So my neighbor comes over to ask if my son would mow her lawn for $10, because her mower quit. Her husband went to Iraq, for a year(cilvilian-fireman) and wont be back to Jan. I said I would take a look at it to see if it was something simple. It was locked up, the pull cord would not come out at all. I checked the oil, there was none, not only low, but dry, just gray graphite sludge that stained your skin. She said it usually works , but it stops and the cord wont pull sometimes after awhile it does and starts, but it wont this time. I told her it is probably toast and explained it ran out of oil, she said she was going to throw it away and I could have it, she will buy another one, it was about 5 years old anyway. I pulled it over to the garage and thought I gotta check this out the air cleaner was totally toast, it was ruptured, carb was half full of black fine dirt/grass mixed. I took it off and cleaned it. I used a wood block and pounding on the blade, got the motor to turn over. I refilled the engine with MMO and 15w40-50/50 mix. and the thing would pull and turn over. I couldnt get it to start. I gave it a shot of ether and it fired up, smoked like crazy, then cleared out. I changed the oil two more times and flushed it once to get the gray sludge out. It still wont start without "aide-ether" but it does start and sounds good. Bad thing is though her son, 16, messed with the throttle and has the governor hookup screwed up and I think its running too fast. I really just wanted it for parts, so I dont think I would ever use it. I would give it back, now that it is running, but I know she would never get it running anyway plus I really dont know how safe it is. The son likes the $10 to mow her lawn, and it really is a good deal, the lawn service charges $30. Interesting though, those Briggs never cease to amaze me. I just wanted to share this story, by the way, she told me her husband never changed oil in this mower and they never checked it. Cool, just cool.
Another Briggs Stratton incrediable story
- Thread starter Panzerman
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Funny thing in your story is that she has a 16 year old son but pays your son to mow the grass while her son's dad is in Iraq.
It never ceases to amaze me how mechanically ignorant people can be. There should be some basic aptitude test or at the very least, a mandatory ten minute lesson on basic maintenance before people are allowed to buy power equipment.
I'm wondering if the valves might be causing the starting problem.
Is the primer on the carb working?
I find it amusing that a five year old mower with an engine known for how much abuse it can take is so neglected that it's rendered virtually useless. Yet, I can buy a 36 year old Lawn Boy that not only runs and cuts grass great, it appears to have another 36 years of life in it. Maintenance man, maintenance.
I'm wondering if the valves might be causing the starting problem.
Is the primer on the carb working?
I find it amusing that a five year old mower with an engine known for how much abuse it can take is so neglected that it's rendered virtually useless. Yet, I can buy a 36 year old Lawn Boy that not only runs and cuts grass great, it appears to have another 36 years of life in it. Maintenance man, maintenance.
Originally Posted By: Boomer
Funny thing in your story is that she has a 16 year old son but pays your son to mow the grass while her son's dad is in Iraq.
Yeah,My thought`s exactly!!
Funny thing in your story is that she has a 16 year old son but pays your son to mow the grass while her son's dad is in Iraq.
Yeah,My thought`s exactly!!
I was just in my briggs carb the other day, running real nasty, there's an o-ring that, well, disappeared at some point where it attaches to the intake. You should check for a vacuum leak there; those rings pop off or get jammed further down (ineffective) whenever someone (me) monkeys with the carb. They're focusing on getting the throttle linkage lined up and forget about the o-ring when reassembling.
I had to run "fuel injection" with the primer bulb to keep it running. Was real hairy as the motor died down while I was waiting for the bulb to pop back out for another squirt.
I had to run "fuel injection" with the primer bulb to keep it running. Was real hairy as the motor died down while I was waiting for the bulb to pop back out for another squirt.
Originally Posted By: Boomer
Funny thing in your story is that she has a 16 year old son but pays your son to mow the grass while her son's dad is in Iraq.
My thoughts also.
My neighbors don't mow their yard...they pay a guy 100 bucks to mow the 1.8 acres with a Exmark zero turn mower.
BUT...there are 3 grown males living in that house......two of them don't even work.
I have a 20" Murray push mower with a 3.75 hp B&S engine that is 16 years old, receives very, very little maintenance and will start on the first pull of the rope after priming.
Tough little engine!
Funny thing in your story is that she has a 16 year old son but pays your son to mow the grass while her son's dad is in Iraq.
My thoughts also.
My neighbors don't mow their yard...they pay a guy 100 bucks to mow the 1.8 acres with a Exmark zero turn mower.
BUT...there are 3 grown males living in that house......two of them don't even work.
I have a 20" Murray push mower with a 3.75 hp B&S engine that is 16 years old, receives very, very little maintenance and will start on the first pull of the rope after priming.
Tough little engine!
Good thing her husband is a fireman if they never change oil on stuff! Something is bound to burst into flames...
"BUT...there are 3 grown males living in that house......two of them don't even work."
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
This is how lazy he is. He and his wife own a house with a lawn not much bigger than a postage stamp. Cutting time would be less than five minutes with a mower, maybe twenty with a pair or scissors. The other day, his wife asked him if he was going to cut the hay and weeds in the front yard as he had said he'd do. He replied that he was going to but the mower was out of gas so it wasn't going to happen. I assume that it's her job to fuel the mower????? Shameful.
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
This is how lazy he is. He and his wife own a house with a lawn not much bigger than a postage stamp. Cutting time would be less than five minutes with a mower, maybe twenty with a pair or scissors. The other day, his wife asked him if he was going to cut the hay and weeds in the front yard as he had said he'd do. He replied that he was going to but the mower was out of gas so it wasn't going to happen. I assume that it's her job to fuel the mower????? Shameful.
He just needs an attitude adjustment.
Originally Posted By: Johnny
He just needs an attitude adjustment.
yeah,with a BFH!
He just needs an attitude adjustment.
yeah,with a BFH!
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
So my neighbor comes over to ask if my son would mow her lawn for $10, because her mower quit. Her husband went to Iraq, for a year(cilvilian-fireman) and wont be back to Jan. I said I would take a look at it to see if it was something simple. It was locked up, the pull cord would not come out at all. I checked the oil, there was none, not only low, but dry, just gray graphite sludge that stained your skin. She said it usually works , but it stops and the cord wont pull sometimes after awhile it does and starts, but it wont this time. I told her it is probably toast and explained it ran out of oil, she said she was going to throw it away and I could have it, she will buy another one, it was about 5 years old anyway. I pulled it over to the garage and thought I gotta check this out the air cleaner was totally toast, it was ruptured, carb was half full of black fine dirt/grass mixed. I took it off and cleaned it. I used a wood block and pounding on the blade, got the motor to turn over. I refilled the engine with MMO and 15w40-50/50 mix. and the thing would pull and turn over. I couldnt get it to start. I gave it a shot of ether and it fired up, smoked like crazy, then cleared out. I changed the oil two more times and flushed it once to get the gray sludge out. It still wont start without "aide-ether" but it does start and sounds good. Bad thing is though her son, 16, messed with the throttle and has the governor hookup screwed up and I think its running too fast. I really just wanted it for parts, so I dont think I would ever use it. I would give it back, now that it is running, but I know she would never get it running anyway plus I really dont know how safe it is. The son likes the $10 to mow her lawn, and it really is a good deal, the lawn service charges $30. Interesting though, those Briggs never cease to amaze me. I just wanted to share this story, by the way, she told me her husband never changed oil in this mower and they never checked it. Cool, just cool.
Reminds me of a Chevy truck I bought from a derelict friend $150. He ran out of oil and seized the engine. I said I would buy it if I could get it to run. Filled it up w/oil after spraying penetrating oil into the cylinders and then wrapped a chain wrench around the harmonic balancer. Had the truck jacked up and a cheater bar on the wrench. I had my girlfriend bump the starter while I pulled on the wrench. The engine started right up. I ran it with Quaker State 40 weight non detergent, No problem until Pennzoil started selling oil in those yellow easy pour bottles. That was death to it. My girlfriend could not resist the temptation of those easy pour bottles. Sad thing was that we left it when we moved to Austin Tx, and the very next day they had the Ugliest truck contest. I know we would have won.
So my neighbor comes over to ask if my son would mow her lawn for $10, because her mower quit. Her husband went to Iraq, for a year(cilvilian-fireman) and wont be back to Jan. I said I would take a look at it to see if it was something simple. It was locked up, the pull cord would not come out at all. I checked the oil, there was none, not only low, but dry, just gray graphite sludge that stained your skin. She said it usually works , but it stops and the cord wont pull sometimes after awhile it does and starts, but it wont this time. I told her it is probably toast and explained it ran out of oil, she said she was going to throw it away and I could have it, she will buy another one, it was about 5 years old anyway. I pulled it over to the garage and thought I gotta check this out the air cleaner was totally toast, it was ruptured, carb was half full of black fine dirt/grass mixed. I took it off and cleaned it. I used a wood block and pounding on the blade, got the motor to turn over. I refilled the engine with MMO and 15w40-50/50 mix. and the thing would pull and turn over. I couldnt get it to start. I gave it a shot of ether and it fired up, smoked like crazy, then cleared out. I changed the oil two more times and flushed it once to get the gray sludge out. It still wont start without "aide-ether" but it does start and sounds good. Bad thing is though her son, 16, messed with the throttle and has the governor hookup screwed up and I think its running too fast. I really just wanted it for parts, so I dont think I would ever use it. I would give it back, now that it is running, but I know she would never get it running anyway plus I really dont know how safe it is. The son likes the $10 to mow her lawn, and it really is a good deal, the lawn service charges $30. Interesting though, those Briggs never cease to amaze me. I just wanted to share this story, by the way, she told me her husband never changed oil in this mower and they never checked it. Cool, just cool.
Reminds me of a Chevy truck I bought from a derelict friend $150. He ran out of oil and seized the engine. I said I would buy it if I could get it to run. Filled it up w/oil after spraying penetrating oil into the cylinders and then wrapped a chain wrench around the harmonic balancer. Had the truck jacked up and a cheater bar on the wrench. I had my girlfriend bump the starter while I pulled on the wrench. The engine started right up. I ran it with Quaker State 40 weight non detergent, No problem until Pennzoil started selling oil in those yellow easy pour bottles. That was death to it. My girlfriend could not resist the temptation of those easy pour bottles. Sad thing was that we left it when we moved to Austin Tx, and the very next day they had the Ugliest truck contest. I know we would have won.
My stepfather gave me an old Murray/Briggs and Stratton 3.5 horsepower mower. It had never had it's oil changed and the fuel had long ago turned to varnish.
I invested in a bottle of SeaFoam (back when it was still $3.99 a bottle) new foam filter (filter crumbled when I took it out), quart of store brand HD30, fresh gas, and a new Champion plug. Less than $10 altogether.
The sludge that I did get out of the engine was blacker than my ex-wife's soul. The first few changes were flecked with the most silver I've ever seen when held up to the sunlight.
Like yours, I never have been able to get the governor just right. I run it a little on the fast side.
I had intended to just use it until it died good and proper in the green belt behind my fence. I've been using it like that for 5 years now.
I invested in a bottle of SeaFoam (back when it was still $3.99 a bottle) new foam filter (filter crumbled when I took it out), quart of store brand HD30, fresh gas, and a new Champion plug. Less than $10 altogether.
The sludge that I did get out of the engine was blacker than my ex-wife's soul. The first few changes were flecked with the most silver I've ever seen when held up to the sunlight.
Like yours, I never have been able to get the governor just right. I run it a little on the fast side.
I had intended to just use it until it died good and proper in the green belt behind my fence. I've been using it like that for 5 years now.
My father gave me an edger that he has been using for 20 years, and his father at least 20 years before that.
It needs new wheels, some gaskets on the carb/fuel tank, and it leaks oil from one of the main gaskets. The lawn supply store wanted $90 just for the parts.
So I took it with the understanding I may be able to cannibalize it for the almost identical edger I found a year ago at a similar lawn store.
Although I am really thinking about rebuilding the whole thing and just having fun seeing what I can make out of it.
Shoot, commercial edgers that are similar to this one start at $600.
It needs new wheels, some gaskets on the carb/fuel tank, and it leaks oil from one of the main gaskets. The lawn supply store wanted $90 just for the parts.
So I took it with the understanding I may be able to cannibalize it for the almost identical edger I found a year ago at a similar lawn store.
Although I am really thinking about rebuilding the whole thing and just having fun seeing what I can make out of it.
Shoot, commercial edgers that are similar to this one start at $600.
If it's really that old you oughta fix it up. You can't buy them like they used to make them anymore.
I am constantly amazed at what people toss out. I havent paid for a lawnmower in over 15 yrs.
If I would not have wanted a Lawnboy before they quit making two strokes, I dont think I ever would have bought a new one. My neighbor threw out a nice Troy built mower, only about a year old, looked like new yet, said it was hard to start. I tore it down and it had a bad valve seal, which cost $3.35. Starts right up now, within 3 pulls, 6.5 hp Briggs on it. I keep it in the back and mow the back lawn with it, so I dont have to open the gate. I told my son, that I would sell it to him for $15.00 to mow the neighbors yard or he could rent the Self propelled lawnboy for $2.50 a pop, to mow it, plus a .50 blower fee, if he wants to use the blower. He said he is going to rent the lawnboy, until he sees if it pans out. Hey, I am trying to teach him some bussiness ethics here, they dont teach in school anymore. He is 13. I dont want him turning out like the 16 year old neighbors son.
A lot of the time seized L-Head engines can be forced to turn over again. I've gotten a couple seized B&S motors to run again.
A lot of people are aware that the mower uses oil, and that low oil is bad, but they ignore it anyway until the engine seizes. Once that happens, they overfill it with oil and return it to the store. You can always tell when this has happened because the new oil will have black swirls or lines in it, rather than being a solid color. It's amazing how many 1-2 year old (or less) mowers meet this fate. The company I work for processes hundreds, maybe thousands of mowers like this a year.
I worked on a 20 year old Toro with a B&S L-Head engine on it today. The only thing wrong with it was the recoil starter (original). I put a new one on and it started right up and ran smoother than most of the 2 year mowers I see. With very basic maintenance most mowers can last as long as you want them to.
A lot of people are aware that the mower uses oil, and that low oil is bad, but they ignore it anyway until the engine seizes. Once that happens, they overfill it with oil and return it to the store. You can always tell when this has happened because the new oil will have black swirls or lines in it, rather than being a solid color. It's amazing how many 1-2 year old (or less) mowers meet this fate. The company I work for processes hundreds, maybe thousands of mowers like this a year.
I worked on a 20 year old Toro with a B&S L-Head engine on it today. The only thing wrong with it was the recoil starter (original). I put a new one on and it started right up and ran smoother than most of the 2 year mowers I see. With very basic maintenance most mowers can last as long as you want them to.
Our 1997 B&S 6hp mower runs like new. Oil changed every year with 30W Pennzoil/Castrol, clean air filter, new spark plug every other year and a blade sharpening every few years. A 10 year old could maintain a lawnmower.
I have no doubt that our mower will go for a long long long time.
I have no doubt that our mower will go for a long long long time.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
Is he on SS Disability too? Those people make me sick.
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
Is he on SS Disability too? Those people make me sick.
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Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
Is he on SS Disability too? Those people make me sick.
yep,they claim they cant work, but they can do anything else you and I can do ?? So in other word`s, they live their lives off of every one else. How can they do that with a clear conscious ??
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Sounds like my brother in law. He's pretty much the equivalent of three grown males being that he's over 350 lbs., hasn't turned a wheel in twenty years and probably worked no more than five years total in his 55 years of disgracing the planet.
Is he on SS Disability too? Those people make me sick.
yep,they claim they cant work, but they can do anything else you and I can do ?? So in other word`s, they live their lives off of every one else. How can they do that with a clear conscious ??
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