Whatever it is AVB, it is not worth spending 5 mins on this Briggs rubbish
Norm,
It takes me take long just to get the tools out to do most jobs and that includes setting a work order plus looking up the IPLs. The key is the patience you need learning something new. If I had the attitude like why try I would have never learned to work on handheld two cycles but I spent hours working on them at first, now I am fairly fast on the diagnostics.
On the Briggs what would help is the service manuals for the basics then learning the specifics are easier. But I do agree the low end stuff is junky as they got to make them so cheap. I don't anything much than carburetor repairs on them as the equipment can be replaced just as cheap as the repair bill. But I am one that still like to know why an engine will not work.
I actually work just about every kind of engine that lawn care equipment uses. I have found every manufacture has their own way to doing things. My current problem is getting up to speed on the EFI systems are now hitting the market. Hopefully I can apply some my knowledge from automobiles in the troubleshooting. I do know the early Robin/Subaru experiment was a failure but manufactures are still trying go this way.
