Helix 150cc starting problems
 

I just purchased a used manco helix 150 for my kids for christmas and cant get it running. The man i got it from said it needed carb work because it had been sitting for couple years. I pullled the carb off and checked the bowl, needle & seat, float etc and it was super clean inside. Put it back together and hooked fuel line up and checked the screw in bowl and fuel came out so there is fuel there. Put new plug in and checked spark when turned engine over and it had spark, still not starting up, i even tried starting fluid but it never fired up. Im at a loss now, if its getting fuel and spark it should fire up right? Any help would be appreciated so i can get this thing goin by christmas. Thanks

You also need compression. Check your valve lash for .004" at TDC.

Ok, i got good compression and i set the valve lash at .004 tdc but still not firing up. I have good constant spark and its getting fuel, i even sprayed starting fluid in the cylinder and tried that but no luck. I did notice when i set it at tdc the cam timing marks were slightly off center, could that b enough to keep it from starting? If so can anyone recomend a link to set the timing on these engines? Thanks again for any help..

timing being off could do it. based on a lot of the "no-start" threads here, it seems to me that the starting safety systems in these can be an issue. i'd try bypassing all of that and try for a direct start run before opening up the engine. I've had bad safety switches on my ZTR drive me nuts trying to diagnose no-starts. (some of them are impossible to get at without taking things apart).

Ok, can you tell me where all the safety switches might b in case i missed one? i know of the one kill switch on the engine and one by the key switch but as far as i can tell there's not another one, Thanks again..

in the thread stickied right above this one is the service manual for the helix. i just took a look at the electrical section, has a nice run through of it but no overall wiring diagram. Not having any experience with what you have, i'd check for a brake safety switch. it also has a portion for checking ignition timing.

If it was a safety switch, you wouldn't have any spark. You are right, takes three things to make it run, fuel, spark and compression.

How much compression does it have?

Ok, i rechecked the compression with a differant guage and apparently my old one was bad because the new one is consistantly showing 50 psi, squirted oil in cylinder and rechecked it and it raised up to 100psi. Guess it looks like i gotta tear it down and do a ring job, hope thats all anyway. Guess that explains why it wouldnt fire up..

Hunter what is outcome? I have same issue. My case it stopped running after 2x starting but then stopped. Just looking to see where to start. Fresh fuel, getting fuel to carb. It is a new carb and ran it for 3 days fine. And I took sp out and get plenty of compression. I read that used a tool. Was ur timing off?