B&S 11.5HP Riding Mower sitting for 2 years+ where to start...?

[djones]

If it has a 110v plug wire running to the starter, then it is NOT a 12v starter and should not be jumped. Find out where that plug wire is running to first before jumping with a car/truck. Normally, anything that has a 110v starter on it also has a hand pull starter. You need to start from the beginning and determine just exactly what you have in your hands. It may be that the motor has been changed at some point in it's life. Ask yourself why is there a battery on an 110v starter ? Is that 110v plug wire hooked up to anything ? If the motor has been changed to the configuration your are describing then yes, it will not charge a battery because a motor with a 110v elec starter does not have/need a stator. If your motor has a stator/ rectifier system then why is there a 110v starter on it? It all sounds rather odd to me and I've been doing this for 40+ years.

 

[Marshy]

If it has a 110v plug wire running to the starter, then it is NOT a 12v starter and should not be jumped. Find out where that plug wire is running to first before jumping with a car/truck. Normally, anything that has a 110v starter on it also has a hand pull starter. You need to start from the beginning and determine just exactly what you have in your hands. It may be that the motor has been changed at some point in it's life. Ask yourself why is there a battery on an 110v starter ? Is that 110v plug wire hooked up to anything ? If the motor has been changed to the configuration your are describing then yes, it will not charge a battery because a motor with a 110v elec starter does not have/need a stator. If your motor has a stator/ rectifier system then why is there a 110v starter on it? It all sounds rather odd to me and I've been doing this for 40+ years.

Good advice.

Your lady has a nice bass BTW.

 

[djones]

Just one more week before the season opens and she can't wait, me either.

 

[Marshy]

Bass fishing is fun, one I my favorite to fish for. You got a good woman if she enjoys fishing and can do it quietly lol.

 

[djones]

She loves fishing and often outfishes me. She's so quiet that she doesn't even say anything when she has a fish on. Just at the last moment I'll hear, "quick get the net", then I have to drop what I'm doing (mostly just staring at the water) and go help her.

 

[HusqyStihl]

It looks as tho its a normal small engine starter, but its not a cord coming off the starter that 110v, there is an actual 110v outlet on the top of the machine facing upwards under the steering wheel. In the ipl i noticed there is either the "DC Only" option for the replacement stator, and also a "Dual Voltage" stator that can be ordered. I can take some pics ina bit to show ya what i mean. I could be wrong with any of this stuff but do they even make ride-on mowers that would supply a 110v outlet? Ive never seen one till now. And there is no pull start to be seen anywhere. The supposed "good" battery that i charges 4 times to get it to "complete" seemed to wanna give a bit of juice to it and just barely turn it over even with the help of the smart starter "jump option" i have. This could either be the battery being junk or the plastic starter gear thats all chewed up binding up. Ill take s bunch of picks and post em up in a couple minutes. Nature calls

 

[HusqyStihl]

This top piece "kit" from Jacks is only 21$ and change but its all plastic and the engaging gear is mangle. everything looks original and the neighbors bought it 3rd hand and it looks as though the only changes made to it were the air filter (looks new) and i swapped in a new fuel filter and some line that was dry-rotted so bad that fuel was pissin out. i believe the fuel filter was original because fuel didnt leak out until i swapped in a new see through felt filter, so it was obvious that fuel wasnt getting past the (probably factory) fuel filter thats never been touched. picked up a couple cross-referenced spark plugs yesterday and gonna throw a new one in once i find the correct gap but still does me no good until i can turn it over and start checking it over from there. boy o' boy do i wish it had a pull start, would make things so much easier and i'd most likely have the thing out of my drive-way already

 

[HusqyStihl]

Do they make a dual "male end" extension cord for the lazy that i can just plug in and jump it with 110? or maybe even hit it with 220v to make sure it cranks!! lol

 

[HusqyStihl]

Courtesy of Jacks Small Eng exploded IPL parts list. Seems to me that this mower has the option (after started) that its possible to run 110v or maybe something else off the "Dual stator" option. If the neighbor wants a cheap fix, then they wont be getting this option back. If i had to guess, theyre probably just going to throw it to me and not want to sink the money into it, which ive been told they dont have anyway. But i do kinda feel bad and wouldnt mind helping out if i had the extra couple hundred layin around to get everything back up to par and runnin great. First thing is to launch the battery that came with it, but i dont even wanna purchase a new unless its garaunteed to help in the process of getting it running. The deal is if i get it runnin, i get as many fresh eggs as i want (they own a bunch of chickens) and boy do i hate when they let their cacks run around my yard all damn day, i'm thinkin when no one's lookin (momma always said always keep your cack to yourself when it comes to blonde neighbors..., i may just shove a beer can up its azz (the chicken not neighbor) and throw it on the bbq... "IDK maybe a fox got it?""

Don't they know im the chainsaw guy and not the lawnmower guy?? Now i've got another neighbor askin me to fix his saw, which im ok with, but then he brings up a cub-cadet that needs a fixin.

 

[HusqyStihl]

If it has a 110v plug wire running to the starter, then it is NOT a 12v starter and should not be jumped. Find out where that plug wire is running to first before jumping with a car/truck. Normally, anything that has a 110v starter on it also has a hand pull starter. You need to start from the beginning and determine just exactly what you have in your hands. It may be that the motor has been changed at some point in it's life. Ask yourself why is there a battery on an 110v starter ? Is that 110v plug wire hooked up to anything ? If the motor has been changed to the configuration your are describing then yes, it will not charge a battery because a motor with a 110v elec starter does not have/need a stator. If your motor has a stator/ rectifier system then why is there a 110v starter on it? It all sounds rather odd to me and I've been doing this for 40+ years.

i dont think the starter is 110V, it attempts to crank on 12v crap battery that i somewhat revived but no go from there. there isnt a 110v wire goin to the starter, it seems there is an option to run 110v or some other voltage from an outlet up by the steering wheel as shown above after its running of course. but good thinkin, i would have been in a world of **** if it was a 110v starter which would have confused the crap outta me on a ride-on

 

[djones]

Ok, the picture clears up some of my questions. The starter is 12v only. With another battery or jumper from your car/trk you can jump directly to the starter to see if the starter turns the motor over fast enough to start. The plug (outlet) on the dash might be a 12v outlet for some accessory. Do not try to adapt a 110v line into it. The starter drive gear does need to be replaced and is available at a local NAPA store. If the starter does not turn over after jumping with a known good battery or from your car/trk, then you might need a starter as well. But first I would do everything I could to find out whether or not it will fire ( has spark) or if it's even worth putting money into. That's still going to be your call. You could (should) take the starter off the mower and bench test it since it needs to come off anyway because of the gears. Engaging the starter with a direct connection to a battery should throw the starter gears forwards and spin the motor rapidly. If not then the starter is bad.

 

[Marshy]

I say jump that SOB with some juics and see if it starts. If the starter gear is chewed up already you can hurt anything. It will either start or it wont. The jump should be enough to free the starter if its any good. I would waist time or money taking the starter off and bench testin it or rspending money on it it it wont run. If the starter gear is so bad that it wont spin it to start thats a different story. Dont put the cart before the horse.

 

[djones]

He mentioned that the motor turned over slowly with the battery which could be either a bad battery or a bad starter or a bad engine. Separating them and testing individually is the only way to get a real clear picture of each units condition. A slow turning starter on the bench will be a slow turner on the engine but if it really whips on the bench then the engine will need some looking into. If the engine turns freely by hand then the starter can be shot and won't work properly under a load. I like to eliminate problems one at a time and work to a solution rather then jump around and miss something in the process but that's just me. It is also a question of what the gentleman is comfortable doing and his knowledge of small engine repairs. Granted, he needs to get the motor to crank freely in order to find out if it will start and then go from there. With the gears so chewed up, it's possible that it just binds on the flywheel and won't properly engage. Not being there to see for ourselves just leads to more questions than answers. He'll get the eventually, one step at a time.

 

[HusqyStihl]

I threw some jumper cables on it and it attempted to turn the engine. maybe one turn or two. using my hand after i was able to spin the engine (top vented part) so it seems i will most likely have to rip off the starter and bench test it after all. And yeah every attempt at jumping it i had to twist the starter downward to disengage the gear because it bound right up. looks like i'll be in it for the long haul. i did manage to tear it down enough to throw a new plug in it (original was shot) but no telling if it has spark until i fix the starter issues, or even find out what they are. I appreciate all the advice guys!

~Moose

 

[djones]

I threw some jumper cables on it and it attempted to turn the engine. maybe one turn or two. using my hand after i was able to spin the engine (top vented part) so it seems i will most likely have to rip off the starter and bench test it after all. And yeah every attempt at jumping it i had to twist the starter downward to disengage the gear because it bound right up. looks like i'll be in it for the long haul. i did manage to tear it down enough to throw a new plug in it (original was shot) but no telling if it has spark until i fix the starter issues, or even find out what they are. I appreciate all the advice guys!

~Moose

Remember the domino effect...... it's just one thing after another. Also, you can't beat a dead horse. If it won't work after a sufficient amount of time and effort is spent.....put a headstone on it.

 

[HusqyStihl]

Im thinkin of breaking the news to the neighbor tomorrow. She planned on selling it at her yardsale this weekend. Doubt she wants to put the money into it if her husband didnt even want to replace the fuel filter and starter gear anyway. I dont see the point of me doing it for them if theyve got a push job anyway. Itsbeen beat to crap and put out to pasture 2 years ago, "but if its sn easy fix" as she said... Well, it wont be now

 

[HusqyStihl]

I still qppreciate everyones help and suggestions though. Never know, maybe she'll just tell me to keep it and i can pull the engine for someones go kart or scrap... Who knows

 

[djones]

There you go. A smart move.

 

[Marshy]

Your doing all this work and they want to sell it? That would peg my BS meter. No way I'd donate that time and money for them to flip the thing. Maybe if they were going to keep it and cut their grass but not put it up for sale.

 

[HusqyStihl]

They actually wanted to keep it and use it but the money that needs to get it back into usable shape isnt there for them i guess. Hence why she asked if it would be a easy fix then she'd love to keep it. It will be going up tomorrow at her yard sale for $50 bucks just to get rid of it. i gave her an estimate of 100 to 200 bucks to get it back in good enough shape to use it instead of their cheapo push mower but they don't havethe money to put into it. I told them to advertise it on Craigslist or something to see if someone needs a go-kart or log splitter motor. I was hoping she'd just let me keep it and i'd pull the motor and off it to someone who needs it. I guess if it doenst sell tomorrow, maybe thats her plan. I feel bad and if i had the extra money i would have thrown a couple hundred at it so she didnt have to push mow, she's a nice enough lady she wouldnt flip it, she'd be riding it. No way would i have helped to watch her flip it. I did get a couple dozens eggs out of the deal, she raises chickens i guess if i had the extra &50 laying around i'd scoop it up personally because i believe it'll run with some lovin but i dont have anymore room for more projects especially money pits