[AT] Weird broken crank(not the 430!)

[Spencer Yost]

After much googling, wailing, and gnashing of teeth I was finally able to find an engine with the right crankshaft and dimensions.  Harbor Freight and Northern tool didn't have it by the way.

I found it at jackssmallengines.com, who I like and used before but they are ($$$).  The engine was not even on their website, but I called as a last resort. They were able to locate the engine in their internal database. It is a go-kart engine!   They don't stock it but the supplier they use for Briggs has them and will drop ship for them, so shipping should still be a reasonable amount of time.

Anyways, this has been very frustrating. If you Google the model number nothing comes up. I am absolutely stunned, as I've never seen nothing come up on Google.  Briggs & Stratton website does not make one mention of it.  Everyone I called insisted I must not have the right model number.  Jacks was the only one that found it right away.  

So a few green shims in the $100 thickness and the problem is solved.  

By the way, I did check into rebuilding the engine. The crankshaft and the rebuild kit would've been approximately $225 after shipping and I value my time enough to ignore the difference so I just bought it.  I'll have 3-4 hours into this as it is.

Thanks for all the help and advice!

Spencer Yost

> On Aug 3, 2017, at 10:38 AM, charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I'll keep that in mind Cecil.
> My starting procedure for mine after they
> sit up for the winter is to first run the carb
> dry in the fall, then in the spring turn on the
> fuel, put fresh non ethanol gas in the tank, open
> the drain screw in the carb bowl and let a few ounces
> flush through the system.  Put the drain screw back in,
> set the choke, turn on the key and pull the cord.
> The only time it has ever failed to fire on the first pull
> was if I forgot to turn on the key or set the choke.
> 
> Charlie
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Cecil Bearden
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2017 10:50 PM
> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> Subject: Re: [AT] Weird broken crank(not the 430!)
> 
> Charlie:
> I would second that.   I replaced a briggs on my sprayer with one, and
> when the fuel tank corroded up I jus t replaced the entire engine
> again.  I keep 2 of then in the shed all the time for a quick repair.
> Just a note, if you use 2 cycle gas in small engines, when they set,
> they will not corrode so bad due to the ethanol that is always in the
> gas even no ethanol gas.  The oil film stops the corrosion.
> 
> Cecil
> 
> 
>> On 8/2/2017 11:59 AM, charlie hill wrote:
>> Go to Harbor Freight and buy a Chinese Honda knock off for $100.00 and
>> forget you ever owned the Briggs.
>> 
>> Charlie
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Spencer Yost
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2017 9:25 PM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Weird broken crank(not the 430!)
>> 
>> It's on a lawn vacuum, and it was running fine.  My wife was operating it 
>> so
>> I didn't hear it.  She  said it just stopped, making a bunch of noise in 
>> the
>> process.   The crack occurred right behind the bearing, inside the 
>> crankcase
>> at the flywheel end, not the impeller end.
>> 
>> There was a good level on the dipstick and an oil change in the winter so 
>> it
>> was not oil related.
>> 
>> Spencer Yost
>> 
>>> On Aug 1, 2017, at 9:05 PM, vschwartz1 at comcast.net wrote:
>>> 
>>> Spencer; I do not have any real knowledge about this kind of break but it
>>> would appear to me that one side or the other would be smooth. I simply
>>> have a case of nose trouble. What was the engine doing when the crank
>>> broke? Was the break at the throw? For both pieces of the crank to be 
>>> like
>>> that photo looks I would think there must have been some end play. Maybe
>>> that is a normal thing, now define normal.
>>> Just wondering,
>>> Gil
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> 
>>> From: "Spencer Yost" <yostsw at atis.net>
>>> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2017 6:04:09 PM
>>> Subject: [AT] Weird broken crank(not the 430!)
>>> 
>>> I have a small Briggs that broke a crankshaft yesterday. The weirdest
>>> thing I've ever seen. Have you ever seen a crank break and leave this 
>>> type
>>> of a star pattern on both ends?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> [image/jpeg:image1.JPG]
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Spencer Yost
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at