mcculloch virginia mh 542p wont start?

managed to fix mine - found the woodruff key had sheared knocking the timing way off. A bit disconcerning to begin but turned out to be reasonably easy to fix.

Strip down so that the gearbox assembly (where the blade is connected to) is away from the main motor assembly - you dont have to disconnect any pipes or cables as you can leave the handle lose.
(covers, front shield and handle, screws holding springs, gearbox panel, gearbox)

Undo sparkplug and make a pencil note on the rotor where the rotor is now compared to TDC.

Remove the 'nut' - rectangle piece of metal which holds the clutch and rotor onto the driveshaft.

Remove the rotor and look inside the mounting hole - I could see where the key had sheared so matched that to the same on the shaft. Mine was about 40 degrees out.

Reassembled, 3 tugs on the cord and it bursts into life - well chuffed.

Hope this helps someone.

Norma Snockers
May 2011

I also have had a similar experience as Howler. Have stripped the carb, confirmed the exhaust and intake restrictions, changed the fuel completely (using fresh mix from my McC chainsaw that runs like a dream), lowered the oil mix for starting purposes - all to no success.
Then I re-tested the ignition, and found that what I had previously measured was a strong+consistent spark was now very weak, after several weeks of trying to start the machine. So I fear that a new electronic ignition coil is required, but no details of correct air-gap setting to the flywheel poles seem to be around.
When checking the ignition coil on strip-down, I also found that the flywheel is not properly keyed to the crankshaft, so can slip in ignition timing (and had slipped by circa 10 degrees retard) and also found that the HT lead at first tight bend from coil had been damaged (at factory) in its outer insulation. Some of these problems seem to stem from the ignition circuit being overheated during normal machine operation.

Skye Rover
June 2009

I have the same problem as bob my new mcculloch virginia MH542p is very hard to start, and even after I have managed to actually get it started it will not run for more than a few seconds on tick over and just cuts out.
I have checked the air filter, cleaned the petrol filter, checked the fuel line for kinks and removed cleaned and reset the spark plug gap but still it does the same thing..I am a complete loss please help

Howler
May 2009

Hi
Try listing what you have tried so we can focus our replies.

542 user
October 2008

I've got a few ideas.

Pierre
September 2008