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#1
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Briggs and Stratton 14.5 HP Newbie Question / Story
Hi all -
First, I'm new to small engine repair - I'm learning as I go, but I really want to figure this all out. Quick description of the engine in my lawn tractor: Briggs and Stratton Twin Cylinder "L" Head, 14.5 HP. So here's what happened. While mowing my lawn one day, I hear what sounds like a rock. It turns out that a piston connecting rod broke, shattering the crankcase cover. So I think to myself that I need to take this opportunity and learn how to service this thing. I go out and buy a new connecting rod, a new piston assembly (piston, rings, etc), and a new crankcase cover, and I set to work. I replaced all of these pieces, and put everything back together. I tried to start it, but got nothing at all. I tried to turn the flywheel by hand, and couldn't. After a little guesswork, I realized that I tightened the connecting rod on the crankshaft too much. I got that torqued correctly, put the crankcase cover back on, and tried again. Everything turns over, but it never sounds like there's ever any ignition. By this point, I start the whole troubleshooting routine - check for spark, and it looks good. Check for gas, and there's gas. I tried putting a little gas in the cylinder, and then cranking it just to doublecheck that it's not starved for gas. Everything there looks fine. So then my hunch is that I messed something up putting things back together, and that I'm not getting good compression. 1 don't have a compression gauge, and the manual says that Briggs doesn't publish compression pressures, so I went forward on the hunch without proof, especially since I realized that I did not replace the head gaskets when I pulled off the cylinder heads. I bought new head gaskets, and replaced them. I have to mention that I did not torque the heads correctly when I first put them on. I didn't do it in the right order, and I didn't get the correct torque on the bolts. So just tonight, I pull off both of the heads again and put them on the right way - everything in the right order, torquing in 40 in. lb increments up to 160 in. lbs. At any rate, I'm still in the same situation. Everything spins, nothing sounds like it catches. So here's what I'm thinking - first, I need to replace those head gaskets and do it right, since I could have messed those up putting them on wrong and then taking them off. The second thing is that my flywheel key could have been bent. I haven't checked this yet, since I haven't bought a flywheel strap wrench yet, but, as I understand, this could throw off the timing, and I could be getting spark and compression, just not at the same time. Other compression related issues, like bad valves or whatever, just don't seem likely since the engine was running like a champ right before the connecting rod... exploded. My questions to anyone who was able to endure this long post: am I missing something simple? Do my current hunches seem probable? Any advice to a newbie who's hell-bent on fixing this himself? Also, feel free to make creative jabs at me for just torquing everything wrong, like calling me "Mr. Torquey" or something. I apologize if this is posted to the wrong newsgroup - I saw a lot of mower related questions in here. TIA, JvR |
#2
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Briggs and Stratton 14.5 HP Newbie Question / Story
"Jay von Rosen" PleaseReplyToGroup wrote in message ... Hi all - First, I'm new to small engine repair - I'm learning as I go, but I really want to figure this all out. Quick description of the engine in my lawn tractor: Briggs and Stratton Twin Cylinder "L" Head, 14.5 HP. So here's what happened. While mowing my lawn one day, I hear what sounds like a rock. It turns out that a piston connecting rod broke, shattering the crankcase cover. So I think to myself that I need to take this opportunity and learn how to service this thing. I go out and buy a new connecting rod, a new piston assembly (piston, rings, etc), and a new crankcase cover, and I set to work. I replaced all of these pieces, and put everything back together. I tried to start it, but got nothing at all. I tried to turn the flywheel by hand, and couldn't. After a little guesswork, I realized that I tightened the connecting rod on the crankshaft too much. I got that torqued correctly, put the crankcase cover back on, and tried again. Everything turns over, but it never sounds like there's ever any ignition. By this point, I start the whole troubleshooting routine - check for spark, and it looks good. Check for gas, and there's gas. I tried putting a little gas in the cylinder, and then cranking it just to doublecheck that it's not starved for gas. Everything there looks fine. So then my hunch is that I messed something up putting things back together, and that I'm not getting good compression. 1 don't have a compression gauge, and the manual says that Briggs doesn't publish compression pressures, so I went forward on the hunch without proof, especially since I realized that I did not replace the head gaskets when I pulled off the cylinder heads. I bought new head gaskets, and replaced them. I have to mention that I did not torque the heads correctly when I first put them on. I didn't do it in the right order, and I didn't get the correct torque on the bolts. So just tonight, I pull off both of the heads again and put them on the right way - everything in the right order, torquing in 40 in. lb increments up to 160 in. lbs. At any rate, I'm still in the same situation. Everything spins, nothing sounds like it catches. So here's what I'm thinking - first, I need to replace those head gaskets and do it right, since I could have messed those up putting them on wrong and then taking them off. The second thing is that my flywheel key could have been bent. I haven't checked this yet, since I haven't bought a flywheel strap wrench yet, but, as I understand, this could throw off the timing, and I could be getting spark and compression, just not at the same time. Other compression related issues, like bad valves or whatever, just don't seem likely since the engine was running like a champ right before the connecting rod... exploded. My questions to anyone who was able to endure this long post: am I missing something simple? Do my current hunches seem probable? Any advice to a newbie who's hell-bent on fixing this himself? Also, feel free to make creative jabs at me for just torquing everything wrong, like calling me "Mr. Torquey" or something. I apologize if this is posted to the wrong newsgroup - I saw a lot of mower related questions in here. TIA, JvR |
#3
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Briggs and Stratton 14.5 HP Newbie Question / Story
"Jay von Rosen" PleaseReplyToGroup wrote in message ... Hi all - First, I'm new to small engine repair - I'm learning as I go, but I really want to figure this all out. Quick description of the engine in my lawn tractor: Briggs and Stratton Twin Cylinder "L" Head, 14.5 HP. So here's what happened. While mowing my lawn one day, I hear what sounds like a rock. It turns out that a piston connecting rod broke, shattering the crankcase cover. So I think to myself that I need to take this opportunity and learn how to service this thing. I go out and buy a new connecting rod, a new piston assembly (piston, rings, etc), and a new crankcase cover, and I set to work. I replaced all of these pieces, and put everything back together. I tried to start it, but got nothing at all. I tried to turn the flywheel by hand, and couldn't. After a little guesswork, I realized that I tightened the connecting rod on the crankshaft too much. I got that torqued correctly, put the crankcase cover back on, and tried again. Everything turns over, but it never sounds like there's ever any ignition. By this point, I start the whole troubleshooting routine - check for spark, and it looks good. Check for gas, and there's gas. I tried putting a little gas in the cylinder, and then cranking it just to doublecheck that it's not starved for gas. Everything there looks fine. So then my hunch is that I messed something up putting things back together, and that I'm not getting good compression. 1 don't have a compression gauge, and the manual says that Briggs doesn't publish compression pressures, so I went forward on the hunch without proof, especially since I realized that I did not replace the head gaskets when I pulled off the cylinder heads. I bought new head gaskets, and replaced them. I have to mention that I did not torque the heads correctly when I first put them on. I didn't do it in the right order, and I didn't get the correct torque on the bolts. So just tonight, I pull off both of the heads again and put them on the right way - everything in the right order, torquing in 40 in. lb increments up to 160 in. lbs. At any rate, I'm still in the same situation. Everything spins, nothing sounds like it catches. So here's what I'm thinking - first, I need to replace those head gaskets and do it right, since I could have messed those up putting them on wrong and then taking them off. The second thing is that my flywheel key could have been bent. I haven't checked this yet, since I haven't bought a flywheel strap wrench yet, but, as I understand, this could throw off the timing, and I could be getting spark and compression, just not at the same time. Other compression related issues, like bad valves or whatever, just don't seem likely since the engine was running like a champ right before the connecting rod... exploded. My questions to anyone who was able to endure this long post: am I missing something simple? Do my current hunches seem probable? Any advice to a newbie who's hell-bent on fixing this himself? Also, feel free to make creative jabs at me for just torquing everything wrong, like calling me "Mr. Torquey" or something. I apologize if this is posted to the wrong newsgroup - I saw a lot of mower related questions in here. TIA, JvR There are 3 things you need to start an engine, fuel, spark and compression. I think you have the first 2. Put a compression gauge on and see if you have any compression at all. If nothing else, put your thumb over the spark plug hole & turn the engine by hand & see if there is any compression. Is there a chance you got the engine out of time? |
#4
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Briggs and Stratton 14.5 HP Newbie Question / Story
"Patch" wrote in message news:vXo7b.1009
I apologize if this is posted to the wrong newsgroup - I saw a lot of mower related questions in here. make sure the cam mark is ligned up with the crank mark. some of the older ones had two cam marks depending on the model number. Chip |
#5
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Briggs and Stratton 14.5 HP Newbie Question / Story
"Patch" wrote in message news:vXo7b.1009
I apologize if this is posted to the wrong newsgroup - I saw a lot of mower related questions in here. make sure the cam mark is ligned up with the crank mark. some of the older ones had two cam marks depending on the model number. Chip |
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