Briggs & Stratton gave me such a wide variance on it that I
didn't bother to write it down, telling me it depended upon
the temperature and so many other factors that the number
wasn't all that important.

I believe it was 60 - 110 or some such for the 11 hp motor I
had called about. What I do know is there should be enough
of a difference in the reading between wet and dry readings
to make a determination if the original posters problem was
worn or broken rings.

Best,

Steve

Justbrilliant wrote:

Steve,

Do you know what a good compression number may be?

"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...

Johnny,

Before you mess with the valves, you might want to check the
compression, then squirt a little oil into the cylinder,
crank a few revs w/o the plug to whet the rings, and check
again. If compression is poor it's either rings or valves.
If compression improves after squirting in that oil, its
localized to the rings. Of course, if the compression is
good, the problem is elsewhere.

Your problem could also be timing, which is essentially
dependent upon a good flywheel and key (ZERO damage to
both), the ignition coil air-gap, no rust filings on the
laminations (just clean them off), and correctly set points
- if there are any. Before pulling the flywheel I suggest
obtaining a new key - they are cheap and you might need it
for reassembly.

A new plug is also cheap insurance if in doubt.

If you are not an expert, it is also possible you missed
some deposits or something subtle with the carburetor. I
had a "master mechanic" do that with my Quadrajet a few
decades ago.

I'm sure I left out some stuff, but the above should be a
decent start.

Good luck,

Steve

Johnny wrote:

Hi group. I'm trying to get the neighbor ladys old Yard King rider
going for at least one more season.
It has a 11 HP B&S vertical.
It's almost impossable to start. It spits and pops while cranking.
I've cleaned the carb, and the fire is bright blue and strong.
My thoughts are, that the valve clearance has gone to nothing with all
the hours.
Can someone give me the clearances for the old 11 HP B&S Vertical ??

Thanks

Johnny