Hodge71 664 #1 Posted May 6, 2013 (edited) I need a little help here guys. I have a puzzler on my hands. The gun club I belong to has an old Lawn General lawn tractor with a 17 HP Techie verticle shaft engine. They were sold at local Farm and Country stores about 15 years ago as a cheap mower. We cut about 4 acres with it all summer with a 38 inch deck so its got probably 5000+ hours on it.... Well I guess the club has been having problems with it and got ahold of me after changing a bunch of parts with no resolution. Heres the deal...It wont start...it turns over maybe a half a rotation and then stops turning. They burned 2 starters and a solenoid and changed the battery. Heres the kicker that I found through trouble shooting...I can get it to start if I turn the engine backwards off the compression stroke and onto the return stroke. It will turn over a couple 2-3 times then before it jams up again. Turn it backwards of compression again and repeat the process a couple times it will fire right up and run. It makes no difference if the battery is alone, on jumper cables or has my 200 amp starter on it. The results are still the same...much fiddling and eventually running by continuing to spin it backwards. Do these engines have a compression release like our old trusty kohlers do? I cant figure out anything that wouls cause this issue... Please help with any info...... Edited May 7, 2013 by hodge71 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbbahner 27 #2 Posted May 8, 2013 Don't know about Techies but on OHV Briggs, if the valves are out of adjustment, they get very hard to turn over. Just a thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #3 Posted May 8, 2013 Thanks Tom. I was told that a local small engine guy checked the valves and they were adjusted. He couldnt find anything else wrong but he doesnt specialize in Techumseh engines. Mainly B&S and Kohler Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SousaKerry 501 #4 Posted May 8, 2013 Tell em to "Get a Horse a Wheel Horse of Coarse" sounds like time to pull the head and do some investigation, it isn't overfull of oil is it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #5 Posted May 9, 2013 I tried that Sousa. A horse Is an option after this thing is deemed DOA I guess. Its definitely not overfull of oil and the head was pulled off already. Not by me but by a "small engine guy" Said everything was ok and couldnt find a reason for this to be happenening Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Allert 68 #6 Posted June 6, 2013 Tom is absolutely correct about those Briggs. After ruling out a compression release problem, I would go back & verify those valves are opening up fully. Your guy might have checked for proper valve clearance BUT you could have a worn camshaft or valve lifter, which would in effect retard the valve timing & cause hard starting. A shop manual for that should list the proper specs for valve lift height. Let us know how you make out. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
