I was putting the tire chains on my 17 HP Sears craftsman LT1000 B&S and tipped it on its left side to do the right rear wheel. It was on its side for about an hour. I was working under a light so visibility was null. The next day when i went to start it all i got was a click from the ignition. I noticed oil had completely drenched the air filter and the container inside. There was oil all around the carb. area. I cleaned everything up as best as possible. Still no start. I'm thinking maybe some of the oil may have got into the wiring(is this possible?)because when i put the ignition switch to lights they don't come on and they usually do. Tested the battery and it is reading 12 Volts. Noticed that the wire going to the carberator from the ign. had some oil at the tip, dion't know if this could be the problem. Any thoughts, could i have trashed the engine??

David K, November 2005

Remove the spark plug to see if the cylinder is full of oil.
If it is try turning the engine my hand to purge the oil and refill the crankcase to replace the lost oil. Sometimes the starter pinion will stick in the up position and be jammed in the ring gear on the flywheel. Turning the engine by hand may release it. If your still just getting a click, the starter solenoid may be bad. The battery side should always have 12V, and the starter side should have 12V when the key is in the start position.

Rick, November 2005