The following engine is one my Bolens’ 3012G (ST125) lawn tractor that’s in pretty good condition:
B&G Model: 404707-0117-01
12.5 HP
Air cooled
Issues:
1) Max RPM below standard?
2) Throttle lever pushed to max sinks to ¾ distance (drops ¼)
History:
Machine fairly well maintained; not abused. Bought new around 1987. Debris (dry grass and leaves) under front of engine – moistened with oil that dripped from common fills somehow caught fire. Engine stopped and fire (front of engine at bottom) was sprayed out with dry chemical extinguisher. After debris was removed and area brushed out _ perhaps not as gently as I should have – the machine started, ran and cut the lawn in normal fashion but then began to smoke and shut down. Unable to restart. I suspected some wires in the from may have melted and now are causing a short.
Replaced the magneto with one for a salvage yard. Though it didn’t start, the experience lead me to find a shortcut to threading the wires to the plugs so I reinstalled the orginal magneto thinking the few patches I made to a wire or two may have sealed the electrical “leak” where the shorting was occurring… if that were the case. The machine started, permitted me to mow about an 1/8 acre, then shut down again. Took the unit to a shop with high Angie’s List ratings and got it back with the follow $312.20 invoice:
#8051 B&G Ignition coil………….. $69.99
#592831 B&G stator………………… 99.99
1.5 hr Labor ……………………………. 112.50 ($75/hr)
Shop supplies………………………….. 9.99
Total………………………………………… $312.21
Comment & Questions:
If my machine has a magneto (which I KNOW it does)… why can’t I find “ignition coil” and “stator” on the parts diagram in my B&G repair manual? In short… does this engine actually have the two parts I was charged for?
Given the behavior of this machine AFTER the repair… what could possibly be wrong now? I assumed this shop had proper tools necessary to make the proper adjustments but I was the once who had to provide the RPM spec for the Governor idle. A tad unnerving. Very suspicion now.
B&G Model: 404707-0117-01
12.5 HP
Air cooled
Issues:
1) Max RPM below standard?
2) Throttle lever pushed to max sinks to ¾ distance (drops ¼)
History:
Machine fairly well maintained; not abused. Bought new around 1987. Debris (dry grass and leaves) under front of engine – moistened with oil that dripped from common fills somehow caught fire. Engine stopped and fire (front of engine at bottom) was sprayed out with dry chemical extinguisher. After debris was removed and area brushed out _ perhaps not as gently as I should have – the machine started, ran and cut the lawn in normal fashion but then began to smoke and shut down. Unable to restart. I suspected some wires in the from may have melted and now are causing a short.
Replaced the magneto with one for a salvage yard. Though it didn’t start, the experience lead me to find a shortcut to threading the wires to the plugs so I reinstalled the orginal magneto thinking the few patches I made to a wire or two may have sealed the electrical “leak” where the shorting was occurring… if that were the case. The machine started, permitted me to mow about an 1/8 acre, then shut down again. Took the unit to a shop with high Angie’s List ratings and got it back with the follow $312.20 invoice:
#8051 B&G Ignition coil………….. $69.99
#592831 B&G stator………………… 99.99
1.5 hr Labor ……………………………. 112.50 ($75/hr)
Shop supplies………………………….. 9.99
Total………………………………………… $312.21
Comment & Questions:
If my machine has a magneto (which I KNOW it does)… why can’t I find “ignition coil” and “stator” on the parts diagram in my B&G repair manual? In short… does this engine actually have the two parts I was charged for?
Given the behavior of this machine AFTER the repair… what could possibly be wrong now? I assumed this shop had proper tools necessary to make the proper adjustments but I was the once who had to provide the RPM spec for the Governor idle. A tad unnerving. Very suspicion now.