# No compression in Briggs & Stratton on 5550 Generator.



## katenjoe

Hi, After all the flooding we had not to long ago, we started having problems with our electricity, well to make a long story short....50% of the time we have to use our generator for power (till we get the power fixed). One day while it was running the power started fading in and out almost like it was getting ready to run out of gas. I went to check and it still had gas but i went ahead and filled it back up checked the oil.....when i pulled the rope to start it again it was real real easy to pull and it wont start for nothin now. My old man said he thinks it lost compression. Well he is a work all the time and doesnt really have time to do anything with it so if someone could tell me what you think it is and how to fix it, i am going to do it. My husband said you cant do that and laughed at me so i gonna prove him wrong. Any help would be great. Thanks, Kate.


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## kiss_alive

you said its real easy to pull. do you have a compression tester. if not remove the plug and place your finger over the spark plug hole. while turning the engine do you feel a slight suction or is it trying to push your finger out of the way.


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## katenjoe

I dont have a compression tester, but i did what you said and i can feel a slight suction.


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## kiss_alive

hard to trouble shoot without being there. a compression tester would be best and can be gotton at any auto parts store. remove the sparkplug from the hole and lay it aganst the engine with it still in the boot. crank the engine do you see any spark from the plug. if yes put a tea spoon of gas into the hole re-install the plug and crank the engine. if it fires then dies then it needs the carb rebuilt.


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## MrChooks

Just a thought out of left field - but I have had problems with valve sticking in B&S engines - especially if they are fairly new and the oil level gets a little too high.

Fix wasn't hard - but had to take the air cowl off, unbolt the head and just tap the stuck valve free - had no need to dismantle the valve assembly. Then put the head and cowl back and away mine went.

Haven't had the problem since - so I guess once the valve stem and guide wears in - problem goes away.

The downside is - is if this is your problem - there is virtually no other way to get the engine running until you free up the stuck valve :sigh:


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## katenjoe

Im thinkin its at least 2 or 3 years old. I did the spark plug deal and i did get a spark so i put a teaspoon of gas in the hole like you said and its the same thing. It didnt even act a little like it might start.


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## MrChooks

OK - try this . see if you can plug the spark plug hole with a rolled up piece of rag - or you thumb. Give the engine a pull - if it doesn't blow the rag (or your thumb) out of the plug hole you have lost all your compression - strongly symptomatic of a stuck valve.

No disaster - just a bit tedious to dismantle free up and fix - at least you wont need any new parts!!:laugh:


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## Basementgeek

If you pull the head, you should get a new head gasket.

BG


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## MrChooks

BG is right - but if you're carefull / gentle you should get away with it - bad habit I know - but it worked for me - good luck - post us to let us know how you get on


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## MrChooks

:wave:Just had another idea - I think your B&S engine has overhead valves - so you should be able to check out if the valves are sticking by simply removing the rocker cover on the top of the engine, then when you pull the engine thru (with plug removed - to eliminate any air resistance) you should be able to see if the valve stem tops both remain in contact with the rocker arms. If they do and the valves both move up and down freely, then it's NOT a stuck valve and all you need is some "form-a-gasket" or similar material to reseal the rocker cover when you re-install.

As you said the unit is only 2-3 years old and there doesn't seem to be any sign of catastrophic failure inside the engine - loss of compression has to be a stuck (or maybe burnt) valve or just maybe the engine has a "decompression" facility to assist with starting and it might be possible that this has become stuck open - see if your owners manual says anything about "easy start" or starting decompression - then you might have to see if that is your problem


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## K-B

It might have popped a valve seat. LIke was mentioned above, it's easy to take the rocker cover off on a OHV engine, if the valve is stuck or a popped valve seat, there will be a large amount of clearance at top dead center.


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## katenjoe

OK guys im gonna go over everything you guys have given me today and i will let you know what happens. Thanks to all of you for all your help.


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## MrChooks

katenjoe :wave: - good luck - you should be fine.
As we all have inferred - if your engine hasn't had a catastrophic failure and given it's only 2-3 yrs old - the loss of compression has got to be something relatively simple - stuck valve, burnt valve or stuck decompression (easy start) mechanism.

A word of caution if you need to remove the valves to regrind them - Whilst the valve grinding is easy enough, OHVs are held into their spring mechanisms with little tiny clips - you usually need to compress the valve spring (using a special tool called, oddly enough, a "valve spring compressor :laugh. Then you carefully pick the clips out of the washers at the top of the valve spring - these little mongrel clips have a habit of flying off into the ether never to be found again :4-thatsba - so make sure you keep a close eye on them when you pick them out.


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## katenjoe

Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to get back here but i have had about 4,000 things going all at the same time. Just wanted to tell everyone thank you so much for all your help. I did it! All by myself to. You guys are angels. I kept it a secret and didnt tell my husband until i was done. Boy was he surprised. I dont think he will ever doubt me again. Again thank you so much. Kate.


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## katenjoe

Oh bye the way, the valve thingy was stuck open. It runs like a dream now.


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## MrChooks

:wave: Well done and glad we could help - now you have back-power again:tongue:


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## K-B

Kate you are awesome that you could do that yourself!


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