Tecumseh engine on a Airens lawnmower will not start

FMS-KS

Member
I have an older Ariens riding mower with an 8.0 hp 4-cycle vertical shaft Tecumseh engine that has an electrical starter.
The mower has two safety switches one on the lever to engage the rotary blade and one on the gear shift lever.
When I attempt to start the engine the starter turns the engine over very good but it seems I do not have any spark on the spark plug.
When I choke the engine it does not appear that we are getting fuel since the spark plug does not have any fuel on it when I remove the plug.

How can one check out the safety switches without taking each one out of the circuit?

Since the sparkplug does not get fuel on it when cranking it, could the valves not be closing?

It was running last week but will not attempt to start this week.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

FMS-KS
 
How old is it? Old enough to have points?

You can check the switches with an ohm meter.

If the valves are stuck. You won't feel ant compression cranking the engine by hand.
 
I purchased the engine in 1998 and installed it on a 1959 Ariens Emporer riding lawn mower.

Would that year model have ignition points?

I think one needs to isolate the switches to check with an ohm meter.
One is difficult to get to, is there some other way to determine if they are the problem?
 
A 1998 will not have points. I would remove the engines top cover. Then unplug the wire on the coil. Test of spark. if it has spark with the coil unpluged. it has a safety switch problem. If it does not spark with the coil unpluged. Then the coil is bad.
 
Tractorguy2 Thanks for the information. I removed the engine top cover. checked for spark. No spark. Ordered a new coil, installed it and it is now mowing again. Thanks again for coming to my aid.
 

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