Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I don't really need another project this winter but could anyone tell me if this BCS tiller is worth putting some time into? Right now all I know is that the cylinder in the italian (Acme) 8hp engine does not seem to move at all. There is what smells like diesel fuel on the top of the cylinder when you pull the sparkplug.  I checked the reviews on this web page and the new models seem to have satisfied owners.  I don't really need the snowblower part that came with it. Just the tiller. Any thoughts/comments/concerns are welcome. If you know the vintage of the unit that would be of interest to me.  The tires have a few very small cracks (where the wheels sat for a long time without much air)  but nothing that would concern me.  I don't have any information from the previous owner other than it's been in the family a long time, sat in a barn in VT, and the engine is siezed up.  It uses one of those oil bath air filters.  It has three forward speeds and one speed reverse. Would an inexpensive chinese (honda knockoff) 8hp bolt right on?

You have to ensure the spark plug is grounded out against the machine somewhere.  As long as the plug is resting against something metal on the machine it will be grounded.  You might want to secure it somehow.  It's tough to watch for a spark while pulling on the pull start and having the spark plug jumping around.  Take a bare piece of copper wire approx. eight inches long.  Wrap one end around the threaded portion of the spark plug and clamp (vice grips) the other end to a ground point on the machine.  If the machine has an off/on switch or a carburetor linkage activated engine cut off switch, you might want to have a good look at the contact points and wire connections.  If you suspect the switch, by-pass it with a piece of wire.  Also, that machine is fairly old and despite the fact that it's a good, solid piece of equipment, the electrics can be weakened over time and more-so if left out in the elements.  Personally, if you have continuity with the electrical system, I'd suspect that the points just need to be cleaned.  If you have access to the points, get one of those fingernail emery boards (like a fingernail file but made from cardboard/sand paper) and put it between the points allowing the pressure of the points spring to put pressure on both sides of the emery board simultaneously.  Clean the points up and give it another shot.  When testing for spark, do it in a poorly lit area.  The spark isn't exactly a bolt of lightning.  Good luck.

Lets not get him changing the timing or ripping into the points yet....   My guess is that the machine has a fairly good cover over the points mechanism that is weather resistant... much like my Koher..  My Koher has been in the elements since 1976, and I have changed the points once  (just because they are old)...  never because of a problem... 

I would recommend leaving the points alone until you try disconnecting the kill switch..   These points are made of the same material as the ones on my old bug , old, old Ford, old  Porshe and my old Hondas.  But they are not firing as many times as a car,  plus the unit only runs a few hours a week tops...

Besides the best test of a Magneto or secondary coil is a Magneto Tester,  otherwise the putting it in the engine is the best....   The dialectric resistance of the air in the cyclinder changes during the compression stroke..   I can get a Mag spark to jump 3 inches in a vaccum, and .035 under 18 psi..

Just food for thought.

 Put the plug in and try to start it...

Good Luck

Friiy

borat wrote:

The points and condenser for ignition are located in a square box with a button on it (directly below the carburetor and muffler). Why is there a button?  The kill switch wire goes all the way down and into that box.  Very strange.

friiy wrote: The wire to the kill switch is a very long wire. It will take some work to disconnect it. It is fastened  at various locations.  Some of the wire has lost it's covering. I don't see anything grounding but again it winds and twists all over the place before going into that little box with the mysterious button.

The button is just another kill switch mounted on the motor,   just open the box and disconnect the "remote kill switch"  wire that goes up the handlebar.   you can leave the wire on the unit strapped to the handle bar for now..

The remote kill button on the handle bar and the button on the block just ground out the mag and points...

Friiy

friiy wrote:

I opened the square box and disconnected the wire to the kill switch.  Then I put a small amount of fuel in the intake and pulled the starter.  No spark.  Then I pulled the spark plug and hooked it to the spark plug wire (the wire is in excellent shape).  I grounded the spark plug this time to the engine block and turned out all the lights.  Then I pulled the starter cord again. No spark. 

Since the box was open, I cleaned the points while I was in there.  They seemed to be in very good shape.  I cleaned them with a small emery cloth and then checked the gap with a spark plug gap tool.  The gap was within spec so I just left it alone.  What about the condensor?  Those are still available for this model. 

The bowl was removed from the carb. The float works as it should and fuel fills the bowl.  I was able to confirm the correct position for the choke control and for the fuel line shut off (opposite of what I had thought before). The bowl had some crud in the base but nothing terrible.  It is soaking in carb cleaner now. The float did not seem to have any holes in it. 

Have you tried a diffrent plug?

I see (I think ) three wires going to the points..

one should go to the condenser     

one should go to the coil. (under the blower housing)     

The third should go to the remote kill swich on the tiller handlebars...

This is what you see correct?

make sure the wire going to the remote kill is disconnected and the rest are hooked up. 

Do you see the points moving ? (I have seen the plunger gum up and stick / slow down)

Is there a wire that goes down to the throttle linkage with a kill tab on it?  The kill tab is make to ground out if the throttle is pulled back below idle.. If so,  make sure it is not grounding out..

Friiy

Do you have a volt/ ohm meter?...   with the points open check to make sure there is no continuity to ground from  the wires connection..

Friiy