Why did old mower engines run for years with no oil filters?

Kind of hard to put an oil filter on a splash lube engine.

SidecarFlip said:

Right on all counts. The K241 is very heavy, all cast iron except the head and it's the only aluminum on the engine with real bearings and hardened gears. A real carb that you can adjust as well. No pressure die cast thinwall aluminum pot metal in that motor. I expect it to be around for another 50 years after I'm gone....at least with minimal care.

The Kohlers made today and that engine really have nothing in common except the name.

I chuckle about the newest Briggs no oil change motor. Obviously it is designed to last one oil fill and that is all it's good for. Good landfill material. Someone made a comment about it was a technological breakthrough and I countered it wasn't, just pre-planned obsolesence, nothing more.

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Those no oil change engines have been around about 10 years or so I think..... I commented 1 time on here about that and someone thought I was crazy and wanted proof of what I said in the comment..... The person said he had been working on B&S engines for a long time and owned a repair shop..... Go figure .....

Plus Tard Mes Amies ~!~!

SidecarFlip said:

Right on all counts. The K241 is very heavy, all cast iron except the head and it's the only aluminum on the engine with real bearings and hardened gears. A real carb that you can adjust as well. No pressure die cast thinwall aluminum pot metal in that motor. I expect it to be around for another 50 years after I'm gone....at least with minimal care.

The Kohlers made today and that engine really have nothing in common except the name.

I chuckle about the newest Briggs no oil change motor. Obviously it is designed to last one oil fill and that is all it's good for. Good landfill material. Someone made a comment about it was a technological breakthrough and I countered it wasn't, just pre-planned obsolesence, nothing more.

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Back 30 or 40 years ago, people would buy a new push mower never change the oil in the engine, just add as needed, and the deck would rot away and crack making the mower unusable long before the engine gave up the ghost. The new no oil change engines will happen the same way. the deck will be long gone before the engine is ready to retire. Or at least for the average person. Remember this is a engine designed to last about 10-12 years under what is considered average annual use. For some that may be 10 years, for others that may only be 3 years, but the same person is probably changing mower about that average anyway with or without the oil changed.

A John Deere with No oil changes?? Duh, (and BS engineering)... I'd be putting my oil vacuum pump hose down the dip stick hole and sucking it all out as needed..

Agreed, the older engines, cast iron sleeves, roller bearings, etc, splash lubrication lasted very long. Keep it simple, less stuff to break/fail.

Newer engines, some corners are cut, but for instance, OHV's, over head cams, IS an improvement in performance, fuel use, heat dissipation, etc (like a flat head Ford vs an OHC newer car engine).

I've never had a yard machine with an oil filter/oil pump and when the oil looks darker, it gets changed. For my 10 HP Briggs generator (OHV, tilted cylinder, splash oil system), I use full synthetic 10w50 (SW Florida-so when used, it's hot and will run for days).

IMO, MAINTAINANCE is the key. Regular oil changes, fresh fuel, draining the bowl (for extended non-use) will extend the life of any machine.

I'm on my second Snapper walk behind (self propelled) since 1985. This current engine, 7 HP, OHV (considered commercial NOW) is about 11 years old, doesn't burn any oil, leak down test of less than 1% at 100 PSI. The engine's never been opened(except for one valve adjustment check).

During the summer, the yards cut TWICE a week, rest of the year, once a week, 365, so it IS used ore than most..

My sister is still has dad's first Victa from 1966 but of course it is a 2 stroke.
The 82 year old resident of the bottom front unit uses it to mow the common area of the block.
About 1/2 hour mowing 40 times a year
Still starts first pull. It gets an annual service on Boxing day when I go there for lunch.
So yes maintenance is the key and no-maintenance is the myth factories sell to the ignorant public so they will wreck the mower & buy a new one.

Just done a reel & set of bed knives on a 1954 Ransom & Miles reel mower fitted with a BSA 98cc industrial engine salvaged from a WWII aircraft battery charger.

There is an average of motors that will hold up and those that do not the cheap motors with no crankshaft bearing or bushing just the pot metal housing the hole wears out fairly quickly had it happen to a cheap Briggs. There was a guy at work who never changed oil in his old Datsun pickup just added 2 quarts when oil pressure light came on, in the winter he would jam a mountaindew can on the throttle and warm it up at 5000 rpm at 0 degrees its amazing it never blew up and he ran it for years

gladiator801 said:

I was reading on mower maintaince oil and filter changes how important oil filter changes were, but what about the old kohler and briggs motors that had no oil filters and ran for years, most of the time lasting longer than most newer motors do with filters. I have a 30 year old 16 hp kohler magnum without an oil filter with over 3300 hours on it and only repaire were fuel pump and main seal. The old motors were built heavier most cast iron rather than aluminum , and lasted much longer even without a filter or oil pump. The overhead valve motors have to have oil pump to lube the valves, but it is still amazing the old motors run so long with splash lube.

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They were amazing motors I'm still running one in a 94 walker we have it set up as a 36 bagger and still using it. The counter clock quit my gosh I don't have a clue of exact hours but it has a ton on it. I don't run it the way we used to but still goes out every day with us. I've only put on new starter and coil. I am religious with my oil changes and maintenence

Before 1953 Chevy's 6 cylinder engines used dippers on the rod caps to dip & sling the oil.

But this has nothing to do with mowers. Just saying same tech back then.

Way back, a lot of people would change the oil about once a month in mowing season.

I imagine splash lube engines run a lot 'dirtier' than oil pump engines- maybe something to do with air quality regs?

My old Snapper finally died after 45 years. Still had the original 8 hp aluminum Briggs on it. I've only owned it for 4 years, so I have no idea what kind of care it had previously. I have several old Cub Cadets, including two Originals. The 55 y/o cast iron Kohlers still run fine.