Questions and Answers
Two Stroke Lawn Mower Engine
Q. I have a two stroke lawn mower engine that won't start. I took it apart, cleaned and checked everything. I noticed that the reed valve, which on this engine is a metal plate with two flaps covering the intake from the carburetor, slightly lifts off the intake port.
Isn't it supposed to be flat against the intake port in a resting position? Could this be the problem?
Jon
A. Well Jon, never let it be said that I don't answer all questions sent my way, including questions about lawn mower engines.
There is not a lot of tension in the reed valves and they may not lie perfectly flat, but they should be pretty close. Pressure and vacuum is all that opens and closes it. When the engine is running, the pressure will close the reed valve completely. So I don't think that is the problem. In a two stroke engine the most likely cause of a no-start is ignition.
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