Can This Engine Be Saved

[c3po]

I have a 6.5 Horsepower Briggs&Stratton engine on my small push mower that I have had for 11 years. I have used this mower about 5 to 10 hours a week on other people's yards. So I have betwwen 1500 and 2500 hours on this mower.

This mower is the slinger type oil system and for many years I mowed hills which is not good for a slinger type mower. I always ran synthetic oil in it and changed the oil every month. It started smoking and consuming a little bit of oil last year.

I did put 1 ounce of Auto-Rx in there last year and when I changed the oil it was very dark. I am now down to using this mower 5 hours every week, in a week's time I am adding about 6 ounces of oil as it still let's out a puff or 2 of smoke while mowing.

The mower starts up and runs great, it is probably some sort of valve seal or valve guide that is going bad, can this be fixed or replaced.

I was also thinking about putting in another ounce of Auto-Rx at the end of the mowing season and letting the mower run for an hour or 2 straight, drain the oil, then put in some new oil for a rinse and letting it run for an hour or 2.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Jim 5]

Can't hurt to try. If it doesn't, I always thought a B&S engine rebuild would be a fun little winter project.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Does SAE40 help? Considering it's just OPE, even if it masks the problem another couple of hundred hours for no cost or effort it might be worth a try...

 

[Brett Miller]

I'm a fan and user of Auto-Rx but it's a waste in this case. Most likely the aluminum bore is scored. I would just use HD30 or 40 and live with the smoke. It will most likely still last many more years.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

That many hours is way beyond typical for these engines.
I doubt that it would be economically feasible to try to overhaul it.
The valve guides and bore would probably have to be reamed/bored.
Add the cost of the new parts, and you could probably buy a repalcement engine.

I'd just run it until the oil consumption is more than you want to deal with.

 

[c3po]

Thanks guys, I am using 10W-30, so now it is time for a straight HD30 or 40, where can I buy this type of oil.

 

[greenaccord02]

A valve adjustment wouldn't be too hard. I'd tear it down this winter and have something to tinker with. Get the diagrams, manual and parts list of the B-S website and with a set of tools and some determination, you should be all set. A new set of rings off ebay and a gasket set probably wouldn't hurt. Total cost of ~$30. It's worth it just for the fun in my opinion. That engine still has plenty of life in it.

 

[H2GURU]

The valve will be toasted. You can only expect a certain amount of fuel to run through an engine before failure and you've exceeded expectations. By faithfully changing the oil while others completely neglect theirs you would almost expect to get more time from yours but its not a reallity. I had a similar experience and concluded that I did better than most and junked mine. If your're doing multiple yards its time for an upgrade as soon the rest of your current machine will be worn out.

 

[dwendt44]

You want a mower that lasts almost forever, spring for a Honda mower, the top of the line.
Proven reliablity and it does the best job according to C.U..

A guy near me has a commercial mowing business. The off the floor, residential mowers last him two years.
The Honda he finally bought was on year 5 when I last talked to him and still going strong.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Originally Posted By: greenaccord02
A valve adjustment wouldn't be too hard. I'd tear it down this winter and have something to tinker with. Get the diagrams, manual and parts list of the B-S website and with a set of tools and some determination, you should be all set. A new set of rings off ebay and a gasket set probably wouldn't hurt. Total cost of ~$30. It's worth it just for the fun in my opinion. That engine still has plenty of life in it.


That's pretty amazing knowledge without even knowing WHICH Briggs model (OHV or flat head - cast iron or aluminun, bore)it is!
I'm impressed!

 

[c3po]

I have to realize that 11 years of using this mower for 1500 to 2000 hours or a little more is impressive since the average guy who mows 30 times a season at 1 hour would have 30 hours, times that by 30 years and you have 900 hours. I have never heard of a push mower lasting that long. To get to 1500 hours that would be 50 years.

 

[JustinH]

Originally Posted By: c3po
Thanks guys, I am using 10W-30, so now it is time for a straight HD30 or 40, where can I buy this type of oil.


You can buy it pretty much anywhere.

Home depot, walmart. It is in most oil aisles, or near the lawnmowers.

 

[Rolf]

Originally Posted By: c3po
I have a 6.5 Horsepower Briggs&Stratton engine on my small push mower that I have had for 11 years. I have used this mower about 5 to 10 hours a week on other people's yards. So I have betwwen 1500 and 2500 hours on this mower. .....

Any thoughts would be appreciated.


You can increase the viscosity of the oil and get some additional use out of this engine. If you want to stay with a synthetic, the 20W-50 Mobil 1 motorcycle oil, and comparable oils from others, would be an option.

Since it's a pusher, you should be able to replace the motor cheap. Just pick a Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh vertical with the same shaft:

http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com

The other trick I've done is to go to a place that sells a lot of mowers and get a turned in one that had some minor problem or other. This is the close of the season in much of the country. Yank the motor and throw the rest away.

 

[c3po]

Rolf, thanks for the suggestions, I will definetly look into the 20W-50 motor oil, if you are in D.C., you are not to far away from me. I also wanted to thank you for mentioning that small engine site, I saw an engine on there for $120.00.

 

[steve20]

after you add the 20-50 brace yourself for a very hard pull (if it's not electric start)
I have an 8hp B & S on the tractor, 1982 model. Burns 4 ounces per hour of use, so after 2 hours, I stop and refill. I've tried 30, 40, and 20-50. The 20-50 was, by far, the hardest to pull, even through it still starts on the first pull. Made no difference in consumption.
Only use the tractorin the Spring for clean up, but in the Fall, it gets used at least 12 hours/month for heavy duty leaf pick up.
Added RESTORE in the Spring-too early to tell if it's going to do any good-will find out next week

 

[greenaccord02]

Originally Posted By: Bill Kapaun
Originally Posted By: greenaccord02
A valve adjustment wouldn't be too hard. I'd tear it down this winter and have something to tinker with. Get the diagrams, manual and parts list of the B-S website and with a set of tools and some determination, you should be all set. A new set of rings off ebay and a gasket set probably wouldn't hurt. Total cost of ~$30. It's worth it just for the fun in my opinion. That engine still has plenty of life in it.


That's pretty amazing knowledge without even knowing WHICH Briggs model (OHV or flat head - cast iron or aluminun, bore)it is!
I'm impressed!


Always happy to amaze. No matter whether OHV, flat-head, cast iron sleeve, completely cast iron or aluminum bore it shouldn't be very hard. I admit the rings might run higher for some models (and an oversize piston might cost as much as $100), but I don't see what's so amazing about that. None of these engines are very complicated. Complete tear down and rebuild shouldn't take more than a few hours if you have any mechanical ability at all. Using the 30% rule you'd be better off fixing the engine yourself than buying a replacement.