Well here it is, over a year later---better late than never. I finally ended up engineering and constructing an entire blade spindle. When completed it worked perfectly well. However, my new Briggs and Stratton Intek 1450 engine has experienced catastrophic failure after only 12 hours of operation. The warranty is currently at issue. An authorized service dealer has discovered bent push rods and a burned up valve. At the present moment, things are sort of in limbo. I now have doubts as to whether a new intek would be just another piece of junk, and certainly have doubts about repairs to the one which has quit. I ran my old B&S for about 20 years, and had no complaint when it finally threw a rod. I take meticulous care of all my equipment, and can't say there was anything I did wrong with the new Intek 1450.
