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Engine rebuild


Fronkie

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I am learning here so please don't make fun of the novice. Can someone briefly explain what goes into an engine rebuild? My 14HP BS off my 7014S runs alright but just doesn't seem to have full power. I am going to tear down here in the next couple of weeks and could use some guidance. Throw me some suggestions...new ring set, piston assembly? Thanks in advance.
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Check the numbers on that motor. I wouldn't be suprised if it was a 16hp. My 7014s came with one. I think for marketing purposes, they de-rated them to 14.
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A good start would be to get a book on the subject. Usually the local library has some good ones. For B&S there are several, either for the newer engines or the "antiques" you can find at book stores or order through your dealer. What you'll need for your engine could range from rebuilding just the carb to checking out every internal component and regrinding the crankshaft, new bearings, machining the block and new pistons, new valves, etc. It can be time consuming and expensive. Or you can replace with a good runner or have the engine rebuilt.
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quote:
Originally posted by Fronkie
I am learning here so please don't make fun of the novice. Can someone briefly explain what goes into an engine rebuild? My 14HP BS off my 7014S runs alright but just doesn't seem to have full power. I am going to tear down here in the next couple of weeks and could use some guidance. Throw me some suggestions...new ring set, piston assembly? Thanks in advance.
An engine rebuild means to completely disassemble an engine, inspect and return every component back to factory specifications.. Anything less and you are probably not going to be satisfied. One of my pet peeves is from the well intentioned "old timer/expert, been doing it 50 yrs" type.:) He puts new rings on a worn piston in a worn bore, never mikes the crank/rod and calls it "overhauled". :O Everyone wonders why the engine shortly begins smoking... Anyway- You need a manual first, then teardown and inspect everything. Then determine what you need. This will probably involve a trusted machine shop with a bore gauge and micrometer/vernier caliper. Personally if it did not smoke, have excessive crankcase pressure or knock I would not take it apart. Your lack of power problem lies elswhere...
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Thanks Brent, that is what I wanted to hear. I think I will leave it be and just pull it and clean it up...maybe some carb work (I know it could use that). Any suggestions where I could be losing the power so I can start the investigation?
quote:
My 7014s came with one. I think for marketing purposes, they de-rated them to 14.
I was doing some research before my post and noticed the same serial number for the Briggs was used on the 16hp sovereign. I figured it was something in the type #. Always good to learn something new. So in reality, the tractor is a 7016S. How 'bout that trash.
quote:
A good start would be to get a book on the subject
Peter, are you implying that I should read? I think my wife has said something like that before...but I really didn't hear her:D R
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quote:
An engine rebuild means to completely disassemble an engine, inspect and return every component back to factory specifications..
quote:
- B.Ikard
AMEN!! they dont make out of round pistons and rings to fix piston taper.
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Fronkie- I think the HP (de)rating is odd too-think it is set by max rpm. I have a 3204XX engine rated as a 14hp, removed from an old sears suburban. It's a 32 incher but has the additional balancer assembly on the PTO like the 12hp engines. I'm guessing this was a 1st generation 32 inch engine because of the dual balancers?? Brent
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Before tearing it completely down, you can check some things to help determine how far you need to go. A good start is to read the the tech tips and articles. You can't beat picking up the Briggs manual. A good investment which has a lot of how-tos and the specs you are looking for. I think there is an online link in the tech tips. A compression test is a start. It's not a smoking gun though. Checking the valve clearances to the specs is a must. Going through the carb is not too difficult. Check things first and maybe put a kit into it for confidence. Throttle shaft bushings are good insurance. For ignition, I would insulate the coil wire with shrink wrap tubing and either put a rubber grommet in the flywheel cover hole where the wires pass through, or put some 1/4" convoluted tubing around the plug wire at that hole. Don't be in a hurry to get it back together, but make sure you have checked everything. It's a lot of time to even pull the engine, outside of rebuilding it. I've hardly covered much.
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I'd do a lot of checking before I would go to the effort of tearing an engine apart and rebuilding or even patching, especially if you have never done such before. Your engine may be losing power due to simple problems that are easily repaired, and I would check those first. Things such as a carb float adjustment, points set too far open or closed, a clogged crankcase breather, a clogged valve cover(depending on the year of your engine), any or a combination could be the problem. All are easy fixes. Is the engine using more oil than gas? If that is the problem, a rebuild may be in order. But, even that can be caused by clogged breathers or valve covers. Both of those problems can make an engine seem to lose power, even though it is not, as they cause one to smoke terribly. A rebuild may be nearly impossible, especially if parts are hard to find, or there is not a good machine shop willing or able to bore the cylinder for you. Check the easy things first! Tell us what it is doing, or, what it is NOT doing.
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If it ain't broke don't fix it. Trouble shot,your problems and fix them. But if it isn't using excessive oil,I would leave the internal alone.
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take it to a pro have them to a vacum test on it. that tells if inside is excessivley worn, relatively cheap test to do.
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Your suggestions have been great. I have been convinced to leave the internal parts alone for now. I am going to rebuild the carb for sure. Right now, the engine is out of the tractor and I am preparing to do a thorough cleaning before painting. I figure there must be some good posts here about cleaning and painting the engine.
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Check in the Tech Tips forum for articles on painting your engine. If you do decide to test or rebuild the engine you might want to do a leak down test to see where you may have problems. I seached for an article on this site that talked about building a leak down tester. I didn't find it but I found several on the internet. This is one of them. [url]http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=153620[/url]
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