I can certainly lap the valves, and replace the exhaust one if that proves to be necessary.
My only problem with that is that I would not know to what torque to tighten the cylinder-head bolts, but I have a B&S workshop manual and could probably extrapolate from that.
However it is freezing cold in the garage down here, (so much for 'global warming', dream on!!), so I would prefer to try to get it running for now, and leave reconditioning it till the summer. It was not noticeably blowing smoke, and it's power seemed adequate.
I will perform your petrol test, and report back. I gather I should not be using aero start as a favoured standby.
it may be relevant that, for a long while, if I left the machine between uses with the petrol tap not turned off, petrol would leak through the carburettor into the cylinder, and if this were over several weeks, the engine could not be turned over without removing the plug.
Last edited by MacCullum; 26/05/12 11:58 AM.
