Briggs engine on Toro recycler mower is possessed

[bwright1818]

I have the above mower. Not sure what model Briggs it is, but it has the automatic choke connected to the muffler, with a control rod. Symptoms vary. Sometimes it starts and runs. Sometimes it doesn't start. When it does run, it will sometimes go until I have to empty the bag, then it won't restart. Other times it runs for varying lengths of time, then begins to misfire, getting worse and worse until it quits....BUT, if it's in this mode, if I stop pushing the mower, it smooths out for awhile. It seemed to me like the coil was failing, so I found a used one on eBay for ten bucks. This SEEMED to work better for awhile, but then it started causing problems again. I had noted that there had been a number change on the coil, so I bought a brand new one for $32 from Partstree. This included a new stop wire, which I installed. It started and stopped as a test, about ten times, flawlessly. Then, when I went to actually mow with it, it wouldn't start at first, then started, ran well for a few minutes, then started misfiring randomly for awhile and quit, with the same condition as originally occurred, where it would run better for a while if I stopped pushing it. I should just throw this thing in the dump; but now, it's personal. Any ideas welcome.

 

[Rivets]

Sounds to me like you have a fuel or ignition problem. Will need to do a little troubleshooting to figure out which. This is what I would do if it came to me. Get yourself an inline spark tester and the next time you can’t get it started attach the tester and check to see if you have spark. If you have spark you probably have a fuel problem. If this is the case I suspect the float needle or seat has swelled and this will result in a lean starting and running condition. If you have no spark you have an ignition problem. When you replaced the coil did you set the air gap at .010”? Let us know what you find and post back with the model and serial numbers for the mower and we’ll tell you how to proceed.

 

[hlw49]

Check the kill wire where it goes into the kill terminal to make sure it is opening enough not cause this problem.

 

[Auto Doc's]

Pull the upper fan shroud, then operate the stop/go lever while watching the bracket at the flywheel brake where the cable attaches to it. The shut off switch is there also.

After years of use, the cable stretches slightly, and the cable retainer tends to give a little bit. All of this will randomly ground the cutoff switch at odd times.