Resurrecting an old B&S Flat-head vert shaft motor

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Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Here's the engine info:

Engine Model: 096902-3113-01; Code: 92031225


According to ereplacementparts.com, your engine's crankshaft number is 492748. Looking at the chart on this page, that would make your shortblock part number 398210...
http://www.brandnewengines.com/briggs-and-stratton-vertical-short-blocks.aspx
It also shows that crank for 398214, but that engine appears to be for a PTO setup. 398210 looks to be the one you need.

http://www.brandnewengines.com/398210.aspx

$131 isn't cheap, but it might be less than a new mower.
 
OK. Much thanks for the assistance. I have found a brand new vert shaft engine (complete) on one of the small engine sites for $99. It was a B&S...quantum? A bit busy now...I'll look it up soon & post.
 
If you can find a deal like that on a complete new engine, go for it. That's a great price for a Briggs Quantum. The $99 engine will probably last 20 years if you take care of it, maybe longer.
 
Here's the missing CH image photobucket now recognizes...
49aa4d22.jpg


This engine was quite abused by its former owner, thus I inherited its faults when I saved it from the dumpster. They gave up when the pull cord snapped. Since then however, I've put about $45 into replacing the pull cord, gaskets, spark plugs, new oil, air filter, this & that.

I noticed when I pulled the valves that the stems were quite worn. Didn't bother to mike them. But it was obvious when running your finger up & down the shaft. So in addition to the bore being scored, it could be blowing oil through the valve guides as well.

I saw a guide for an inexpensive leak down tester that would be simple to build, as I already have an air regulator. That would be very handy for testing valves, head gasket and rings.
 
Well looks like I was mistaken re: Quantum. Here's the details on the $99 engine:

Briggs & Stratton 10T702-0124 550 Series Engine - 5.50 Gross Torque
Recoil Start.
7/8" x 2-7/16" keyed shaft with 2 Woodruff keys
Drilled & Tapped 3/8-24
Heavy Flywheel
Equipped for remote
Has primer - Remote Stop
Round Lo Tone Muffler
Non-Compliance Engine
2 year consumer/ 90 day commercial warranty
Shipping weight = 30 lbs
Will work in place of 10T802-0016
No California Sales

Haven't measured to see if it's compatible, just ran across the link. There are several other vert shaft engines to choose from.
 
Even without it being a Quantum, that's still a good price for one of those engines and it should bolt right up to the deck.

The only issue I see is that it looks like the crankshaft dimensions are different, which means you would need to get a different blade adapter for it. There's probably an MTD blade adapter that would work and allow you to use readily available MTD blades from Lowe's or Home Depot.

I'd try to get all the life out of that old engine you can though since you have some work in it and it does still run.
 
Yea. . I was amazed. The deck on this machine is rather beat up. The wheels are really loose, the handle currently has a C-clamp holding one side together! Definitely a beater.

I noticed the newer ones use larger ball-bearing wheels..that's a plus. A quick tour of local craigslist revealed a plethera of used mowers for sale. That'll definitely be an option. I'll see what happens when I put 40wt in her. It has been interesting & educational to mess around with a small engine again after so many years.
 
Don't forget to keep an eye out for new decks with destroyed motors at big box stores like javacontour found. It is amazing how many people ruin the engine within minutes of getting the mower out of the box!
 
Speaking of which...I just read an ad on CL where a father was selling just such a mower because his son didn't realize it was up to the buyer to add oil . . . . .
 
Yeah, it's amazing how often it happens. Even the big yellow warning tag put on many Briggs engines doesn't get the message across sometimes. Another good one is when people pour the provided bottle of oil into the gas tank.
 
You should get one of those Chinese 6hp diesels that they sell on eBay. They're $600, but a diesel push mower would be awesome. I want to put the 10hp on my snowblower.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
I'll see what happens when I put 40wt in her.

Don't expect much improvement, I ran a worn out 1981 B&S for over a dozen years that was fill the oil and check gas... After a fresh change with 40W it would make it through a cutting of approx 45 minutes and be approx 2/3 down to the add on the dipstick... After a couple cuttings, the oil had been sheared to the point it would be below the add in the same amount of running, I knew when it was low as it would stop smoking...

Last year it did me a big favor by finally kicking out the rod... I junked it and installed a 5.5Hp Honda from junk Craftsman a friend gave me on a second Snapper that had a bent crank... Even though the Honda had been badly abused, it starts easily since I repl the carb($15 ebay) doesn't use any oil, is quieter and has noticeably improved power of the old Briggs... RIP baby but I don't miss you in the least...

I have maybe $80 in the Hondaized Snapper(similar new is over $600) and that includes a $30 C'list parts Snapper I bought for the drive system... The one I had with the like new deck wasn't self propelled and most of the parts on the one that blew up were worn too badly to be reused...
 
Update:
I awoke the beast today to shred some oak leaves. Hadn't been started since my last post. Three squirts on the now working primer bulb, one pull and she came to life! Amazing...No more ether.

It was getting late, but needed to shred these leaves. Reinstalled the bag to catch the debris. Still puffing smoke, but I was wearing a respirator because the dust was so bad, so I didn't smell much of anything.

Engine rpm quickly recovered after biting down on a deck full. I upped the throttle a bit to help. When you think about it, it's amazing the amount of abuse these engines can take.

It used to really bog down, not idle evenly, surge, and be a devil to start (no joy without ether). All that's gone now though.

Still have a problem leaking oil from the valve cover gasket. I put on a new one. I'm still using the old breather, though it's been thoroughly cleaned out so it rattles now. When I went back in again, I ran a file lightly across the face to make sure there were no burrs standing up that could have [censored] the gasket. It still leaks there though. . . even after it's just been sitting for more than a week. Can't understand how enough oil could get there to allow it to drip?

I have some red anerobic sealant left. I might pull the gasket and coat the lower half to see if that helps.
 
Update: I awoke the beast from a long slumber today to cut the high grass. 4 pushes on the primer bulb, one pull and she lit off and stayed running! She hadn't been started since my last post.

Then she began smoking once heated up. Not in mosquito-fogging territory...but enough. The cylinder is definitely scored unfortunately.
 
Toss a can of Restore engine oil additive in, seriously.

It's one of the few oil additives I've read about that seems to work for most folks.

It 'might' just stop the smoking enough to make the machine liveable for a while longer.
 
i say drain out what ever oil is in there and use heavy weight oil: 50wt can be found fairly easy in valvoline vr1 50wt. i suggest 50wt/stp(50/50) and stp for all top-offs and with anough added it should stop smoking and using alot.

kc
 
Well an interesting wrinkle has appeared lately.

A neighbor is remodeling his 2-story garage, is clearing out everything and asked me if I wanted his old Snapper self-propelled mower! It's built like a tank compared to what I see now-a-days.

Best part is he re-engined it (many) years ago with a B&S Quantum I/C 5HP vert shaft engine.
Model: 12G802
Type: 0915-01
Code: 94081659

I've heard Snappers are really good mowers. True?

So I could either: (1) Fix up the Snapper where necessary (clean, lube, remove rust, paint, etc.) and use it. Or (2) Take the Quantum off and fit it to the MTD? deck I have.

The Quantum hasn't been started in .....? years he said. Burns a little oil. There is oil in it and its clear. I removed the electrical connector from the plug and slowly pulled the rope starter. It was very smooth. Good compression. So she's not frozen up, which is a plus.

When I get some time I'll have to remove some covers to gain access to the block, carb, etc. Flush out the tank, change the oil?, pull the head, check the plug, etc. before starting her up.

I'll post some photos when I begin. You never know what you get when someone cleans out their garage!

Still working on the roof right now. . . .
 
Snappers are one of the best and have been my choice since '85, I've never passed up any Snapper on the curb...

While the season is young, stick that MTD on C'list and use the money toward repairing the Snapper...
 
another good one was john deere comerial had to deadhead handles, engine runs clutch/brake runs blade
they use to have kaw's with full pressure w/ filter
ran one comercial use 8-10+hrs/day 6-7days/week all season
i used 10/15w-40or15/20w-50 long wix filter(size of fl-400 canister) oil change about every 125hrs/filter every other OC.
never a drop low on oil. mutch like crazy if your into that. cast deck, bullet-proof.
ran five yrs like that used it as a personal mower two years and it got stolen. It's the ONE that got away.

kc

kc
 
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