ORIGINAL: Ed_Moorman
All of my Tower engines (1-.46, 2-.75) have been extremely tight when new. I had to use a heat gun on the cylinder to be able to start them the first time. After that, they hand started easily.
Use caution with a powerful starter when starting the engine the first time, especially in cold weather. You can break the crank pin off or break the connecting rod.
Ok, the heat gun is a good idea... I can do that here at home on the deck, where there is an electrial outlet available.
This is a new experience for me. But as long as the engine runs fine after this little hassle at the outset, no problem.