Spoogity Woogums
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TL;DR, I think my spark plug killed my engine
So a couple of days ago, I set out to run my baja. It was giving me pull starter issues (I'm still learning), and once I got it sorted out, i got it to kinda fire up. It would pop a few times like it was trying to run, but wouldn't under it's own power. So I gave it a pull with half throttle and it fired up. Once I let off the throttle it tried to die so I gave it more gas. It hesitated, and started revving up like normal. I drove it for about 10 minutes and then out of nowhere it just died. It sounded like the piston was moving but there was no detonation. After the normal "please start" routine (choke, bulb, gas on pull), the pull start seized. Not like a broken pawl seize but a solid one. I don't have a piston stopper tool but I'm pretty sure it would feel like trying to start with one of those in it. So I drained the gas, tossed it in the trunk and went home.
Fast forward to a few hours when I needed to pick up my fiance from work and I'm parked around back. I pull out my baja, and start on taking out the plug to see if it's flooded. I use the spoiler of my car as a makeshift workbench, and it's high enough for me to comfortably work on. I get the plug out and <picture included>.
I see why it won't detonate, because the spark plug 's electrode is straight up gone. I dunno how it broke off, could have broke off, and neither do my LHS guys.
So that's why the pull start seized. I flip the entire machine over, jostle a bit, and give a couple of small pulls. It pulls freely now and whatever broke off is now on the ground behind a gas station. I took a picture of the inside of the cylinder/piston and brother thinks it doesn't look good.
So here we are a few days later, new plug, and now it straight up won't start. Normal "please start" routine, nothing. The plug isn't making any kind of spark, no matter what I try. I pulled the pull starter and front cover off and the red killswitch came unhooked. I squeezed the connector down a bit with pliers and put it back on (it wasn't staying on the switch, kept sliding off). Put it all back together, still starting. I think what came off the spark plug killed the engine.
So a couple of days ago, I set out to run my baja. It was giving me pull starter issues (I'm still learning), and once I got it sorted out, i got it to kinda fire up. It would pop a few times like it was trying to run, but wouldn't under it's own power. So I gave it a pull with half throttle and it fired up. Once I let off the throttle it tried to die so I gave it more gas. It hesitated, and started revving up like normal. I drove it for about 10 minutes and then out of nowhere it just died. It sounded like the piston was moving but there was no detonation. After the normal "please start" routine (choke, bulb, gas on pull), the pull start seized. Not like a broken pawl seize but a solid one. I don't have a piston stopper tool but I'm pretty sure it would feel like trying to start with one of those in it. So I drained the gas, tossed it in the trunk and went home.
Fast forward to a few hours when I needed to pick up my fiance from work and I'm parked around back. I pull out my baja, and start on taking out the plug to see if it's flooded. I use the spoiler of my car as a makeshift workbench, and it's high enough for me to comfortably work on. I get the plug out and <picture included>.
I see why it won't detonate, because the spark plug 's electrode is straight up gone. I dunno how it broke off, could have broke off, and neither do my LHS guys.
So that's why the pull start seized. I flip the entire machine over, jostle a bit, and give a couple of small pulls. It pulls freely now and whatever broke off is now on the ground behind a gas station. I took a picture of the inside of the cylinder/piston and brother thinks it doesn't look good.
So here we are a few days later, new plug, and now it straight up won't start. Normal "please start" routine, nothing. The plug isn't making any kind of spark, no matter what I try. I pulled the pull starter and front cover off and the red killswitch came unhooked. I squeezed the connector down a bit with pliers and put it back on (it wasn't staying on the switch, kept sliding off). Put it all back together, still starting. I think what came off the spark plug killed the engine.
