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paul171_gw

Briggs and Straton 20hp fails after only 3.5 years

Paul171
11 years ago

Hello

I have a 3.5 year old Craftsman riding mower and the Briggs and Straton 20hp engine just blew up. I thought B&S engines were good quality?

Can someone please recommend a place to find a replacement engine? Preferably another brand? Rest of mower is in good shape.

Thank you

Comments (8)

  • tomplum
    11 years ago

    Someone had stated a while back that Sears themselves were stepping up on replacing these. Worth a shot. Installing another brand brings other headaches and expense as well. IE exhaust, control cable and wiring differences. Just Google your model and type and lots of results will show up. Plus, contact a local dealer as Briggs had been running engine specials.

  • rcmoser
    11 years ago

    Blew up pretty lame. What blew up??? (Blown head gasket, connecting rod through the block, valve problems???) Not knowing what model and how it was maintained you may experience the same problem down the road? just saying more information with such general statement. Be more specific like was it an Intek or vanguard and how often did you service it?

    I'm not big fan of intek but, one on my mower has lasted 9 years and my aunts has lasted 16. But, I am the oil changing nerd and knowing the intek has it's unengineered areas I make sure the oil is cystal clean and level right on the make every time I use it, the air filter cleaned about every 10 hours. I also have 22 year old vanguard twin that's got 160 psi compression in both cylinders. IMO vanguards were very well built 20 years ago. Good luck getting sears to cough up under the new K management, especially the pre-ventive maintenance part in the owners manual has WIDE range of possible mis-steps for the owner not to mention it out of warranty?

  • sboricic
    11 years ago

    I agree with rcmoser. I just had to replace piston rings and a cylinder head on my B&S engine on a Crapsman 23 hp.
    Then adjust the valves. Apparently it's common with B&S from what I've heard.

  • Brandon Smith
    11 years ago

    I would think that even if no maintenance was done in 3.5 years the engine shouldn't have failed. I maintain my equipment very rigorously and dont understand people who dont but still. 3.5 years>???

  • walt2002
    11 years ago

    I agree with rcmoser. MANY engines are destroyed in a year by neglect, haven't seen what happened nor model as requested.

    Walt Conner

  • rcmoser
    11 years ago

    "I would think that even if no maintenance was done in 3.5 years the engine shouldn't have failed"

    Depends on the conditions. remember LT's operate in dusty HOT Conditions majority of there lifes. OIL and Air filter maintenance is critical to how long the engine will last. Even in the owners manual the hourly time is reduced in such conditons. If you do nothing but check the oil 2 years is a stretch IMO. IMO Manufacture know it will probably last through the warrantee 99% of the time. The other .1 precent they can claim owners lack of pre-ventive maintenance.

    Most people really don't read the maintenance requirements required and 95% IMO don't follow those instructions verses the conditions they operate in.

    To make it short IMO 50 hour oil changes (50 hours could be two years for some owners)(IMO reguardless of hours oil should be changed minimum twice year, filter once year, before the hot weather and somewhere in aug or sept.) is big risk in most conditions LT operate in. There also is 10 hours pre-ventive maintenance requirements which most of us (except me cause I am the oil and filter nerd) over look not mentions the prior to use requirements.

    too bad we don't hear some more details about this one, but I suspect little was done including checking the oil and this maybe the result. I also suspect the poster maybe venting his anger towards the engine manufacture. Who knows at this point.

  • walt2002
    11 years ago

    "I suspect little was done including checking the oil and this maybe the result. I also suspect the poster maybe venting his anger towards the engine manufacture. Who knows at this point."

    Agree, anger at his own negligence.

    Walt Conner

  • rustyj14
    11 years ago

    Also--a lot of people don't know the correct way to read the dip-stick!!