It take three things to make an engine run. Spark, fuel/air mixture, and compression. If one of the three are missing, no run. No magic, just the basics.

I don't like to use ether, unless it's the only thing I have and all parts stores are closed for the holiday. What I like to use (and it works quite well) is carburetor cleaner. Ether is only intended for diesel use where there are no glow plugs and is not intended for spark ignited engines.

If the engine runs while spraying carburetor cleaner directly into the intake after removing the filter assembly, then the issue is not spark, but fuel. If it still doesn't start with carb cleaner, then the issue could be spark or compression. Rarely, though it does happen, do two systems fail at the same time. It'll likely be one of the three, spark, compression or fuel/air.

Hope this helps!

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Power Generation Specialist.

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