[AT] Briggs filter substitute.

[Greg Hass]

My skid steer had a 23 hp. Kohlor engine on it. The OEM filter on it was 
$18.50  twenty four years ago, so the dealer gave me an  AC filter (as in 
AC spark plugs). They worked great for several years (also were only five 
bucks) until for some reason they were no longer available so he crossed to 
a Hastings filter. The day after I installed it, I smelled something and 
looked back and oil was everywhere. The filter was bulged out and had blown 
the gasket, the engine only had a few spoons of oil left. It was the 
weekend so I borrowed a Fram filter from my brother, we both had the same 
model loader, and ran that till spring. On monday I took the Hastings 
filter back to the dealer who said that the relief valve on the loader must 
have stuck and he would not warrent the filter. It sounded possible so I 
bought another filter which I installed with the spring oil change. In the 
fall I drained the oil, mine you no freezing weather in between, and found 
the whole inside of the filter had collapsed. No more Hasting filters on 
this farm and no more purchases from that auto parts. Since that time I 
have run the Fram filters until last year when I replaced the engine. I am 
not saying Fram filters are good or bad, just they worked fine on that 
engine. 

            The original Kohlor engine started giving trouble at 75 
hrs.  It wouldn't start and when it did the manifold and muffler turned 
bright red just idling in the shed. I didn't know much about engines then 
and had the dealer pick it up. It turned out to be the points but it had 
gotten so hot that the oil which I had changed just 2 days earlier had 
burned brown and boiled out all but a pint (it held 3 1/2 quarts). The 
engine was never the same and it was the begining of 23 years of he$$. The 
points would last from one day to 100 hours (my brother had the same 
trouble with his, but having a good factory job, got rid of his after 3 
years) I still have mine after 24. During this time I put in one short 
block as it blew a rod out the side. Finally, last year I had enough, and 
asked this list for suggestions on a new engine. After reading the replies 
and doing a lot of research on smallengines.com I bought a 24 hp. Honda 
from a local dealer. I finally got it installed in late December of 2005. 
This past summer I had some trouble with my foot, so I didn't use the 
loader much. The Honda engine was a dream, it had lots of power, ran 
smooth, and always started. The Kohlor was a guess; it might start or it 
might take 3 hours to get it 
started. 

            This past October, with 16 hours on the new engine, I was 
getting a wagon from my brothers and going down the road with him 
following; we only live 800 feet apart, when the loader began to shake bad. 
My brother said that a cloud of smoke so big came out of the engine that he 
could not see me; after which the engine stopped in the middle of the road. 
I managed to restart it and got it home and backed it up to the shop door. 
When I turned around, the whole shop was so full of smoke that all I could 
see were the light bulbs. Next day I called the dealer and he said it had a 
2 year warranty, and to bring it in. He said he could find nothing wrong 
except the plugs were black , they were replaced, and to try it again. I 
did but it still shook, although not as bad, but now only had  a little 
over half its normal power. Being the middle of harvest, I told him I 
couldn't haul it back until after harvest, which was fine with him except 
that a week later, he sent me a bill for $77 which I don't intend to pay 
(warranty right). I then called Honda,3 hrs. to get a person. They told me 
that my dealer wasn't authorized to fix $hit. The girl I talked to also 
said that those authorized only get a small % of their normal shop rate for 
this work. My loader now sits at a repair shop 17 miles from here where it 
has been for the last 2 months. I have called a couple of  times but have 
just gotten a lot of excuses. They say they have had the engine apart and 
can find nothing wrong. I was told they are now waiting for new ignition 
parts to try that. It has electronic ignition and a mag with a coil for 
each cylinder; and no one can explain how it is timed or what makes it 
fire. So much for Honda engines. We have been getting snow and so far my 
brother has been cleaning my drive, he was just here a couple of hours ago. 
Maybe I'll get it back for next winter. I'm sure not pleased with Honda nor 
am I a happy camper. Sorry this is so long, but writing helps release the 
tension.
Greg  Hass 

P.S. I'm trying not to be hard on the present shop as he did not sell me 
the engine and will certainly not make any money on it.  Had I know our 
local guy didn't repair these engines, although he said he did, I would 
have bought it from the shop where it now is.