Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

hi folks .

about a month ago i had a customer come in with a mtd snowblower. it was an older model that was built pretty well ,not a high end machine but better than a new mtd.

anyway his engine was toast.

he asked me for a good economical engine replacement.

our briggs intec 11 horse unit goes for 780 cdn. installed complete with electric start.

this is the engine i prefer .

it is an older machine so he asked me if we had anything else.

of course we do ,new complete tecumseh 11 horse Lhead.no electric start installed for 650 cdn.

thats the one he picked.

used it once and guess what...poof  or boom more like it.

lost its internals all over the yard.

ive never seen one so messy.

removed it ,did a failure analysis and guess what else.

suspected cause of con rod failure was insufficient clearance to the main.

ive never seen it before but it is in the book and me and the guy from technical service went right to it.

the engine will fail within 2 hours when there is insufficient clearance .

wasnt oil related at all.no other visable wear in the engine .

ill keep you updated on the replacement of the shortblock.

later chris

Since Briggs & Stratton is relatively new to the snowblower engine market, its no small wonder that not many engines are seen with problems because there plain aren't that many B&S engines out there in service. In comparisonthere are MANY MANY more Tecumsehs out there, so by shear numbers, you will hear of more Tecumseh problems! Give B&S engines a few years more in actual service & then draw some conclusions.

I'm not doubting the reliability of the Briggs, just trying to keep things in perspective...

Marty

buttlint wrote:

What sort of issues with Toro R-tek carbs? What should I be on the lookout for? Thanks.

AZ

AZ
The early model r-tek carbs had a problems with surging. I wouldnt really call it a problem...just more of an irritation too customers with good hearing.
(Toro solved that with a throttle plate modification.)
The next problem that came up were twisted floats throwing off the float level. (leaking carbs) The floats are made of cork (old lawnboy hangover) and they have a brass arm that controls the operatiion of the needle and the seat. ( the tang ) They seem kind of flimsey too me...but once they are adjusted properly....they seem too work ok.
Another problem that they have is the material that the tip of the needle is made of. Toro admits that they deteriorate way too early and I really dont know if they have solved it or not. (they leaks)
Then there is this winters major "cluster" that really hit home for us in Southeastern lower Michigan. Major ice build up in the venturi of the carb, and in some cases ice holding the throttle in the wide open position.
Nobody will directly attribute that too a carb issue...it was more of a case of all the wrong conditions combining at just the right time. But it raises the question: What would have happened if the carb were made of aluminum instead of plastic? Would aluminum have retained more heat and eased the situation? Personally, I doubt it.....but there are others that can make a strong case saying the opposite.
But.....dont panic on that issue....It was freak problem. Toro got a record number of calls and emails when that happened. (That happened in the storm that dumped 12" in the midwest a couple of weeks ago.) They tracked the complaints by area codes.....Chicago had zero complaints....and Detroit had hundreds of calls. (Same storm system...different local conditions.) Dealers around here had mucho returns and refunds on new units the day of that storm......while other areas of the midwest had no problems at all. I had at least 20 units in the shop that day...and other dealers had none. When Toro starting seeing the calls and complaints, it really snapped their heads back and they claim they sent factory hotshots out in the field so that they could see first hand what was happening. (Sounds more like PR too me?) The open spaces on the back of the machine is the main culprit of that situation.... allowing snow too enter the engine compartment and plug up the works. (They are promising a new design in the future.)
Other problems with plastic carbs....plastilite screws holding on the float bowl. (Be real careful tighening them down or you can pull the theads out )
Some bowls have a casting flaw on the mating surface that allows leaks.
I believe that the plastic warps in some cases...but my evidence might be a little weak too support  that scene.
Brass throttle and choke plates arent held very securely by the plastic thottle and choke shafts. Choke plates just fall out and are too large too pass thru the venturi....but throttle plates can easily be sucked into the cylinder and do some major damage.
Other than that....
(Toro corperate assassins are on their way too my house as we speak.)

buttlint wrote:

LOL      N/P Easy targets They will be dressed in bright red.

Lint,

Thanks for the heads-up. During that storm I was mindful of snow trying to build up on the back of the machine, and kept clearing it off. At times, I noticed what I considered minor surging, but didn't quite know what to make of it since this is the only 2-stroke I've ever owned. The fuel was low at that time, and after refilling it did not occur again.

AZ