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Craftsman II wont start

15 years ago

Hey, I have a craftsman II "The Cube." Well I just got it about a week ago, I dont know how old it is but I can give you the model #. Well at first when I tried starting it it wouldnt start so I got a battery, still wouldnt so I got a new spark plug but still wouldnt, so I got a new solenoid when I put it in the flywheel will turn but the spark plug or the magneto isnt giving any spark today I changed the magneto and their still isnt spark. What should I do, I spent a lot of money on this old mower. Btw I took the blades off, the mower will be for my little sister to drive around the neighborhood, I took some other parts out to but closed the wires good.

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Comments (3)

rustyj14
15 years ago
First: Set the gap between the flywheel magnets and the coil legs, by using a strip of birthday or greeting card, long enough to fit under both coil legs, and against the magnetic part of the flywheel. Before you set the gap, make sure the ends of the coil legs and the magnets are free of rust.
Then, bolt the coil on, with it pulled back from the magnets. Tighten them enough to hold it back. Then turn the flywheel until the magnets are spaced evenly under the coil legs. then, loosen the coil bolts and allow the coil to slide in against the flywheel. Tighten the bolts, (Don't break them off! Yer sunk if ya do!) snugly, then turn the flywheel allowing the strip to slide out. I'm assuming that you cleaned all of the rust off the flywheel and coil before doing this!?! And, what other parts did you take out? And, did you remove the seat switch, or he pedal switch on the brake? Or the wire from the alternator? If you did remove any of them--yer still sunk!
might i suggest either professional help, or a more detailed description of just what all you did! We're glad to help a person, but if that person just started chopping out wires-willy-nilly, well, yer gonna have trouble!
hardrepair
Original Author
15 years ago
I removed both the seat switch and the switch that moves the deck up and down, but the problem was the seat switch I connected the ground to the hot fixed it now I have spark, Im wondering if I removed those things and I want a plow can that be possible?
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bill_kapaun
15 years ago
POST the model#!
It should be 917.xxxxxx or similar.

There is probably a schematic available, which makes troubleshooting MUCH easier-

In the meantime-
Disconnect the kill wire to the magneto.
IF you now have spark, you have a switch issue.
No spark, a magneto issue.

Having the schematic will save a lot of time tracking that down, especially on seat switches. They can be wired different ways, so sometimes simply unplugging them doesn't do what you expecy.

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