Correct. I am pretty sure it will.
Briggs& Stratton engine will not turn over
- Thread starter JimP2014
- Start date
farmerdave1954
Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2023
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 17
I've been watching this thread a long time, getting in about halfway through, but going back and reading from the first post. I gotta give you credit for patience, you've stayed after this a long time, but I've also gotta give the responders credit for sticking with you this long. My personal opinion is, unless you have a sentimental attachment to this machine, you long ago passed the point where you should have given up on it, especially with your lack of mechanical skills.
Part of me wants to think you are a legitmate DIY'er, but another part makes me wonder if you are like a tech I used to have working for me at the telephone company who would call in for tech help and just make up symptoms and tell the support guy whatever he thought he needed to tell in order to keep him guessing, when in fact there was no problem at all to begin with. He would always "find" the trouble near the end of the day, making himself out to be a hero with unbelievable skills. The game lasted about 2 weeks, coming to an end when I put a red herring in a system, sent him out to troubleshoot it, and caught him red handed lying about what he was doing onsite. Game over.
Now, I'm not accusing you of this, I'm just saying it strongly reminds me of that employee and what he did to string tech support on for hours before, in his words, "finding the problem when none of the support techs could find it".
If I were to tell my mother about this thread, she would have said, "Bless his little heart!" She was a good woman.
Part of me wants to think you are a legitmate DIY'er, but another part makes me wonder if you are like a tech I used to have working for me at the telephone company who would call in for tech help and just make up symptoms and tell the support guy whatever he thought he needed to tell in order to keep him guessing, when in fact there was no problem at all to begin with. He would always "find" the trouble near the end of the day, making himself out to be a hero with unbelievable skills. The game lasted about 2 weeks, coming to an end when I put a red herring in a system, sent him out to troubleshoot it, and caught him red handed lying about what he was doing onsite. Game over.
Now, I'm not accusing you of this, I'm just saying it strongly reminds me of that employee and what he did to string tech support on for hours before, in his words, "finding the problem when none of the support techs could find it".
If I were to tell my mother about this thread, she would have said, "Bless his little heart!" She was a good woman.
I can take a deep dive into many different topics and I have had to in my lifetime but I usually don't have the right context or the big picture for whatever is going on because I don't have that kind of background. I have spent probably 55 years messing around with lawn tractors. I wish they just ran perfectly and I wouldn't know any of this but a lot of times you got to do what you got to do and if I'm really close to getting this right then why should a person spend $2,000 on something brand new when they're only maybe $100 away from getting it right? Also, for whatever reason this LT 2000 is an amazing machine. When it's running correctly you would think it's a 30 horsepower engine. It can blow through anything and I like to get it back to where I was. I wish 3 weeks ago was just a simple fix but it seemed like it just went from kind of bad to really bad and hopefully I can get it back to running correctly. So as it stands, I remembered in the backyard. I have a cylinder head on a 14.5 horsepower Briggs& Stratton engine and I pulled the head off it. I thought it didn't fit because the actual dimensions are diff
I can only say I've been messing around with riding lawn mowers since 1980 so I've learned a few things but I care not really to mess around with any of this stuff. But I need a reliable riding lawn mower and I just can't see spending say $2,000 when I could be maybe another 100 to $200 away.
Apparently it's a bad time to call folks to come out to your home to do lawn mower repair. So this is where it is right now.
So yes, I've learned many things. say in 45 years I'm messing around with small engines but I assure you not enough to solve the current problem.
Jim
I'm guessing operator...
Why not buy a heli-coil for the spark plug!
Hi Davis, 2,
If you're thinking that this Governor issue was somehow internal to the short block, then I can't picture myself messing around with it if that turns out to be true.
Jim
I think I really destroyed the opening where the spark plug would go in. Secondly, the upper right screw hole for the valve cover is messed up so I'm just going to see if this old cylinder head that I was able to get off an older riding mower Will work out.
Jim
farmerdave1954
Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2023
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 17
Well, I congratulate you for having the fortitude to keep trying. I didn't mean for my reply to discourage you, it just sounded to me like you had long ago reached the point of diminishing returns, unless, as I said, there was a sentimental attachment to it. If there is, then it's worth whatever you are willing to put into it, money wise. I can't argue with your math, except I think you'll be lucky to find anything even for $2000 that is built these days anywhere near the quality of what you are working on. I restore old tractors and old radios, most 60 years old and older, so I can't say anything about cost vs. enjoyment of fixing it yourself. I've spent a lot more money restoring many of those than they are worth if sold. Of course, I don't sell them, I keep them....it's what I do. I suspect you will get it running properly if you stay after it long enough. You may be fighting more than just one problem, and those can get difficult. It looks to me like this one is already there. Good luck.
I think your restoration projects are a hobby, I'm not really too thrilled Abbot this project considering it's been hot as hell and you know you could pick and when you want to do the restoration. But let me leave you with another completely separate project so there is a Kenmore elite dishwasher in the kitchen and so it has a crack in the tub. It's not stainless steel but it's from like 2004 so the first time I tried to repair it, I can't remember what I used but it did not actually work and the tub still leaked but then I came up with the flex seal stuff. It's a spray on it's white so I just roughed up the area and it's been good ever since. But people are saying oh you got to get a new dishwasher. How old is it? And why did I have to get a new dishwasher? It still works. It's perfect.
Jim
Hi Jim, Do you think the fan from the 14.5hp engine will fit to replace your broken one? I would not try the flywheel from the 14.5hp engine though, just the fan....
Regarding the head from the 14.5hp engine, I understand you to say that the cylinder diameter is smaller, so the corresponding recess in the head is smaller? If this is the case, as long as you can get a good seal with a gasket to the block, I would give it a try for sure.
On the surging issue, we have ruled out an intermittent kill switch with the test you ran earlier.
Have you looked into the carburetor? I thought I saw that you swapped it out earlier... but I am not sure.
I had an Onan on a JD 318, where the intake manifold was pressed together and glued. Over the years, the glue came loose, and air started to be sucked into the engine (between the carburetor and intake on the engine). This caused it to run lean and caused a hunting problem because as it leaned out, RPM would change, the governor would respond to correct for this, and the cycle would start over. I also had an old Kohler 14hp where the throttle shaft had worn into the shape of a football where it contacted the carburetor body. The throttle shaft would wobble because it was not I full contact with the carburetor hole. In both cases, I had a hunting issue like you have. I learned the trick to spray carb cleaner at the intake manifold and near the carburetor exit as well as the point where it entered the head. When I did that, engine speed would pick up (because I was adding more fuel and thus making the mixture less lean). Keep in mind "lean" means not enough fuel for the amount of air, and rich means too much fuel for the amount of air. The Carb cleaner check is quick and easy way to check this. If you see no change in behavior, then you don't have an air leak. (also check the throttle shaft for wobble and maybe give a small shot there to see if it is sucking in air). Also make sure the throttle and choke plates are on the shafts tight. A lose plate will wobble and change the amount of air getting in as well.
If you are not drawing in too much air, then it must be getting less fuel than it needs for the air it is getting. This is likely a fuel supply issue (plugged filter; plugged fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump
or (float/needle not working properly) or (internal carburetor orifices blocked). Are you comfortable taking apart the carburetor to clean it out? Another place for leaks is if the float bowl seal is not tight or is damaged.
You can bypass the fuel line and filter from the tank to the carburetor by "gravity" feeding fuel into the carburetor port. I have used an old plastic beverage bottle for a temporary fuel tank for testing. Get a short piece of fuel line, drill a hole in the plastic lid of the plastic bottle a little smaller than the OD of your hose. Then squeeze the tip of the hose about 1/4" to 1/2" into the hole in the lid. Fill the beverage bottle about half-way with good fuel, put the lid on it and connect the other end of the hose to the input on the carburetor. start the engine while holding the bottle upside down (so fuel drains out into the carburetor). If the problem goes away, then you have a plugged line or filter. There may also be a plugged port in the tank. If the problem persists, then you know it is in the carburetor. (assuming you ruled out air leaks and spark issues)
Hope this helps.
Regarding the head from the 14.5hp engine, I understand you to say that the cylinder diameter is smaller, so the corresponding recess in the head is smaller? If this is the case, as long as you can get a good seal with a gasket to the block, I would give it a try for sure.
On the surging issue, we have ruled out an intermittent kill switch with the test you ran earlier.
Have you looked into the carburetor? I thought I saw that you swapped it out earlier... but I am not sure.
I had an Onan on a JD 318, where the intake manifold was pressed together and glued. Over the years, the glue came loose, and air started to be sucked into the engine (between the carburetor and intake on the engine). This caused it to run lean and caused a hunting problem because as it leaned out, RPM would change, the governor would respond to correct for this, and the cycle would start over. I also had an old Kohler 14hp where the throttle shaft had worn into the shape of a football where it contacted the carburetor body. The throttle shaft would wobble because it was not I full contact with the carburetor hole. In both cases, I had a hunting issue like you have. I learned the trick to spray carb cleaner at the intake manifold and near the carburetor exit as well as the point where it entered the head. When I did that, engine speed would pick up (because I was adding more fuel and thus making the mixture less lean). Keep in mind "lean" means not enough fuel for the amount of air, and rich means too much fuel for the amount of air. The Carb cleaner check is quick and easy way to check this. If you see no change in behavior, then you don't have an air leak. (also check the throttle shaft for wobble and maybe give a small shot there to see if it is sucking in air). Also make sure the throttle and choke plates are on the shafts tight. A lose plate will wobble and change the amount of air getting in as well.
If you are not drawing in too much air, then it must be getting less fuel than it needs for the air it is getting. This is likely a fuel supply issue (plugged filter; plugged fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump
or (float/needle not working properly) or (internal carburetor orifices blocked). Are you comfortable taking apart the carburetor to clean it out? Another place for leaks is if the float bowl seal is not tight or is damaged.You can bypass the fuel line and filter from the tank to the carburetor by "gravity" feeding fuel into the carburetor port. I have used an old plastic beverage bottle for a temporary fuel tank for testing. Get a short piece of fuel line, drill a hole in the plastic lid of the plastic bottle a little smaller than the OD of your hose. Then squeeze the tip of the hose about 1/4" to 1/2" into the hole in the lid. Fill the beverage bottle about half-way with good fuel, put the lid on it and connect the other end of the hose to the input on the carburetor. start the engine while holding the bottle upside down (so fuel drains out into the carburetor). If the problem goes away, then you have a plugged line or filter. There may also be a plugged port in the tank. If the problem persists, then you know it is in the carburetor. (assuming you ruled out air leaks and spark issues)
Hope this helps.