[AT] Need some help, hard starting CR950 Briggs

Wed Feb 16 08:42:02 PST 2022

Doesn’t take much. On a full charge they can only go about 100 miles if
they escape and before they need to be recharged.

Carl

On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, Alan Nadeau <reloader1968 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Farmer Robinson wrote"    This morning (Tuesday) I rolled the log splitter
> out into the bright sun and we  then spent the morning and early afternoon
> putting up an electric horse fence.
>
> What sort of fence does it take to hold those electric horses?
>
> On Wed, Feb 16, 2022 at 7:55 AM Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Thus confirming there's nothing actually in need of repair or adjustment;
>> this is just the familiar reluctance to start at low temperature.
>>
>> I've got a modern Kohler on my log splitter (less than 5 years old) and
>> an aging Tecumseh (20-30 years old) on one of my generators, just two
>> examples of many.  Despite their design and age differences, they are both
>> 1-3 pulls to start at shirtsleeve temperatures and they are both nearly
>> impossible to start below freezing.  I can possibly get the Kohler going
>> after many pulls, dozens... and just forget about the Tecumseh.  One thing,
>> it's hard to get them spinning when it's that cold.  You can really feel
>> the oil viscosity at lower temperatures (and for the record I use 10W-40 in
>> most of my gas powered equipment). My guess is that even with full choke,
>> those cold internal surfaces condense fuel out of the mix and they're too
>> lean to fire.  This is where the unlit propane torch enters the picture.
>> Works every time, as long as the engine is otherwise sound.  I think you'll
>> like it if you get a chance to try it, farmer.
>>
>> Reminds me of a story with the Tecumseh powered generator.  It is used
>> for emergency power at my rental place.  I got a call at work one very cold
>> day (teens), power was out, and my renter (a solid, decent guy, retired
>> pipefitter, a practical guy who knows his way around mechanical stuff in
>> general) had been pulling on the generator for over an hour and was
>> starting to injure his shoulder.  He was that reluctant to admit defeat.  I
>> drove home from work, grabbed my torch, and headed over to the rental,
>> where we greeted each other very briefly.  I walked up to the gen, pulled
>> the air cleaner cover (simple wingnut) flowed in some propane, pulled it
>> twice, fired it up, then smiled and waved and walked away with his jaw just
>> hanging open.  He's got his own propane torch and this scenario hasn't
>> happened since!
>>
>> SO
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 10:54 PM Indiana Robinson <
>> robinson46176 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> +I This morning (Tuesday) I rolled the log splitter out into the bright
>>> sun and we  then spent the morning and early afternoon putting up an
>>> electric horse fence around a field of corn stubble. about mid afternoon I
>>> walked to the splitter, sat the choke and other settings and pulled the
>>> rope about 3 times and it started... I accidentally moved the throttle too
>>> far toward turtle (science reference)  and it died.  I pulled the starter
>>> rope and it started right up... We split about half a trailer load of dead
>>> but solid elm blocks. It ran perfectly the whole time.
>>> I might make a small well insulated room in one corner of the shop for
>>> the wood splitter and the air compressor.
>>>
>>> .
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 9:19 AM Indiana Robinson <
>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks guys...I need to use it this week and maybe next week. I'll be
>>>> trying some things, especially Steve's LP trick. I wonder where I put those
>>>> torches. :-)
>>>> One thing on my side now is that it will be 50 degrees today and 60
>>>> tomorrow. I may not need anything extra. I do know that one problem is the
>>>> thick oil in the tank and it not having a way to clutch out the pump for
>>>> starting.
>>>> I'll try to keep you posted.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Feb 14, 2022 at 9:59 AM Stuart Harner <stuart at harnerfarm.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Remember the old fire triangle? Fuel-Air-Heat.
>>>>>
>>>>> With the ever more restrictive regulations filtering down to the
>>>>> smaller engines the manufacturers have had to lean out the mix as far as
>>>>> possible. If you were to put a pyrometer on one my guess is that at
>>>>> operating temperature they are running on the lean side of peak.
>>>>>
>>>>> As air temp drops it gets more dense but without a choke to compensate
>>>>> the mix is just too lean to light off. To make things worse they have taken
>>>>> all of the adjustments away from the end user to prevent us from becoming
>>>>> criminals against the regulations. I suspect it also makes the carbs easier
>>>>> and cheaper to manufacture. If a bad one slips through, just replace it or
>>>>> the engine because it is cheaper than figuring out the problem. We see this
>>>>> in a lot more then carburetors.
>>>>>
>>>>> Changing to a lighter hydraulic fluid will help make it easier to spin
>>>>> the engine faster when pulling the starter. I am not sure if that will help
>>>>> make a hotter spark or not considering it probably has electronic ignition
>>>>> anyway. Faster starting RPM could help with sucking in more fuel each
>>>>> stroke but then that means more air to, so back to lean.
>>>>>
>>>>> I suspect that Farmer's engine sputters once in a while is that the
>>>>> raw fuel builds up enough in the cylinder to cause a rich enough mixture to
>>>>> fire once or twice. Once that is burned off, back to square one.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am not sure that adjusting the valves would help any unless there is
>>>>> a way to lengthen the duration. Taking out all the backlash might cause the
>>>>> valve to open a fraction sooner, but once everything is warm and expanded
>>>>> there is a risk of it not closing fully and burning the valve or seat.
>>>>>
>>>>> To get a more rich mixture for starting you could try to restrict air
>>>>> (like the old choke plates did) or add fuel like a primer does.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a Knipco stye heater that will not light off at any air temp
>>>>> unless I use both hands and cover as much of the air intake as possible. It
>>>>> lights in less than a second and then runs fine. I have tried different
>>>>> nozzles and moving the igniter around, but it still needs less air to get
>>>>> going.
>>>>>
>>>>> On the 1978 motorcycle I once had it was a victim of early tampering
>>>>> with emissions on motorcycles. When new it would not start on a cool day
>>>>> and it had a manual choke. I rigged up a way to inject a little ether into
>>>>> the airbox that was buried under the seat. Had to put 10,000 miles on that
>>>>> bike before it got over that problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> The idea of using an unlit torch to add a little fuel sounds like a
>>>>> good one. Red Green would just slap a little piece of duct tape on the air
>>>>> intake until it warms up.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best of luck to Farmer getting this working.
>>>>>
>>>>> Stuart
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2/14/22 01:34, Greg Hass wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a JD Zero Turn with 27 hp. Briggs engine and electric start.
>>>>> Anything around 45 to 50 degrees and it just wouldn't start. It does not
>>>>> idle good either, but the book says that is because of emissions control.
>>>>> My brother has a Simplicity zero turn 3 years old and several times has
>>>>> tried to start it in 40 degree and it just won't fire so it is not just my
>>>>> mower. Both engines have fixed jets so no adjustment is possible. It is
>>>>> possible other things could be wrong, but my only other idea is to make
>>>>> sure it has fresh WINTER blend gas.
>>>>>        Greg Hass
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sun, Feb 13, 2022 at 8:15 AM Moe Fretz <tubetester at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Try this site, they should be able to help  you.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://ppeten.com/forums/search.php?search_id=newposts
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 18:51 Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Farmer,
>>>>>>>  Just a thought, my log splitter was hard to start in cold weather,
>>>>>>> until I changed the hydraulic fluid from the OEM  fluid to transmission
>>>>>>> fluid,a whole world of difference.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mike M
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 2/12/2022 9:24 PM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi farmer:  I'd have to think you've already been down this road,
>>>>>>> but, I'll say for the record that I've had pretty decent luck downloading
>>>>>>> manuals from the Briggs site.  But I haven't done it lately, and it's
>>>>>>> always 20-year old stuff when I do.   The other thing I'll mention is the
>>>>>>> good old unlit propane torch in the intake trick.  That's my go-to when
>>>>>>> they're almost trying to start.  There's spark and fuel but the modern
>>>>>>> carburetors are set lean for emissions and it just seems that the choke
>>>>>>> doesn't quite get the mixture rich enough.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Good luck,
>>>>>>> Steve O.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 7:43 PM Indiana Robinson <
>>>>>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We have a log splitter a couple of years old that has a OHV CR950
>>>>>>>> Briggs. It only has a few hours on it but has become quite hard to start
>>>>>>>> (recoil start). It is way too recent for my knowledge base... It seems that
>>>>>>>> most things are these days. Apparently the OHV Brigg's have a cam bump
>>>>>>>> "compression relief" I also understand that there is an important valve
>>>>>>>> adjustment procedure that can normally improve starting problems. We can't
>>>>>>>> find a site that gives a clear and understandable explanation of the
>>>>>>>> procedure.
>>>>>>>> Does anyone know of a site with a clear description of how to do
>>>>>>>> it? It will usually start if it is sitting in the sun and the temp is at
>>>>>>>> least 50... Yesterday at 45 degrees it "ALMOST" started 837 times... It
>>>>>>>> keeps firing enough to keep you trying and trying...
>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Francis Robinson
>>>>>>>> aka "farmer"
>>>>>>>> Central Indiana USA
>>>>>>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Moe Fretz
>>>>>>
>>>>>> L’Orignal ON,
>>>>>> Canada
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>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Francis Robinson
>>>> aka "farmer"
>>>> Central Indiana USA
>>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> --
>>>
>>> Francis Robinson
>>> aka "farmer"
>>> Central Indiana USA
>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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