Mark E. Skeels <meskeels@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Ok here's a mystery (to me...)
> 
> I've got an old lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton 2 cylinder 4 cycle 
> engine.
> 
> The starter motor lacks sufficient torque to start the engine. It 
> sputtered and almost started one time, even so, but no success 
> subsequent to that hopeful event.

[snip]

> The magnets look OK to my untrained eye. They are not loose and they are 
> not cracked.

It's possible for the magnets to lose strength even if they're not cracked.
Heat and vibration will do that over time.

Starters for larger engines tend to be series-wound, which avoids the
problems with permanent magnets.

-- Dave Tweed
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