MY WHEELHORSE SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WHICH CAUSES IT TO OVERHEAT /MISSFIRE /LOSE POWER AND THEN STOP . IT WILL START AND RUN AGAIN AFTER IT HAS COOLED DOWN.ON THE ENGINE COWLING THERE IS A LABEL SAYING AUTOMATIC COMPRESION RELEASE , WHICH I TAKE TO MEAN THAT TO AID STARTING THERE IS SOME SORT OF DECOMPRESSOR . MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT THIS MECHANISM MAY BE FAULTY . I TOOK THE HEAD OF AND ROTATED THE ENGINE TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE EXHAUST VALVE WHEN, ON COMPRESION STROKE LIFTED SLIGHTLY WHICH I CAN SEE WOULD HELP RELEASE SOME COPMRESION ,BUT WHAT STOPS THIS HAPPENING WHEN THE ENGINE FIRES UP.I ADJUSTED THE CAM FOLLOWER TO ELIMINATE THIS LIFT AND THE RESULT WAS THE STARTER MOTOR COULD NOT TURN THE ENGINE OVER. I THEN READJUSTED THE EXHAUST VALVE TO GET SOME LIFT ON COMPRESION STROKE , STARTED THE ENGINE AND AFTER ONLY 30 SECONDS OF RUNNING THE MISSFIRE AND BACKFIRE STARTED AND THEN IT STOPPED .SO I SEEM TO HAVE MADE IT WORSE ANY IDEAS?

PAUL LOMBERG, January 2009

the ACR has a spring that fatigues over the years.I broke the little lifter off and it worked fine for few more years.no problem cranking.

jim parham, June 2009

hi dont think it is your decompressor i think it is your coil or condenser i hand this happen on a my wheelhorse c160 when engine got warm it cut out and not start agian untill engine was cold . the problem was the coil

paul, January 2009

set valve clearance back to what it was, it maybe just that the carburetor is too lean, so check that.

tony, January 2009