my 8hp (190707) won't restart, i just have the base pan off of it to replace the gasket because the first one never sealed. i never touched nothin in the engine or did i get anything in the engine. i put the engine all back together with new oil and spark plug and i took right off. i was ajusting the carb and i got it pefect exept the idle screw(the one on the side that controlls how low it idles down) which i put to low and when i put the throtle down on the tractor it die because it wasn't screwed in enough. i screwed it back in and since then the engine would not restart. i put both high speed and low speed 1.5 turns out and the idle screw in far enough that the same thing wouldn't happen again and it wont start. all that happens is once it backfire and most of the time if blows gas up out of the carb. its geting spark and it has compression, BUT the carb has gas laying in it and the spark plug is pritty dry. im thinking the carb might need to be cleaned from sitting awhile. any suggestions would be nice,,, thanks

Yes, try a good old carb cleaning and see how it does then..... make sure the needle tips are not damaged..

ok i cleaned the carb and its getting lots of fire, would a blow head gasket do this, i put it back together with the origional one from 1983 lol, but i planned on putting the new one in when the dealer got it in, could this be the problem??,,, thanks for the reply

check for a possible stuck valve (valve not closing all the way), yes if the head gasket is leaking bad enough it can prevent an engine from starting.

If intake valve is not closing you will get fuel blowing back through the carburetor and possible backfire also.

well i know the valve is not stuck. but im gonna go check if its not closing the whole way,, thanks for the reply

well i tryed that and everything is alright, everything is working properly. i cross threaded one head bolt and broke it off but i can get that out, so im gonna but a head gasket to put in it, if theres any other suggestions that would be nice. thanks

Since you have the head off, rotate the engine through a couple of cycles and just for grins, make sure the valve timing is working right. You know exhaust stroke - Intake - compression - see if the mags are in proper position when engine is at TDC on compression stroke.

ok ill check that ,, but now the engine is backfireing like crazy,, anything on that,, thanks for the reply

ignition timing (flywheel key), bad spark plug, valve timing

well after all the trouble and broken head bolts it was that little flywheel key causin the trouble. srry i didn't reply for awile i was out putting wood in the basement with it lol. thanks for your all your help