Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - 7hp Briggs Intek Hard Restart !#$$#@

I have a Craftsman 21" self propelled mower with a 7hp intek engine. Since new it has allways started like a champ for the first start.

When you give it a good work out (warm day etc.) turn it off, dump the bag, it is a pain to restart. Acts like it is flooded.

I have tried different plugs/gaps, fuel octanes etc.

Anybody else had this problem ? ? ?

P.S. I live at an altitude of 3200' Thats not an extemely high altitude but has anybody had to do a rejet? Possible vapor lock?

I cant duplicate the hard restart on the driveway, It only seems to do it after a good workout + warm day.

Hello fallguy!

Have you made sure the air filter is clean and valves are adjusted properly? Do you have to prime it to start it, or just keep pulling until it does start?

May also want to have a look at the kill wire or switch/contact. If the kill wire is routed near the head, it may have a weak area in the insulation causing it to short when hot.
Not sure what type of safety you have, but if when you give it a good work out and have problems, try removing the kill wire to the coil. If it starts you will have to choke it out or pull the plug wire to shut it off.

:alarm: Air filter allways clean. Just pull and pull on restarts (will try to prime next time as and experiment).

Found some cracking in spark plug wire (have now insulated).

Will look into kill wire also but its tucked up a bit and hard to get to.

Will also have to wait for warm weather to duplicate again.

Thanks.

May also try a restart with the air filter off when I have this problem again to see if a bit more air will solve.

Your symptoms are exactly what a Briggs Service Bulletin addresses as well as what we have seen many times here in my shop. Gap the spark plug at .020". It's amazing to me even, but this does alleviate the problem.

Did you try the plug gap trick yet? Any success with such?

Sorry took soo long, have not checked board for a while. have tried spark plug gap in the past not much difference.

Did find some hairline cracking in plug wire at bend, now insulated.

Waiting for warm weather and hard mowing session to see if problem shows up again.

Also put in expensive AC rapid fire plug.

May check OHV valves later, any tips, can I reuse gasket or will likely need new one.

Thanks

There's a good chance you'll be able to reuse the old gasket, but sometimes they tear.