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Pushed into my yard

jcdammeyer

jcdammeyer

John
Premium Member
This was pushed into my yard today by a friend and his son now tucked away into a small storage area. Apparently it needs a bunch of work he's not capable of doing and a shop would charge close to the price of a new one so they bought a new one. Since I didn't take a picture when it was still on the driveway I found a photo of one online. Close enough...

GardenTractor.webp

Once my son returns my battery charger and I've reached the 3 week point after my TURP surgery I can start figuring out what needs to be done to fix it. Comes with the grass catcher and has (very dull) mulching blades so odds are instead of 2 hours mowing I should be able to reduce that to under 1 hour.
 
Here's what I was told by my friend:

"I wasn't here. Wife and son were trying to have it fixed behind my back, so I really don't know what it was. My son mentioned that it may have been some cap replacement. Distributor cap, maybe? I think it was pretty close to a complete overhaul. Another option was to get a new engine for $800ish? and install it myself. Hah. That wouldn't work."

My friend isn't mechanically inclined. I'm not allowed to lift and bend for another 3 weeks so other than ordering some parts I can't do anything on it. They needed the room for their new one.
 
Those engines have a solenoid fuel shut off on the bottom of the carb that often fails, the result is the engine fills with gas and hydraulic locks. If it won't turn over you can (when you can) pull the plug and crank it over and see if fuel pumps out.
 
YotaBota said:
Those engines have a solenoid fuel shut off on the bottom of the carb that often fails, the result is the engine fills with gas and hydraulic locks. If it won't turn over you can (when you can) pull the plug and crank it over and see if fuel pumps out.
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Thank you. I wondered what that was underneath the carb bowel. With an unknown engine that runs poorly one of the first things I do is remove and clean out the bowel. Often a lot of crap inside. As soon as I am allowed I'll check into that.
 
Almost sounds like it went in for a cam replacement. It's a quite common failure in the B&S Inteck engines. Generally one of the tabs breaks off for the compression release. Not a terrible job to do, but expensive if you are paying shop rates....
 
140mower said:
Almost sounds like it went in for a cam replacement. It's a quite common failure in the B&S Inteck engines. Generally one of the tabs breaks off for the compression release. Not a terrible job to do, but expensive if you are paying shop rates....
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Too early to fear that level of maintenance. Although a cam failure with a valve pushing against a rising piston is another physical feature of an engine that won't turn over.
 
Actually, piston to valve interference isn't a problem. The compression release does just that it lets off a little bit of compression during starting, once the engine is running the compression release has no function on operation. Usually if it won't turn over, you can back spin the engine by hand using the flywheel screen and try starting again. If it gets over the hump and starts, the release is generally at fault. Assuming that the battery and starter are good.
 
140mower said:
Actually, piston to valve interference isn't a problem. The compression release does just that it lets off a little bit of compression during starting, once the engine is running the compression release has no function on operation. Usually if it won't turn over, you can back spin the engine by hand using the flywheel screen and try starting again. If it gets over the hump and starts, the release is generally at fault. Assuming that the battery and starter are good.
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I've been looking at the exploded diagrams and I can't find a compression relief. Not called that at least.
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I have the original paper one too, a little worn. There is something called a Reed Breather. Not sure what that is.
 
The compression release is an integral part of the cam gear assembly. It functions much the same way the mechanical advance inside a distributor does. At low speeds (starting) it holds a valve open just a titch, once started the fly weights pull the little tab out of the way of the valve and full power is available. They're really just a crappy little device so you can get away with a near worthless battery and an anemic starter with a plastic gear.....;)
 
jcdammeyer said:
So it's part of the part number for cam and cam gear assembly. Great photo. Where did you find that?
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I just googled inteck camshaft. It looks slightly different from what I recall, but with age most things do.....:p Yes, it's part of the same part number as the cam and gear.
 
140mower said:
I just googled inteck camshaft. It looks slightly different from what I recall, but with age most things do.....:p Yes, it's part of the same part number as the cam and gear.
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Thanks. I tried googling that and did find the same thing. So here's the question.
I can see how the spring loaded piece will fly outward once the CAM is turning above a specific RPM. While cranking, what does it push? Or is the CAM follower wide enough to be caught by it too. It looks like it's too far away.
Intek_CAMShaft.jpg
 
So aside from the normal spark-plug and cable, fuel filter etc. there are these possibilities:
1. Defective battery that can't be charged enough to even crank engine.
2. Electrical interlock open circuit or Fuse blown.
3. Defective starter motor/solenoid.
4. Fuel Shut off at bottom of float bowl defective
5. Broken spring loaded compression relief cam on cam shaft.

It's my older son's birthday today. We're taking his family out for dinner and he's returning my intelligent marine battery charger which won't even bother charging if the health of the battery is crappy.

Baby steps.
If it's the CAM shaft it's closer to a full engine rebuild and that means I have to clean up my shop a teensy bit. Dig out my parts washer from the storage shed...
 
I have an 18hp engine with what I'm told is a busted crank, the cam could be okay. It is complete with carb and starter and stuff, if you want it for parts bring some muscle and it's yours.
 
YotaBota said:
I have an 18hp engine with what I'm told is a busted crank, the cam could be okay. It is complete with carb and starter and stuff, if you want it for parts bring some muscle and it's yours.
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Thanks. I really appreciate that and I will let you know.

Currently charging battery which I'm pretty sure is from 02/17 so will cost $69 from Cdn. to replace. Next if it doesn't turn over I'll pull the spark plug and see if I can turn it by hand. But now we're getting into the kind of bending and movement I'm not supposed to do for a few weeks.

Must be nice to my body. Only one I've got...
 
So put the battery back. Turned key. Hear starter gear engage but nothing turns. Try that a few times and suddenly it turns maybe one rev. Turn key off and rotate engine by hand. Can feel compression stroke.
Move it to a point where it's easy to turn. Switch on and turn key. Spins a half rev or so and then stops. What looks to be compression stroke in each case.
Suggests that CAM is the problem if it's supposed to allow engine to turn easily. Especially on the compression stroke.
 
Great description here on the problem and step by step repair. Reminds me of setting the valve lash on my 1964 MGB.

 
So I have what is perhaps a silly question. Not holding the cam shaft with centrifugal assembly in my hand I am perhaps a bit ignorant about what can be done. After it's unlikely most small engine repair shops have full CNC mills etc.

So why can't this broken assembly be replaced with a manufactured part. Why is it that B&S sells a complete CAM shaft, Lobes, Gear and centrifugal assembly rather than a simple part and spring. Why does it even break in half? Cast metal perhaps?

I almost feel like buying the cheapest far east clone (not recommended in the above video "don't ask me how I know"). But using it as a model for milling out my own. Given what we build in our machine shops how hard can it be?
 
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