Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Worked great until today. Electric start doesn't work and pull start will not move. Literally worked great yesterday. When I push the electric start the starter spins but the engine doesn't crank. I took off the pull start and was able to move the flywheel with a socket wrench. It is stored in a shed out of the elements. Plenty of oil, new plug. Stumped.

Can you smoothly do a full rotation of the crank?  If not, something inside may have let go.  Maybe a dropped valve or broken connecting rod.  Try to do a full rotation if you haven't done that already.  Let us know.

It sounds like u might have a few things wrong?.. Or something has caused the motor to not turn over which may have damaged the starter gear or flywheel in the process.. Hence the electric starter just spinning without the motor spinning which is a separate problem on its own... most likely causes of the motor not being able to turn over by hand are...

Motor is hydraulic (leaky needle & seat)
Drive train assembly is frozen (water/slush/snow on the drive train parts)
In some but rare cases sheared flywheel key (pre ignition)

Im having a hard time believing that the electric starter and the manual starter failed at the same time!!

Thank you for your replies. I removed the belt and turned the flywheel by hand with no problem at first then it sticks and I can't move it without the ratchet. There doesn't seem to be any ice inside

Pull the belts off, pull the spark plug out and try the pull starter or turn the output shaft by hand.  If the motor is still locked up you more than likely broke a connecting rod.  look down the spark plug and see if the piston is going up and down.

Devlor wrote:
ok that doesnt sound overly great.. do as carlb said and if pistons is moving then maybe a stuck valve

Here it is. Somehow ice got into the starter and the teeth sheared off (all of them) then got sucked into the engine and were wedged between the flywheel and the engine wall so the flywheel couldn't turn. No other damage. New starter and good as new. Thanks for all the advice

Great news.  That's the first i have heard of that problem.

You had to buy a wholenew starter? Can't you just buy the gear?