When was the last time you changed the oil?

I have a B&S powered mower and the last time the oil was changed was when the store sold me the mower. That was 9 years ago. waiting for the engine to throw a rod. LOL

Quick update....I tore down the engine this evening and the destruction was worse than what I had anticipated. The con-rod snapped around the crank journal, then busted the side of the cylinder wall. Even if I could find a machine shop that would sleeve the cylinder, the crank journal is trashed.
Regarding the oil (I changed it last year), I don't think oil starvation caused the problem because the other connecting rod (and the crank journal) were in perfect condition. If the engine was not receiving enough oil, then both connecting rods would have had visible signs of damage.

If I ever think about purchasing another B&S engine, I'll always think of this photo........its hard to see but the rod is in three pieces.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1252637545.jpg

Briggs and stratton engines are designed to be economical.

The ones I've taken apart did not have rod bearings. the rods were aluminium and rode directly on the crank journal. Running them without enough oil will damage the rod and could make it break very easily.

you would most likely take it back to lowes yourself and they would call the dealer to come pick it up, then you have to go back and get it.

I'm on the same schedule for my mower, rider, and snowblower. Maybe I should spend a day servicing them.

So let's get this straight.

You're swearing off Briggs engines because one broke down after owner neglect.

You also own a Porsche that is famous for eating rod bearings when you run hard and don't overfill the oil by a pint or so. I know of one 944 that sent a rod through the block, emptied itself of oil, and caused the C5 Vette behind it to crash into a wall.

Would recommend you sell off the 944 unless you check the oil with some frequency.

Gee.....thanks for your words of wisdom. If I need to clarify anything for you, the engine wasn't out of oil, just low. Since I'm having for buy a new motor, I don't need you to help cheer me up!

BTW....if we have any problems with the oiling system on our 944, I make a mental know and remember that "you told me so".

the right engine(s)
 

I'm a commercial landscape contractor, have been now for 21 years, learned a long time ago to not buy any piece of equipment with a B&S engine on it. The early stuff I had with B&S engines were pure crap and couldn't "hang" with the daily use my crews needed. I remember about 10 years ago, the only engine I could get on the Toro Commercial mower was a B&S engine, I bought two and it only took about 6 months before we had retro-fitted them with Honda engines. The dealer I bought these mowers from had a "PILE" of crappy B&S return engines at their shop. I know Toro will never buy B&S engines again. Sorry but it's true.........another thing the B&S morons did was to "clad" their old school engines in modern black plastic housings ( making them look modern & new ) however, the engine was crap and the "cladding" just made it more difficult to repair.

Steve

Nah, I'm leaving a big enough carbon footprint on this earth with the oil changes on the fleet of cars. Why add to. Besides if the mower break I can con the wife into hiring a couple of illegals to mow the lawn.

Agree with not buying power equipment at the big box stores...in fact, I thought that most of the models they sell (John Deere, Cub Cadet, etc) are cheapened versions designed specifically for the mass market. In other words, if you go to your local lawn store, you'll get a better quality product, and keeping your $$ in the local economy at the same time. I'd rather do that, even if it costs me a couple of extra bucks...

I bought a POS Honda mower at HD, and you can't even find parts for it in the catalogs, it's a "HD only" version of the mower, or so I was told. It's crap at any rate..

Two things I just thought of.

When I moved to Minnesota from LaLaLand, I, of course, took my fairly nice lawn equiptment with me. Went from a medium tract house up in a canyon (20 minutes to mow year round) above Burbank to two acres of 'Rambler' on a lakefront (Minnetonka).

They do not mow the lawn in MN. More like harvest it. My 24" deck mower from CA was a joke when you are looking at 2 acres of grass that grows an inch a day in the summer. Edger? People back there kept asking what that was..... "A trencher for wires or fibreoptic???"

Off to Sears, bought a rider, like 40", 10 Horse, with a catcher that was the size of a dumpster. Summer days, was just shy of 2 hours. Compost pile in August was 20x20, and 8 feet tall. It would 'steam' all winter, and fresh snow was there for less than a day.

Twice a week to keep it looking 'sharp'. Spring and fall was once a week, and once it got cold (35F) at night (early October, and until late April), once every two weeks. Halloween till end of the mud months was snowblower season.

Ok, back on topic. The lawn was sloped, fairly steeply at the top. The first couple of times with the deck mower, on the slope, it would 'sag' RPM, and I thought it was a gas delivery problem. Then I noticed how hot it was. Oil was midrange on dipstick. Filled it to top of range, and problem went away. The slope had been starving the splash lubrication because of the deck angle.

Perhaps that was what happened.....

Sometime later this winter we'll talk about snowblowers and frozen tennis balls.