Briggs & Stratton Pull Chord

Lawn mower has been sitting up since last mow.
Maybe a month and a half.
I go out to mow, pull the chord, and it won pull.
I turn the mower on it's side and turn the blade like three turns the other way, I hear the piston and exhaust. no problem. I pull the chord one time, no problem, pull it again, frozen again.
I repeat the same steps, same result. What's the deal ?

It sounds like the exhaust valve is jammed closed, so when you pull the cord and it won't pull, that is because there is a build up of compression in the cylinder which isn't being relieved by the exhaust valve opening.

I'd take the head off the engine and have a look.

It should be easy to see if it is an Over-Head-Valve engine.

Even if I hear the exhaust , when I manually turn the blade?

TruXter said:

Lawn mower has been sitting up since last mow.
Maybe a month and a half.
I go out to mow, pull the chord, and it won pull.
I turn the mower on it's side and turn the blade like three turns the other way, I hear the piston and exhaust. no problem. I pull the chord one time, no problem, pull it again, frozen again.
I repeat the same steps, same result. What's the deal ?

Click to expand...

I guess the frist thing would be what Briggs engine do you have? Also what do you mean you hear the piston and exhaust? Just what are you hearing? I sure hope you are removeing the spark plug wire when turn the mower on its side and turn the mower blade by hand

You can hear the air coming from the exhaust and you can hear the suction sound of the piston moving.


today, I realized there is a slurping sound, so I pulled the plug all of the way out, yanked the pull schord and oil sprayed out. I continued to do it until the oil stopped.
I pulled breather off of the Carburetor and filled the bowl with gas, like three times until the oil caked in the carb, was rinsed out thoroughly. Put plug back in and cranked.
Mower works again.
I'm scared to think that if I leave the mower sitting up a while, It will do it again. That would mean I have another problem.