Briggs & Stratton Intek Camshaft for 33 Series: - OE Part # 84005207 (793880) : amzn.to/3SoHocF - OE 697110 Crankcase Gasket: amzn.to/3EQcYuQ - Aftermarket Camshaft/Gasket kit I used in this repair: amzn.to/3ShTZNS SEPTEMBER 2024 TWO YEAR UPDATE: Aftermarket camshaft still working (about 55 hours running time on it).
@@Rchelicopterfun I’m going to go that route then. Just picked up a very old Craftsman LT1000 with the 17hp version of this engine. I’m willing to spend $30 to fix this issue, wasn’t sure if I was willing to spend over three times that for the B&S part on such an old machine.
All the way from down under Australia, the days of good old made in USA is over, Briggs, GM, Ford etc, we had them all in Auz, the backyard repair industry is over, it's designed to break down after the warranty, thrown to the scrap yard to replace with a new model and with electric motors replacing the smal engine mowers, chainsaws etc, the university company CEO' s these days wouldn't know the difference between a left hand or right hand screw driver and 3d printed replicas. We DIY bush mechanics will phase out with them! Remember the old TV repair man, flat screen TV' not designed to be rebuilt these days, what an interesting hobby all that old technology was to us, teaching ourselves as we pulled those machines apart! Good luck & fond memories
So true and add in the disappearance of *right to repair* your own stuff which seems to be a losing battle. I am however a fan of electric powered equipment and don't see that as an issue at all; provided we have the same access to a decent parts network. I've fixed several flat screen TV's over the past decade, seemed very serviceable to me, more so in-fact than CRTs. On electric power equipment the brushless motors, controllers and LiPo packs are just as fun, rewarding and educational to work on; provided we can get parts for them along with component/wiring schematics. With the loss of right to repair, we can kiss those resources bye-bye ☹ That's the biggest issue to be worried about IMO!
Most excellent job in the making of this video . Impressed with the quality of it and the precise attention to details and explanation of what’s going on and the why of it. Thank you for this. Do you or anyone know if the Kohler “V” twin on CubCadet has this compression release on it. My LT1050 has been acting the same way.
In addition to your excellent repair skills, you're a very good instructor. Teaching anything involving mechanical or technical terminology isn't easy. The biggest factor IMO is being able to relate the subject to the student in a manner that he/she understands. The language has to be simple enough to understand yet push across the point in order to teach the subject. You've done this quite well. My compliments. I'll check your videos often.
I'm 95 and still mowing with my rider. The compression release went bad, so I made a tool that backs up the flywheel position so it is not in compression mode. That way, the starter has a chance to gain momentum and keep cranking. Works for me as I am obviously too old to make that repair. (wood lever with two bolts sticking down to go between the fins to rotate flywheel backwards)
@@edwardgabriel5281 You Sir, are an inspiration. Keep moving and doing what you can for as long as you can. I’m a few decades behind you, but I hope to be your age one day.
I had the same problem, watched your video and was able to fix it. First time pulling apart an engine and it worked like a charm! Thank you for the excellent video!
Was given a Simplicity brand riding mower circa 2014 ish a week ago with the 14.5 HP Briggs and Stratton motor. It's like new condition,no rust paint is excellent. The original owners said it wouldn't start didn't know why and didn't want to bother putting money into it so they offloaded it for free. After going through the troubleshooting I now know why . How nice of Briggs and Stratton to put a grenade in their motors for no real valid reason when it wasn't absolutely necessary . Companies like that deserve to go out of business.
Gave John Deer a Dear John letter when the Corporation went overboard with the proprietary con game on their biggest Agricultural lineup. Apple , Tessa , HD MC, as well as JD feel brand loyalty has no boundaries. Why consumers complain and bury their heads in the sand rather than boycott these sociopathic corporations has me stumped. Thanks for sharing and best to you and yours.👍
Yes, and on top of the proprietary planned obsolescence, we now also have to fight for the right to repair as more and more such companies are killing the independent and DIY service sectors.
Farmers who buy big green are idiots. One of the owners of JD owns a machinery repair operation in the Midwest. Treats his young techs like garbage, pay wise. These sociopaths who rise to the top of companies are the problem.
You get what you pay for... $1999 machine from a big box store marries you to the crappy Briggs & Stratton and pot-metal deck ... run like hell and look for a Kawasaki powered used LX277 for half the price ... wayyyyy better machine
Probably the best video that I've seen on UA-cam. I have that same 21HP engine on my 2013 Craftsman YT-3000 tractor with about 850 hours on it without ever having this problem yet, but wouldn't have a problem tackling it after watching your video. I wasn't having any issues but decided to check the valve clearances around 750 hours and found them to be pretty loose @ .008 to .009 and readjusted them to the specified .004 & .006 which afterwards seemed slightly quieter and more powerful. lots of comments on how clean your JD is and mine looks new also because we both take pride in and appreciate our equipment by blowing them off every time they are used or even wiping them down once in awhile with a cleaner soaked rag, it's really not rocket science or anything but the majority of people out there just use their mowers and put them away without ever thinking about doing these things, even when they have the spare time or even during the winter off season, then they wonder why their's looks it's age or like crap, caked in grass, dirt, grease, and oil residue?
You are right, but the only thing to clean without exception on these motors is the air filter. Better to have a dirty reliable motor than a super-clean sheet motor.....Where is now my old super twin Vanguard...?
I run a small shop, Mark'sgreatmowers and see this quite often. There are a few aftermarket cams that are decent. OEM seems to fail more. Also before installing the new cam , I have found that the reason the compression release assembly seems to fail is because sometimes when u shut the engine off, as the crankshaft comes to a stop, it ends going backwards a bit. If the lobe on the( intake side) on cam strikes the tappet, it can stress the pin on the release tang. That can snap it off. It's only designed to go clockwise direction during running. I have found that taking your dremel w a fine grind tip, just slightly rounding off the sharp edge and end edge of the pin keeps this shearling effect from happeningor at least minimize the possibility of re occurrence . I have installed probably 50 of these past year n half to 2 years and haven't had any come back besides a lash readjustment here n there i have written briggs w this modification, which diesnt affect balancing or structureof the device. They dint seem to care. Briggs got bit by the corporate vampire years ago.. 😊
@spikeleestree8015 - Excellent real world, experience gained, large sample size, fact based comment! This people is what the comment section of YT should be for (actually helping) and I thank you for taking valuable time out of your day to leave such helpful feedback. That makes perfect sense about the kickback motion of the cam stressing out the pin, and by simply rounding out the sharp edges a little bit, it will reduce the amount of force the pin is exposed to when the tappet hits it along that edge. Brilliant advice and I have just made a note of this in my owners manual so I don't forget about this little mod for the "next time" I have to replace the camshaft :) Thanks so much again! Also very good to know your experiences with the aftermarket cams are positive! And yes, why would Briggs care... Customer satisfaction is after all low on the priority list when profits are all that matter anymore to the corporate vampires.
BRILLIANT discovery, you probably discovered the main reason why they fail so soon. Except for that defect, it is a pretty good engine IF you change the oil & filter often.
I cannot begin to thank you enough. You nailed my issue exactly. I am not a mechanic, but with trepidation and my daughter's help, I am down to the broken cam exactly as you said it would be. Getting a new one in the next couple of days and will hopefully be back up and running by weeks end. The shop wanted $900 to fix, I only paid $400 for the mower 8 years ago. Again, THANK YOU!
My Chraftsman (MTD) started this hard engine turning over years ago. I replaced batteries with larger CCA's with no change. For years, it would eventually start by turning the flywheel past compression. Once the engine was warmed up, it will always start but with that moment of hesitation. I have not seen any shrapnel in the oil and the valve adjustment is at specified. The tear down is something that I am not ready to do at this point as I have been running this lawnmower this way for years. Great detailed video, one of the best in this matter.
Most in-depth instructional video I have seen! Thank you for not assuming I know what I’m doing and leaving out steps! LOL. This is the exact issue I’m having with mine. Last season, I replaced battery, starter and gave it a tune up thinking each was an issue and still had the problem. Searched and searched for a repair and it was to start in TDC. Now I know why and how to repair it. Blessings!!
Thank you John, you explained it so well even I could understand everything. Your step by step approach is so easy to follow, a lot of other videos skip bits or the camera work doesn't show what their doing. Thanks again John, I've had two brake on my B&S motors and had to pay in excess of $700 to repair at a John Deere workshop.
About as great and comprehensive a video there is on the Internet. I've been doing small engine repairs for a couple of years now and found yours well paced and the explanations on how things work is as important as how to fix it. I always said I'd rather know "Why" rather than "How", if you understand the basic engineering behind anything, then you can figure out how things work and fix them
I am new at this and found this video extremely helpful - so first - THANK YOU! Second is that I could not get the tractor running - even after I turned it by hand. The flywheel would still stick. Then I learned another trick from another site. Remove the air filter and block the air intake - AFTER you rotate the wheel past the spot where it sticks. This allowed me to start the tractor. I did turn it off because I do not know what is broke and do not want to damage the engine but - I did this method 3 times and it worked every time. I hope this helps in diagnosing whether you have a Decompression issue. Again though - THANK YOU for an excellent video and training.
Hard starting on my mtd 12 horse mower.After replacing worn starter still had issues with hard starts.Checked valve clearances, they were sloopy.Tighten them back up and now have easy starts on a 33 year old Tecumseh engine😊
Best explanation and remedy I have seen for a far too common issue on B&S engines. I own 6 B&S engines and have only had this issue one time, but several of my friends and family have brought me "No Crank" engines for repair.
It amazes me that there isn’t a class action against Briggs. I’ve fixed 3 of them and I am currently repairing my own machine. It’s not a terribly expensive or difficult job, just time consuming 😬. The only upside is I have seen it completely trash the engine even with the metal pieces floating around in the sump 🤪. Also wanted to compliment you on one of the best videos on this subject matter 👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent video. I’ve now watched countless guys do this on UA-cam (getting ready to do mine this week - parts are on their way), and you’re the first person I’ve seen who actually cares about the details like I do. Many thanks for some GREAT detail-oriented tips (marking positions before removal, including the torque specs - IMAGINE! Actually torquing things correctly!). I can’t believe the number of guys who do this stuff and think the amount of torque between a steel bolt and an aluminum engine doesn’t matter. I had a local shop quote this job but when I heard their price and asked the guy a couple simple questions (“are you going to use an OEM replacement camshaft and not a cheap Chinese aftermarket one?”) he gave all the wrong answers (not to mention he wanted $680 for the job with only a 30 day warranty on the work). If you want something done right do it yourself - and you did it perfectly. Thanks for the help!
I have a repowered Husqvarna YTH 2042 that has a Briggs 14.5 Intek now and all I can say is I use this mower sparingly. I have very sandy soil so the grass grows very slow. This engine was brand new still in the box at a farm auction for $300.00 dollars 4 years ago, and I might have 50 hours on it. The Kohler with the extra crank case vent hole on the back of the block...lol...was the reason it's now an Intek. I have no faith in any of the new Kohler or Briggs engines anymore. Regular service and taking an air hose to mine after every use keeps that old Husqvarna looking like brand new. Great video, very clear and to the point. See you in the next one cheers.
Excellent video. Wish you had done this 5 years ago! My Husqvarna with the Briggs 33 failed to start whilst under warranty. They wouldn't tell me what they had done to fix it. Just out of warranty and you guessed it. Failed to start again. So a new battery and starter motor later, with no difference, I was able to gain some information on line as to what the problem was likely to be. Dismantled the engine and found all the remaining bits of the decomp lever in the engine as you did. When I picked up the new camshaft I asked if that was a common problem. "No, never heard of this happening" was the reply. When it went again after 4 months or so and I picked up the new (again) camshaft I was told that they are now manufactured differently and this should not happen again.
Yep, it's big problem on an otherwise pretty decent little engine. Sorry to hear you too belong to the "Briggs Broken Cam Club". I'm skeptical if the latest camshafts are much if any better; especially when Briggs / dealers claimed it was a very rare failure when they were likely doing at least a few a month and that was almost a decade ago now. Hope your latest one lasts. I'm not holding out much hope for this aftermarket one. I'll be thrilled if I get a hundred hours on it which is about 3 years with my specific mow frequency. Maybe by then, Briggs will have some back in stock 😄
Thanks for your excellent instructive video. I followed your steps to make the repair on a 19hp Intek B&S. FYI, I ordered the same aftermarket camshaft you noted, and the sump cover would not seat due to the aftermarket shaft bad alignment. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement and had the same clearance issue. I then ordered a Briggs OEM camshaft, and the sump cover slid right on. Thanks again.
Yep, the aftermarket ones are unfortunately hit & miss. Sorry to hear about that, but glad the OE Briggs one fit like a glove (or sump cover for that matter). 🙂
Thank you for this video. I am now in the process of replacing the cam due to a compression release failure, I found that the main drive pulley bolt was so tight it would not even loosen with an air impact wrench so I heated the bolt using a torch (with wife close by with a fire extinguisher), and the bolt came loose immediately . Pass this along if you like.
I've had to do this repair but your presentation was so very good and everything you have is so neat! Was just refreshing to watch this.Gives us old guys inspiration to keep on fixing!!
Great video and easy to follow.. Had my laptop in the garage while I went through the process of replacing the camshaft and when I got it back together and re installed on the mower she started first kick. Cost me $150 for the camshaft and governor so saved me replacing the engine and/or replacing the mower.. Many thanks!
Seeing that Boxster 986 in the background, I know you're a handy man with mechanical knowledge without even watching the video. I have a Boxster S 986 myself, so I know all the fun you have with keeping that car running properly. I also just bought a John Deere S100 which I'm assuming probably has the same engine. So here's looking forward to a cam replacement at 120 hours if I'm lucky and I have an excellent video of how to repair it thanks to you. This is a great tutorial, thank you.
Great video. I just recently did a head gasket and valve adjustment on my 17.5 B&S to prevent that big blue cloud on start up. And I agree with you B&S quality sure isn't the same. And like you, I use a blower to clean mine after each use. I also fill with gas and check the oil while it is still warm. Doing this has it ready for the next mowing.
What a great video on this poorly designed engine! Hard to believe there are probably tens of thousands of these engines in use! Definitely a ticking time bomb! Thank you for the time and effort you put into this!
Great video and instruction! Had this issue on my 2012 B&S 21 hp. Broke in ‘23. The carnage inside was no joke. The piece blew up and shrapnel was everywhere. Did damage to the case too. Hope the repair holds. Wasn’t a tough job. My brother and I did it together and my kids helped here and there too. Worst part was cleaning the old gasket off. Back up and running! Thank you for making this video!
My first tractor with a 14 hp Briggs engine lasted about 7 years, threw a rod. My current tractor is a 20 year old Craftsman with a 17hp Kohler Command Pro. Must have well over 1200 hours. Still runs great. My friend welds and has been keeping the deck alive.
The Command Pros are some of the best small engines ever made. Those things will run forever, so it's a shame that many of Kohler's newer models are piles of crap.
I wanted to thank you. I'm cash poor but I have a beautiful 2.11 acre lawn. I joke that I'm the Pope of Melrose Fl. When you come over the hill you see my yard. I have two rider mowers and of course they both broke down in the same month. You were exactly right. So, thank you.
Very detailed professional video ! I’m a retired 35 year auto tech ,you must of being in the trade of small engines or auto tech , this is my first video I’ve seen of yours , i subscribed to your channel now .👍🏻
I had a 3 wheel ATV Honda...It had a simple lever that you pulled to manually engage the decompression if you wanted to hand start it....K.I.S.S method...Love your quote ''Briggs and Stratton used to make good stuff...Now it is crap like everything else '' BUT the summum goes to your Problem Solving Chart !!! 😂😂😂 I have a bad feeling with those replacement parts....Fingers crossed....Very good video as always !
I think that 1/4”. drop after TDC with the straw in the plug hole has something to do with optimal spark timing...Think about it , John!...Excellent demonstation.
Actually, as others have correctly pointed out, it's to ensure the decompression pin isn't lifting the intake pushrod ATC which would of course throw the valve adjustment out. Spark timing is fixed and is a function of coil position. Coil air gap can have a slight influence on spark timing, but it's tiny.
Thanks - Filter was replaced after the repair and after running the engine for a while. This way, any (if any) last tiny remaining fragments could be caught by the filter before replacing it. Thought I said that at the end of video, but after checking, I did only say oil change. I always change the oil filter with an oil change so guess that's why I never said it. 🙃
I’ve learned my lesson about Briggs & Stratton engines and their compression relief cam. My Husqvarna riding mower has not been seen for two months. It has been in the shop(s) for that long due to living on DelMarVa using small engine repair folks
Most of our customers at Eliminator Performance do not want to spend the money for the ACR replacement and continue to start their engines by rotating the engine manually off the compression stroke just like you showed. Yep the aftermarket replacements may last hours, weeks, days or months but the OEM ones also have issues but will last significantly longer. The only tip i can give you from EP is if you are not repairing it never run the engine while wearing hearing protection or ear buds listening to music that stop you from hearing the engine over revving in the event the broken pieces contact the internal governor assembly which will destroy the engine if you do not shut it down fast enough. So far one customer has made that mistake!
@@donvoll2580 If you need to rotate the engine off the compression stroke to get it to fully turn over more than likely the ACR but should check the valves first.
I run mine with broken ACR. I use a flexible magnetic wire and retrieve whatever pisces I can thru the oil fill tube. Then pray the broken pieces stay in the sump.
@@Rchelicopterfun well, mine is doing the exact same thing trying to start. Replaced starter thinking that was it but nope. Unit is now at my trusted mower shop repair. He said ‘look for a new engine’. I said, I’ll pay to have you test it apart and find cause of new start. Will see.
The start of your video shows the exact symptoms of my twin Intek. I replaced the starter and still have same issue. Now at trusted mechanic/mower shop and he is going to do a tear down. He thinks it might be crankshaft. Thanks again for the excellent video! @@Rchelicopterfun
Another way to determine if the ACR (Automatic Compression Release) is broken is if you can get the engine running as John showed, when you shut the engine off you should hear the puffing noise in the intake as the engine slows down and the ACR activates again. As John showed, the engine came to a quite stop indicating the ACR not working.
Makes you wonder if it wasn't a good idea using the intake valve for CR. It's blasting air in the wrong direction through the carb. Other engines use the exhaust valve for CR.
Thank you.. Exact problem Im having.. These mowers are great when they are running but boy when they stop they stop hard.. Ive just spent 600aud on getting the rear drive housing glued due to a leak and very surprised i cant buy a new cover instead of gluing. I wont buy another one sadly
Thank you John! I think that exactly happened to my Intek 18.5. I was mowing and heard something metal break and suddenly the engine got louder from the compression.
@Rchelicopterfun have you ever seen one of these briggs motors with the intake valve on top? There are no numbers on my valve cover for me to see what series the motor is specifically (just know it is a 17.5hp in a Scotts S1742). Every video I have watched has the intake valve on the bottom with the aluminum push rod on the bottom, but mine has the aluminum rod on top which has caused me to believe that the top has to be the intake valve. But now I am wondering if someone worked on this motor previously and mixed up the push rods
I've never seen the intake on the top, but that of course is anecdotal. It's pretty easy however to see if the intake and exhaust ports are top or bottom by just looking at them. So on yours, if the intake port from the carb is in fact routed to the top of the cylinder head and the exhaust port going to the muffler is on the bottom of the head, then I guess there are some Inteks with that configuration. I would be interested in knowing 🙂
@Rchelicopterfun everything looks the same as yours except for the aluminum push rod is on top and steel is bottom. They must have been put in incorrectly by someone previously. Thanks!
Hi John I Already Know How To Do This , As I Work On Mowers All The Time. A Well Explained And Thorough Video. Well Done. One Of The Better Videos Available. P.s -- I Like To Watch Others Working On Stuff, Even Though I Do This All The Time
Two thoughts: First, you do an excellent job teaching and explaining how to repair an engine. Second, unfortunately this issue (broken compression release) is another sad example of how one small mechanical part failure can almost end the life of a large mechanical item (in this case, a lawn tractor). I'm retired and have the time and almost the inclination to take my tractor engine apart to fix it, but probably won't. Neither will I pay someone to do that. I'll probably do the hack of bringing the engine to top dead center and spray the intake with some fuel to start. If an engine was intelligently designed I wouldn't have to make that choice. I know, first world problem. But we can do better engineering than that and maybe one day will.
Good comment, your last sentence. NO, one day it won't happen. Modern engineers, fuelled by greed, and always ' in a rush ''......put $$$ first ; quality and repairability, last. Two generations ago, this BS thing, with plastic / teflon and other cheap cheep chinese metals, now take over. Like my generators ; fuel petcock, not even aluminum ; some sort of pot metal = JUNK . Some of us, were born 20 years too late . Anyway.....take care. ( todays generations motto ; ''' I'm in a hurry because i have to get there before i forget where i was going.. ..........
I am the same way with my small engine repair. As a retiree also, I have the same mindset; if it can be externally fixed, I will fix it, if not, not going to waste time on junk, a used engine off a mower with a bad deck or transaxle will be my better option:-). If I can, I like to either find a v-twin to replace that OHV single with or find a reliable flathead single to put in place.
I know what you mean about Briggs and Stratton junky cams. I've changed dozens of them in the last year. You're right too about the hit or miss on the aftermarket parts. Good video I guarantee. Had a 7.5 with a cam problem on a pressure washer. The cam shaft was metal. The gear and cam lobes were pressed on plastic. The lobes spun on the shaft. More Briggs and Stratton junk.
About 16:45 "Briggs & Stratton used to make good stuff" it's not the same B & S,there was a bankrupcy a couple years ago and someone else picked up the assets and name although I think the final several years of the old company featured bad management that gradually faded the once excellent reputation of building "products that work" and having had the best network of parts supply and servicing dealers in the industry. I might sound a bit jaundiced about this because I lost about $10K in the stock which became worthless.
In my shop we have changed so many of these cams it’s sad. Usually around 100 hours they flop sometimes less. I went to a junkyard and found a bunch of old inteks with the old style cam they still work and will work in these new engines.
Hey John . Thanks for posting this video. I found it really useful, followed it to the tee & got my old ride on up & running again! Thanks once again. Dean Gold Coast Australia
Thank you, John, very informative and clear. I hit a bit of a snag trying to figure out how to keep the engine from turning while trying to loosen the pulley bolt, but eventually got it: my wife wedged a large screwdriver in the flywheel teeth against the ignition coil. Would have loved to hear how you did it. Cheers.
I used the mechanic's most beloved tool - an *impact wrench* . If I didn't have one however, I would have likely locked the flywheel the same way you/your wife did. Might of first tried to lock the pulley by engaging the PTO and secure one of the blades, but I imagine it would have slipped. Hope the rest of the repair goes well & thanks for watching 👍🙂
haha, right! Well, thank you for the quick reply. You can imagine my disappointment at finding the compression release mechanism on the camshaft intact and working fine. Turned to be a bent intake push rod ... no wonder it exhibited all the symptoms you cited. I bought the repair kit but not sure now if I should use all the parts that come with it (gaskets notwithstanding) - what would you recommend?
My biggest question would be how did the pushrod get bent? There has to be an underlying reason. If it were me and I had everything apart and had all the parts, I would likely put the new camshaft in regardless the condition of the original - but that's just me. Still, before doing any of that, my main focus would be trying to find out why the intake pushrod was bent in the first place. This can be caused by a sticking valve but there are other possible reasons - use your Google Fu.
Thank you, John. Yes, of course - that's the big question. The only clue I have is that when I opened the valve cover, I found the (I'm guessing intake) rocker arm and its setting nut really loose. I assume it had loosened slowly over time until ... boom!
@@Rchelicopterfun Took the engine off and pulled apart yesterday afternoon. NOT TOO DIFFICULT. My only problem was the compression relief doodad was intact. Made me do some head scratching but I think the engine was out of time as I wasn't getting that little 'bump' in the intake valve when it reached TDC. Won't know until I get the sump gasket. Engine doesn't really have enough usage to be worn lifters....still a mystery for a bit.
Thank you very much for the detailed step by step! I'm to the point of retorquing but came inside to print out your torque sequence diagram. I'm sure it's going to work from here - really appreciate you taking the time to put this video out!
Five years ago, I installed an aftermarket camshaft on my B&S engine (33 cu. in., the same one that is in this video) and it is still running with the aftermarket camshaft.
I just live with it. Rotate the engine backwards to the compression stoke and then start. It is a lot easier than rotating the engine forward though the compression stroke as shown. The only time it does not work the first time is the first two mows of the year when the temp is cool.
I saw another video about the camshaft issue and there was some discussion about how to shut the engine off. My 2021 manual says: 1. Let engine run at high throttle without load for a few seconds. 2. Turn key to STOP position. Engine will stop and headlights will turn off. The thought is that if turned off while idling, there's a chance that there might be a kick back and that would stress the weak Compression Release Mechanism and break it. It was also suggested to shut off the engine with the PTO engaged. I don't have a Briggs and Stratton manual, but I looked up one online and it said roughly the same thing. I don't know if this'll prevent the problem, but t guess it won't hurt to give it a try.
Yep, who knows if those methods do anything or are just manufactured Briggs myths to give false peace of mind for their under-engineered / planned obsolescence part? I read all those same recommendations when my first one crapped out and afterward always endeavored to turn it off at full RPM when I put the first replacement cam in, but it's not always possible and I know I didn't do it 100% of the time. The second one did last longer than the first however (as meaningless as that sample size of 1 anecdotal observation is). I've been trying to do it every time with this one too, but certainly have forgotten a few times. As you say, it can't hurt anymore than a decompression assembly flying to bits inside 🙂
John, just a thought, there's a fuel shut off solenoid on the carburetor bowl. What if we added an inline switch to cause the engine to die from lack of fuel, do you think that would be a solution? I don't know how long it would take for the engine to stop, I'm guessing 30 to 60 seconds.
Personally the only solution I see is a more robust design. I really don't see how the engine surging for 20-30 seconds as it's being starved of fuel would help, in fact, that to me would be even worse as that little pin and arm are revving up and down during the starvation surging.
@@Rchelicopterfun I've always let mine run at a slower speed when parking it in the garage then let it idle at slowest speed for a bit before shutting it off. Let it cool down before turning off. Have never had to replace the cam (yet). I think shutting it off hot is worse, turning the key off shuts the spark off, but if the head is hot, and there's still some fuel around it can backfire, like as the piston comes up on compression, fuel mixture can spontaneously ignite and push the piston back down backwards.
I have a bolens riding mower with the original 20hp vtwin intek that I bought at Lowe's in 2002 and is still going strong till this day with over 900 hours, no starting issues or none of that compression release crap and also I have a 2013 husqvarna with a 27hp vtwin endurance engine with over 450 hours with no starting issues or no compression release junk
Few years ago I had this happen several times. I got tired of this and got a new mower but first thing I checked was the engine. If it is Briggs I walk away. Found a great Bad Boy mower with a Kohler engine. 3 years now and not one single problem.
Lol,had a 18.5 that did that so I rotated the flywheel like you did and yes started right up, always thought it was a weak starter so I wasn't going to change it until the turn the flywheel trick no longer worked, done that for two years by then the engine was probably 4years old and loss compression and started with no help for another two seasons lol,never new what was probably wrong until I viewed your site,wish I would have split the case and looked 😂
Great video and explanations. I have a 3100 series engine and I had a valve problem. The aluminium intake rod bent and broke at the valve end, further the plastic fitting on the rod guide was broken. I ordered new intake rod and guide plate but now the intake rod doesn't move backward and forwards. Any suggestions as to what the problem could be?
Bonjour. Merveilleuse vidéo. Bravo pour votre travail posé et très bien expliqué, même si à 19M44 vous remontez l'arbre à cames sans la soupape d'échappement! (LOL) J'ai beaucoup appris en regardant votre vidéo. Un tout grand merci de Belgique!
Exhaust tappet is in there, clear as day. Might be out of focus, but it's in there. Time index 19:44, you can see both the intake which is in fairly good focus and the less focused shiny dome of the exhaust tappet about 3 inches under it.
Great job John! Not a fan of their Comp. release, huh? I am also an independent shop, and picked up a couple of pointers along the way. On the pre comp.- release engines, I use the "Comp. push-thru" to start a machine with the same symptoms. Usually, it's either sulfated battery or bad bushings in the starter, I just replaced a starter on one last week. Funny thing is, you can spin one of those starters on the bench like crazy, but they won't push through good compression! As to the 1/4" drop to set valves, I noticed that when I put the cam in with the timing marks set, the piston is already at about 1/4" below TDC. Could that be the preset for BTDC spark advance?
The reason for going past TDC before adjusting the valve clearance is because TDC is at a critical intake valve dwell point where it has JUST closed. Any movement around that point could cause contact with the cam lobe. Going past TDC (and not on a compression release 'bump') ensures that both intake and exhaust are guaranteed to be fully closed, with NO camshaft lobe pressure on the pushrods. If you look at the camshaft, you see that there is a wide area of "unloaded" contact (the valve springs have NO pressure against them), where both valve clearance adjustments can be made. It's not rocket science. Just move the crank until there is play in both valve's rocker contact and adjust them. Done.
Thought Inteck was a good motor. You do good work. I'm going to avoind B&S newer stuff as I'm not a talented mech like you! Thanks. B&S uses plastic carbs in lawn mower. Quit after around five hours of use.
good video, the big end bolts are also worth checking the ones on my ohv engine came loose and took out the governor luckily the crankshaft had minimal damage and was reusable .
I bought a Jd mower with low hours that has this engine. It was burning oil when I bought it but knowing this engine also has a head gasket problem and the price was right I took a chance. After replacing the head gasket the engine was still burning oil, It turns out when this engine was built in March 2020 the Covid pandemic along with its supply chain issues was beginning to flare up and B&S was mulling bankruptcy(the perfect storm). I pulled the engine apart only to discover that one of the oil rings was never installed in the factory. I replaced all the rings and engine now running fine and no burning oil. I think if my cam fails and doesn’t destroy the engine I’ll use the hand turn past the compression stroke method rather than tearing my engine apart again
Briggs & Stratton Intek Camshaft for 33 Series:
- OE Part # 84005207 (793880) : amzn.to/3SoHocF
- OE 697110 Crankcase Gasket: amzn.to/3EQcYuQ
- Aftermarket Camshaft/Gasket kit I used in this repair: amzn.to/3ShTZNS
SEPTEMBER 2024 TWO YEAR UPDATE: Aftermarket camshaft still working (about 55 hours running time on it).
Curious as to how the aftermarket cam has held up? Any problems in the 11 months you’ve been using it?
@@RedeemedMechanic still working :)
@@Rchelicopterfun I’m going to go that route then. Just picked up a very old Craftsman LT1000 with the 17hp version of this engine. I’m willing to spend $30 to fix this issue, wasn’t sure if I was willing to spend over three times that for the B&S part on such an old machine.
tell us how you really feel about the decompression device. LMAO.
Do you happen to have a link for the 44 series in Intek Briggs motor?
All the way from down under Australia, the days of good old made in USA is over, Briggs, GM, Ford etc, we had them all in Auz, the backyard repair industry is over, it's designed to break down after the warranty, thrown to the scrap yard to replace with a new model and with electric motors replacing the smal engine mowers, chainsaws etc, the university company CEO' s these days wouldn't know the difference between a left hand or right hand screw driver and 3d printed replicas. We DIY bush mechanics will phase out with them! Remember the old TV repair man, flat screen TV' not designed to be rebuilt these days, what an interesting hobby all that old technology was to us, teaching ourselves as we pulled those machines apart! Good luck & fond memories
So true and add in the disappearance of *right to repair* your own stuff which seems to be a losing battle. I am however a fan of electric powered equipment and don't see that as an issue at all; provided we have the same access to a decent parts network. I've fixed several flat screen TV's over the past decade, seemed very serviceable to me, more so in-fact than CRTs. On electric power equipment the brushless motors, controllers and LiPo packs are just as fun, rewarding and educational to work on; provided we can get parts for them along with component/wiring schematics. With the loss of right to repair, we can kiss those resources bye-bye ☹ That's the biggest issue to be worried about IMO!
It's called planned obsolescence. It sucks.
The intent is to keep you buying. Just went thru this with a refrigerator. These are now made with a 5 year lifespan, more or less.
I thinks lgs getting sued now bc of this @rascal0175
You are very right about that They sure love making junk
One of the cleanest videos on small engines repair. Direct and to the point. Thank you very much!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for watching.
Hands down the best DIY video I’ve ever seen on the internet. Phenomenal job. Straight to the point and no filler material.
Thanks for watching 🙂👍
Agreed. Very detailed and to the point. Excellent!
Most excellent job in the making of this video . Impressed with the quality of it and the precise attention to details and explanation of what’s going on and the why of it. Thank you for this. Do you or anyone know if the Kohler “V” twin on CubCadet has this compression release on it. My LT1050 has been acting the same way.
In addition to your excellent repair skills, you're a very good instructor. Teaching anything involving mechanical or technical terminology isn't easy. The biggest factor IMO is being able to relate the subject to the student in a manner that he/she understands. The language has to be simple enough to understand yet push across the point in order to teach the subject. You've done this quite well. My compliments. I'll check your videos often.
@michaelwolf6424 - appreciated & thanks 👍
Perhaps the best instructional video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. Well done!
Thanks 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
I'm 95 and still mowing with my rider. The compression release went bad, so I made a tool that backs up the flywheel position so it is not in compression mode. That way, the starter has a chance to gain momentum and keep cranking. Works for me as I am obviously too old to make that repair. (wood lever with two bolts sticking down to go between the fins to rotate flywheel backwards)
@@edwardgabriel5281 You Sir, are an inspiration. Keep moving and doing what you can for as long as you can. I’m a few decades behind you, but I hope to be your age one day.
I had the same problem, watched your video and was able to fix it. First time pulling apart an engine and it worked like a charm! Thank you for the excellent video!
Excellent! 👍🙂
Excellent video. No annoying music and precise information. Thank you.
Thanks for watching 🙂
Was given a Simplicity brand riding mower circa 2014 ish a week ago with the 14.5 HP Briggs and Stratton motor. It's like new condition,no rust paint is excellent. The original owners said it wouldn't start didn't know why and didn't want to bother putting money into it so they offloaded it for free. After going through the troubleshooting I now know why . How nice of Briggs and Stratton to put a grenade in their motors for no real valid reason when it wasn't absolutely necessary . Companies like that deserve to go out of business.
They've sold the company!
Did they get bought by China?
This guy has good assembly habits. He can work on my motor anytime.
Gave John Deer a Dear John letter when the Corporation went overboard with the proprietary con game on their biggest Agricultural lineup. Apple , Tessa , HD MC, as well as JD feel brand loyalty has no boundaries. Why consumers complain and bury their heads in the sand rather than boycott these sociopathic corporations has me stumped. Thanks for sharing and best to you and yours.👍
Yes, and on top of the proprietary planned obsolescence, we now also have to fight for the right to repair as more and more such companies are killing the independent and DIY service sectors.
Farmers who buy big green are idiots. One of the owners of JD owns a machinery repair operation in the Midwest. Treats his young techs like garbage, pay wise. These sociopaths who rise to the top of companies are the problem.
You never owned anything John Deere. Fing clown.
You get what you pay for... $1999 machine from a big box store marries you to the crappy Briggs & Stratton and pot-metal deck ... run like hell and look for a Kawasaki powered used LX277 for half the price ... wayyyyy better machine
Probably the best video that I've seen on UA-cam. I have that same 21HP engine on my 2013 Craftsman YT-3000 tractor with about 850 hours on it without ever having this problem yet, but wouldn't have a problem tackling it after watching your video. I wasn't having any issues but decided to check the valve clearances around 750 hours and found them to be pretty loose @ .008 to .009 and readjusted them to the specified .004 & .006 which afterwards seemed slightly quieter and more powerful. lots of comments on how clean your JD is and mine looks new also because we both take pride in and appreciate our equipment by blowing them off every time they are used or even wiping them down once in awhile with a cleaner soaked rag, it's really not rocket science or anything but the majority of people out there just use their mowers and put them away without ever thinking about doing these things, even when they have the spare time or even during the winter off season, then they wonder why their's looks it's age or like crap, caked in grass, dirt, grease, and oil residue?
You are right, but the only thing to clean without exception on these motors is the air filter. Better to have a dirty reliable motor than a super-clean sheet motor.....Where is now my old super twin Vanguard...?
I run a small shop, Mark'sgreatmowers and see this quite often.
There are a few aftermarket cams that are decent. OEM seems to fail more.
Also before installing the new cam , I have found that the reason the compression release assembly seems to fail is because sometimes when u shut the engine off, as the crankshaft comes to a stop, it ends going backwards a bit. If the lobe on the( intake side) on cam strikes the tappet, it can stress the pin on the release tang.
That can snap it off. It's only designed to go clockwise direction during running.
I have found that taking your dremel w a fine grind tip, just slightly rounding off the sharp edge and end edge of the pin keeps this shearling effect from happeningor at least minimize the possibility of re occurrence . I have installed probably 50 of these past year n half to 2 years and haven't had any come back besides a lash readjustment here n there i have written briggs w this modification, which diesnt affect balancing or structureof the device. They dint seem to care. Briggs got bit by the corporate vampire years ago.. 😊
@spikeleestree8015 - Excellent real world, experience gained, large sample size, fact based comment! This people is what the comment section of YT should be for (actually helping) and I thank you for taking valuable time out of your day to leave such helpful feedback.
That makes perfect sense about the kickback motion of the cam stressing out the pin, and by simply rounding out the sharp edges a little bit, it will reduce the amount of force the pin is exposed to when the tappet hits it along that edge. Brilliant advice and I have just made a note of this in my owners manual so I don't forget about this little mod for the "next time" I have to replace the camshaft :) Thanks so much again! Also very good to know your experiences with the aftermarket cams are positive!
And yes, why would Briggs care... Customer satisfaction is after all low on the priority list when profits are all that matter anymore to the corporate vampires.
BRILLIANT discovery, you probably discovered the main reason why they fail so soon. Except for that defect, it is a pretty good engine IF you change the oil & filter often.
I cannot begin to thank you enough. You nailed my issue exactly. I am not a mechanic, but with trepidation and my daughter's help, I am down to the broken cam exactly as you said it would be. Getting a new one in the next couple of days and will hopefully be back up and running by weeks end. The shop wanted $900 to fix, I only paid $400 for the mower 8 years ago. Again, THANK YOU!
Glad to hear it - hope the repair goes well 👍
My Chraftsman (MTD) started this hard engine turning over years ago. I replaced batteries with larger CCA's with no change. For years, it would eventually start by turning the flywheel past compression. Once the engine was warmed up, it will always start but with that moment of hesitation. I have not seen any shrapnel in the oil and the valve adjustment is at specified. The tear down is something that I am not ready to do at this point as I have been running this lawnmower this way for years. Great detailed video, one of the best in this matter.
Good to know that it can be started just be turning it to that position. That is pretty simple and free.
Wonder if you could find and remove broken pieces by sticking a telescoping magnet down the oil filler tube. 😮
Most in-depth instructional video I have seen! Thank you for not assuming I know what I’m doing and leaving out steps! LOL. This is the exact issue I’m having with mine. Last season, I replaced battery, starter and gave it a tune up thinking each was an issue and still had the problem. Searched and searched for a repair and it was to start in TDC. Now I know why and how to repair it. Blessings!!
Thank you John, you explained it so well even I could understand everything. Your step by step approach is so easy to follow, a lot of other videos skip bits or the camera work doesn't show what their doing. Thanks again John, I've had two brake on my B&S motors and had to pay in excess of $700 to repair at a John Deere workshop.
Great to hear 👍 (not the part about the $700 bill of course ☹)
First time I've watched one of your videos John, bu it certainly won't be the last. Clear and precise tutorial. Thanks.
Thanks for the watch Garry 👍
A very well built engine, with a self destruct mechanism built in, by design, good job teach.
"A very well built engine, with a self destruct mechanism built in" sooo true! 👍
About as great and comprehensive a video there is on the Internet. I've been doing small engine repairs for a couple of years now and found yours well paced and the explanations on how things work is as important as how to fix it. I always said I'd rather know "Why" rather than "How", if you understand the basic engineering behind anything, then you can figure out how things work and fix them
Thanks for the kind comment - happy fixin' 👍
I am new at this and found this video extremely helpful - so first - THANK YOU! Second is that I could not get the tractor running - even after I turned it by hand. The flywheel would still stick. Then I learned another trick from another site. Remove the air filter and block the air intake - AFTER you rotate the wheel past the spot where it sticks. This allowed me to start the tractor. I did turn it off because I do not know what is broke and do not want to damage the engine but - I did this method 3 times and it worked every time. I hope this helps in diagnosing whether you have a Decompression issue. Again though - THANK YOU for an excellent video and training.
Hard starting on my mtd 12 horse mower.After replacing worn starter still had issues with hard starts.Checked valve clearances, they were sloopy.Tighten them back up and now have easy starts on a 33 year old Tecumseh engine😊
Not only are you a good technician. You're a great teacher! Great video
Appreciated - thanks for watching 🙂
Best explanation and remedy I have seen for a far too common issue on B&S engines. I own 6 B&S engines and have only had this issue one time, but several of my friends and family have brought me "No Crank" engines for repair.
Thanks for watching 🙂
It amazes me that there isn’t a class action against Briggs. I’ve fixed 3 of them and I am currently repairing my own machine. It’s not a terribly expensive or difficult job, just time consuming 😬. The only upside is I have seen it completely trash the engine even with the metal pieces floating around in the sump 🤪. Also wanted to compliment you on one of the best videos on this subject matter 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks mate 👍
It’s a shame we pay more money for crappy stuff these days, great video 👍😁
Tell me about it
Yep it’s a shame 😊
So when we find a good quality company...USE THEM AND BE A LOYAL CUSTOMER...🖖
They do not care because we are buy it. Once we boycott dese shabby product than it may change.
Don’t buy let em die
Best camshaft replacement video hands down!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Excellent video. I’ve now watched countless guys do this on UA-cam (getting ready to do mine this week - parts are on their way), and you’re the first person I’ve seen who actually cares about the details like I do. Many thanks for some GREAT detail-oriented tips (marking positions before removal, including the torque specs - IMAGINE! Actually torquing things correctly!). I can’t believe the number of guys who do this stuff and think the amount of torque between a steel bolt and an aluminum engine doesn’t matter. I had a local shop quote this job but when I heard their price and asked the guy a couple simple questions (“are you going to use an OEM replacement camshaft and not a cheap Chinese aftermarket one?”) he gave all the wrong answers (not to mention he wanted $680 for the job with only a 30 day warranty on the work). If you want something done right do it yourself - and you did it perfectly. Thanks for the help!
I have a repowered Husqvarna YTH 2042 that has a Briggs 14.5 Intek now and all I can say is I use this mower sparingly. I have very sandy soil so the grass grows very slow. This engine was brand new still in the box at a farm auction for $300.00 dollars 4 years ago, and I might have 50 hours on it. The Kohler with the extra crank case vent hole on the back of the block...lol...was the reason it's now an Intek. I have no faith in any of the new Kohler or Briggs engines anymore. Regular service and taking an air hose to mine after every use keeps that old Husqvarna looking like brand new. Great video, very clear and to the point. See you in the next one cheers.
Excellent video. Wish you had done this 5 years ago! My Husqvarna with the Briggs 33 failed to start whilst under warranty. They wouldn't tell me what they had done to fix it. Just out of warranty and you guessed it. Failed to start again. So a new battery and starter motor later, with no difference, I was able to gain some information on line as to what the problem was likely to be. Dismantled the engine and found all the remaining bits of the decomp lever in the engine as you did. When I picked up the new camshaft I asked if that was a common problem. "No, never heard of this happening" was the reply. When it went again after 4 months or so and I picked up the new (again) camshaft I was told that they are now manufactured differently and this should not happen again.
Yep, it's big problem on an otherwise pretty decent little engine. Sorry to hear you too belong to the "Briggs Broken Cam Club". I'm skeptical if the latest camshafts are much if any better; especially when Briggs / dealers claimed it was a very rare failure when they were likely doing at least a few a month and that was almost a decade ago now. Hope your latest one lasts. I'm not holding out much hope for this aftermarket one. I'll be thrilled if I get a hundred hours on it which is about 3 years with my specific mow frequency. Maybe by then, Briggs will have some back in stock 😄
@Rchelicopterfun Even today they are out of stock.
Thanks for your excellent instructive video. I followed your steps to make the repair on a 19hp Intek B&S. FYI, I ordered the same aftermarket camshaft you noted, and the sump cover would not seat due to the aftermarket shaft bad alignment. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement and had the same clearance issue. I then ordered a Briggs OEM camshaft, and the sump cover slid right on. Thanks again.
Yep, the aftermarket ones are unfortunately hit & miss. Sorry to hear about that, but glad the OE Briggs one fit like a glove (or sump cover for that matter). 🙂
Thanks! This is the best video I've found on doing this job !
Wow, thanks!
Thank you for this video. I am now in the process of replacing the cam due to a compression release failure, I found that the main drive pulley bolt was so tight it would not even loosen with an air impact wrench so I heated the bolt using a torch (with wife close by with a fire extinguisher), and the bolt came loose immediately . Pass this along if you like.
Good tip.
I've had to do this repair but your presentation was so very good and everything you have is so neat! Was just refreshing to watch this.Gives us old guys inspiration to keep on fixing!!
Glad it was helpful - happy "fixing" 🙂👍
The best how to video I have ever seen on UA-cam.
🙂👍
Great video and easy to follow.. Had my laptop in the garage while I went through the process of replacing the camshaft and when I got it back together and re installed on the mower she started first kick. Cost me $150 for the camshaft and governor so saved me replacing the engine and/or replacing the mower.. Many thanks!
Great repair & glad the video helped. Happy mowing now 🙂
Seeing that Boxster 986 in the background, I know you're a handy man with mechanical knowledge without even watching the video. I have a Boxster S 986 myself, so I know all the fun you have with keeping that car running properly. I also just bought a John Deere S100 which I'm assuming probably has the same engine. So here's looking forward to a cam replacement at 120 hours if I'm lucky and I have an excellent video of how to repair it thanks to you. This is a great tutorial, thank you.
Great video. I just recently did a head gasket and valve adjustment on my 17.5 B&S to prevent that big blue cloud on start up. And I agree with you B&S quality sure isn't the same. And like you, I use a blower to clean mine after each use. I also fill with gas and check the oil while it is still warm. Doing this has it ready for the next mowing.
What a great video on this poorly designed engine! Hard to believe there are probably tens of thousands of these engines in use! Definitely a ticking time bomb! Thank you for the time and effort you put into this!
Thanks for the view 🙂
Great video and instruction! Had this issue on my 2012 B&S 21 hp. Broke in ‘23. The carnage inside was no joke. The piece blew up and shrapnel was everywhere. Did damage to the case too. Hope the repair holds. Wasn’t a tough job. My brother and I did it together and my kids helped here and there too. Worst part was cleaning the old gasket off. Back up and running! Thank you for making this video!
Thanks for watching and hope your new decompression cam lasts as long (longer hopefully) as the first one.
My first tractor with a 14 hp Briggs engine lasted about 7 years, threw a rod. My current tractor is a 20 year old Craftsman with a 17hp Kohler Command Pro. Must have well over 1200 hours. Still runs great. My friend welds and has been keeping the deck alive.
The Command Pros are some of the best small engines ever made. Those things will run forever, so it's a shame that many of Kohler's newer models are piles of crap.
I wanted to thank you. I'm cash poor but I have a beautiful 2.11 acre lawn. I joke that I'm the Pope of Melrose Fl. When you come over the hill you see my yard. I have two rider mowers and of course they both broke down in the same month. You were exactly right. So,
thank you.
You're welcome - hope the repairs go well 🙂
One of the best tutorials I've ever seen. Thank you. Waiting for my cam to arrive.
Thanks, glad you found it useful and most importantly - have fun pulling your Intek apart! 🙂👍
As instructional videos go, on any topic, this is one of the best.
Thanks for the view & kind comment 👍🙂
Very detailed professional video ! I’m a retired 35 year auto tech ,you must of being in the trade of small engines or auto tech , this is my first video I’ve seen of yours , i subscribed to your channel now .👍🏻
Excellent presentation, clear directions on tear down procedures and installation tips and specs. A+ video.
I had a 3 wheel ATV Honda...It had a simple lever that you pulled to manually engage the decompression if you wanted to hand start it....K.I.S.S method...Love your quote ''Briggs and Stratton used to make good stuff...Now it is crap like everything else '' BUT the summum goes to your Problem Solving Chart !!! 😂😂😂 I have a bad feeling with those replacement parts....Fingers crossed....Very good video as always !
Yep, only time will tell with the aftermarket part. I'll be sure to update the video with a pinned comment if (I mean when) this one breaks. 😄
Awesome video ! I just picked up a mower with this engine and now feel confident on what to do.
Have fun 👍🙂
Apps absolutely amazing tutorial on how to repair that lousy decompression valve. Thank you very much, I hope to attempt it over the winter.
Good luck with the replacement & thanks for commenting 🙂
I think that 1/4”. drop after TDC with the straw in the plug hole has something to do with optimal spark timing...Think about it , John!...Excellent demonstation.
Actually, as others have correctly pointed out, it's to ensure the decompression pin isn't lifting the intake pushrod ATC which would of course throw the valve adjustment out. Spark timing is fixed and is a function of coil position. Coil air gap can have a slight influence on spark timing, but it's tiny.
Thank you 10'.57" for the Cam Angle where the feeler gauge meets the valve , this tutorial is clutch
Best video I’ve seen on this repair. I am a bit curious why the oil filter wasn’t changed, since that would be contaminated with metal particles.❤
Thanks - Filter was replaced after the repair and after running the engine for a while. This way, any (if any) last tiny remaining fragments could be caught by the filter before replacing it. Thought I said that at the end of video, but after checking, I did only say oil change. I always change the oil filter with an oil change so guess that's why I never said it. 🙃
Excellent presentation and clear direction on all phases of repair.
Taryl fixes All also has a good video on this subject ! Along with many many more helpful instructional videos of al types of small engine repair!
yes, Dony Boy and Steves' Small Engine Saloon.....(he's near Vancouver )
I’ve learned my lesson about Briggs & Stratton engines and their compression relief cam. My Husqvarna riding mower has not been seen for two months. It has been in the shop(s) for that long due to living on DelMarVa using small engine repair folks
Yikes
Most of our customers at Eliminator Performance do not want to spend the money for the ACR replacement and continue to start their engines by rotating the engine manually off the compression stroke just like you showed. Yep the aftermarket replacements may last hours, weeks, days or months but the OEM ones also have issues but will last significantly longer. The only tip i can give you from EP is if you are not repairing it never run the engine while wearing hearing protection or ear buds listening to music that stop you from hearing the engine over revving in the event the broken pieces contact the internal governor assembly which will destroy the engine if you do not shut it down fast enough. So far one customer has made that mistake!
Never even thought of the governor getting jammed by the debris field - thanks for the tip!
Good day Wayne So I have MTD 20 hp twin cyl, does this apply here too. Thanks it is 2,00 am, can't sleep.
@@donvoll2580 If you need to rotate the engine off the compression stroke to get it to fully turn over more than likely the ACR but should check the valves first.
@@waynestefinashen239 No & I have 2 cyl. & it is not Intek. Thanks I winter is suppose to come back.
I run mine with broken ACR. I use a flexible magnetic wire and retrieve whatever pisces I can thru the oil fill tube. Then pray the broken pieces stay in the sump.
Excellent Video and I now know why my 24V Intek VTwin will not start. Next step is tear down and rebuild. Thanks!
This is *only* an issue with the *single cylinder* Intek's not the twins.
@@Rchelicopterfun well, mine is doing the exact same thing trying to start. Replaced starter thinking that was it but nope. Unit is now at my trusted mower shop repair. He said ‘look for a new engine’. I said, I’ll pay to have you test it apart and find cause of new start. Will see.
The start of your video shows the exact symptoms of my twin Intek. I replaced the starter and still have same issue. Now at trusted mechanic/mower shop and he is going to do a tear down. He thinks it might be crankshaft. Thanks again for the excellent video! @@Rchelicopterfun
Another way to determine if the ACR (Automatic Compression Release) is broken is if you can get the engine running as John showed, when you shut the engine off you should hear the puffing noise in the intake as the engine slows down and the ACR activates again. As John showed, the engine came to a quite stop indicating the ACR not working.
👌 Great diagnostic tip! Thanks 👍
Makes you wonder if it wasn't a good idea using the intake valve for CR. It's blasting air in the wrong direction through the carb. Other engines use the exhaust valve for CR.
Thank you.. Exact problem Im having.. These mowers are great when they are running but boy when they stop they stop hard.. Ive just spent 600aud on getting the rear drive housing glued due to a leak and very surprised i cant buy a new cover instead of gluing. I wont buy another one sadly
Thank you John! I think that exactly happened to my Intek 18.5. I was mowing and heard something metal break and suddenly the engine got louder from the compression.
Thank you for this video. Gave me the confidence to try this repair. Was about to throw in the towel and start saving for a new mower
Have fun with the repair; not that hard, just time consuming 🙂
@Rchelicopterfun have you ever seen one of these briggs motors with the intake valve on top? There are no numbers on my valve cover for me to see what series the motor is specifically (just know it is a 17.5hp in a Scotts S1742). Every video I have watched has the intake valve on the bottom with the aluminum push rod on the bottom, but mine has the aluminum rod on top which has caused me to believe that the top has to be the intake valve. But now I am wondering if someone worked on this motor previously and mixed up the push rods
I've never seen the intake on the top, but that of course is anecdotal. It's pretty easy however to see if the intake and exhaust ports are top or bottom by just looking at them. So on yours, if the intake port from the carb is in fact routed to the top of the cylinder head and the exhaust port going to the muffler is on the bottom of the head, then I guess there are some Inteks with that configuration. I would be interested in knowing 🙂
@Rchelicopterfun everything looks the same as yours except for the aluminum push rod is on top and steel is bottom. They must have been put in incorrectly by someone previously. Thanks!
Hi John
I Already Know How To Do This , As I Work On Mowers All The Time. A Well Explained And Thorough Video. Well Done. One Of The Better Videos Available. P.s -- I Like To Watch Others Working On Stuff, Even Though I Do This All The Time
Appreciate the view & comment 👍🙂
Two thoughts: First, you do an excellent job teaching and explaining how to repair an engine. Second, unfortunately this issue (broken compression release) is another sad example of how one small mechanical part failure can almost end the life of a large mechanical item (in this case, a lawn tractor). I'm retired and have the time and almost the inclination to take my tractor engine apart to fix it, but probably won't. Neither will I pay someone to do that. I'll probably do the hack of bringing the engine to top dead center and spray the intake with some fuel to start. If an engine was intelligently designed I wouldn't have to make that choice. I know, first world problem. But we can do better engineering than that and maybe one day will.
Good comment, your last sentence. NO, one day it won't happen. Modern engineers, fuelled by greed, and always ' in a rush ''......put $$$ first ; quality and repairability, last. Two generations ago, this BS thing, with plastic / teflon and other cheap cheep chinese metals, now take over. Like my generators ; fuel petcock, not even aluminum ; some sort of pot metal = JUNK . Some of us, were born 20 years too late . Anyway.....take care. ( todays generations motto ; ''' I'm in a hurry because i have to get there before i forget where i was going.. ..........
I am the same way with my small engine repair. As a retiree also, I have the same mindset; if it can be externally fixed, I will fix it, if not, not going to waste time on junk, a used engine off a mower with a bad deck or transaxle will be my better option:-). If I can, I like to either find a v-twin to replace that OHV single with or find a reliable flathead single to put in place.
How are those harbor freight replacement engines
I know what you mean about Briggs and Stratton junky cams. I've changed dozens of them in the last year. You're right too about the hit or miss on the aftermarket parts. Good video I guarantee. Had a 7.5 with a cam problem on a pressure washer. The cam shaft was metal. The gear and cam lobes were pressed on plastic. The lobes spun on the shaft. More Briggs and Stratton junk.
Sounds like John Deere isn’t what it used to be! very good video, thanks👍👍
B&S engine...
john deere's even sucked back in the day piss poor decks and bs variator
Absolutely one of the best videos I have watch
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
About 16:45 "Briggs & Stratton used to make good stuff"
it's not the same B & S,there was a bankrupcy a couple years ago and someone else picked up the assets and name although I think the final several years of the old company featured bad management that gradually faded the once excellent reputation of building "products that work" and having had the best network of parts supply and servicing dealers in the industry.
I might sound a bit jaundiced about this because I lost about $10K in the stock which became worthless.
In my shop we have changed so many of these cams it’s sad. Usually around 100 hours they flop sometimes less.
I went to a junkyard and found a bunch of old inteks with the old style cam they still work and will work in these new engines.
Appreciate the information - thanks for sharing 👍
Hey John . Thanks for posting this video. I found it really useful, followed it to the tee & got my old ride on up & running again!
Thanks once again.
Dean Gold Coast Australia
Great to hear 👍
Yep..thanx for your effort pal
Thank you, John, very informative and clear. I hit a bit of a snag trying to figure out how to keep the engine from turning while trying to loosen the pulley bolt, but eventually got it: my wife wedged a large screwdriver in the flywheel teeth against the ignition coil. Would have loved to hear how you did it. Cheers.
I used the mechanic's most beloved tool - an *impact wrench* . If I didn't have one however, I would have likely locked the flywheel the same way you/your wife did. Might of first tried to lock the pulley by engaging the PTO and secure one of the blades, but I imagine it would have slipped.
Hope the rest of the repair goes well & thanks for watching 👍🙂
haha, right! Well, thank you for the quick reply. You can imagine my disappointment at finding the compression release mechanism on the camshaft intact and working fine. Turned to be a bent intake push rod ... no wonder it exhibited all the symptoms you cited. I bought the repair kit but not sure now if I should use all the parts that come with it (gaskets notwithstanding) - what would you recommend?
My biggest question would be how did the pushrod get bent? There has to be an underlying reason. If it were me and I had everything apart and had all the parts, I would likely put the new camshaft in regardless the condition of the original - but that's just me.
Still, before doing any of that, my main focus would be trying to find out why the intake pushrod was bent in the first place. This can be caused by a sticking valve but there are other possible reasons - use your Google Fu.
Thank you, John. Yes, of course - that's the big question. The only clue I have is that when I opened the valve cover, I found the (I'm guessing intake) rocker arm and its setting nut really loose. I assume it had loosened slowly over time until ... boom!
Yep, I suppose a really loose rocker could lead to a bent a pushrod.
Thorough, well-presented and filmed....great job! I can do this now!
Glad you found it helpful; have fun with your repair 🙂👍
@@Rchelicopterfun Took the engine off and pulled apart yesterday afternoon. NOT TOO DIFFICULT. My only problem was the compression relief doodad was intact. Made me do some head scratching but I think the engine was out of time as I wasn't getting that little 'bump' in the intake valve when it reached TDC. Won't know until I get the sump gasket. Engine doesn't really have enough usage to be worn lifters....still a mystery for a bit.
Excellent instruction, and overall very high production values with light and clean space to work. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I had the same issue, not starting. Damn near replaced everything. Ended up being the valve clearance. Adj each valve at TDC of .005 Wha-la!
Thank you very much for the detailed step by step! I'm to the point of retorquing but came inside to print out your torque sequence diagram. I'm sure it's going to work from here - really appreciate you taking the time to put this video out!
Glad it helped
Nice job of explaining the process and the problem. Sadly, I have the same dang motor.
Five years ago, I installed an aftermarket camshaft on my B&S engine (33 cu. in., the same one that is in this video) and it is still running with the aftermarket camshaft.
Thanks for the video. I think my mower has the same problem. I will know more but I'm glad there are videos like this out there to help.
Hopefully it might just be an easy valve adjustment and not a busted decompression. Fingers crossed.
thank you for this! this is the best video on youtube for doing this repair. I replaced the camshaft on my mower no problem thanks to you!
Great to hear - happy mowing :)
My 2004 24HP Intek has 1200 hours, head gasket replacement, re-set valves every 100-150 hours, still going strong
I just live with it. Rotate the engine backwards to the compression stoke and then start. It is a lot easier than rotating the engine forward though the compression stroke as shown. The only time it does not work the first time is the first two mows of the year when the temp is cool.
I saw another video about the camshaft issue and there was some discussion about how to shut the engine off.
My 2021 manual says:
1. Let engine run at high throttle without load for a few seconds.
2. Turn key to STOP position. Engine will stop and headlights will turn off.
The thought is that if turned off while idling, there's a chance that there might be a kick back and that would stress the weak Compression Release Mechanism and break it. It was also suggested to shut off the engine with the PTO engaged. I don't have a Briggs and Stratton manual, but I looked up one online and it said roughly the same thing. I don't know if this'll prevent the problem, but t guess it won't hurt to give it a try.
Yep, who knows if those methods do anything or are just manufactured Briggs myths to give false peace of mind for their under-engineered / planned obsolescence part? I read all those same recommendations when my first one crapped out and afterward always endeavored to turn it off at full RPM when I put the first replacement cam in, but it's not always possible and I know I didn't do it 100% of the time. The second one did last longer than the first however (as meaningless as that sample size of 1 anecdotal observation is). I've been trying to do it every time with this one too, but certainly have forgotten a few times. As you say, it can't hurt anymore than a decompression assembly flying to bits inside 🙂
John, just a thought, there's a fuel shut off solenoid on the carburetor bowl. What if we added an inline switch to cause the engine to die from lack of fuel, do you think that would be a solution? I don't know how long it would take for the engine to stop, I'm guessing 30 to 60 seconds.
Personally the only solution I see is a more robust design. I really don't see how the engine surging for 20-30 seconds as it's being starved of fuel would help, in fact, that to me would be even worse as that little pin and arm are revving up and down during the starvation surging.
@@Rchelicopterfun I've always let mine run at a slower speed when parking it in the garage then let it idle at slowest speed for a bit before shutting it off. Let it cool down before turning off. Have never had to replace the cam (yet). I think shutting it off hot is worse, turning the key off shuts the spark off, but if the head is hot, and there's still some fuel around it can backfire, like as the piston comes up on compression, fuel mixture can spontaneously ignite and push the piston back down backwards.
I like the chart you had shown it was a funny anecdote for the problems that may happen on in life.
I have a bolens riding mower with the original 20hp vtwin intek that I bought at Lowe's in 2002 and is still going strong till this day with over 900 hours, no starting issues or none of that compression release crap and also I have a 2013 husqvarna with a 27hp vtwin endurance engine with over 450 hours with no starting issues or no compression release junk
the twin cylinders have a different cam
Hands down best video out there on this subject. Thank you
Wow, thanks and glad it was helpful 🙂👍
Few years ago I had this happen several times. I got tired of this and got a new mower but first thing I checked was the engine. If it is Briggs I walk away. Found a great Bad Boy mower with a Kohler engine. 3 years now and not one single problem.
It’s not just a problem on B&S engines, I had the same problem on a Koehler Command after less than 300 hours.
Very well put together video you weren't obnoxious with gimmicks or stupid voices straight to the point.
🙂👍
Lol,had a 18.5 that did that so I rotated the flywheel like you did and yes started right up, always thought it was a weak starter so I wasn't going to change it until the turn the flywheel trick no longer worked, done that for two years by then the engine was probably 4years old and loss compression and started with no help for another two seasons lol,never new what was probably wrong until I viewed your site,wish I would have split the case and looked 😂
Great video and explanations. I have a 3100 series engine and I had a valve problem. The aluminium intake rod bent and broke at the valve end, further the plastic fitting on the rod guide was broken. I ordered new intake rod and guide plate but now the intake rod doesn't move backward and forwards. Any suggestions as to what the problem could be?
Thank you for the great video. I wouldn't have figured out this problem and if I did, I would have made several mistakes. You saved my mower😊
Great to hear - happy mowing 🙂👍
Any thoughts on why the decompression cam breaks?
Sometimes it’s metal fatigue on the spring.
Bonjour. Merveilleuse vidéo. Bravo pour votre travail posé et très bien expliqué, même si à 19M44 vous remontez l'arbre à cames sans la soupape d'échappement! (LOL) J'ai beaucoup appris en regardant votre vidéo. Un tout grand merci de Belgique!
Exhaust tappet is in there, clear as day. Might be out of focus, but it's in there. Time index 19:44, you can see both the intake which is in fairly good focus and the less focused shiny dome of the exhaust tappet about 3 inches under it.
OK, sorry! Peut-être un effet d'optique.@@Rchelicopterfun
Craaaap. Not what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to know. Thanks for the great video.
Fingers crossed yours might not be a broken decomp-cam.
Excellent instruction, clear, precise, informative and well thought out video, thanks for you video it was fantastic...
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Great job John!
Not a fan of their Comp. release, huh?
I am also an independent shop, and picked up a couple of pointers along the way. On the pre comp.- release engines, I use the "Comp. push-thru" to start a machine with the same symptoms. Usually, it's either sulfated battery or bad bushings in the starter, I just replaced a starter on one last week. Funny thing is, you can spin one of those starters on the bench like crazy, but they won't push through good compression!
As to the 1/4" drop to set valves, I noticed that when I put the cam in with the timing marks set, the piston is already at about 1/4" below TDC. Could that be the preset for BTDC spark advance?
Thanks for the additional tips and thoughts on TDC. Yep, that makes sense. 👍
thankyou for using part names ,well done
The reason for going past TDC before adjusting the valve clearance is because TDC is at a critical intake valve dwell point where it has JUST closed. Any movement around that point could cause contact with the cam lobe. Going past TDC (and not on a compression release 'bump') ensures that both intake and exhaust are guaranteed to be fully closed, with NO camshaft lobe pressure on the pushrods.
If you look at the camshaft, you see that there is a wide area of "unloaded" contact (the valve springs have NO pressure against them), where both valve clearance adjustments can be made. It's not rocket science. Just move the crank until there is play in both valve's rocker contact and adjust them. Done.
Always amazed on how clearance of .007 and .009 of an inch on the cam can make life much better.
Perfect. I will attempt this once I receive the parts. Thanks for making this video. Very well done and thorough.
Have fun 🙂👍
Thought Inteck was a good motor. You do good work. I'm going to avoind B&S newer stuff as I'm not a talented mech like you! Thanks. B&S uses plastic carbs in lawn mower. Quit after around five hours of use.
good video, the big end bolts are also worth checking the ones on my ohv engine came loose and took out the governor luckily the crankshaft had minimal damage and was reusable .
Good tip 👍
I bought a Jd mower with low hours that has this engine. It was burning oil when I bought it but knowing this engine also has a head gasket problem and the price was right I took a chance. After replacing the head gasket the engine was still burning oil, It turns out when this engine was built in March 2020 the Covid pandemic along with its supply chain issues was beginning to flare up and B&S was mulling bankruptcy(the perfect storm). I pulled the engine apart only to discover that one of the oil rings was never installed in the factory. I replaced all the rings and engine now running fine and no burning oil. I think if my cam fails and doesn’t destroy the engine I’ll use the hand turn past the compression stroke method rather than tearing my engine apart again