# Craftsman seized without running



## BlueWRXPride

Hey everyone, first post here and I'm hoping you can help! I have a 10 year old Craftsman snowblower with a Tecumseh engine. I was getting it ready to be put away for summer this weekend. I added some fuel stabilizer to the tank, and then ran it for about 10 minutes and then gave it an oil change. I then took out the spark plug, out a few drops of oil in the cylinder, held a rag over the hole and pulled the start cord 3 times. On the third pull, I head some clunk, and I couldn't turn the engine over anymore. No matter how hard I pull, it won't budge. I took the belt cover off, and there is nothing bound up there. I tried putting a big wench on the drive shaft, and I can't turn the engine in either direction. 

I can't understand what could have happened. This engine has always ran great with no issues. I ran it 10 minutes prior with no problem. And then when turning the engine over 3 times with no spark plug, it gets stuck. I am at a loss for what could be wrong and would love some suggestions. Thanks!


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## motorhead64

Hi Blue
Welcome to the forum. The clunk is the key here. I'm wondering if your recoil starter is jammed. Start by pulling the recoil starter and then see if you can turn her over with the wrench. If not, you have a "mechanical blockage," which usually means disassembly of the side cover to "see" what's going on. Could be a broken connecting rod or a jammed broken piston ring. For now, I'd go with the starter. Keep us posted. MH


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## BlueWRXPride

If only it were that simple. I forgot to mention that I also took the recoil mechanism off and when removed I can pull it and it retracts just fine. 

I just have a hard time accepting that I did any physical damage to it by pulling it over manually, considering that it has always run great, and was running great 10 minutes prior to all this. 

I already tried turning it with a wrench on the drive shaft in both directions and it wouldn't move. I didn't try putting a wrench on the side where the starter cord attaches, but only because there isn't a good place for a wrench to grab. 

Is there really no other things I can try other than opening the engine up to see what is going on? Unfortunately I feel like if that's the case I might need to call a professional to help...


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## HCBPH

*Seized engine*

Anything is possible, maybe not likely but still possible.
You didn't mention the size of the engine but the 8-10 hp's had an issue if overreved and breaking the connecting rod.
If you have an electric starter, pull it. Also pull the belts off. See if it will turn over. 
If it is a 8-10 hp, see there are any cracks in the case where the electric starter mounts, that's where it usually happens.
Much more than that means tearing it down to find the problem. A replacement engine may or may not be a better choice depending on what you find if you do a teardown.


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## motorhead64

If you use a long socket on the starter (flywheel) end with your starter removed, you can use a long breaker bar to try to turn her over. The added leverage may be enough to move it in one direction or the other, until it either locks due to mechanical blockage, or frees itself. Even with a broken rod, it should move one way or the other. You mentioned an oil change. If you way over-filled the crankcase, you could create a hyro lock condition. If oil enters the combustion chamber above the piston, the piston can not move. Check your oil level with the dipstick, and stick the end of a pencil or screwdriver down the plughole and see if it comes back wet. MH


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## Kiss4aFrog

In his description he states he has the spark plug out and was pulling it over by hand. The engine can't hydro-lock with the plug out. It has to be something physical inside the engine if he has the recoil off and has checked that the belts on the crankshaft aren't the cause.

Blue, it doesn't sound like anything you did that caused it, just bad timing. It sure sounds like something inside the engine failed.


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## BlueWRXPride

I didn't remove the belts, but I know they don't have enough tension to prevent me from turning the engine over. I doubt the starter motor would have enough resistance to stop it too. I had the belt cover off and put a wrench on the drive shaft, and pulled up on it to lift the snow blower some, I can't imagine I still would need more torque.

Would there be any point in trying to use the electric start and seeing if it will move? Or would I just likely break the electric start motor and I'd better not touch it?

And Kiss you're correct, the spark plug is out, and the dip stick shows the correct level of oil, so that's not an issue. If I look through the spark plug hole I can see the piston head right at the top of the cylinder.


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## Kiss4aFrog

You could unbolt the starter, it's easy enough to remove. If you were already pulling it over by hand it's unlikely the starter was engaged.

You could also try to push the piston. See if it moves independantly of turning the crankshaft. Just use wood or something that wouldn't damage the aluminum surface of the piston.
Most likely you'll have to tear into the engine to find the cause. Sorry :-(


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## BlueWRXPride

I'm pretty handy with basic car maintenance and things around the house, but I've never torn into an engine before. Is this something that I could probably handle? Or will I be getting myself into more trouble than it's worth and I should just call an expert?


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## motorhead64

Blue,
A wrench on the pto end will give you nowhere as much torque as a socket and breaker bar on the flywheel end. I would try that first. Then I would pull the head and try a block of wood and a mallet to try to move the piston. If that doesn't work, it's time to either pull it apart, or look for a replacement. The electric start may not handle the stress of trying to start a seized engine. If you get it to move a bit with a bar first, then OK. MH


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## Colored Eggs

My suggestion. Before taking the sump cover off I would check one last thing. take the flywheel cover off and make sure there is nothing jammed between the flywheel. I had a rock get stuck between the magneto and the flywheel once and caused it to jam. Its worth a try since once the main cover comes off it starts to cost money to be repaired. Also is your engine an ohv or a flat head. If possible i would check to make sure the valves are not jammed as well.


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## BlueWRXPride

How would I go about checking if the valves are jammed?


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## Kiss4aFrog

If you're handy it shouldn't be much trouble. I'd recommend watching some youtube videos and hitting the library and getting a book or two on your engine and most importantly, taking a lot of photos as you tear it down !!


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## BlueWRXPride

Colored Eggs said:


> My suggestion. Before taking the sump cover off I would check one last thing. take the flywheel cover off and make sure there is nothing jammed between the flywheel. I had a rock get stuck between the magneto and the flywheel once and caused it to jam. Its worth a try since once the main cover comes off it starts to cost money to be repaired. Also is your engine an ohv or a flat head. If possible i would check to make sure the valves are not jammed as well.


The engine model is Tecumseh 143.049001. How would I look to see if there is a stuck valve?


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## motorhead64

http://www.asos1.com/tecumseh4hp/Tecumseh.pdf
Here's the link to your L-head Tecumseh engine. Info on every aspect of maintenance is contained therein. Access to your valves requires removal of the breather plate behind your carburetor, held in place by two screws. Proper access will require removal of your carburetor first. If you pour a couple of ounces of PB Blaster down your plug hole and let it sit overnight, it may free up a stuck valve...easier than pulling things apart. MH


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## 43128

you may have seized your engine, you could try to unseize, but if you do get it unseized it is likely to seize again and may throw the rod. some times i have seen screws from the carburetor butterfly get jammed in the valves. if you cant get it running, throw a 6.5 hp predator on it from harbor freight, plenty of torque and you will more than likely find that has more power then the old tecumseh


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## BlueWRXPride

So I have one more piece of information. I started taking things apart last night starting with the starter. I took it off and saw that probably 80% of the teeth on the starter gear are broken off. Now I literally haven't plugged the starter in for at least a year so I don't know how relevant it is, but maybe it's possible the flywheel is jammed up with a piece of something?

I did a quick google and it looks like it's not an easy thing to get that flywheel off, but I think that's the only way to rule that out before taking apart parts of the engine itself. Any thoughts?

Also, can someone tell me how to disconnect the linkage between the throttle mounted on the flywheel cover and the throttle control? That and the primer line are the only things holding the cover on but I couldn't figure out how to separate them. For the primer line, it looks like you just pull the rubber tube from the carb body?

One last question. According to the manual, it looks like there is some brake on the inside of the flywheel? I don't really know what that is for, but is it possible that is somehow stuck applied, preventing the engine from turning?


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## 43128

throw some rope in the cylinder(this prevents the piston from moving) spray some pb blaster on the nut and use a 3/4 inch socket to break the nut free. remove the starter cup and wire mesh, thread the nut on so its flush with the threads, and place a crowbar behind the flywheel with moderate pressure, then beat on the nut with a hammer until the flywheels pops off the taper, it will be loose. your motors ready for an autopsy


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## BlueWRXPride

43128 said:


> throw some rope in the cylinder(this prevents the piston from moving) spray some pb blaster on the nut and use a 3/4 inch socket to break the nut free. remove the starter cup and wire mesh, thread the nut on so its flush with the threads, and place a crowbar behind the flywheel with moderate pressure, then beat on the nut with a hammer until the flywheels pops off the taper, it will be loose. your motors ready for an autopsy


"fortunately" for me, I don't need to put anything int he cylinder, since it's stuck there's no issue getting that nut and starter cup off!


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## 43128

yeah i know but chances are it wil unseize while trying to get the nout off anyways so you might as well


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## HCBPH

*Misc*

Just to confirm why I suggested pulling the electric starter if it has one. Had one a while back a couple of bolts tell out and the others were loose. Totally jammed against the flywheel and hung it up till I removed it.
Not the most likely but it can happen. Additional is if it's a bigger one, the case is usually cracked or broken under the starter if the rod let go.


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## BlueWRXPride

Yeah it didn't make any difference with the starter removed. But fortunately there are no cracks that I can see anywhere in the block.


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## 43128

if you end up needing it, i have a parts engine that needs a valve job for 75 bucks. if you want it just ask, solid state hm80, never been rebuilt, newer adjustable carburetor


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## Grunt

Does your snow blower have a light on it for night time use? The Sears number (143.049001) appears to be a 9 hp flat head Tecumseh HMSK90- engine. If your engine has a lighting coil under the flywheel, one of the magnets may have come loose and has now jammed the flywheel preventing it from turning.


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## BlueWRXPride

No it doesn't have a light. But I definitely think my next step is to get that flywheel off before digging into the engine.


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## 43128

does it have the cable for an optional light?


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## BlueWRXPride

Yes, there is an extra cable, so I assume there is a lighting coil. All the more reason to get that flywheel off.


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## 43128

maybe the studs that mount it to the block snapped?


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## BlueWRXPride

Can someone tell me how I disconnect the throttle linkage between the flywheel cover and the engine block?


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## Kiss4aFrog

BlueWRXPride said:


> Can someone tell me how I disconnect the throttle linkage between the flywheel cover and the engine block?


Post a picture. Different engines have different linkages.

Most solid wire linkages are bent in a "Z" to lock them into position and you need to unbolt something to be able to bend the thing you unbolted like throttle lever so you can get it detached from the "Z".
.


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## BlueWRXPride




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## Kiss4aFrog

You should be able to unbolt the throttle plate from the engine cover and then gently turn the left side with the rod towards the engine while pulling the right side with the red throttle knob out away from the cover to get the arm to slip off the rod.
.


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## Kiss4aFrog

And yes, you can loosen the flywheel nut and pry against the flywheel and hit the crankshaft and or flywheel with a hammer but it's not the proper way to do it. You should really use a flywheel puller so you don't damage anything.
Sometimes a steering wheel puller will work too. Depends on if and how the flywheel is drilled. You can usually get a loaner puller from an auto parts store.
.








.


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## Kiss4aFrog

There are usually two screws holding that bracket to the cover.


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## BlueWRXPride

Well it looks like I get nothing but bad news. I got the flywheel off without too much trouble. But it all looks just fine. So I don't think there's anything wrong with the flywheel. I really can't think there are ANY possibilities left other than something internal.










I have no experience in this area. Is there any point into looking into having it get repaired, either by myself or a pro? Or is it more cost effective to buy a whole new engine to put on here?

If I should just get a new engine, how compatible are other engines? Do they just drop right in? Or do I need to get an exact replacement?


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## 43128

the engines more than likely done, pull the sump cover, crank, head, carburetor, shrouding and post them and other useable parts on ebay. i would go out to hf and get a predator, i know for a fact the 6.5 hp mounting holes are the same as the hm80-hm110, the crankshaft height is a little lower and you may need to get new pulleys and/or new belts. you will find the 6.5 hp will have the same if not mour torque and power than your old tecumseh


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## Kiss4aFrog

At this point you might as well drain the oil and see if you get any metal coming out with the oil.


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## BlueWRXPride

So right now I can order that predator engine from harbor frieght for $102 shipped (on sale and with a coupon). I think at this point it's safe to assume the engine is shot. And any repair will certainly cost more than $100. 

Do many people have experience with this engine? Am I going to have long term reliability issues going from a tecumseh engine to a cheap knockoff?


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## HJames

BlueWRXPride said:


> So right now I can order that predator engine from harbor frieght for $102 shipped (on sale and with a coupon). I think at this point it's safe to assume the engine is shot. And any repair will certainly cost more than $100.
> 
> Do many people have experience with this engine? Am I going to have long term reliability issues going from a tecumseh engine to a cheap knockoff?


 
There is no good answer for long term reliability, they just haven't been around long enough. There are plenty of people out there that have had different versions for 5+ years. That being said I haven't heard any horror stories about people using them on snowblowers, I have a predtor on mine and it performs great. The level of difficulty for the engine swap always depends on the snowblower it's being mounted on, some are as easy as bolting it right up and using the existing pulley. But some swaps can have many different challenges. I would say that your biggest challenge is going to be shaft height and diameter, this would require a new pulley or shaft sleeve and a new belt.

As far as the cost to repair the old one, it's gonna be a lot cheaper if you do it yourself. Chances are you're dealing with a bad ring, a broken connecting rod, or the valves are binding. No rocket science involved with those repairs, just patience, a few special tools that can be borrowed, and an eye for detail. You are already better off than most if it is the connecting rod because you say there is no damage to the case. I was facing a similar decision last fall and I chose to buy the predator as a cheap short term fix, then set out to repair my old motor, which had a series of problems. My total cost with the predator and fixing the old motor was about $180 spread over the last 7 months. Worst case scenario you have a battle tested motor waiting if the predator proves to be unreliable.


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## BlueWRXPride

Well fortunately for me it is spring, so I can mess with this for many months before I need it. (Not that I want this to occupy my summer).

Are there any walkthroughs for the first steps in opening this motor up? If this engine is still salvageable, I'd like to try to do that I suppose, it's been a great engine. Someone suggested the valves could be stuck open jamming the piston. How would I check that?

My main fear with all this is the carburetor. I have never worked with them and I just get the impression that they are finicky and hard to get right...


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## 43128

the carbs are surprisingly easy, you just clean them, set the adjustable main at 1 1/2 turns, start it and adjust from there. next thing i would do is remove the carb and intake manifold, two screws hold it in. you may have got lucky because sometimes the engines come with lose screws on the throttle plate which are eventually sucked into the cylinder


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## HJames

If the carb is your main worry then you're off to a good start with the pictures you've taken. The hardest part about working on these carbs is getting the linkages reconnected the way they should be. Take more pictures from different angles paying close attention to the holes where the linkages attach. As far as getting a peak at the rest of the motor. If you start with the head you can get a look at the piston and valves from the top. Just remove the head bolts and engine covers and lift off the head. Motorhead attached a link earlier that will give you the spec for tightening those head bolts, you may or may not need a new gasket, but it's cheap enough that you might as well replace it all when the work is done.

For the sump cover, this takes a little more care and attention to detail. Drain the oil, remove the bolts holding the sump on and "gently" pry the cover off the block, pay attention to the area where the governor enters the cover and be sure not to damage the small governor gear, also notice the larger gears and the arrows/notches that are present on them. These are timing marks and with the piston at top dead center they should be pointing directly at each other. With the sump cover off you can look at the connecting rod and lower end of the valves, you are just looking for something that is broken or blocking the piston, again pictures are going to be your friend here. You "will" need a new gasket for this when you are done.


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## BlueWRXPride

Sounds good to get started. I can't thank you all enough, this forum has so far been amazing in giving some good advice. If nothing else I've sure learned a lot already!


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## 43128

when taking my engines apart, i use a sharpie or a wax marker to mark linkage positions in the governer arms and carb body


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## HJames

One more thing I forgot to mention, clean up the pto shaft before removing the sump cover. The smallest amount of build up can cause the cover to hang up when your taking it off. If it is clean it should slide out easy and prevent damage to the seal.


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## Grunt

I agree with removing the sump cover and looking inside. Very unusual for the engine to seize while hand spinning it and not actually failing while running. An engine normally will seize when there is a lack of lubrication, but you changed the oil shortly before the seizing. The good part is it didn't push the connecting rod through the side of the block where the electric starter mounts.


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## 43128

what im thinking now is maybe there was water in the oil which caused the camshaft and crankshaft to rust together


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## BlueWRXPride

I doubt it since it ran fine 10 minutes before I changed the oil.


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## 43128

oh ok, didnt realize it was new oil, snowblowers are very suspectable to drawing in moisture through the intake due to the conditions they operate in


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## GustoGuy

*I replaced my Tecumseh with 6.5 HF Predator and I do not miss the Tecumseh*



HJames said:


> There is no good answer for long term reliability, they just haven't been around long enough. There are plenty of people out there that have had different versions for 5+ years. That being said I haven't heard any horror stories about people using them on snowblowers, I have a predtor on mine and it performs great. The level of difficulty for the engine swap always depends on the snowblower it's being mounted on, some are as easy as bolting it right up and using the existing pulley. But some swaps can have many different challenges. I would say that your biggest challenge is going to be shaft height and diameter, this would require a new pulley or shaft sleeve and a new belt.
> 
> As far as the cost to repair the old one, it's gonna be a lot cheaper if you do it yourself. Chances are you're dealing with a bad ring, a broken connecting rod, or the valves are binding. No rocket science involved with those repairs, just patience, a few special tools that can be borrowed, and an eye for detail. You are already better off than most if it is the connecting rod because you say there is no damage to the case. I was facing a similar decision last fall and I chose to buy the predator as a cheap short term fix, then set out to repair my old motor, which had a series of problems. My total cost with the predator and fixing the old motor was about $180 spread over the last 7 months. Worst case scenario you have a battle tested motor waiting if the predator proves to be unreliable.


 I found that the HF Predator 212cc 6.5Hp engine is way more reliable than my old 5hp Tecumseh flat head ever was. Right now it will be the 3rd full summer on my minibike engine and it still starts in 1 to 2 pulls of the recoil. Use a high quaility synthetic and it will last. I use Amsoil in all my engines even the Tecumseh but the carburetor was the Tecumsehs downfall plus it was a flat head and relatively gutless even when it was running well.


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## 43128

the honda clones and predators are awesome, i got tiro of having to **** around with my hm80s carburetor for a half hour trying to get the **** thing running, it wasnt worth it, i dont miss it one bit


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## CarlB

You mentioned that the piston is at tdc. Are you sure you didn't drop anything down the spark plug hole? The first thing i would do is pull the head since it is very easy. If nothing is found then you will have to pull the sump. If you have a broken rod consider yourself lucky that it decided to let go when you were spinning it over by hand and there shouldn't be any collateral damage. I don't have any of the predator engines but I do have several of the greyhounds that came before the predator and they have been great performers and always start on the first or second pull. good luck Carl


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## Grunt

Just a thought. Do you currently have the spark plug removed? Since you just did an oil change, it is possible there is oil trapped in the cylinder above the piston and is hydro locking it. Another possibility, oil related, is there to much oil in the crank case, which would also lock the engine?


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## BlueWRXPride

I'm pretty certain there's nothing that fell into the cylinder, and even if it had, I should still be able to move the engine backwards.

Yes, the spark plug is out, and according to the dipstick, I put the right amount of oil in the engine.


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## RedOctobyr

I don't have anything that hasn't already been mentioned, sorry. But it sure is a strange situation. 

Thank you for posting the details, and I definitely hope you'll share the cause once you find it. Taking the head off is easy, but it sounds unlikely that you'll find the "smoking gun" under the head. Taking the sump cover off sounds more promising. 

Even then, with my admittedly limited experience, I wish I could think of something that could be damaged by pulling the engine over by hand, that could lock it so tightly that it couldn't turn at all in either direction.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Grunt said:


> Just a thought. Do you currently have the spark plug removed? Since you just did an oil change, it is possible there is oil trapped in the cylinder above the piston and is hydro locking it. Another possibility, oil related, is there to much oil in the crank case, which would also lock the engine?


We've been down that road on a previous page. It's locked with the spark plug out so it can't be hydro locked.

If you managed to fill, really fill the crankcase with way too much oil it might hit the piston and cause slow cranking but it could never prevent the piston from moving. The excess would be pushed out the breather and past the seals if not pushing the crankshaft seals out too. Plus he's checked the oil level a couple times since.

Just have to wait till it's opened up to solve the mystery.


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## 43128

maybe this happened


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## BlueWRXPride

Well I've got some interesting news. I took the head off and lo and behold, there was a small piece of metal sitting on top of the piston. It looks like it is a piece of one of the teeth from the starter motor. (if you read back in the thread I mentioned that when I took the electric starter off, most of the teeth were broken off the gear that turns the flywheel). I can even see a little indentation on the piston and the inside of the head cover where this metal piece got caught.

I have no explanation why I couldn't turn the motor in the reverse direction, but with the head off, I can now easily rotate the engine in either direction. I'm pretty excited to see if it runs once back together!

So my only question for you all, can I re-use the head gasket and the gasket on the head where the pipe comes in from the carb?


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## BlueWRXPride

43128, that video sounds like exactly what happened, just not with a screw. They mention cleaning the gaskets all off and cleaning the carbon off while it is open. Can you give me a quick idea of how to best do that?


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## Kiss4aFrog

You'd be better off going with a new head gasket as it's likely going to be going onto a good engine and be there a while.


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## 43128

put the piston at top dead center, and use a brass wire brush on a drill. dont reuse the head gasket, you can use it for testing, but it will be crushed and thinner from torqing it down. the only question i have is how did a starter tooth get in there, ive seen carb butterfly screws but not starter teeth, that just doesnt make any sense.

heres your gear


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## Kiss4aFrog

Sounds like your 143.049001 crosses over to a HMSK90-156542F
Craftsman Tecumseh Question - HobbyTalk

Engine parts diagram: Craftsman Tecumseh Question - HobbyTalk
*36448 * * Cylinder Head Gasket 

Ebay, 8.49 shipped 




*27915A * * Intake Pipe Gasket 

BUT . . . someone should double check me.


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## Kiss4aFrog

43128 said:


> The only question I have is how did a starter tooth get in there, ive seen carb butterfly screws but not starter teeth, that just doesnt make any sense.


Well, I'm guessing he knocked it in there when he was oiling the cylinder with the plug out. Somehow it blew the tooth up on top of the head and it was just sitting there. Pull plug, oil in cylinder, one hand on rope one on the rag over the hole and a little giggle and it drops in the hole !

I can't figure out a way it would have sucked it in the carb  Maybe it somehow made it over the head and into the carb heat box and sucked it in but it should have locked up sooner.

Just glad it's something simple and a relatively easy repair.


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## RedOctobyr

Wow, that's awesome that you apparently found why it wouldn't turn! 

If it turns now, that's fantastic. 



43128 said:


> the only question i have is how did a starter tooth get in there, ive seen carb butterfly screws but not starter teeth, that just doesnt make any sense.


I would agree with this, however. Not sure how a starter gear tooth could get inside the engine. Where is the starter on your engine? On the side with the carb & intake, or on the other side? 

The only thing I could think of is that as the tooth blew off the gear, it somehow bounced into the intake. That seems like a long shot, but if they're on the same side of the engine, I suppose it's possible. 

I'm still not sure why you wouldn't be able to turn the engine in the other direction. Unless the thickness of the metal was just right that you basically locked the engine up almost exactly at top-dead-center, so that the connecting rod was under a lot of compression, and kept things tight, even if you tried to turn the engine in the direction that would have pulled the piston down. 

As far as the gaskets, if you just want to see if it runs today, I'd re-use them. But if it starts, and you plan to keep using it, replacing at least the head gasket would be a good idea.


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## BlueWRXPride

Ok so I'll just replace the intake gasket and the head gasket, and clean off the soot with a brass wire bush. That about all I should do while it's open?

Would a harbor freight torque wrench be adequate for this job? Or do I need something better quality and more accurate?


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## HJames

While you have the head off, how do the valves look? Some carbon build up is to be expected, but I would check to make sure they are seating properly. You can clean & lap them while the head is off and possibly save the aggravation of having to pull the head off in a couple years.


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## RedOctobyr

All I had was a Harbor Freight click-type torque wrench for a while. Mine goes up to maybe 150 ft-lbs, I forget exactly. 

I've since added a Craftsman beam-type. It goes up to ~80 ft-lbs. The beam type are typically more accurate than the click-type. I use it for most of my torquing needs now. 

As long as the torque is something like 20-30 ft-lbs or higher, personally, I'd expect a HF one is probably OK. What range does yours do? 

If you have a 300 ft-lb wrench, and you need to put something to 15 ft-lbs, I'd be nervous. You'd be at 5% of the total range. If you have a 150 ft-lb wrench, and you need to torque them to 40 ft-lbs, I'd imagine you'd be fine.


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## 43128

these tecumseh hm80s-hm100s had well known valve issues where the clearances would go ridiculously out of spec so i would check that, just pull off the breather and check the gap


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## BlueWRXPride

43128 said:


> these tecumseh hm80s-hm100s had well known valve issues where the clearances would go ridiculously out of spec so i would check that, just pull off the breather and check the gap


More detail for a noob please. What is the breather, how do I pull it off, and how do I check the gap?


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## 43128

you see that cover with the hose coming off of it under the intake manifold? Pull off the 2 screws holding in that cover and you will have access to the valve springs and stems


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## Kiss4aFrog

BlueWRXPride said:


> Ok so I'll just replace the intake gasket and the head gasket, and clean off the soot with a brass wire bush. That about all I should do while it's open?
> 
> Would a harbor freight torque wrench be adequate for this job? Or do I need something better quality and more accurate?


I'd pull the starter and leave it off until you get that drive gear replaced. Also if you have access to a compressor blast the heck out of all the fins from a couple directions to try and eliminate any more teeth hiding near or on the way to the spark plug hole 

Or if you are close to an Autozone you can get a torque wrench as a loaner. Might want to call to see if it's the right torque range. I think they only have one and it's higher foot pounds.

Consider Lowes for the torque wrench. They have a lifetime warranty on most of their torque wrenches compared to almost everyone else with the line of sight warranty or at best 90 days.


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## 43128

hft torque wrenches are decent for the backyard mechanic, and they have a lifetime hand tool warranty. just bring it back, grab one off the shelf and leave.

Digital Savings and Coupons from Harbor Freight


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## CarlB

Glad you took the head off and found the problem. It doesn't take a big chunk of metal on top of the piston to cause this problem. The gear tooth probably wedged the piston in the bore when the piston got to TDC and that is why you couldn't turn it backwards. Obviously it got in through the spark plug hole when you had the plug out. As mentioned earlier, these tech engines tend to have problems with the exhaust valve seat recessing. When that happens you loose clearance between the valve stem and the lifter. The solution is to grind down the valve stem. The keepers can be a real pain to get back in if you don't have the correct tools. Carl


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## RedOctobyr

I did have to grind down the exhaust valve on my HMSK80 a few years ago, as the valve clearance was off. Interesting, I didn't realize that was a common problem with those engines. 

I can attest to the spring retainer being difficult to reinstall, as well. I didn't have the proper tool. I ended up cobbling something together with a C-clamp, some flathead screwdrivers, etc etc. It was ugly, delicate, and it took a while. Though it did eventually work 

BlueWRXPride, to check the valve clearance gaps, you will also need a set of feeler gauges.


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## BlueWRXPride

Sounds like it might be a little involved for me to check and adjust the valve gap. I'm thinking I'll just clean off the soot, get a new gasket, and put it back together since it ran great before all of this.


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## RedOctobyr

Sounds like a plan to me. 

Checking the gap is pretty straightforward. But actually *doing* anything about it, to change it, is more involved. Flathead (L-head) engines are tough for changing the gap. I used a surface-grinder at a machine shop to take a few thousandths of an inch off my valve length. I'm not sure how you'd do it with "common household tools". 

So even if you decide to check it, unless you found something way out of spec, you might end up leaving it alone anyhow. 

The valve clearances on OHV engines are much easier to adjust.


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## motorhead64

Well, the lesson here is when you remove your spark plug for any reason, you have to be very certain that nothing is going down the hole by mistake. MH


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## BlueWRXPride

I'm happy to report that tonight I put the engine back together, put some gas in, and pulled the cord, and it started running on the 2nd pull! Thus ends an interesting story with a happy ending! Thanks again for everyone's help!


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## RedOctobyr

That's awesome, congratulations!


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## HCBPH

*Congrats*

Congrats on getting your solution. Could be worse, I've got a 7 HP that had a screw dropped into it. The head and piston look like you hit them with a shotgun where it beat that screw to a pulp.


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## Grunt

Success is a wonderful word, great to hear you have it running. Make sure you have fresh gas and stabilizer in it for summer storage.


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## Marty013

one, remove starter.. if thats your problem it could lock the engine up like your experiencing..

two, something could very well be jammed behind the flywheel causing same symptoms

rule these out.. easiest to do is the starter asembly


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## Marty013

lol oh sure.. I dont read to the end and BAM issue resolved long before I even read this lol lesson learned on my part.. sorry guys!


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## Kiss4aFrog

So Marty, did you only read the first post and not pay any attention to the other eight pages of "stuff" and that the OP already has taken the engine apart, found the problem, reassembled and has it running


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## BlueWRXPride

Three... Read the whole post, especially the end...  

But thanks for chiming in, nice community here!


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