Well THAT'S Never Happened Before!

[kevinrude]

I’ve been working on an old lawnmower. Fired and tried to run on starter fluid, so I pulled off the gas tank and the carb to clean those up. Reassembled. Pulled on it maybe two dozen times to see if it would work. Again, fired and tried to run a few times on starter fluid and then, BAM, engine froze! Did a piston ring just break?

[kerry]

Many possibles. Rod or crankshaft…. or an OHV engine might have ate a valve… Keep us posted! Suspense is building….

If you have too many, AND not enough, you're a collector.

[kevinrude]

kerry wrote:

Many possibles. Rod or crankshaft…. or an OHV engine might have ate a valve… Keep us posted! Suspense is building….

Yeah, I thought it was something catastrophic. Not an OHV engine. It’s an older Briggs & Stratton. It looks like the 80200 model except that it is 5HP instead of 3HP, or at least, that’s what the sticker says.

[Geer Pyron]

Ha!
Take it outback with a 12 gauge, shoot eet, and pull the spare out from under the orange tree.
OR, take it all apart and put it back together.
A couple of times.
That’s what I’d do anyhoo.
It’ll work.
G

JMGP

[The Boat House]

[fleetwin]

Maybe the recoil or something else has jammed….An old Briggs is pretty indestructable, I doubt even the old rifle could actually kill one of these engines….

[garry-in-michigan]

I recall friend in Wards lawnmower shop who had spent too much time trying to resurrect an old Briggs & Stratton. He finally talked the owner into a new engine. He then clamped the poor old thing on the work bench, took out the spark plug and dumped in an ounce of gun powder. When the spark plug was back in and connected – he gave the starter a pull. . .

Parts of the piston and connecting rod blew out part of the crankcase opposite the cylinder – it took a minute for the flywheel to stop spinning. Even after cleaning up the oil he said he felt much better. I have never had the nerve to do that. When I get to that point, I walk away. A fresh start another day can frequently find a solution. There have been a few that I have gone through many times. They always left me wondering what I did the last time that I didn’t do the previous 3 or 4 tries . . .

• This reply was modified 4 years, 12 months ago by garry-in-michigan.

[reivertom]

Go to “Horrible Fright Tools” and get a Honda clone and slap it on there.

[kevinrude]

Update: Finally had a minute to take the recoil starter off. Unfortunately, the engine is stuck since I could not turn it. Weirdly (or maybe not), the shaft spins freely in the wrong direction but not at all in the right direction. It doesn’t do anything other than spin though.

Reivertom: Yeah, I had looked at the HFT flyer. I have a 25% off coupon and those engines run about $90, so likely my best option at this point.

Thanks all!

[eviltwin]

Over filling the oil in the crankcase can make these motors hydraulic-ly locked. Dump a little out and try it again.

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