Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

[CapriRestorer]

I work on lawn equipment on the side to earn extra money. A guy gave me his Craftsman Lawn Tractor for free, but it has a little problem. The tractor has a 19.5 Briggs and Stratton twin cylinder engine, and he ruined it. He said that he thought he ran over a rock, then the engine immediately died and oil started leaking out of it. In other words, it is locked up right now (I bet it threw a rod). It is a really nice lawn tractor and I would rather fix this one rather than sell it for parts. Is this thing fixable??

Thanks

 

[JB]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Anything that ever worked is fixable.

You need to confirm exactly what happened to the engine, then decide if it is worth a replacement engine or short block. My own limited experience with B&S twins is that it is more likely a broken crank than a thrown rod. In either case a shortblock will put it back to work.

Depending on exactly which make and model tractor it is there may be other driveline parts involved, but they are replacable, too.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

....

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

I work on lawn equipment on the side to earn extra money. A guy gave me his Craftsman Lawn Tractor for free, but it has a little problem. The tractor has a 19.5 Briggs and Stratton twin cylinder engine, and he ruined it. He said that he thought he ran over a rock, then the engine immediately died and oil started leaking out of it. In other words, it is locked up right now (I bet it threw a rod). It is a really nice lawn tractor and I would rather fix this one rather than sell it for parts. Is this thing fixable??

Thanks

Is there a crack in the block? Hitting rock should not damage the engine
There are belts between blades and engine. It is possible that he just broke the fly wheel key. and the wheel is jammed against stator. 1st drain oil. 2nd pull spark plugs. 3rd take cover off of flywheel & check key. Then roll over by hand. If you can't . take off fly wheel and put rag on shaft and use a pipe wrench to break it loose. Then turn and listen. If no major clunks put on fly wheel and turn with starter. If it rolls put a ounce of fuel in cyl's and install spk. plugs and see it it fires. Oh! and take the main drive belt from engine off.

 

[cbac]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

The rock could have simply shattered the drive shaft seal.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

If this is the 19.5 , 180 deg opposed, the cyl/case assembly is no longer available...along with a major share of the other parts for the opposed twins...if it's an Intec V-twin, parts are ok, but blowing the bottom seal with a pulley covering it would be tough to do.
If you would post the Model, type and code #'s I can tell ya if you have a large paperweight and what engine will go in there.

 

[cbac]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

It could've been a bigass rock...

 

[Coors]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

At the least, the crank seal is shot-how long did it run? did the seal let oil out until the no-oil switch killed it ( does it have one?)

 

[JB]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

He said it locked up, Coors, then oil started coming out.

 

[Coors]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Missed that.

 

[rwise]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

you can pick up used lawn tractors for almost nothing with the deck worn out, get one and use it engine!

Myself I do not like the briggs opposed twin because of the last one I had, gave it away running and cutting,,,,

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Im sure there are a lot of small engine mechanics out there. Gees i just looked in the yellow pages and there are about 3 pages worth in my area. That is just one state. if you take that x 50 you got at least 150 pages of small engine mechanics out there. AT LEAST.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Many things can happen if this is the 180 deg twin....it's famous for blowing a rod through the side when someone decided to run 10W30 insted of the recommended 30W, due to carbon build-up on the left piston.
It's also famous for overheating...I would say(bet) the seal is still in place...I would "guess" a rod broke, one piston stopped, the other continued, the remaining piece of rod attached to the crank hit the case, cracked it, killed it, it's jammed with oil leaking out the crack.
Model, type and code #'s and the advice is free here.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Where did it leak from?? like said before they usually drop the pin first Oil out the breather maybe??

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

Where did it leak from?? like said before they usually drop the pin first Oil out the breather maybe??

Yeh! It is very possible. I am a retired S E mech. And That happends a lot. Also if it has been filled with to much oil it will work up to the head causing a hydraulic condition and you can't turn it over unless you pull the spk. plugs. That is why I wrote about those checks he should do.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

It won't get a hydro-lock while it's running, but too much oil can cause enough C.C. pressure to blow it out of the breather...
Unless there was a he!! of a bunch of smoke before it quit (read Can't see) and a valve stuck, it's not locked from oil.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

It won't get a hydro-lock while it's running, but too much oil can cause enough C.C. pressure to blow it out of the breather...
Unless there was a he!! of a bunch of smoke before it quit (read Can't see) and a valve stuck, it's not locked from oil.

Yes and when it shuts down due to broken key or whatever it will hydrolock.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

If you're talking about a flywheel key, how many have you seen sheared from a belt-driven blade?
When it shears the key, 1 half stays in the crank and the other in the flywheel.....no way to off-center it to hit the stator, nor will shearing a key cause an oil leak.
It's a 5 minute job to pull the heads and see what happened.
As I said, a model, type and code # would give me an idea as to what engine this is for sure, and as a 6-time master tech instructor for Midwest engine (Briggs) in the last 5 years, I may have an answer if you'd post the correct info.
We've heard about every imaginable story as to how something broke, but as I have said already, this engine is famous for breaking rods and for a couple of good reasons. Hydro-lock will not let this engine turn over if it's bad enough to break a rod. it may bend it, and if the oil is drained and engine is started, yes, the rod will break in a short period of time. It also will run rough enough it is very obvious there is a problem, and the smart thing is shut it down....unfortunately most consumers just feel it will get better if they continue, which is great for mechanics.

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

I found one on Craigslist today for $300

http://anchorage.craigslist.org/for/552036892.html'

It has a bent shaft on the deck.

Send me yours for free and I will take two bad ones and make a good one.

I think that sounds like a good deal (for me)!!!!


Good luck on the hunt!!


AK Chappy

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Any Small Engine Mechanics out There??

(1st) was the guy he got it from telling the truth?
(2nd) A very sudden stop of running gear will shear the fly key. Even if it has belt driven blades. Depends how tight the belts were and if they are the right ones . Does it have an elec. clutch or a centrifugal. And was it locked up ?
(3) I am assuming the rock hit the mower blade under the deck, not the crankshaft. That would not blow the crank seal. To much oil would.
(4) Where did this guy go? Why hasn't he checked it and got back to us? Was he just pulling our leg? - 37 C today, snowing, 30mph wind. God this winter seams to be a long one.