Buy new battery! Buy new sparking plug-s! Clean all battery connections, and, if cables look rusty/corroded. buy New ones. Check where battery cable bolts to body of tractor. Make sure it is clean there! Might also be trouble with solenoid. If the for-going fails, install a new solenoid! To check solenoid, hook jumper cables direct to bolt on atarter and to ground on engine.
Buy a "Battery Tender, sold in Motorcycle shops and auto parts stores, and follow directions!
If you get it fixed, ryun it occasionally in winter months!
HTH: Rusty Jones, The Mower Man

Just how cold is it? If the battery was already discharged or very weak, the battery may have frozen. When a battery is dead, the acid is locked up chemically in the plates. The solution in the case at that point is mostly just water and THAT will freeze. It is useless (and dangerous) to attempt to boost or charge a frozen battery. Once a battery has been frozen, it will never be "right" again. The humming and clicking certainly shows your battery is weak or dead. The response you get is likely just the charger attempting to crank the engine with no help at all from the battery.

When it's 10 degrees, your battery puts out about 50% of what it provides at 80.
Sounds like a "marginal" battery that reached its' end.
Other things like 30 weight oil and incorrect valve lash can also make cranking more difficult.

{{gwi:145097}}

I know you said it was covered by a tarp - but is there any chance of getting water in the carb / cylinders? (perhaps pull the plugs reducing compression - and ensuring there is no water in the jugs). This has happened to me several times.

Are you able to jump it from a vehicle (car or truck)?

As for the battery tender suggestion - I tend to agree. I find myself frequently using the tender to keep my winter mule topped off - otherwise If I screw up my cold starting ritual - I will need to jump it (or charge it for 15 minutes). With the colder weather here now (n. nj) - I only get 2 or 3 shots at getting my tractor going - then its a crap shoot from there on out.

It does seem like a dead battery , HOWEVER you describe exactly a problem I had recently (starter humming/ticking mine even smoked a bit - dont know where it got the cigarettes from) and it turned out to be a bad starter motor. First - I suggest you try and jump start it before you buy a battery. 2nd - clean those terminals - and jump it again... If its still not starting connected to your car/truck - don't waste your money on a battery until you've found the real problem.

Too darn bad these things don't occur during the nice months of the year...

Since you mention that you've plowed with it before - I assume that your running a lighter viscosity oil for the winter? Im running a 5-20w in mine right now...

good luck to you.

At this point, I wouldn't be able to tell if there was water in there as I can't even get it to turn over more than once! We got about 4" last night, so this afternoon I will be working on it again... with temps a bit warmer (35 today compared to 10 the other day) I hope I have a better chance. I have a new plug I can put in. I'll let you guys know how it works out.

For the sake of clarification (on my part) what I had seen with regards to water was ...

When I had water in the cylinders... the compression would be increased to the point where the starter could not turn over the engine. Of course - this can in various circumstances ruin various parts of the engine...

So what I was suggesting was - to pull the plugs and hit the ignition. _IF_ there was water in the cylinders - your engine would turn over rapidly... AND in my case i would see water/mist blowing out of the cylinders...

After turning it over 3 or 4 times - I put the plugs back in - and the engine will turn over normally. ASSUMING - that the starter and battery are working well.

Good luck to you.

Well, battery is def dead. I tried jumping it with my truck and still got nothing, even jumping it right to the starter. Same result. Turns over one rev and thats it. I don't think it is water because I had a situation a few months ago where I got water in the gas and it still turned over. Plus, it started fine one day and ran no problem and ran while it was snowing. It wasnt snowing when I parked it, then snowed again and wouldnt start and had been covered by a tarp and was bone dry. I called the JD dealer and spoke with a tech and he is leaning towards valves being out of adjustment. He said that is pretty common in that engine within the first 2 years (mine is about a year and a half). Going in tomorrow and they are going to replace the battery and check for the rest of the problem. Thankfully it is still under warranty.

Interesting ... I could see where the valves might need adjusting after 2 years ... But cant see why they would be locking up the motor... unless the valve timing has somehow "jumped". Its interesting that the engine was running and then suddenly the valves are giving you problems? hmmm - Im having trouble with this.

With your description of the noises from the starter motor, and it not jump starting from your vehicle... and that you jumped the starter right to the battery of your car... We can "Assume" at this point the solenoid is good because you bypassed it with the same results...

--- you are describing my exact situation on my sears...
My problem being resolved with a healthy starter motor... i spent a lot of time tracking that one down...

Funny thing - In my case the starter motor on my sears worked better in the warmer weather - OR after it was warm on cool days - but once the cold weather really kicked in - my starting problems became substantially worse - to the point were I simply could not turn over the motor quickly enough to start it... In fact (in the end) the starter motor would really struggle with the plugs out of the engine. (so that pretty much took valves and compression out of my diagnostic equation).

I'm really interested in hearing your findings...

Good luck.

njpdo,
The problem with the Briggs engine valve lash being loose is that the valves are not feeling the effect of the compression release on the camshaft. Most small utilty engines have some sort of compression release, mechanically. The crankshaft stops turning due to the higher compression in the cylinder. Yes, this is a very common briggs quirk lately. I have ran across a few that lost the lash adjustment in just a few hours, when checked the adjusters were all still tight. JD recommends adjusting the lash to the minimum allowed spec, .003 Int and .005 Exh. This does seem to fix about 99% of them, from my experiance.

I had a diesel gator this week with loose valve lash. The engine just turned over and over but no cranky.. It only had 3400 hours on the current valve adjustment. The owner won't bring it in for regular service. Just had a auto mech friend work on it at times. I only get to check it when this guy messes it up or can't get it going.

njdpo,

I shouldnt say that it happened all at once, over the last few weeks to a month it has gotten harder and harder to start. I think the grand picture is a combo of bad battery and other things. Last winter it ALWAYS started up for me, even when the temps got down in the single digits.

At this point, weather it is the starter or the valve adjustment it is going to be covered by warranty. Just glad it happened now not in 3 months when the warranty is up!

i had this EXACT issue with a Briggs 21hp i just used to repower my GT. turns over once, then no matter what it would not turn over further. it would turn freely by hand. turns out my lash was off as well. i tightened it up a little and she fired right up. couldnt find my guages, so i just turned a frog's hair at a time until it took. now i guess i have to go buy another set of feelers since my originals walked off.

Well, it DEFINATLY was the valve adjustment, and the battery was complete toast. He said that it fored right up after they adjusted it.

Thanks for your help guys!

"The problem with the Briggs engine valve lash being loose is that the valves are not feeling the effect of the compression release on the camshaft."

-------------------------------------

Hmmm... this is starting to hit home ... I have a Scotts 2046 (or 48 cant remember) ... an it seems to struggle with startups... I have to hit the ign key several times to move the crankshaft through its rotation while i grope for the sweet spot - then the motor will spin normally and light up.

With all that said - it does HOWEVER start easier once its warmed up ...

I bought it used (last summer) - now Im wondering when (or if) its valves were last adjusted...

I just keep learning something new everyday ... but unfortunately I have to make room for it by forgetting something i already know (usually important).

Thanks for the clarification on the decompression situation.

Q: Does anybody know if there is a valve adjustment guide on the web for a 20 HP briggs? and gap settings as well ?

Q: is there a quick and dirty way to find TDC on the twin cyl?

Q: How are these compression releases engaged / disengaged - can anyone fill me in?

Q: are they adjusted hot - or cold?

Thanks

njdpo,
The V Twin Inteks set at .004-.006 at room temp. Both intake and exhaust.

You remove sparkplugs and ground leads, turn engine clockwise until you have TDC, its easier to do with the rocker covers off. Then continue past the same 1/4 inch drop of the piston as the single cyl engine.

All the release mech is, is just a pin in the exhaust lobe that has a flat spot. The pin is connected to a flyweight that is dowl pinned to the cam gear with a spring to help out. When the engine turns over by the starter, its not turning fast enough to rotate the pin to the flat spot to cancel the valve lift of the exhaust valve. The pin is located at such a point on the lobe to just lift the exhaust valve just prior to TDC to allow some compression to escape prior to compression and spark.

Again, adjust at room temp is best, or called cold adjustment.

Good Luck...

A good thing to know and remember: The term "TDC" refers to a position of the crankshaft for each EACH piston. When adjusting valves, the TDC position for EACH piston must be determined as you move through the sequence. I just tossed this tid bit in because I had a feeling that some might infer that "TDC" was "a singular position of the crankshaft", it is not (except for "single cylinder engines", of course).

deeredoctor:
---------------
That was helpful ... I wish it was just a bit warmer outside (n.nj) Id go fiddle with the engine. I have a feeling this is something that will improve the starting on my Scotts...

Q's:
----
... Then continue past the same 1/4 inch drop of the piston as the single cyl engine.

Im not quite clear in this procedure...

It kinda sounds as if your telling me - with valve covers off and me spinning the crank Ill be able to determine TDC easier (makes sense - so far) ... Ill probably poke a screwdriver down the plug hole to approximate TDC...

(or is the screwdriver a bad idea) i guess I could put my finger over the plug hole and feel for the compression stroke?

Im wondering with the plugs out - will I be able to spin motor by hand ?

how do the pros do this ? I assume its easier with 2 people - but I'm solo over here and Its likely ill be doing this alone...

AND "the 1/4 drop of the piston" .... I need more details.

Am I too assume the 1/4 drop ensures that both my valves are TRULY closed (on the power stroke) and therefore this is the best location to set the 4-6 clearances ?

Mownie:
-------
I was thinking about the TDC issue on a twin cylinder, obviously VERY important... Thanks for bringing that up as well !!!

thanks again.

"It kinda sounds as if your telling me - with valve covers off and me spinning the crank Ill be able to determine TDC easier"

As you reach (or slightly pass) TDC, you should "feel" a slight amount of lash in the rocker arms. You have to have the valve covers off anyway to check/adjust.
As the piston reaches the top or bottom of its stroke, it moves very little with regards to the amount of crankshaft rotation. Feeling for a bit of looseness in the rocker arm is easier than continually inserting the pencil and comparing to the previous result. IOW, it gets you in the ballpark quicker.

I'd use an unsharpened wood pencil (or similar) and mark it at TDC. Make another mark on the pencil 1/4" away. It'll go in at an angle, so you have to approximate it somewhat.

Bill.

Thank you for that level of detail - that was very helpful to me...

So should I be able to rotate the crank by hand (with both plugs out of the engine)? I would think there would not be too much drag...

The reason im asking it that the top of the engine has flimsy black plastic shroud. So I question if its strong enough for me to grab it and rotate the crank - as required.
I guess I could reach under the motor and rotate the pulley.

Either way - Im printing this and putting it in the tool shed for when it warms up a bit.

Thanks guys - sorry to beet this subject into the ground...

Dave