Gravely L8 Won't Start

TKE850

New User
I have a '64 L8 with electric start. I moved it today to do work in my garage. Fired right up. Went to move it back 3 hours later and it gave a minimal crank. The 3rd and 4th try, absolutely nothing. I put it on trickle charge and will try tomorrow, but I don't believe it's the battery. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Like I said, it fired right up 3 hours before. Not sure what went wrong in such a short time frame.....
 
This is not for your Gravely but mine being newer. Yesterday it did the same thing. Has the Kohler engine. Had to pull the little cover over the points and clean them. Pops right off. If you don<t think it is the battery them it could be the solenoid. They have a little set of contacts and a metal disk inside. Gets all chewed up. If it clicks and no turn go buy a new one. They are cheep. Need anymore help ask away! By the way, If you have the big old starter motor it might be time for brushes or clean the contactor on the armature.
 

Check the plug for fire. If it has fire, then check for the exhaust valve not closing. If no fire on a good plug, clean the points.

Oh, and make sure the gas is turned on!
 
(quoted from post at 06:09:39 12/07/16)
Check the plug for fire. If it has fire, then check for the exhaust valve not closing. If no fire on a good plug, clean the points.

Oh, and make sure the gas is turned on!

Let me be just a little more specific. If the garage was in complete silence, when I try to start it, the garage stays in complete silence. Not a single sound except for the click of the starter button when my boot pushes it. I'll definitely check the plug today, especially if the trickle charge was not the answer.
 
(quoted from post at 11:59:00 12/07/16)
(quoted from post at 06:09:39 12/07/16)
Check the plug for fire. If it has fire, then check for the exhaust valve not closing. If no fire on a good plug, clean the points.

Oh, and make sure the gas is turned on!

Let me be just a little more specific. If the garage was in complete silence, when I try to start it, the garage stays in complete silence. Not a single sound except for the click of the starter button when my boot pushes it. I'll definitely check the plug today, especially if the trickle charge was not the answer.

Oh, you mean the starter didn't engage? Check battery terminals for corrosion, check ground and hot wire attachment to starter button for same. Could be a bad starter button or could be starter is going. Most likely culprit can be a low battery. Also, gently check to make sure the engine isn't stuck. If a valve sticks and you roll it over you bend/break the valve.
 
Know nothing about Gravely. Generic answer: If you heard a click you must have heard the starting switch (high current solenoid) close which
was supposed to/did send battery voltage to the starter.

Assume it got there:
Battery was weak and had just enough whoopie to get you off the first time. Not enough for the second. Fully charge battery and try again. If
partiall success, get a new fully charged battery that isn't sulphated up, limiting current flow required for starting.

Battery has enough but circuit is old, dirty, and corroded (terminals....inside where the current flows) such that the first start burned off what
connection there was (of any significance).

Solenoid is pitted from years of use and no longer has enough surface area making contact to support the current necessary for starting.

With what you said, your battery tanked. Had the other things been present, you would have heard an attempt at rolling over the engine.

If you don't have a multimeter where you can measure the voltage at the starter when you press the start switch, get a light bulb of the proper
voltage for your battery and connect it to your battery - and your starter power terminal. Push the start button and check the light. If dim or
dark one of the above is true. If bright, clean up the starter terminal(s) and mounting surfact to the engine block if that's the return line and try
again. If that does no good time for new brushes and an armature contact burnishing.

That's how I would approach the problem.
 

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