Briggs and Stratton 724cc, 22HP driving a Craftsman 917-203911 (aka T3200)
Model: 44R677, Type 0019G1
Pinion gear will not engage the flywheel. The starter itself spins very quickly, but the gear doesn't move up properly.
It did this a few months ago - I started by checking battery and solenoid (both fine) before getting to the starter. I took off the starter and it seemed a little gummed up, so I took a soft wire brush to the top and that seemed to do the trick - worked fine for last few months. But this morning it was doing the same thing again. Starter was a little dirty up top, but no where near as bad as before (few months' worth of dirt and oil vs 5+ years of buildup). But the pinion gear was not spinning very freely again, so I cleaned it again, reinstalled it and then it started fine. Is this the time to replace to the starter, something else, or do I need to do something different to oil, or grease or lubricate it? I did try hooking up the battery booster for a good 15 min before I pulled the starter off - just to make sure it wasn't a case of the battery not spinning it up fast enough or something.
I think I'm all original parts still, except I'm on my 3rd battery. I'm handy enough to do the replacement myself, but not that familiar with small engine work.
Looks like the cheapest I can find the starter is actually from B&S website https://www.briggsstrattonstore.com/briggs-stratton-part-592599/. I am a little concerned that all the starters I was finding at Amazon were either 14 or 16 tooth and mine is 15. Is that the reason mine is $150 and all the others are $50?
Would it work to swap my 15-tooth gear onto a cheaper starter? Maybe onto something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Owigift-Starter-Replacement-592599-Stratton/dp/B097YSMC2N Or is more a matter of getting what you pay for so I should stick with OEM?
Thanks for help!
Model: 44R677, Type 0019G1
Pinion gear will not engage the flywheel. The starter itself spins very quickly, but the gear doesn't move up properly.
It did this a few months ago - I started by checking battery and solenoid (both fine) before getting to the starter. I took off the starter and it seemed a little gummed up, so I took a soft wire brush to the top and that seemed to do the trick - worked fine for last few months. But this morning it was doing the same thing again. Starter was a little dirty up top, but no where near as bad as before (few months' worth of dirt and oil vs 5+ years of buildup). But the pinion gear was not spinning very freely again, so I cleaned it again, reinstalled it and then it started fine. Is this the time to replace to the starter, something else, or do I need to do something different to oil, or grease or lubricate it? I did try hooking up the battery booster for a good 15 min before I pulled the starter off - just to make sure it wasn't a case of the battery not spinning it up fast enough or something.
I think I'm all original parts still, except I'm on my 3rd battery. I'm handy enough to do the replacement myself, but not that familiar with small engine work.
Looks like the cheapest I can find the starter is actually from B&S website https://www.briggsstrattonstore.com/briggs-stratton-part-592599/. I am a little concerned that all the starters I was finding at Amazon were either 14 or 16 tooth and mine is 15. Is that the reason mine is $150 and all the others are $50?
Would it work to swap my 15-tooth gear onto a cheaper starter? Maybe onto something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Owigift-Starter-Replacement-592599-Stratton/dp/B097YSMC2N Or is more a matter of getting what you pay for so I should stick with OEM?
Thanks for help!
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