starter works intermittently on walk behind

My moms 22" Toro self propelled has electric start and a TXP 159cc engine. The switches work properly and the battery has 12.75 volts even after some cranking. When it doesn't work I tap it and it spins and engages. I got her a small rider, so I want to get it working and sell it. I don't want to buy a starter. Any ideas?

Is this an old engine ?

When the brushes wore out, they sometimes did not make a good contact to the commutator anymore. A little shock help to restore temporarily this contact.
IF this is the case you have to replace them (or the whole starter motor), or this will go worse and worse

I took apart the starter and found the brushes were sticking in the holders, because of corrosion. I did my best to clean the rust off the holders. But I don't know how to reassemble. The brush holder ring mounts to a solid cap, the positive brushes are fastened to the cap. So using a socket or anything else, then mounting the cap after won't work. Any suggestions?

Ok so was that issue - with another root cause

For reassembly post pictures, don't know by heart all starters - and perhaps someone can help you.
Did not really understand what the issue is, do you need to find a way to maintain brushes in place before closing the cover ?

I used tiny wire to hold the brushes in and the starter works great. But it won't run. Still working on it. The carb has a lot of bs. I am going to take it apart again.

Since you don’t give us the model numbers, I’m assuming you have a Tecumseh engine. Page 58 of this manual may help you out. A second set of hands when reassembling will definitely be valuable, as even an experienced mechanic can have problems. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Te...P-4-CYCLE-L-HEAD-FLAT-HEAD-ENGINES-692509.pdf

I did post the engine model TSP 159cc ohv. Don't know who makes it. It is a 22" Recyclable personal pace mower. A real piece of crap.

I got the starter back together, works fine. Mower runs good until warm, then I think the automatic choke screws things up. It may have something to do with the air temp of 10. It has an auto throttle too. The engine is TXP 159cc ohv. The choke is also adjusted by some thing affected by air around the fly wheel.

That is not an engine model number, just a series number. Most 22” Toro mowers have either a Tecumseh or Loncin engine. A few may come with a Kohler engine. If you would have posted the mowers model and serial numbers, we would be able to lookup the exact engine. Lawn mower engines are not designed to run very well at any temperatures lower that 40 degrees, carbs are set to lean. Don’t blame the unit when you are trying to run it in situations it was not designed for. Toro makes a good unit when used and operated in the proper conditions.

This mower is a piece of crap because; It says on the cover, "guaranteed to start" and it hasn't since my mom bought it new. It does not have the manufacturer of the engine on it. It does not have a usable throttle. It does not have a manual choke. The auto choke does not work. The mower won't run when it is cold out. The "person pace" is tough to push, tougher to pull. The mower shuts off if you let go of the handle. The starter is a funnel for water and therefore corrosion. The starter is difficult to service. The battery is difficult to get to. It is ugly.

That said I guess I can't work on the auto choke as I can't run the mower until it is warm out. What a piece of crap. I just want to get it working so I can sell it to someone that wants a piece of crap.

I’m going to make some assumptions about what is going on, based on your last post. You must be a great guy, as you want to get good money from someone by selling them a “piece of crap”. You can’t give us the units model and serial numbers, because you can’t find them. The unit is stored outside, which is allowing water to get into the starter. This starting problem has occurred since new and the dealer could not repair it under warranty when you complained about the problem and Toro would not help you, saying it was a fuel problem. If the unit has an AutoChoke and no throttle control, I’m guessing it is either a newer Loncin engine or older Briggs. Tecumseh doesn’t have auto choke. You do know how the different AutoChoke systems work? If you look around you will see that 90% of today’s mowers have this type of fuel systems. The Personal Pace system does not work properly, even though you and the dealer tried to adjust it according to the directions in the owners manual. You know that all of today’s push mowers have a safety feature that shut off the engine when the bail handle is released, unless it is equipped with a “blade break clutch system”. This has been required by the government regulation s for over two decades. I’m guessing that most of my assumptions are wrong and you feel I don’t know what I’m talking about and you might be right. I’ve only been working for Toro dealerships for the last 35 years and working on small engines for over 50 years. I probably don’t have enough experience to help individuals solve engine problems. If I thought that you really wanted help solving your problems, I’m guessing I could walk you through the steps needed to do so, but I doubt you would listen to my recommendation. Maybe there are others on this forum who have more experience and knowledge than me and they will help you out where I can’t, so I’ll back out for now and try to learn something new. Good luck with your project.