BOOM! When Good Engines DIE! Briggs and Stratton Engine Swap!

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Chickanic
PO BOX 22062
Hot Springs, AR
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My name is Bre. I took two years of small engine repair at the local college. When I left school, I fell into a wonderful job at a local small engine shop where I worked the counter for a couple years. In 2010 my husband and I opened up our own small engine shop in central Arkansas where I am able to work alongside my family and best friends. We saw over 2,000 pieces of small engine equipment every year, and answer 1,000's of small engine questions. We specialize in brands such as Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Echo and Shindaiwa, but work everyday on MANY other brands like Stihl, Husqvarna, Honda, Craftsman, Remington, Red Max, Troy Bilt, Scag, Bad Boy, Hustler, World Lawn, Poulan, Mantis, Etc.. Hopefully, my experience I share, will save you Time, Money and Frustration in the future!
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Although very informative, these videos are for entertainment purposes. Please use all possible safety precautions when repairing and operating your small engine equipment.

[@markadkins9290]

Praying for your husband, after having hip repair which was very difficult to recover from, week 12 yesterday. My chemo nurse told me I was lucky it wasn't a replacement. She had both and the replacement was much worse and longer to recover from. Good luck and will be praying for y'all from Benton.

[@MichaelRei99]

Everyone I know says the hip is much easier than a knee replacement.

[@markadkins9290]

@@MichaelRei99 I bet

[@smyers820gm]

Yes my wife suffered from ovarian and uterine cancer at the same time and had both chemo and radiation treatments and it destroyed the blood vessels supplying blood to her hip. She suffered greatly putting of surgery till one day her hip just fell out of socket. I’ve never heard her scream in pain like that before 😢 so she caved and got the surgery. A total hip replacement. It was very very difficult for her but in the end she was 1000 times better off.

[@richardkimrey]

Good luck with the new hip Ron. My sister said the first week is a bitch but you ought to see her now.

[@jimbrewer2893]

@@MichaelRei99 My wife has had both. The hip was way much easier recovery. Now the knee replacement is giving her trouble. Recovery really depends on the person, whether it was an anterior or posterior replacement, how they adhere to the physical therapy requirements and most of all, attitude.

[@tywebb355]

I'm digging the "while you are working" music !! I also like the videos where you combine the parts from two bad units to make one good one.

[@petenoll7240]

Bingo! Not sure i would just listen to it alone, but it sure works well on these videos.

[@WJCTechyman]

@@petenoll7240 It reminds me of the Delphino Plaza theme from Super Mario Sunshine. I'm not sure if anyone here is a Nintendo fan, but, just some similarities.

[@kbjerke]

On my way to my rental property this morning, to try and get an old mower running that has been sitting for the last five years! Going to take advantage of many things you've taught me, Bre!! Thanks!! ❤❤❤

[@markf8256]

Great to see Mr Chickanic! Best wishes and prayers for a successful hip surgery. 👍

[@lorrinbarth1969]

The church rider was old, nearly shot and spewing oil. I replaced the engine gaskets and rebuilt the carburetor. Next, out mowing the property I thought to myself I've never heard this engine run so smoothly. And then Ka-Boom!

[@mrbrown6421]

Also known as ‘Terminal Lucidity’ or ‘Rallying’ . Old folks do it before dying. Life is strange like that. Did that rider cut the cemetery grass?

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Yep! One big Bang, and parts are all over the ground. LOL Mine did the same thing.

[@moonshinershonor202]

😅 It needed a new soul is what it needed!

[@cravenmoorehead5636]

They never run quite as well as they do right before quittin time. Lol

[@Mr3Charlie]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Ron!

[@dwightsmith5174]

Had a 30-year-old Snapper SR930 given to me as the engine was bad. It was kept in a shed and was in quite good condition. Could not find a decent used engine anywhere. Best price I could find on a new 10-12 HP was at least $850 plus shipping! As I had already restored the mower, I kept on looking. An ad popped up in a browser showing a new B&S 20 HP V-twin for about $700 (inc. shipping). I went for it. Almost a straight swap out! Correct shaft & bolt pattern! Added a separate choke cable for simplicity and made a couple of electrical changes. Only real hassle was finding a suitable muffler. With some perseverance and a bit of ingenuity, found one that worked perfectly! Now have a great mower. All totaled parts were about $1300, including a new grass catcher that it did not have previously. For comparison - I have a 3-year-old Craftsman R110 - same as your doner. The R110 steering gear may be a less strong design - BUT the Craftsman steering is SO much better to use than the Snapper. In comparison the Snapper does not have "comfortable" steering. The Snapper is also bigger so not as good for tight yards - even though they both have a 30" blade. The blade's safety brake on the Snapper SR930 is a bit awkward, not as simple as the R110. The transmission on the Snapper is the best design for mowing. Snapper grass bags hold more than the R110 bags so not stopping as much. Though it was a great winter project, and works great now, I would not do it again.

[@ashmaybe9634]

All the best Ron, with the hip. My landlord had his replacement done last year and he's been doing great ever since.

[@GaryT1952]

90° F in the shop...I'm sure the dew point is tropical...tough conditions! Great job Bre!

[@hughgray4199]

Yes, I noticed that thermometer right away and had the same thought..... She's tough and funny..... love it!

[@larryhankins3586]

If you think 90' in the shop is bad you should try outside, we have had a heat index the last week around 110' in central Arkansas.

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

@@larryhankins3586 YEP, my total metal shop here in Nawth Central Florida runs OVER 100 as high as 106

[@MichaelRei99]

@@larryhankins3586If you think that is bad you should work next to a sauté and grill station in a hot restaurant with temps in the upper 90’s. Had to peel my shirt off after my shifts.

[@jimbrewer2893]

@@MichaelRei99 Try working on a flightline with fighters running, while wearing full chemical warfare gear in July in North Carolina.

[@MrTimEarl]

Great job guys!!! Keep us updated with Ron's surgery and recovery..... Thanks again Bre!

[@larryz24]

I wish Ron a speedy recovery and I hope and pray he is back on his feet soon. Love this channel so much, I am a small engine mechanic but I always learn something with every video. Greeting y'all from north of you just past Little Rock!

[@greatwhitenorthcanada9600]

Great point of showing that gas needs to be turned on, plus the vent being open. The vent is something I have overlooked in the past, and after removing the cap to see if their was gas, of course started for just a second. Good to know when trouble shooting why a mower won't start. Great video like usual!

[@WJCTechyman]

I just said, "been there, done that, [laughs]"

[@jamesredman1263]

I have that exact Snapper she showed, and forgot to loosen the fuel cap valve a time or two. It went about 50 feet and quit. "Ohhh yeahhh..."

[@stephenreiner1523]

Hey we have snappers that are over 50 years old and still running good. We had to reserve the cylinder and replace the rings on one,do a valve job but it was 50 years old.

[@BudTheDrummer]

Bre, I'm so proud of you for all the help you provide us and your friends! I threw a rod in a Chevy 307 that had only 4 or 5 pieces. That machine ate itself! With Ron's surgery coming up, please tell him he's in our prayers!

[@teddybeardiy3538]

I'm from South Africa and my dad bought a push mower with a Briggs 3.5HP engine that had the plastic starter which fitted on the side. That was a 1978 model and it was in the family for 38 years and still ran when I gave it away after buying a new mower with a Briggs 850Ci engine. The old mower had its quirks but it did a great job.

[@donreinke5863]

Ive been junking out new Briggs engines with garbage plastic carburetors for older engines found on mowers I get at thrift stores and garage sales for a couple years now. Swap takes a half hour..a LOT easier than automotive swaps.

[@cravenmoorehead5636]

Those plastic carbs were designed to combat the bogus fuel we are forced to use. I bet u have never seen a plastic carb destroyed by sitting with fuel like the aluminum carbs do.

[@donreinke5863]

@@cravenmoorehead5636 Ive seen pot metal carbs corrode...but only when they got water in them from sitting outdoors. The reason the Carter ThermoQuad carb failed was because of the plastic fuel bowl. They were used from 1972-78 on Chrysler 318, 340, 360, 400 and 440 engines, and were nothing but trouble. Chrysler began using the all metal Rochester Quadrajet after that. I got a Troy Bilt lawnmower from the thrift store which likely had less than 25 hours on it. It ran for about 20 minutes and quit...due to the garbage plastic carburetor. The engine was scrap piled and an old Briggs installed and it runs to this day I have enough experience over the last 52 years with engines to know that plastic is NEVER a suitable material to make carburetors from.

[@theolddog5129]

I have a Westwood ride on with the 13.5Hp version of this IC engine. It was purchased new by myself in 1996. Last year the balancing mechanism went and the engine started to vibrate. I purchased a S/H identical engine manufactured in 2002 and the local mower shop fitted it so the mower now runs like new. Westwood were designed for the UK weather with a twine grass collector and were made to last.

[@bentullett6068]

Sad news is Ariens who own Westwood and the Countax brands decided to cease UK production of the Westwood, Countax ride on mowers and Ariens UK zero turn in 2024. I think they will be running the parts stock down now till they have nothing left in stock. Luckily belts and some pulleys can be cross referenced and bearings in idler pulleys and blade spindles can be purchased through bearing suppliers

[@antagonizerr]

Wiring is super easy. You generally have 4 wires that need connected on an engine. 2 are from the stator with one being AC for your lights, and one with a diode attached to it being DC for your power and charging. 1 wire attaches to your fuel shut off solenoid which goes to A1 on your power switch. The other wire on the solenoid just goes to any ground point, usually on the engine. The last wire is your kill wire that goes to your coil. That's it. The harness may be different, so just look at the engine and follow which wire goes where from it. Two under the flywheel, two go under the shroud to the other side with one being green/black for the coil and red for the solenoid. I don't know how much simpler it can be.

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

I'll be glad to send you my Snapper twin B&S Hydro tractor wiring harness diagram, AND photo's of EACH current connection & pay you to DRAW me a NEW diagram that ONLY has the charging & starting circuits

[@MichaelRei99]

@@REVNUMANEWBERNyeah home electricians can be scary😬

[@bertgrau3934]

He is correct, it's mostly pretty easy. I did a change from a Briggs to a Kohler wasn't bad. The hardest part was the pulleys, the Briggs had a 1 inch crankshaft, the kohler had an 1 1/8 . Other than that pretty easy

[@timtweet8149]

Been working on a Snapper 28 inch, 10 hp hi-vac rider. It has missing bolts, dry cracked gaskets, flat tires, broken recoil rope and dead battery. It took almost 4 months to get OEM parts. It's been to hot to work on during the day and I'm limited to super early or later in the evening. My son in law got it free but had no idea or tools much less limited funds to repair. He wanted to learn but in over a year he's only been here once when I showed him new parts and how to replace bowl gasket on carb, that was 4 months ago. I'm taking possession and doing the work on my time and dime. Hope Ron surgery goes well. My oldest sister got a semi hip back in 1995. She loves it and wants a new knee to match. Lol

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

I TOTALLY enjoyed working IN the Quality Department of the Snapper MFG plant when that was produced, I read, handled & inspected EVERY blue print & part on that Series & others.

[@teknotech]

Another thing that can be a hidden issue is to put a new engine in a mower with an electric PTO clutch. If the new engine doesn't have a higher output alternator, your battery will be discharged while mowing.

[@KCKing-iu4cw]

I have a 1998 Kmart Power Pro Rideing Lawnmower with that Exact engine! Still Going strong to this day!!!

[@WJCTechyman]

heh, reading that brand name had me thinking of a kid driving his power wheels.

[@cliffmiller8762]

Good luck on the hip replacement. I’ve had both of mine done. I didn’t care for the restrictions like sleeping on my back, being careful not to stress the joint. Not to worry, he will be back doing things in no time.

[@curthenry9398]

Wishing Ron all the best with his hip replacement. I had a left hip replace November 23. The recovery went fantastic, i was walking the next day, used the walker for a few days and changed to a cane. I walked up and down the street in front of our home all day, back and forth like a shooting gallery duck. At my follow up appointment, the doctor said that physical therapy would do me no good as i was at 100% with my recovery. Make sure that Ron moves after surgery.

[@fair2middlin]

Constant repetitive Hip thrusting did him in

[@derrasenmaher9730]

„Knock, knock“- „who is there?“- „its me, the connecting rod..“ 😁 I love older B&S engines, built to last and the Sound is great

[@stevenbelsky1652]

To do that much damage there must have been some malice in the combustion palace

[@Markomyt1]

@@stevenbelsky1652 BOOM BABY!

[@KixBryant]

😂 best knock knock joke I heard all day!

[@WJCTechyman]

I've never understood why Briggs and Stratton had a fan base, they were mediocre at best, terrible at worst. Serviceability was another issue as removing at least a half dozen fasteners of varying sizes and types to clean a carburetor or removing at least a dozen fasteners, vanity plastic and a fuel tank to replace a recoil starter rope just seems needlessly complex especially when compared to the competition. Honda it is three equal-headed fasteners to remove a carb or the recoil starter. Tecumseh was two or three as well (all examples without the linkages, but even then the linkages on Briggs machines were needlessly complex as well). Most of this also applies to Kohler Command engines I have owned. Let's not get started on primer bulbs (I know Tecumseh's guilty of this one as well) but why not just put a choke control on the handle, once the engine is running, you release the choke.

[@derrasenmaher9730]

@@WJCTechyman I know Tecumseh where good ones too, but I got a 1974 Push mower with a 3HP Briggs and other Briggs engines that Never failed on me. I just like them.

[@ginamiller6015]

Briggs engines from back then were very reliable and lasted nearly forever, as long as they had regular maintenance, oil changes, etc. A connecting rod failure usually caused by lack of oil. Great video as always 🙂👍

[@brazilgriller6073]

Prayers for you and Ron. I have two family members has hip replacement. One is 80 yrs other 52. Both excellent recovery. Good luck

[@johncombs6543]

Those old Snapper riders were very good 30 years ago. The L-head I/c series Briggs engines were wow! Now? Snapper is gone. Those great Briggs engines are too. Now we have high priced junk.

[@Bird111648]

I still have 1 and it’s still in use love this mower and motor

[@maxhengst2252]

Ive been watching you for a couple of years and since then I have been able to work on my John Deere X350 without having to go to the shop. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@laughton57]

Fun to watch! I have the exact same Snapper 12.5hp. B&S, 28" blade - bought it at auction in 2012. I was late getting there - figuring the sale wouldn't get to a riding mower until later. I heard the auctioneer announce that mower while I was walking in. I took a quick look at it - clean as a whistle, full plastic bagger assembly, and all the tires still had the 'hair; on them. My assessment was 'new'! It wasn't started - no battery. And nobody to step on the clutch and pull rope I guess. But it was the exact mower I had been looking for. I bid without a number - no time to get one. Someone started at $100 - I remember that. It got to $350 and stalled a little - probably because it wasn't tested to run. Well, I'm a gambler and stepped into the bidding with a $500 bid. And WON it! Brought it home, put my jump pack on it and it started instantly. Gonna mow with it today - no issues to date. Note to self: If you have something to sell, get it running. I bet if the owner had spent $50 (back then) for a battery the price would have been north of $1000. IIRC that mower sold new, back then, for $1395 - $1795 with the bagger. Every once in a while we get lucky.

[@cycleguy666]

The connecting rod just broke? No warning noises for days? Oil was not low or overheated due to mouse nest? It had to give some indication!!

[@papatonysworkshop6584]

My wife was scheduled for a hip replacement on July 8th. She needs an OK from the dentist and can't get in until the 15th, her surgery has been postponed. We wish you all the best positivity and outcome. Please keep us posted on Ron's progress. Love you guys!

[@danajorgensen1358]

Even old Briggs & Stratton engines have their problems. I have the same model of Snapper mower, three years older. The hardened ring forming the valve seat unseated. Only good thing is it didn't do any significant damage, but holy hell is it hard finding parts for an engine that old! I replaced it with one of those Ryobi electric mowers (which is working great three years on), but one of these days I plan on getting that Snapper running again.

[@treeguyable]

Great vids. After 4 yrs of motor t in the Marines, working on the pumper trucks , and all the other stuff, and 7 yrs as a Mercedes Benz tech, now 34 yrs working on my dump truck, chipper, bobcat, etc., sometimes it's a pleasure to work on my chainsaws and mowers. Had that snapper . Was a great mower. Don't even remember what I did with it.

[@craigsudman4556]

That is a good example of what I like to call, "Exceeding its design life expectancy". Had both hips replaced, sorry I did not do it sooner. Good luck on the surgery. Great video thumbs up.

[@njtinman519]

This is for Ron I wish you good luck with your hip and after a month you should be walking much better and be thankful that is only one. I had both hips replaced in 2019 and it does take time to get back to normal

[@Muksanim2012]

Jeepers! 90 degrees inside the shop! Nice to see you help out a buddy. Three years ago I restored a 40 year old Craftsman (Husquarna) tiller. Disassembled it, repainted, new engine. And worn parts were still available. Then two years I rebuilt a 30 year old Craftsman (Husq) push mower front wheel drive in a similar manner with a new Briggs 875 engine. Use that for areas my Craftsman (Husq) 24 HP Twin 46" riding mower won't reach. When I buy yard equipment I buy good quality and take care of it. However, I would not buy Craftsman today because they are crap made by MTD (Stanley-Black& Decker). It's a shame older brand names are licensed to companies that drastically reduce the quality of the former brand.

[@johnafagerquist8235]

I bought my 30", rear engine Snapper in 2006, brand new. It's got the 12.5 hp Briggs engine. I have to agree with you. It is far and away the best riding mower (homeowner type) ever made. I have had ZERO problems with it. It's a beast! I do think I'm going to have to replace the camshaft soon, but, after 18 years, I don't mind a bit. If I can get parts, I'll have it for the rest of my life. I'm 56, BTW.

[@rodsharpley6956]

Thanks for the great vid. Crazy carnage! Gotta save those old tanks. They just don't build them like that any more. I loved seeing you, Ron and Alex working together on a project. Best wishes for Ron. I'm sure he'll be like new after the hip surgery.

[@danielsirman8865]

i have a snapper almost exactly like that one. it has the 25" deck and came with an 8hp engine. i had to replace the engine and a friend gave me a 14hp that is identical to the 12hp you took of of that one. i have been using that mower for years and would not sell it for anything. i wish they still made them like that. by the way. i paid $100 for that mower when i bought it used 12 years ago.

[@billyddenottia6250]

just found you. How cool is your set-up! Husband. Tools. And You of course. Down to earth. Talented. Thanks for taking time to make these videos.

[@jeffreylarsh1724]

Sweet Ace Frehley tattoo. I had my hip replaced a year ago last January, so glad I did. I was up and walking with little trouble within a couple of weeks. Best of luck to Ron on his surgery.

[@P100pickup]

Just done a similar engine swop due to the engine being run with little oil, dropped the sump of the dead one & amazing how many pieces a conrod can break up into!!!

[@k4106dt]

She said the govenor was okay. I wonder what the cause of the failure was?

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

@@k4106dt Oil starvation or worn out big end or small end bearing seizing and the rod shattering?

[@k4106dt]

A crude version of "low oil shut down"

[@skyepilotte11]

Excellent reuse of parts...runs good after engine swap. Wish Ron a speedy recovery.

[@rkins100]

Good luck on the hip replacement Ron. My sister had a lot of arthritis in her hip socket and replacing the hip took the arthritis with it. When she woke up she was no longer feeling the extreme pain she had prior. Anyway, prayers for a speedy recovery.

[@RonDoiron-pz3ee]

Yep, neighbour gave me his old blower with a busted engine. Took it apart, crank was good, hole in casing, broken rod. Picked up new rod, patched the hole(sacrificed the starter for the patch) re-assembled, new belts, started up on first pull!! Cost me $17. For the connecting rod. Used the machine for 2 years, then gave it to a buddy that did small engine repairs.

[@uoobwatcher]

Hoping Ron's surgery goes great! When I had my hip replaced in 2015 I was back to work with no restrictions in 3 months and one day. To this day I have absolutely no issues. It's like I've never had the surgery. Keep in mind that during that three month recovery he will be doing rehab exercises etc. The more he tries the faster he'll heal. Every day will be easier than the day before. Good luck!

[@papatomsthoughts]

The old B&S I/C engines rocked. We had a bunch of them connected to fertilizer pumps in the fertilizer industry. If kept serviced, oil changed all the time, etc, they lasted forever. We ended up going to Honda after B&S changed their quality.

[@turbofiat]

I had a 2000 Snapper with a 14 hp engine I bought used. It may have been a couple of years old. It ran great until fall. It didn't even make it 5 years before it exploded. All of a sudden it stopped running. I looked around it and sure enough it had a hole the in the same location. Kind of looked like the nuts on the end of the connecting rod had worked their way loose. I replaced it with a used Kohler engine and used it for about 15 years until I bought a new mower and sold it. The muffler was broken off on the Kohler engine so I welded a 3/4" water pipe elbow fitting to what was left of it and screwed in one of those sausage shaped mufflers. Worked fine. As far as the wiring harness. Well I just picked out the kill switch, battery and starter wires, so unfortunately all the safety switches were bypassed.

[@yopage]

God bless you Ron. I just finished a 2 week stint at Baptist hospital in Little Rock, groin artery repair and such. The Drs and Nurses are the tops in the business at the hospitals in Little Rock. I've had surgeries at both UAMS and Baptist. When I was pulled into surgery, the big lights overhead, the people standing around, I just reached for the Lord. Trust Him. You be fine.

[@yukon4545]

Mosquito Barrier! I'm in Minnesota, 7 acres, seems to be effective on ticks as well. Been using it for years.

[@SirChevy]

First, I really like your channel, and I've learned a lot from you - many thanks! I have the same mower, only a few years newer. I always change the oil in all of my equipment at the end of the year. Three years ago, I took my Snapper out for the first mowing of the spring. It started right up, and I was patting myself on the back for taking such good care of my equipment, then BANG! Turns out I drained the oil but didn't refill it, which the connecting rod didn't appreciate. I bought a new rod, piston and rings, and found a decent block and crankshaft on eBay and got her running again. You're right about the build quality of these Snapper mowers. Outside of replacing the axle boots and the plastic bushings for the steering, my Snapper has been a real workhorse. I pretty much exclusively mulch my grass clippings and leaves, and they do a great job at both. Note that with the muffler pointing to the rear of the mower, the owner won't be able to use the bagger, although it's probably a little quieter to use. Thanks again for a great channel.

[@alanmccalla6737]

Happy 4th holiday week. I just hit 100F near the mall in Hot Springs. Dad had two Snappers and three spare rubber drive wheels. He used them to pull half rick wagons of firewood up a hill for years. My younger brother is still using them both. They reminded me of the appearance of a roadgrader. Good luck to Ron. Physical therapy is a must. Don't stop early. Love whatcha do.

[@RMartin631]

My Dixie Chopper has almost 3,000 hours and is 21 years old. I've already decided to repower it should the engine ever fail. A 2 or 3 thousand dollar engine is cheaper than replacing the whole mower.

[@laarshegdish6016]

Still have my dad's 1981 Snapper, original engine, still mowing with it!

[@theresahoffman8408]

Wow, it drives the same as a snowblower. It's good. unless you're mowing very wet grass. Putting a Magneto type B&S opposed engine in place of an old coil,points and condensor Kohler opposed engine (K17). A bit of wiring creativity was done.

[@davidpenney4171]

We have a Toro Timecutter with the Kohler 19hp single-cylinder and a cracked block. It leaks, therefore smokes, but don't have to add much oil. I thought about an engine swap, and will just keep what we have. Love the Cougar in the background! We have a '68 - recently completed our second Hot Rod Power Tour, driving it 1630 miles.

[@donnyarmstrong9559]

Just want to say tgat we here are hoping all goes well for Ron next week! Living my best La Vifa Loca here in south eastern Arizona

[@patthesoundguy]

What a bummer, I love those engines. I have swapped one of those 12.5hp in place of an intek before and the 12.5 blew the doors off of the larger Intek. The 12.5 had so much more torque, the little rider pulled wheelies afterwards. No one will miss that donor MTD rider, definitely a good candidate to give up its engine. I worked on one of those rear engine MTD a year ago for a customer and I was not a fan and the worst part is they used to be very affordable at a price of $1000 max back in 2012 and as of last summer they were up to almost $2200 🤮

[@georgew.5639]

I once had an old push mower. It was powered by a two cycle Clinton engine. What I believe happened is that the screws that held the end cap to the connecting rod worked themselves loose. Finally the engine broke with similar results as that engine in your video. 😊

[@jeg1353]

Those old Snapper rear engine riders are so cleverly designed. Like you said the transmission is two discs and no gears. It can be stood on end for blade sharpening and cleaning, and for storage, I believe. Also the steering is built so that the inner wheel turns tighter than the outer one.

[@BangBang-hk4rg]

I’ve got a Snapper just like this one that I’ve been using for years. It’s built like a tank, parts are plentiful and it’s super easy to work on.

[@kheavrin]

I never thought watching small engine repair would be that entertaining but you do make it so! Keep up the good work!

[@richardrollins184]

Got me one of the GT150 for 48.14 with tax included . Great job on let us know great deals. Thanks just what I needed around the house.

[@gatouchstone]

Learned of this channel yesterday from a family member. Excellent work and commentary. Thanks for the video on best/worst mowers of 2024, helped to steer me in the right direction.

[@jtraveny]

just got a 88 toro wheel horse 416-8 last week with the power plus engine in it, needs a little work but a really nice old mower. also love stick bugs

[@rogercamp6071]

Love those old Snappers,years ago Dad bought a basketcase one from one of my friends, rebuilt the rusted out deck,put a used B&S engine on it,added his own touches to it and he used it up until he passed away, last time I saw a chewed up engine like that was a Tecumseh on an International Cadet 60 that my brother in law blew up lol

[@Enigma-Sapiens]

Weld it or JB Weld the hole piece back in and put a new rod/piston in it. I've done that several times with good results. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to get by. Great video and advice, thank you!

[@davebruins8623]

Best wishes for Ron...Drive disc system looks like my snowblower drive system love the MADE IN USA on the briggs

[@bobjohnson2009]

Best of wishes for a speedy recovery for your husband. Great job on the mower BTW. Great job of taking care of friends 😊

[@davidjanssen3809]

i did a engine swap on a ariens zero turn from 17.5 hp to 20.5 hp no issues except i didn't relieze that the original motor powered a electrical blade clutch and the donor motor had a mechanical clutch so had to swap the charging system aswell . thank god briggs & stratton parts are interchange able.

[@kbittorf335]

Great video! I have that 12.5HP engine on two Simplicity mowers(30+ years old)and notice they have quite the oil consumption issue and must check the level before every use. Sometimes requiring a pint of make up oil. I wonder if lack of circulating volume was the culprit here. I had an older 12HP Briggs once that hardly used any oil at all...

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

They are wearing out. Probably a re ring and a hone of the bore might help?

[@Chuck-Guyitt]

THat’s an official Katty-Did the perfect weather predictor.

[@montanaboy3777]

Love these videos!! I learn so much just sitting here and watching these videos......so much info and tricks!! Beautiful gal who has a solid set of brains and a great personality to boot.....no wonder she is always busy there!! Great job and also nice to meet the crew as well....keep up the good work!!

[@kdcyyz]

Looks almost exactly like my 22 year old 33" Snapper. It's a shame that Snapper stopped making them a few years back.

[@timewa851]

a brand we all miss.

[@tonywitmer1244]

I will be praying that Rons surgery goes well and he has a quick recovery. My air compressor sh$4 the bed when i went to check it out the rod was laying on the floor in front of it

[@bertgrau3934]

I did an engine swap on a 2004 Murray 40 inch cut, 12.5 horsepower Briggs I put a Kohler V twin on the Murray. It has 25 horsepower. Nothing like doubling the horsepower. Wasn't bad, and the extra horsepower is worth it.

[@ronnyconstance3269]

Prayers for your husband. I have customers lie to me often. Especially the one that tried to do his own repair then brings me a nightmare. Lol.

[@dennisbrown2571]

Good luck to your hubby. Youth is on his side. Our dentist had hip replacement and was back at work in 3 weeks.

[@rowlandclark1015]

So glad to see you back. Nice to see a lady willing to get their hands dirty. Very interesting videos, well presented. Many thanks for your time and efforts. 17:45

[@JM-fk5hh]

Good luck to your husband on his hip surgery, I had both of mine done, two years apart, things are going well, listen to doctors and do your therapy, things will work out. Enjoy your videos.

[@sferg9582]

It's always good to have friends "in the business". I had a horizontal shaft 14hp Kohler grenade a rod and it was that bad too.

[@bluegrallis]

I picked up a free mower once, very similar to this one. It was a 1970's Jacobson with a foot pedal for forward and reverse. It had a problem in the enclosed drive housing that I fixed and ran it for a few years, till I had to replace the engine. I think I ran it for another 10 years. Great little mower, but when I moved to my current home, it just wasn't big enough.

[@frankmartin8471]

I like working on the older machines that were built to last. I have an old 1991 Canadian Atlas snow blower that seems to have been built by tractor engineers. Every bolt and screw is one size larger than necessary. It weighs 300 pounds, but boy does it move some snow. Today's snowblowers have too much plastic on them and undersized hardware.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

I had to do the same thing toh my old 33 inch cut Snapper about 10 years ago. It had an 8 HP Tecunseh, but I got a 10 HP Briggs from Small engine Wharehouse on sale for 400 bucks. Easy replacement and is still running. I gave it to my neighbor who still uses it and loves it. I still have to do the maintenance. LOL

[@davidhester9897]

I feel for y'all in this heat, it's been extra hot here in Alabama this Summer, even more than usual. Around 100 each day and the dewpoint is mid 70s or higher all the time, the temp barely dips below 80 degrees at night.

[@ticiewilder7760]

Your awesome Chickanic ! All the best to you , I hope your husband’s surgery gose great , love watching and learning from you , your a fantastic help ! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@lastboyscout1065]

Love to watch you guys work and solve problems as you find them!

[@erikj.2066]

In my career as an auto tech, I had an engine come in that ran out of oil, and one of the connecting rods had fused itself to the crank to the point where it pulled the wrist pin out of the bottom of the piston (shattering the whole piston skirt), and spun around inside the engine until it lodged itself in the valley between the two cylinder banks. The engine was stuck tight. I couldn’t get to all the torque converter bolts, so I ended up having to cut the bottom of the oil pan off so it would clear a cross member to pull the engine out with the torque converter still attached. It was an Isuzu 3.5L out of a Trooper. Both the 3.2 and 3.5 were known to burn oil. Up to a quart per 1k miles was considered acceptable. Most owners didn’t check their oil though. Isuzu would still generally warranty a short block, and we got paid garbage to build an engine out from there.

[@jonathanosborne7407]

Same thing happened to my 1996 Snapper a few years ago -ran great for years then blew up for no reason. I did the same switch out -same wiring issues, etc.

[@P--O]

Great video as always! I hope surgery will go as planned. My sister recently went through a hip replacement. She was really scared before surgery but afterwards she thought it went easier than what she had imagined. Hopefully he will get the ceramic hip prosthesis which has a much longer lifespan than the "metallic ones" at least that was what she was told. Take care! Regards from Sweden

[@nellayema2455]

That old motor looks like it was a beast! 30 years of service is pretty good. My brother finally replaced the 50 year old 8HP John Deere lawn tractor he inherited when he bought my dad's house. It still ran, but was finally worn out.

[@stevedenis8292]

But it ran when I parked it last year. At least you didn't have to drill new mounting holes or make new cut outs and heat shields for exhaust.

[@bruceapple8319]

Hopefully Ron is doing well with his new hip, I love both of my new hips.

[@davidgilpin5200]

Chickanic does her best "I Do Cars" impression. That old Briggs had it's share of piston nuggets, and there was indeed malice in the combustion palace! Nice for you to do a favor for a buddy, Bre. Wishing Ron good luck and speedy recovery!

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

And just watched "Scrappy Industries" tear an air compressor run low on oil and the the connecting rods and pistons were toast. Worse than the Worse "I do cars" video

[@threeputtpar6927]

Uncle Rodney has entered the chat.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

I too was thinking of Eric when I saw that mess.

[@philheese1728]

Customer satisfaction always helps. Word of mouth is free. That was was a good swap. See ya on the next one.

[@hamradioop5777]

I so enjoy your videos and dialogue plus your mechanical expertise. Thank you for making these videos and enriching my life. Top notch! 😀

[@tomfarley3924]

Happy Happy 4th of July. I wish and pray for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery for Ron. My aunt was 81 when she got both her hips replaced. They got her up walking the next day after each surgery. Luv your videos. 💖

[@craignehring]

When I worked at Briggs one of my assignments was to test out connecting rod variations on these big singles. The engineers were trying to come up with a connecting rod that could just seize up when run without oil (many customers do not bother to put oil in) The smaller singles could survive a seize and restart once cooled off I must have blown up 15 engines looking for the hot set up... None existed That was a great job!!

[@gofishingwhenyoucan]

That motor was knocking like a jehova witness 😅