I totally missed this, but what year model is it? The older Non-CDI engines have totally different coils than the CDI engine. I believe around 2010, the CDI engine came out. The coils have built in diodes to help control the spark which will cut engine off at 4350 or 4700 depending on which ones you have. But also got me thinking that since you have a rev limiter, that it could be Non-CDI.
So......
there is only a few things that can cause this
#1 - Are you positive that you do not have a diode inside your control box where your switches are?
If you do see this, cut it out, its not needed.
#2 - CDI or Non-CDI engine? CDI will have a built in diode in the coils to cut spark or if bad, kill it completely. There is a kill wire that goes to the coils. It can get pinched and will ground out on the intake manafold, thus killing spark and killing engine.
#3 - Kill switch. Its simply there to ground out the coils to kill the engine. A bad kill switch can cause what you are seeing. Since you mentioned you disconnected the kill switch and it still does it, (if you done it correctly) than that rules this out.
#4 - Key switch. Yes they do go out. And the ground terminal on the key switch can and does go bad. If you follow the black and black/yellow wire, they connect at the kill switch and the key switch. So disconnecting the kill switch does nothing if the key switch is bad.
#5 - Remove the rev limiter. Ive been around way long enough to know they don't really work all the time. The rev limiter aught to be your ears and hand on throttle. Know when to let off. Play stupid games with rpms and get stupid results. Just my opinion. I ran a Non-CDI briggs for a few years until I swapped to kawasaki and then sold and never had a rev limiter.
So where does this leave us. Its a lawnmower engine. Don't make it out to be more than it is. Its nothing more than an air cooled engine mounted on a "drive system". I usually don't type all this shit out, but your obviously not mechanically inclined (no offense) and its very easy. But........ don't just start cutting shit if you have no idea what your doing. Its trial and error. Start small, check, then go to next, check. If not and you get impatient, you will be chasing your tail.
So............ again where are we.
There are only a few wires that are actually needed to make the dame thing run. I know because I have rewired my engine and others more thna anyone on this site. If I find 1 wire that appears to be dry rotted, I rewire the entire thing. Its very easy for peace of mind. No reason to have a thousand dollar machine that will leave you stranded.
Orange - power wire from battery to the key switch. Usually has a inline fuse to protect all switches in control box. My older 07 ( I added it ) didn't have one but later models came with it.
Yellow/red - wire from key switch to starter solenoid. It connects from key switch to the PTO then out the PTO to the starter solenoid. For safety reasons so you can't start it in gear.
Black - Ground (this is where the diode will be installed. Its prevents an electrical short from backing up into the key switch frying all sorts of shit. It connect the ground wire from round terminal on key switch to the purple/red wire to clutch. Thus if clutch has issues and draws too much current, the diode protects the control box. As I mentioned after looooong talks with Peck many moons ago, its not needed because if the clutch indeed goes out or gets bad enough, it will blow the fuse on the orange wire that protects the control box)
Black/yellow - Kill. Wired from key switch to the coils. Also tied into the lanyard kill switch
So really all that is needed to make the engine run is 4 wires. Actually only 3, but the black/yellow wire to coils allow it to kill.
Purple & Purple/red - clutch wires that connect to PTO and bump button (again check for diode)
Red - Connected from starter post to Rectifier or voltage regulator to charge battery.
All I can preach to you is don't start cutting wires if your not 100% sure you know WTF your doing.
Personally if it were me, this is what I would do:
#1 - Double check and make damn sure diode is removed from control box .
#2 - remove rev limiter all together. Follow wires and remove it. Too much shit can an will go wrong with those damn things.
#3 - Trace wire from coils back to key switch. Look for any cuts or other issues with wire. If found, replace the wire. If the wire is in good working order, disconnect it from the back of the key switch. turn key and check for spark on both coils. if spark is good = bad key switch
#4 - Disconnect the wires to the lanyard kill switch while leaving everything normal on key switch. If have good spark = bad kill switch
When all else fails, check every connection, terminal, quick connect. A loose wire connection will have you pulling your hair out also. Like i mentioned, I usually don't type this much to explain stuff, a phone call could have worked, but I'm sippin coffee this morn in my office and had time.
