Clean and Gap the Spark Plug on a Briggs & Stratton E-Series Engine

Spark plugs can reveal dirty little secrets of the health of your small engine! Learning how to read your spark plug can give you great powers to understand and diagnose simple problems with how your lawn mower or other gas powered garden tools are performing.

You don't always need to change out your spark plug. Sometimes just cleaning and checking the "gap" is all that is needed to get your mower starting easier and running better.  Spark plug maintenance is easy, and cheap; and it requires few tools. 

Understand that a plug that is oily, sooty, or has some debris on the end might make your small engine hard to start, and run poorly. Also, understanding when a plug is too dirty or worn, is the time to replace. Throwing parts at a machine is not always the best idea, but spark plugs are cheap.  Here's a link to a Champion replacement plug https://amzn.to/3z5Gc40 if the OEM plug from Briggs is not in stock https://amzn.to/3pDnZGV

In a perfect world, the porcelain covering the inner electrode should be a chocolatey brown color. Even light coffee with cream colored is OK too. This means your engine is running in tip top condition. But that is often not the reality of gas powered small engines for lawn and garden use.

A plug that is black and sooty can tell you your engine is not getting enough air, Maybe a dirty or clogged air filter is causing the problems. Depending on which type of air filter you have, you might also clean or replace that. Foam air filters can be cleaned if they are not too deteriorated, but paper filter elements too dirty or saturated with oil cannot be cleaned. A dirty or clogged air filter can also cause you to flood your engine. 

An oily plug can mean your engine oil is over filled. Be sure and check your oil level when the engine is cold, and while it's sitting on flat ground. 

A plug that is wet with gasoline is a good sign that you have flooded your engine. The common solution for a flooded small engine is to hold the throttle wide open and pull the starter repeatedly to clear out the excess fuel. Since most lawn mowers don't have a throttle control, one solution is to pull the spark plug and pull the starter rapidly to help dry out the excess fuel. 

A white, or ashen plug can mean your air filter is missing altogether and this makes the engine run lean. An engine running too lean is running too hot, and most gas powered lawn and gardening tools are air cooled. A missing air filter too will allow debris into your combustion chamber and possible damage piston rings or the inside of the cylinder.

I hope these tips and tricks can empower you with oracle like skills to make your small engines run smoothly and consistently.

Please watch for new videos on Youtube at The Lawnmower Lady or follow along on Instagram at thelawnmowerlady and Twitter at the Lawnmower Lady 

Mow Happy!

Standard Disclaimer: Any links to products are likely affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (Thank You!), with no additional costs to you.

Wear your safety glasses, or you'll put your eye out. Try on some gloves. Take off that spark plug boot. Clean your room. Open the windows, those fumes are nasty. Just 'cause I do it, don't think it's the end all, be all solution. There's plenty more ideas out there, I can't take responsibility if you slice off a few fingers after watching my videos. And don't just pour that toxic stuff down the sewer or in the ditch, dispose of waste responsibly. Just be safe, OK?

Homemade Pressure Tester for 2-Stroke Carburetor

Sometimes you really don't need to spend $80-100 for a gadget when you just might have the parts laying about your garage. Here's how I made, and use a homemade pressure tester with a small inline pressure gauge: https://amzn.to/3cn4jkR and a Mityvac brake bleeder kit: https://amzn.to/3wTnB9w

There are several tests you need to make sure your 2-stroke engine is running at its best. If there are any air leaks, you risk damaging your piston and cylinder.  Some of these simple tests can help isolate any air leaks. 

The carburettor on a small two stroke engine can have several issues if fuel flow is restricted, or there are any leaks. Running too lean (too much air) or too rich (too much fuel) can cause an array of issues from clogged exhausts to melted piston rings. 

10 psi max for rotary carbs, and 7 psi for butterfly carbs is all that is needed to determine if the needle valve and the inlet seat is clean and intact. If your carb can't hold those pressures, then you will be running rich and will likely flood out your engine. 

Pressing the purge valve while still pressurized will confirm the purge valve is working if the carb holds pressure after pressing the purge bulb. Lastly the check valve should be checked to ensure it works correctly.

Other tests that are easy to perform with a pressure tester are testing fuel filters, and making sure the gas cap is venting properly.  Hopefully you can see how to easily diagnose some basic carburetor or engine issues with just some spare parts you may have laying around your shop or garage.

I hope these tips and tricks can empower you with oracle like skills to make your small engines run smoothly and consistently.

Please watch for new videos on Youtube at The Lawnmower Lady or follow along on Instagram at thelawnmowerlady and Twitter at the Lawnmower Lady 

Mow Happy!

Standard Disclaimer: Any links to products are likely affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (Thank You!), with no additional costs to you.

Wear your safety glasses, or you'll put your eye out. Try on some gloves. Take off that spark plug boot. Clean your room. Open the windows, those fumes are nasty. Just 'cause I do it, don't think it's the end all, be all solution. There's plenty more ideas out there, I can't take responsibility if you slice off a few fingers after watching my videos. And don't just pour that toxic stuff down the sewer or in the ditch, dispose of waste responsibly. Just be safe, OK?