attachment 36798

Alright, I did a pressure test by screwing a gauge into where the spark plug was and giving the engine a few yanks. The needle didn't even move...
Either there is barely any pressure, which I find hard to believe (there is significant resistance to pull-starting) or the gauge is sketching out. Ill try again with a tire gauge which should be more sensitive.
(and yes, I threaded it on properly and tightly)

Thanks for all the help so far guys! No results yet but I'll attempt more tomorrow!

Small engines all have some sort of decompression arangement on them.
Thus a strait compression reading at cranking speed is useless but if it keeps you amused continue doing it.
If you really want to waste a lot of time then adjust the valve clearences, the bigger they are the higher the compression reading will be

When you get bored chasing your tail round and round in circles let me know the answers to the first lot of questions I asked in post # 11
and if you are willing to do what you are asked then we shall proceed in a logical & methodical method to diagnose the reason why your engine will not start.
There is nothing mystical or magical in what I do, just a logical method.
Others have their methods and they work just as well.

You were getting a lot of hits so I laid off this thread till I saw you were going nowhere.

Back in Post No 3 you mentioned that you had removed the blade.
Is it still off ?
I ask this because very few engine will start without the extra momentum they get from the blade spinning.
This was a big problem when some dope decided they wanted blade clutches to avoid being sued when some retard pulls the cord with their thong clad foot under the deck.

One of the problems with public forums is every one has their own pet problem.
People skim through what has been written or worse still just the last post then chime in with their favourite problem, usually one that had them stumped for a long while.
There is nothing inherentally wrong with this . Other peoples experiences are valuable and should be added to your knowledge base and by law of averages some times they will hit the nail on the head first try.
However when you do these things daily you get a routine and the routine never fails, well rarely fails.
Most techs will have their own routines and we all do things in a sightly different order which is fine just so long as to go from A to Z and not A to X then back to B , flip over to Q pop back to C the A forgetting you have already been there.

A poor coil will spark in air but not inside the cylinder.
So if the coil is weak or has a bad ground you can get a nice big spark in air but nothing inside the cylinder.
This is the reason for the inline spark tester cause if it does not spark inside the cylinder the tester does not flash.
The carb /cleaner or lighter fluid as Bou likes to use is done to ensure you don't wet the plug and provide a non sparking ground path in the plug.
Ypu a;sp rarely get excess fuel outside the engine which can happen when pouring fuel down a plug hole.

And it takes energy to compress valve springs, a lot more than most would believe.
More than once an engine has come in with a broken rod and the owner was sure he had an electrical problem cause it was hard to pull.

 

[Russ2251]

I strongly suspect an ignition system issue. 90% of the trash finds that come across my bench are ignition related.
For S & G's... try another known good plug. The fact that you said you have spark, something should have happened
with the raw gas...even if timing is slightly out or you have bad valves.

Put the compression testers aside as they really aren't needed.

Remove plug and press a finger over plug hole and spin engine. You should not be able to hold back compression.
If there is difficulty in holding back compression at plug hole, then very likely it has enough to run.

If pressure feels lower than described, then valve action has to be verified. Meaning, do they completely open and close.
This can be done by removing breather cover and observing valve spring movement while slowly rotating engine with spark plug removed.
If valve operation cannot be verified in this manner, then head will have to be removed.

Check for sheared key by disassembling hardware over flywheel. Sheared key is the only thing that adversely affects ignition timing.