What would you do???

[amphibious drew]

Hi all. Just wanted to get some advice from the experts before my wife kills me. I have a Tomahawk 450 that is set up just like it came from the factory. However, I was not able to get a tach on it in time to adjust the governor before problems hit. The OH16O will not start for some reason. Rode it Sat. night and Sunday morning she was sick. Pulled the plug and replaced it, but there seems to be some sort of metal on metal noise when I try to start it. I bought this thing for $2100 a little over a month ago and I am trying to get the most out of it for the money. Rebuilding engines isn't exactly my forte. Should I get the engine rebuilt for me (assuming I can't get it to fire up again), or should I buy a new engine (suggestions welcome). I liked the nostalgia of having a stock drivetrain, but I wouldn't mind getting a little more speed. I posted this here rather than in the engine section because I want the advice of the Attex enthusiasts, and value their advice. Thank you in advance for any response

[Roadtorque]

Others may be able to pinpoint your problem from your discription, me I need some video/audio of the sound as you are trying to start it. I'm not an attex guy but I do know a bit about engines.

[LarryW]

Hello Drew,
Was it running ok when you shut it down? Is oil level ok?
I would try to locate the noise. The noise may be something simple. Could it be the clutch? If you stick a hose near your ear and hold the other end around maybe you can see if its top end or bottom of motor? If you attempt a rebuild Im sure ifyou have any questions someone can answer. Sorry to hear about that.

[Mike]

Does the engine actually turn over or are you just hearing the starter trying to engage?

[Amphiman1]

motor noise

i'm guessing the inner crankshaft bearing committed suicide.... on the flywheel side

[jpswift1]

I might be going to Meadville in 2 weeks, I'd be more than happy to help you troubleshoot it.

[amphibious drew]

Update

So I cleaned the carb. It needed it but did not help. Oil level is still perfect from when I changed it 2 weeks ago. Engine does turn over and the plug smells like gas. If I take it out and turn the clutch by hand you can see the piston moving up and down and it feels like it is compressing. jpswift1, anyone with an amphib is always welcome at my house. However I will be camping Aug 7-9. If you are up during the week, beers on me if you want to help. If its running again by then your still more than welcome to stop by for some driving fun. Finally, Roadtorque, I tried uploading some video of me trying to start the poor little engine, but after a half hour of waiting for it to upload, I decided to just post a link to it. Untitled

Thanks guys.

[B.A.]

spark

You said you changed plugs. Did you check for spark?

[racerone3]

ok Drew, i just watched your video. have you checked to see if it has spark? compression seems ok (as best as i can tell from a video). i couldn't hear the metal on metal that you described... perhaps just the starter gear on the flywheel gear??? if it does have spark, you might have a sheared flywheel key. it would spark but at the wrong time and not ignite the air fuel mix.

[B.A.]

sheared flywheel key

Good point/explaination Racer. If you pull the flywheel change the key if you see any damage even if its not sheared, a key that is marked through its length is on its way to failure...anyway they're cheap

[Roadtorque]

Thanks for the video. I could not hear any metal on metal. Like others have said check the spark plug for a spark, along with tight, clean connectons on wiring going to the plug. You said the plug was wet when you pulled it so it is getting fuel, now you just need a spark! Keep posting what your doing and we can all work through it.

[amphibious drew]

no spark

Alright I gave her the old hillbilly spark test (screwdriver in the wire) and could not get any spark off of anything I touched while cranking it over.

[Roadtorque]

Alright I gave her the old hillbilly spark test (screwdriver in the wire) and could not get any spark off of anything I touched while cranking it over.

No the hillbilly test is to grab hold of the spark plug at the tip and try to start it

[amphibious drew]

Get me a few beers and I'll give that a shot too.

Not sure how serious you are roadtorque, but after a few beers I've been known to try most anything while trying to fix up a project.

[LarryW]

Alright I gave her the old hillbilly spark test (screwdriver in the wire) and could not get any spark off of anything I touched while cranking it over.

Hey Drew,
Well if it was the key, it should still spark, just not at the right time as long as the flywheel is spinning which is is for the starter to spin the motor over. So I would go for maybe a wiring issue. First thing I would do from here is locate the kill switch wire. Usually a black one coming from the coil. If that shorts out on anything it will kill the spark. So disconnect it and try again for spark. Hopefull this is something as simple as a wire gone wrong somewhere.

Is it still making the noise you heard. I dont hear anything. If there was something maybe the coil came loose and hit the flywheel or something.