6 months on my new motor and its broken!

txzrider2

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So I don't know if I have terrible luck but I have just had a failure on the 20 hp briggs I put on my mower less than 6 months ago...engine may have 5 hours on it. Over the weekend it started shaking so violently that it broke one of the engine mounts. I guess I will tear down the previous motor to learn how and if I can possibly fix it or the other one. (I replaced a 33M677 with a 33M877) Oil level is dead on full and clear (does not look dirty).
 
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Homer1

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Sounds very frustrating indeed.

Did you get a warranty on the new one by chance?
 

txzrider2

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so apparently I have 2 years parts an labor through any authorized briggs and stratton dealer... I guess I will be looking for one.
 

Homer1

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Just look up small engine repair in your local area, your bound to find someone who can help you with the warranty process.

What killed the last engine, a similar failure?
 

txzrider2

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Just look up small engine repair in your local area, your bound to find someone who can help you with the warranty process.

What killed the last engine, a similar failure?

So for the record, sorry I have not posted any followup. Both failures were identical, altho this last one has more damage since I had to get it inside my gate and it actually shook enough to break a motor mount flange. the 1st motor I was willing to blame on me... early on it must of had dirty fuel and the float stayed open and it filled the crankcase with fuel... I flushed the oil and replace the filter and added a fuel cut off switch. Mower from then on would smoke ever so slightly ... ran pretty well with the exception of a weird electrical gremlin that cropped up for a bit. Would not even try to start. that engine ran like that for a couple of years until something let loose and it shook violently. Replace the engine (smallenginewarehouse) and loved it... only mowed maybe 3 hours a month so not much use... mowing my front yard it started shaking exactly like the 1st motor! I have still not managed to get it worked on since I have had a way to get to the only dealer I found that would look at it. I would really like to know what the heck let go... if my health ever gets better I may still try and take the original engine apart. If I get it fixed or replaced... I do not want to do this every 6 months.
 

bertsmobile1

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Shaking violently is usually a failure of the counterbalance.
Some are 2 pieces with a bolt holding both sides together.
Most of the bottom end failures I have come across are from this bolt coming loose or breaking all together.

When an engine over revs these are the first things to go , as all of the potential mower racers find out if they don't pull it out of the engine.
Generally it is 4000 prm then boom.
 

7394

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U-Haul, & let the warranty do the work.
 

txzrider2

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Shaking violently is usually a failure of the counterbalance.
Some are 2 pieces with a bolt holding both sides together.
Most of the bottom end failures I have come across are from this bolt coming loose or breaking all together.

When an engine over revs these are the first things to go , as all of the potential mower racers find out if they don't pull it out of the engine.
Generally it is 4000 rpm then boom.

so Like I said I believed the 1st motor was on me with the stuck float and filling the crankcase... but it was set at whatever rpm it was set from new. This new one ran weird from the start where unless it was loaded... it did not fun at full throttle, one of the members here researched that for me and I was told to set the rpms to 3600, which when I looked back at that post I end up setting it at 3500. Would you say the possibility exists that I should have gone more conservative? maybe going from the 3200 to 3400 and see if the governor stopped kicking in?

I am going to try an arrange for warranty work, however I have a question... what would you think is the chance that one of the 20hp b&s vtwins would work? Like this one? http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/40N877-0003.html The only issue I see with it is, that I would have to buy a muffler or possibly adapt a muffler to it that would also work on my country clipper. I am wondering if it would last longer... possibly the life of the mower? I am really tired of dealing with eng issues! I love everything about this country clipper, the joystick steering , the flip up deck, it is perfect for my yard and my needs... if it will just stay running.
 
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