RC Lawnmower part 1: How to rebuild the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine

Since rebuilding motorcycles is another hobby of mine, I decided to start building the radio controlled lawnmower using a cheap one with a seized up engine. I made this a tutorial to help anyone else who might need to rebuild one of these engines. Mind you I am no small engines expert (I am a motorcycle mechanic, really) but I included what I feel is everything you need to know to fix one of these yourself.
I want to give a shout out to Jacks Small engines here. Their site was very easy to use and they got the parts to me in record time.
The rest of the series will focus on the robotic system of the mower. I will be publishing my code as well as all of my work so should you want to do this to your machine, you will have all the tools ready to go.

[@Leyet01]

Excellent video, really what is needed. Do not spend time with unhappy and foolish people, incredible the moment when you turned on the machine. It was a stick to the head for unhappy and foolish people. God keep blessing you!.

[@HaroldPrittJr]

Some twin pipes would have been nice . Like the ones on a Harley-Davidson . I’ve always wanted to hear a v-twin lawnmower with drag pipes . I think that would sound awesome! Everyone would think it was a Harley-Davidson engine . If it would sound the same . I’m thinking that it would due to the way it’s made ! 🔥 Plup plup Plup Plup Plup Plup It would defiantly be deferent . Of course I love your remote controlled idea great video I’d like to do a self-propelled that way ! But I think the v-twin with drag pipes would even be better all the way around ! Thanks for sharing !

[@JulianFoley]

I came here just to fix the old mower. Now you've got me planning to build me a flying machine!

[@burtburt1755]

I was looking at different videos and came across this one. What caught my eye was the beautiful Honda Super 90. It was my first bike and I loved it. Glad to see one again. I enjoyed the video and learned a lot about the inside workings of the cam shaft and tappets.

[@rohansully584]

Awesome project! And even HD FPV!

[@lllBAMlll]

Sweet, I built a small rc mower last summer. And my vanguard on the log splitter needs help. 😀

[@skyartrc8286]

I'm actually rebuilding one of these, thanks for the help.

[@brikeibur123]

What a great video, thank you!

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Fantastic work !

[@jasmine2501]

I did this in high school, with a 4-stroke Briggs and a 2-cycle Lawn Boy. Everyone should know how this is done.

[@Humboldt710]

Cool project Alex.

[@qbaxcpu]

can't wait for the next part.

[@CAGreve1231]

I still need to get the throttle working and speed up the actuators. ONce I do, I will publish that and the microcontroller code and schematics.

[@JohnMartin-ze8cf]

Excellent video....Excellent teacher....THANKS

[@Eagle127]

A CX ! One of the best sounding motorcycle engines ever. Like a Guzzi. I have the 650.

[@SMTechRC]

awesome work !! Don t forget the failsafe :) Kidding'y

[@mistercohaagen]

The Lawnmower Man sequels are really going off the rails now. Still gonna watch them though.

[@sharkbytefpv4326]

Fun project!

[@albertcassler8763]

Why didn't you just clean the aluminum off the crankshaft instead of replacing it? Also I noticed the engine must have been running hot due to the grass clippings on the cylinders.. Not good, a cleaning access plug should be installed in the engine shroud. When honing the cylinders use a 60 degree crosshatch patern , it helps to hold oil on the cylinder walls. And don't use a scotch brite lottery pad to clean gaskets because the pad particles will cause premature wear on the rotating assembly.B&S suggest setting valve lash after top dead center of crossover to 1/4 inch after top dead center.

[@jacklowe3788]

Thanks for Video!

[@eugenecrabs3954]

For the piston and rings re-installation, I typically would use my hands to compress the rings, seems to work better.

[@angelclark6701]

muy bien es algo que sirve a mucha gente que quiere componer motores

[@macelius]

ZOMG love that laugh, that's what it's all about! We still wanna see it cut some grass :)

[@wiremanbob8777]

What about the flywheel end seal that you more then likely riped beating the the crank in with a hammer?

[@jamesgreene5342]

if you soak that crank in lye water it will eat all the aluminum off and wont hurt the steel.i do that a lot and most cranks are not hurt so you can re use them

[@CAGreve1231]

I didn't know that, thank you!

[@albertcassler8763]

Reason the crankshaft can be reused is that the aluminum is a softer metal and they cannot possibly wield together. Take a crash course in metallurgy. Steal can be used as a backing when wielding aluminum to fill in a large crack or hole because they can't stick together very well. And aluminum can be used to backup while wielding steel too.

[@CAGreve1231]

I didn't know that. I felt safer using a known good crankshaft than trying to rework the old one. This machine lived a hard life before I got it. I am a motorcycle mechanic by hobby and an RF engineer by profession. So far this engine has 300 hours on it without any issues at all and I am really impressed with how much faster it cuts than my riding mower despite having only 2/3 the power.

[@EnuffsEnuff318]

The motor part was informative. But I have to admit, I was waiting for the RC part?

[@CAGreve1231]

Next video. This is going to be a video series. I will even have a tutorial and publish my code so that you can make your own if you want.

[@williamwhitehead8362]

You needed to clean the piston and the the head with the valves with the rotary wire brush and make sure they're nice and clean you can do that one it's a pistons on top dead center!

[@willyck948]

I'm pretty sure aluminum push rod is exhaust push rod.

[@eugenecrabs3954]

Aluminum can not stand high temps

[@willyck948]

@@eugenecrabs3954 I'm still pretty sure aluminum goes on the exhaust side

[@ugenious01]

@@willyck948 NO ABSOLUTELY NOT IT IS FOR INTAKE ONLY BECAUSE OF THE HEAT

[@willyck948]

@ugenious01 I have a briggs and Stratton Vanguard v-twin ohv repair manual section 6, page 124 states, and I quote "NOTE: All models except 540000, 610000 - Exhaust valve push rods are aluminum. " I'm sure the reason is the aluminum will cool better and prevent expansion which would tighten up the exhaust valve lash. End of discussion, I was right. PROOF +

[@arizonaguy7574]

8:50 my heart stopped

[@eugenecrabs3954]

Yeah I was like USE UR HANDS!!!! For the rings I always use my hands

[@LawnGardenFun]

Did you have to adjust/set the governor?

[@CAGreve1231]

No, surprisingly. The way it looks you really don't have to set it. The governor has a surprising range of motion.

[@willdatsun]

what is the reason for the different push rod material, ? someting to do with maintaining valve clearances between cold and hot, and exhaust valve gets hotter?

[@CAGreve1231]

Good question. Admittedly, I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess it would be because of the expansion rates of materials when heated. Exhaust will be hotter than intake and thus subject to more heat. This it would make sense to use a metal that expands less with heat compared to the intake. But again, this is simply my guess and it could be wrong.

[@johnspanos3862]

Are there different variations of the 20 Vanguard B&S motors? I have one in my simplicity 2009 that I need to pull apart and I'm just curious if it's the same one as this. Thank you!

[@CAGreve1231]

Probably more than 20 different types, honestly. They are all similar, but they have small differences. If yours is a Vanguard V-Twin, then following this video will work. If not, you will probably find some differences, but should be able to get it going.

[@saashcolab4x4]

Hello! Thanks for the helpful video. 👍👍👍 Could you tell me is it possible in Briggs&Stratton Vanguard to extract the pistons with their connecting rods from the inside - through the crankcase, after removing the crankshaft? This is in order not to remove the cylinder head. The thing is, I need to swap crankshafts from one B&S Vanguard 14 to another B&S Vanguard 16. Both engines are in good condition, crankshaft replacement is required due to the different shape of the tail section (cylinder and cone). Changing 4 cylinder head gaskets is quite expensive. 🔧 Thank you very much!!!

[@CAGreve1231]

SaashCo Lab 4x4 you can do this, no problem. You will likely need to remove the wrist pins from the pistons to get the connecting rods out, but other than that, you should be ok.

[@saashcolab4x4]

@@CAGreve1231 thank you, your advice and explanations are very valuable for me and give me hope. Of course, getting pistons through the crankcase makes me only extreme necessity - it's like removing the tonsils through the anus! 😃 😃😃 However, it is becoming more and more interesting - I have never been in the role of proctologist! So, I will disassemble the engines in the hope that the operation will be successful. Thank you! 👍

[@saashcolab4x4]

@@CAGreve1231 may I ask another question? I always thought that along with the crankshaft, it is necessary to mount his own connecting rods. Is it so? Or is it possible to install connecting rods from crankshaft №2 to crankshaft №1 and vice versa?

[@CAGreve1231]

@@saashcolab4x4 - Good question. You apparently cannot, but that is probably due to the angled cuts putting strain on certain parts of the system.

[@saashcolab4x4]

@@CAGreve1231 Thank you, you helped me a lot.

[@paulg444]

100 inlb on the connecting rods seems kind of on the low side, especially if you lubricated them. Im guessing 20ftlbs

[@eugenecrabs3954]

Yeah when building a real motor of any sort, you're typically always using Foot pounds. On smaller stuff like glow motors and low cc two strokes, Inch pounds are more common.

[@1212zorz]

I've tried on 2 different vanguards and both of the crankcase covers stop after about 2 inches and wont come off. Anyone figure out how to overcome this?

[@CAGreve1231]

Did you remove the flywheel? Might be getting hung up on that.

[@CAGreve1231]

There also might be a retaining ring on the shaft (most likely scenario).

[@1212zorz]

@@CAGreve1231 The crankcase cover on my unit is opposite side of the flywheel. And the parts diagram doesn't show any retaining rings. Ive ground off some metal from the crankshaft, maybe there's still some burrs hanging up on the main bearing.

[@sashamur_mua]

Hello. I'm from Belarus. I got in trouble. My Briggs And Stratton 23 HP engine broke. the camshaft broke ... The problem is to find a spare part. Can I install a camshaft from a Briggs And Stratton 14-16-18 HP engine? Perhaps these parts are the same? I need wise advice... Thank you.

[@CAGreve1231]

I really wouldn't know if they are the same part. If they have the same part number, then yes. There are many forms of these engines. Some have swappable parts, others do not.

[@deibama]

@ 6:54 Tapping the end of the crank with a claw hammer? Hack.

[@carlschroeder6811]

You should have taken the generator (flywheel) completely off then assembled the engine. Your crank was probably fine, the aluminum residue will come of with a wire brush and muriatic acid. You need to torque the flywheel nut properly or you could shear the keyway later on.

[@CAGreve1231]

The crank was destroyed. It had significant damage as if it was run out of oil. I actually had the melded material removed by a machinist and it was beyond repair... I did torque the flywheel, but I didn't show it in the video.

[@carlschroeder6811]

@@CAGreve1231 I stand corrected.

[@mikecorleone6797]

9:00 how NOT to install pistons.. you weaken the fragile CAST IRON piston rings.. Antiseize on head bolts? 🤦🏻‍♂️ so much for longevity.. your head bolts will eventually vibrate loose..

[@CAGreve1231]

Lubricated bolts stay tight longer than non-lubricated bolts. This is because the tension is held with the parts and not the threads on the bolts. This is well-known in manufacturing and why there is a lubricated and non-lubricated bolt torque spec (look it up). As for the piston rings... well... yeah, you could crack them if you are not careful.

[@albertcassler8763]

The coefficients of friction of the aluminum to the steel bolts increase due to different metals and isn't effected by lubricant on the threads.

[@daszieher]

@@CAGreve1231 true on the anti-seize. However that is not how a bolt holds two parts together. The thread is in fact the "brake", that prevents the clamping force from turning the bolt. So yeah, non-lubricated bolts need higher torque to reach the same clamping force. But the rings, man. Sheesh! That's how I did it as a teenager :D

[@robertcloudman3676]

It's easy to forget that oil does other stuff besides lubrication. This is high carbon steel in an aluminum hole. A wiped coating of oil does wonders for dissimilar metal/electrolytic corrosion (there's a respectable spark in the spark plug). Having said that - a hole filled with oil before a bolt goes in will tighten to a false torque due to hydraulic pressure in the hole. Too much good is bad.

[@mikecorleone6797]

@@CAGreve1231 there is a significant difference between lubricated and anti seize lol.. look in any fsm on engine assembly. You lubricate with ENGINE OIL not anti seize... I’m an engine builder by trade amd in my 23 years of experience I’ve NEVER used anti seize on head bolts because they eventually work themselves loose. Especially in high horsepower applications

[@lasersbee]

It will never fly....Call flitetest...;-)

[@jasons44]

Wash engine first lol

[@brentsrx7]

Never just spin a dry hone in a cylinder like that. Use lube and go slow. Create a 45 degree cross hatch pattern. ALWAYS USE A SPRING COMPRESSOR. It is too easy to nick a ring. Also, align the ring gaps as per the service manual. I would not trust this rebuild.

[@aaronpenn2202]

Why are yall Europeans soooo damn critical of each other? What is that? I see it all the time. Jealousy? Intimidation? Any non-mechanic can learn something from this video. A complete rebuild from a shop would cost $1000!!! The guy was not trying to do a perfect rebuild of the engine. He was just trying to get it to run. And he did. And it will problaby last for 5 to 10 years. I have a broken rod on a 23HP Vanguard and I learned something here. Some of you really need to think about where you are going to end up on that certain day when they throw your backside in that 7 foot hole in the ground. Just remember this..Nasty peoplee end up in nasty places.

[@CAGreve1231]

Humanity seems to be nasty when there is no threat of violence. From some reason the threat of potential violence in a face to face interaction causes people to be much friendlier. On the other hand, this mower is still going strong with no hint of issues. Starts first pull most times. I now have an HD video system on it so I can sit in the air conditioning and cut the grass ;)

[@davebrunson125]

you call yourself a mechanic? no ring compressor? worse reusing old rings? not properly aligning rings?

[@CAGreve1231]

Actually, I call myself an inventor as I have 6 patents to my name (2 more pending). I built an autonomous lawnmower to mow my grass for me from a piece of junk I got cheap (something you cannot do). "Any fool can condemn criticize and complain... and most do" - Dale Carnegie Congrats on being a fool. Excuse me while I accomplish what you can't... again.

[@davebrunson125]

@@CAGreve1231 You claimed to be a motorcycle mechanic. you took a good engine and butchered it

[@CAGreve1231]

Congrats on your accomplishments: nothing! Wow! I feel so honored to have a useless parasite whop has accomplished nothing comment on my video! Amazing! You are so special! You can't bring me down to your level. I am too good for that. I don't lower myself to swine.