by Skywatcher » Mon Jan 02, 2017 1:54 pm
Hi KE4 & 38
Thanks for your replies. Decided to have a go at cleaning up the teeth on the ring gear with a die grinder, can't get price or availability on new pinion until Jan 3rd as supplier has been closed between Christmas and New Years. Also, learned a little more about the machine. Customer indicated the unit would never start on the pull start which is why electric start was always used. When pulling engine over, could not feel compression, but could hear it escaping through muffler. Checked valve clearances; intake .005", exhaust .003" (tech manual says .008" – .012" for both valves). Gave engine a quick valve job and reset valve clearances, intake .010", exhaust to .012". Can now feel a bump of compression when pulling over and engine starts with recoil starter.
Gave unit a test run yesterday clearing 8" of fresh snow from 150 feet of driveway. The machine performed flawlessly so will look into new pinion on Tuesday. 38, if new pinion doesn't appear to want to mesh properly with ring gear, I'll PM you and we'll see what it would take to get that old flywheel over here. Thanks and happy New Year to all,
Sky
A person who sees Quality and feels it as he works is a person who cares.
A person who cares about what he sees and does is a person who's bound to have some characteristics of Quality.
Robert M. Pirsig. (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)