Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike McKown
"Proficient" isn't the best way to describe my association(s) with Briggs/Stratton small engines. Seasoned/frugal is more accurate. The first B&S engine I souped up was over 65 years ago. I've hauled in about a dozen junker 1440/1641 CC's in the last several years. Parted out three that were too rusty to mess with. The rest, I got running and cut grass with them. Or, just look at them. I think I have close to 20 Cyclops CC's. Several 1864's, 1862's, 2082, couple of 2084's. So, I've experienced most of the typical B&S problems including Command issues.
Is this your first Vanguard or just your first Cyclops?
The only thing common about bent push rods that I know of is they bend when the engine is overheated and a guide comes loose and slides up in the bore and binds the spring retainer which bends the push rod.
I'm curious as well. Which push rod do you think goes on which valve intake/exhaust valve? Steel or aluminum? The exhaust guide seems to be the one that slips. Also seems like it is usually the left side.
The early shaft mounted rockers were good. Just expensive. The first edition stamped rocker replacement was a little wimpy. It was replaced by a second design with an indentation behind the rocker tip and they are robust.
It's no sin to save a buck or two. I had a guide slip in one of my Vanguard's heads. Bent the pushrod. First one I had seen. I smacked the valve with a hammer and knocked the guide back down where it belonged, straightened the push rod. It ran for several hours without a load. After about a half hour cutting grass and same thing happened again. Guide slipped again.
I went to my stack and got another head off one that had a broken rod. Straightened the push rod again and put it back together. That engine has been mowing about an acre of grass for two years without a problem.
If you don't like my methods, that's fine. There are others here that don't fix things by just writing a check. Some, because they don't have a check. Some because they like to see what they can fix rather than replace and others, are just plain cheap. I have a check book so just put me in the latter two categories.
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My first cyclops. No where near my first vanguard, v-twin, 100's of full engine rebuilds from 3 hp to 2000 hp gas and diesel engines.
The aluminium rod is intake. the steel is exhaust. This aint rocket science...
The overheating on these engines typically resides at the heads. They are the first part to overheat and the bushing moves then the rod bends. So typically the heat issue stops at the head since the block is inherently cooler by nature anyway.
Once the bushing or guide slips the damage has been done. You might get lucky by "smacking it back into place" or it could move again the first time you run it. Of course that's if the guide slips upward which is usually not the case. They tend to slip down which means your removing the head anyway, which means your pulling the engine anyway.
As I stated in my first post. I could repair the head. It would be a simple fix to install new guide, use a punch to indent the area on top around the bushing to give it a tighter fit, install new rods, and roll with it.
I do not "flip" many tractors. But I have no idea what the future holds for this one. I may end up selling it at some point. If I do, I will have the clear conscience of knowing it was fixed correctly.
I do not know if you are a "flipper" or not. But I am glad you offered the information you did.
This is not a matter of writing a check or not. I rebuild equipment for a living. Fixing things most times means spending money. Its just the nature of the beast. Yeah, sometimes there are band aids or cheap fixes that can be done. In this case I want to have a trouble free tractor for many hours of use. I don't want to have it drop dead on me in the middle of mowing. So yeah. I spent 280$ on heads. I spent 20$ on push rods. I could have stopped there. Bit for an extra 140$ I am installing a new starter, new coils, new stater, and a new seal. All the things that would force me to pull the engine again.
Call it what you want.
BTW.. you answered your own question in your response.
Bent the pushrod. First one I had seen. I smacked the valve with a hammer and knocked the guide back down where it belonged, straightened the push rod. It ran for several hours without a load. After about a half hour cutting grass and same thing happened again. Guide slipped again.