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Hello all,
I recently acquired a Weedeater mower with a Briggs & Stratton 300 series 148cc engine on it and I've found its leaking oil from the crankshaft.


My Question is: What product would you recommend for stopping the leak with an oil additive? (i.e. Rislone, Lucas Oil, etc) Would such products work on these type engine seals/bearings used in Briggs & Stratton engines?

Replace the seal!!

Duffer72 said:

Replace the seal!!

Click to expand...

Oh, so you're suggesting I take the easy way...:smile:

I really didn't want to open up the crankcase etc. to fix it but if that's the only way maybe I can get some help.

Does anyone have an IPB or a manual (.pdf) for this particular series engine? That would help me out a lot with the repair.

Thanks

No need to split the crankcase, which seal is leaking the flywheel or blade side?

It is leaking out the blade side.

First of all remove the plug and wire and tip the mower with the carb to the top and have someone pull the rope and check to make sure crankshaft isn't bent, if not proceed as follows, Remove the blade and hub and anything else on the crankshaft, clean up the crank shaft with some fine emery cloth to remove and rust and debris on it so it is shiney, note the position of the seal in the housing,carefully put a smaller screwdriver tip into the rubber part of the seal and pry the old one out (as I said carefully) it should come out fairly easily, oil up the crankshaft and the inside of the seal, slide the seal carefully onto the crankshaft until it starts to seat in the block, if you have a piece of PVC pipe or something similar that will fit over the crankshaft and is similar size to the outside dia of the seal use it with to push the seal into the block slowly and carefully until it is seated to the same depth as the original one using light taps from a plastic mallet or something similar, no need to hit it very hard. If you don't have a pipe or something you can use a flat nose punch or even a piece of larger wooden dowel and slowly work your way around the seal until seated. reinstall all parts taken off the crank, the plug and wire and fire it up. Good luck. I'm sure others will have variations of how to do this so expect some other responses.

PS tried to look up part number for the seal but the model # you show is not a valid #, recheck it and let me know .

Thanks, Duffer72

I'll get it back on the bench and have a look at it and I'll get check the numbers again before taking the seal out.

The Model Number looks like it is 9S502.

??

Hello Dad! How bad is it leaking?

what is the model # on the mower, the engine number doesn't come up on B &S web site either.

Hello, jamesslcx

It's leaking quite a lot. I had a paper bag slid underneath it and it got soaked in oil.

I removed the blade etc to attempt to remove the seal per Duffer72's instructions. It seemed easy enough to do but I only succeeded in buggering it up a bit in trying.

Can I just cut the old seal out and take it to a local shop for them to match it up with the right part?

Here are some more pics of the model & serial number etc.



Any and all help is much appreciated in locating a part number and further replacement procedure.

Thanks.

Duffer72 said:

what is the model # on the mower, the engine number doesn't come up on B &S web site either.

Click to expand...

20 inch Weedeater model: 961140014 02 SN: 050109M 028575

The seal wasn't coming out very easily so I stopped what I was doing.

Is it ok to just tear the old one out? I think I can get it out without messing up the race and seat but the rubber is already tearing. And, I'm using a dull worn down 1/8th inch screwdriver to pry with.

Hey Dad It probably would'nt hurt anything to tear it out, if you buggered it up it shouldn matter because you are replacing it anyway sometimes it takes two screwdrivers or sometimes nothing but a seal puller can get it out, seems like that seal should be fairly common.

jamesslcx said:

Hey Dad It probably would'nt hurt anything to tear it out, if you buggered it up it shouldn matter because you are replacing it anyway sometimes it takes two screwdrivers or sometimes nothing but a seal puller can get it out, seems like that seal should be fairly common.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm pretty much committed to pulling the seal now. I might just bend the tip of that old screwdriver into a hook shape and then try and wedge it out. (without scratching anything up of course)

Sometimes you can use a hook and pick set or I once saw a guy I worked with grind a little cut-out in his flathead screwdriver so he could hook it into the seal , hope this helps ...good luck.

I got the replacement oil seal installed and it's as good as new now. Maybe better.

I managed to deform the old seal enough to get a grip on it to slide it off without any damage around the seat. I went local with all the numbers from the mower to shop for a replacement seal. The shop owner at All Saw Service was very helpful and once the correct model number was straightened out he found the part in stock.

The model number stamped on the engine cover needed a Zero added to the beginning for it to come up in Briggs & Stratton's database. So, store that in the collective memory for future reference to anyone having trouble with an unknown model number being kicked back.

The lower oil seal part number for B&S Model 09S502 is PN: 391483S

Or, that's the one I was sold. I don't know if its a substitute for an Briggs part number but there it is for some one needing the same.

Thanks for all your help in guiding me to make this repair. I wouldn't have tried it without your help.

I tested the mower on a section of lawn and it's a great mower. One of the smoothness running B&S engines I've ever used. No leaks anymore. Wooohooo!

Good job Dad, and thanx for the advice and part num.!

I can officially list this among the repairs I can do myself in my own garage workshop.

For all the times I've looked a mower from underneath to clean it or remove the blade...I never looked at the seal as that...just a seal...or thought it accessible from the outside.

I always thought it was a sealed bearing that would need to be pressed out of the case for it to be removed.

Now, I know how to fix it right. :thumbsup:

I might just keep this one and add it to my collection.

Dad that mower looks too good to get rid of and they do mow great! there is nothing like the pride you feel when you fix stuff with your own hands! take care.

I had a similar issue with a 12HP briggs - bot the tractor for $25, fired it up for the first time, then oil leaked out- knew it was the oil pan crank seal.

I was a lil cautious about changing it at first , but i bot the seal and pan gasket ( $5 for both) carefully took the pan off ( no wonder it leaked several bolts werent even tight!) popped the old seal out, cleaned the pan of gasket material, put the new seal in with a large socket and buttoned the whole thing back up - ran fine with no more leaks.

Very easy fix ( other then pulling the motor off) .

You need to know the model, type, and code to look up Briggs engine parts. There all located on the valve cover on ohv engines otherwise on the recoil housing on L heads

Thanks for the tip Briggs92.

Good show!:thumbsup: