Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): 11 hp Briggs & Stratton wont turn over, briggs stratton, internal passages

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Marc,

Thanks for your response. When the switches are not working the engine does nothing at all. I checked them all. They are working, there is spark and the engine is turning, it just doesn't want to spark the fuel and run. I suspect it may be there is not enough fuel to ignite. Does this make sense? When I cleaned the carburator, it was on the engine and very dirty on the outside of carb. Could I have washed some dirt further into it and clogged something that was not previousy clogged? Your thoughts are appreciated.
Mike
Answer -
First you need to verify that you have spark (should be able to jump a 1/8" gap).  If you have no spark, disconnect all of the leads to the shut-off terminal on the engine and re-check for spark.  This eliminates the key and all safety switches.  If you still have no spark, there is a problem with the ignition system.  If you now have spark, the problem is with one of the safety switches (neutral start, blades, seat) and you will have to bypass them one-by-one until you find the defective switch.  If the safety switches are OK, the problem is with the key switch or a wire that is bare and touching ground somewhere.  Let me know what you find.

Answer
You can quickly verify if the carb is not delivering fuel by squirting a small amount of fuel into the carb and trying to start the engine.  If it tries to run, the carb is the problem.  If you still have no response after squirting some fuel in the carb, there is an issue related to compression because you say the spark is OK.  It's possible that you have washed dirt into the carb.  I recommend you remove the carb and thoroughly clean it, including using a piece of tag wire to push through all of the internal passages.  Hope this helps.