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How to restart my lawn tractor

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August 07, 2024, 10:28 AM
400m
How to restart my lawn tractor
Let’s just call it laziness on my part but I have an MTD tractor that has been sitting for probably 3 years now. Is there anything I need to do to the engine before I try starting it? I’m sure the cylinder walls are corroded.
August 07, 2024, 10:41 AM
Tuckerrnr1
Pull the spark plugs and a little oil, turn over slowly, by hand if possible.


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I may be a bad person, but at least I use my turn signal.
August 07, 2024, 10:50 AM
HRK
Drain the fuel and clean out the carb, put in some fresh ethanol free fuel.

Probably need to see if the battery is any good, charge it or replace it.

Pull the plug and put a little oil, penetrating fluid in the cylinder and let it sit overnight, then crank it with no plug in it so you can get oil pressure up

Put in a new plug, turn on the fuel and crank it.
August 07, 2024, 03:33 PM
selogic
You might need a can of starting fluid to convince it to fire off .
August 07, 2024, 06:09 PM
229DAK
Can you still buy starting fluid?


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“A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.”
-- Mark Twain, 1902
August 07, 2024, 06:15 PM
drill sgt
Once the other things suggested have been done then maybe a squirt of "old school" lighter fluid in cylinder area or fill up base of spark plug with lighter fluid prior to re-installing and attempting to start.................................. drll sgt.
August 07, 2024, 06:25 PM
M1Garandy
If you have ethanol in your gas and you didn't run the carb dry, I'd expect a carb clean and rebuild will be needed.

If you have a fuel solenoid on the float bowl, you may have issues with it as well.
August 07, 2024, 07:21 PM
wrightd
quote:
Originally posted by 229DAK:
Can you still buy starting fluid?

I don't recall anytime you couldn't.



Lover of the US Constitution
Wile E. Coyote School of DIY Disaster
August 07, 2024, 07:26 PM
400m
Actually, running the carb dry was one thing I did do. I do it with all gasoline engines.
August 08, 2024, 04:13 PM
gjgalligan
Empty the gas tank and put fresh gas in along with the other ideas offered.


Integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking.
August 09, 2024, 07:41 AM
selogic
quote:
Originally posted by 229DAK:
Can you still buy starting fluid?
Absolutely . I got a mower going for a girl the other day . It sat up since last summer with gas in it and wouldn't crank this time around . I dumped the old gas , put fresh gas in it and added a dose of SeaFoam . Gave it a shot of Starting Fluid and let it burn through the Starting Fluid and repeated a couple of times . Then I let it sit overnight and did it again the next morning . It ctanked and ran good after that . It doesn't work every time but I've done it enough times to always try it first .