# mtd very hard to start



## bonkers902

my mtd is very hard to start and the only way to start it is to double the power going to the starter which is getting old and i am tired of replacing starters and solenoids so any help would be appreciated as its snowing every day and my little snow blower isn't cutting it as i want my plow back it has a 14 hp briggs and stratton on it i have tried starters off of a 20 hp even but the motor turns over faster but then kicks back and the next time i roll it over it rolls over 6-7 times then starts and runs great and i mow roughly 2 acres of grass through the summer once a week so i need it to be able to shut it off and start back up when i need to so i need help PLEASE


----------



## dangeroustoys56

What weight of oil do you use? Where is it stored before plowing? Thicker the oil used- harder itll crank over , if its parked outdoors, itll start hard as well.

Think of it as trying to get out of bed on a really cold day - you dont want to. Same goes for the tractor- all its tolerances are tightend up from the cold , specially if its been parked outside - itll crank over really hard with super thick oil and a cold battery ( which will loose some power sitting in the cold)- bring the battery inside overnite.


Id run some lighter weight oil, check and clean all the batter cables ( better yet replace them with a heavier guage wire) and invest in a high CCA battery - over 500CCA ( it wont hurt the starter)- clean the carb for good measure. You might also want to put some dry gas in the gas tank- if water got in there- itll start hard.


----------



## bonkers902

i use straight 30w oil and it is parked in the garage but it still does this furong the summer when i was just mowing and i have a plate on the rear of the tractor that has a deep cycle marine battery to crank it so it has tons of cca and i ran all new heavy duty automotive cables and a ford starter solenoid as i know how hard it is to start it in the winter i was just thinking that it could be the valves that are making it start so hard and thank you for relying to my post


----------



## dangeroustoys56

How does it turn by hand? Should turn fairly easy till the compression cycle. Its possible a valve might be sticking or not opening correctly.

One of my 14.5 OHV briggs was breaking flywheel keys ( even before i started it the first time) - supposedly it was 'gone thru and checked over" before i got it - but i had to take it back for them to fix it. I think it was something with the valves/adjustments.


----------



## BriggsEngines

I would recommend that you check the valve adjustment for your engine, the specs are below for a couple engines I believe that yours may be. The valves need to be set with the piston a 1/4" past top dead center for the OHV engines, I have included a link below that will be able to assist you.

210000 series OHV - .004" - .006" for the intake and exhaust
310000 series OHV - .003" - .005" for the intake and .005" - .007" for the exhaust (this is the engine you most likely have)

Servicing the Valves:
Servicing the valves | Frequently Asked Questions | Customer Support | Briggs & Stratton


If you have any further questions, feel free to update this e-mail, or call our engine Answer Center at 800-444-7774, M-F 8-5PM CST.

For Briggs & Stratton Branded Power Products questions call our Answer Center at 800-743-4115, M-F 8-5PM CST.


----------



## bonkers902

it seems to be that the intake valve was loose and not opening properly tightened it down to the book specs and gapped correctly now i am just trying to get a new starter for it and i am off to plow snow and dirt


----------



## Rutman53

*MTD won't turn over when cold, 65 degs or less.*

Garage kept. Turns over twice then stops. Will not turn over again until I warm it up either by heater or let set in the sun. Once it is warm it turns over fine and starts fine.
I use 30 weight oil in all my lawn tractors and have no trouble starting them even when it's very cold out. It has a new, fully charged battery. Have even tried boosting during start...no joy. Will not turn over till it's warmed up.
It's almost like it turns over twice to the compression stroke then quits. I was thinking maybe something electrical was breaking down at cooler temps. I am mechanically inclined but, was hoping maybe someone had an easy check or fix before I tore into it!! Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike :usa:


----------



## dangeroustoys56

Rutman53: Sounds like the starter motor is going bad - when they get older they draw more amps. How do the battery cables look? 

You could try removing the starter ( briggs motors) - they can be disassembled, cleaned and put back together - IF they have the vented end cap. On some of my slow starters i pull the starter apart, clean the contacts and armature end where the contacts ride , wash it out with carb cleaner then use small pieces of wire bent in an "L" shape to hold the contacts back thru the end cap so it can be slid back together. The contacts can also be replaced if needed.

30 weight might be a bit too thick for winter use - also might want to use a thinner oil for winter and save the 30 for summer.


----------



## Rutman53

Dangeroustoys56: Thanks for the reply. I thought maybe the starter. I think I will break it down and take a look, clean it up, and see if it helps. Again, thanks for the info. I'll let you know what I find. By the way, I have cleaned and checked all of the wiring. All looks good.


----------

