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Hello i have a questions on a used mower i just bought. Its a 52 inch scag walk behind. I do not know the model number. The guy i bought it from said is came with a 18 hp briggs and stratton v-twin but blew up when he owned it. He then went to a used mower shop and bought a used 16 hp v twin briggs and stratton. After the 16 hp motor was put on he said it wasn't enough to run the hydros and blades so he added a battery used to engage the blades. My questions is is the 16 hp motor not enough or is there problem with the charging system? i just don't know much about motors but wouldn't think 2 hp would make that big of a difference. Any help is much appreciated.

Well your post is a little confusing. The horse power has nothing to do with engaging the blades. I would guess the charging system of the 16 hp did not have the capacity to maintain the electric clutch. The good news is the B&S charging systems are highly interchangeable. Even if the 16 hp has the small magnet flywheel, it should maintain the battery to keep the electric clutch engaged with the proper armature coil, perhaps the former owner still has the shot engine which would have the proper charging system.

I can send you a Service Manual for your engine IF you like. Address below, put in proper format and remind me engine model number and what you want.

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com

I didn't think the HP really had anything to do with it but thats what i was told when i bought it but just seemed confusing to me. So can I change the the charging system on the 16 hp to an 18hp charging system and solve the battery problem?

IF the 16 hp charging system is not keeping the battery up and the battery is good and IF the 18 hp you are talking about was keeping the battery up, then yes. Did the 18 hp have a voltage regulator on it? It would not necessarily have had to but I suspect it did. I think you can go to the B&S site and find an illustration identifying the various B&S charging systems and their capacity.

Walt Conner

when the mower had the 18 hp motor i didn't have a battery on it. But once they put the 16 hp motor on i guess it just wasn't enough for the blades so he added a battery to run the blades.

If it helps, here is the B & S alternator chart

View attachment Alternator Chart MS-2288FL_LR 7-09.pdf

You should be able to get an alternator from any mower wrecker or mar & par mower repair shop where they get pulled from blown motors.

SFlood said:

Hello i have a questions on a used mower i just bought. Its a 52 inch scag walk behind. I do not know the model number. The guy i bought it from said is came with a 18 hp briggs and stratton v-twin but blew up when he owned it. He then went to a used mower shop and bought a used 16 hp v twin briggs and stratton. After the 16 hp motor was put on he said it wasn't enough to run the hydros and blades so he added a battery used to engage the blades. My questions is is the 16 hp motor not enough or is there problem with the charging system? i just don't know much about motors but wouldn't think 2 hp would make that big of a difference. Any help is much appreciated.

Click to expand...

"when the mower had the 18 hp motor i didn't have a battery on it. But once they put the 16 hp motor on i guess it just wasn't enough for the blades so he added a battery to run the blades."

What am I not getting here? First it was "he" then it was "I" .

Walt Conner