Atco Lawn mower

Discussion in 'Engineers' Talk' started by jimbo, Aug 18, 2004.

  1. jimbo

    jimbo Guest

    I recently inherited an old 24" Atco mower.. in good nick overall but it wont start.. its getting a spark but it is very faint..I have taken off the flywheel and cleaned and adjusted the points,everything seems to be working as it should but as I said poor spark. Any ideas anyone?Could it be the condenser?how do I test it?
     
  2. diyhopeful

    diyhopeful Active Member

    Sounds like a stupid question but is the petrol fresh ?

    It only last about a month if I lay my bike up for the winter.
     
  3. jimbo

    jimbo Guest

    the problem is a poor spark...like I said
     
  4. Thermo

    Thermo New Member

    I take it youve got a new lug on there. it will probably be the ht lead going to the plug. these tend to get knackered quite quickly on mowers as they are never serviced as often as they should be.
     
  5. jimbo

    jimbo Guest

    thanks for the tip Thermo.. I will try a new ht lead tomorrow and let you know how it goes
     
  6. benny

    benny Guest

    wath out, old atco with villiers engine can suffer with coil break down under load. when the plug is under compression the voltage required to jump the gap is less, this means that a spark may happen up inside the plug where it wont ignite the mixture.
     
  7. DD

    DD New Member

    If this has one of the old Villiers engines, beware of the engine timing. There was no key way on the fly wheel, so it could spark with the piston in any position. There should be timing marks, but if these have become erroded over time, stick a screwdriver in the plug hole to establish TDC. Dependant upon if this is the 2 stroke or 4 stroke, will mean you could be 180 deg out, so watch out!

    I would like to reiterate the comment about old fuel being no good. Even a poor spark should ignite fresh petrol.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice