16 hp briggs

[small motor man]

I have a 16 hp Briggs that I'm working on for a customer and for a week I have had it when it showed up I first realized that the engine mount was loose but why it was brought to me was that the engine would worm up and stall so I changed the coil and cleaned the fly wheel then changed the plugs ( no points ) and it was having a gas problem so I cleaned the carb and that fixed that so it was running strong as ever so I gave it the requested tune up ( belt change oil change ) and sent it back and within 10 minutes I got a call it had quit so I went over to see and it had quit but it wouldn't turn over either then I put it in first and it turned over so I put gas in the carb and it started so he went on mowing and it quit again so I took the topper off and it seamed hot to me so I let it cool down and it started again and this time it ran without the topper for about 30 minutes and the customer won't give up on it but I can't tell him nothing it's done him well I think it is a 1972 co-op turf trac 16/44 and he's never done any maintenance on it but I'm to fix it and was wondering if any one has had this problem or if the tractors that old

SMM

 

[ILENGINE]

Two things I would do at this point. One would be a compression test, and the other would be a leakdown test. The older flat head briggs were bad a floating the valves due to wear or other factors. He may be loosing compression due to the valves not closing properly.

 

[gregjo1948]

Maybe after warming up, the head gasket leaks enough to lower compression too much to run. gregjo1948

 

[small motor man]

**** it's not any of that I don't know though I did the math and its coming up on 40 years old I don't know I have my suspicions with it I first had spark trouble then I had fuel trouble and know I have overheating problems

SMM

 

[Fish]

What is the engine's model numbers? If it is the old cast iron 16 h.p., the points are down on the side like an old Kohler.

 

[small motor man]

I don't have the model binders on hand and the engine is at my shop in town but I can tell you it's not a cast iron block its like the newer engines are

SMM

 

[Fish]

So it is a twin l head then?

 

[small motor man]

It's a v twin Briggs I believe

SMM

 

[Fish]

Not if it 40 years old, must be an old L-head.

Side shaft, or bottom. Does the one coil have two plug wires? You are sure it doesn't have points?

 

[small motor man]

I'm sorry that I can't get you the model number but it was on its own plate in the topper I believe and the plate is broke off
So I go off one on a old Briggs 18 hp
SMM