109 won't start

[TEET]

Those coils are a previous helicoil repair. It may need some tlc to get that plug back in, or if you have internal engine damage, you can swap it for a good pan when the engine is apart.

Have you pulled the head yet? its not hard, just takes a few minutes. Look here for the Kohler service manual should you need some reference. Do you feel any air, or pressure from the spark plug hole if you turn the engine over? (just remember....you drained the oil, so if its empty I wouldn't spin it over too much)


Jeff (teet)

[Superglyde]

Thanks much for sticking with me on this TEET.
I took the head off, it looks good. Piston is going up and down and valves open and close. No scoring in the cylinder walls. but when I turn the flywheel on the front to watch the piston move, its making that noise when cranking it. It seems louder without any power to generator, and it definitely is coming from lower somewhere and sounds like heavy metal rubbing against sheet metal.

[Matt G.]

Check to make sure that the flywheel shroud isn't rubbing on the flywheel, or that the driveshaft coupler at the front isn't loose or in the process of breaking.

[TEET]

Wish I could help ya more...but its not easy without having the darn thing right there in front of me. It may be the blower housing rubbing the flywheel, or debris in there. If the rod bolts are loose it could let the dipper rub on the bottom of the pan. It still doesn't explain why it doesn't want to start. Does the carb have a good seal good to the block? A mass air leak there could help it to not start. How did the head gasket look?

I'm not sure if this model had a Kohler with balance gears, but that might be an issue too if they fragged in there...maybe someone else can chime in with help there.


Something is telling me that the rod bolts may have backed out giving a bit of play on the crank, and giving you that metallic sound low on the engine..had this happen on my 1211 once, and it gave the same symptoms.

The only solution to that is to pull the engine, pull the pan, and really have a good look inside.

Jeff (teet)

[Superglyde]

thats what I am afraid of. I did shoot a shot of starter fluid into the carb and it just popped for an initial explosion but no hint of wanting to fire. Weird that my son cut the grass, drove it into the garage, mentioned it was making noise, but it was running. Only difference when I went to start it was how fast it seemed to be turning from normal, and that metallic scraping noise.

[westofb]

Just read you thread, I was thinking stuck or bent exhaust valve, that would account for the faster rpms when trying to start it, but if that is all it was it should still try to start, or at the least be back firing like crazy. I agree with others, you are going to have to dig further to find the culprit. I would think a 109 would have the balance gears in it, they could be the cause of the noise, but don't think they would keep it from trying to starting, unless they came off and broke something else....hhmm, maybe one came off and instead of blowing out the side of the block, it broke the camshaft, that would throw everything out of whack. There is not a lot of stuff inside the engine to be honest, I would say get it out and pull the pan off to have a look inside.

[ronalddipietro]

Just my 2 cents...if it will not start..and you have ellimanated kill swithces, etc..that metal sound could be the ring...no compression..no start...and the valves may be stuck or messed up some way...

[Superglyde]

can you have bad rings without scoring of the cylinder walls and looking at it from the top, appear perfectly normal?