First, that is an 11 cubic inch, first design generation, vertical crankshaft engine with a Pulsa-Jet carburetor, plain main bearings, and a vertical pull rewind starter. You probably knew most of that, but that is what the model number tells us. As Deejay said, it was made on 19 May 1982. It was produced in Briggs' Statesboro, Georgia engine plant - one of the few Briggs US plants that still survive, presumably now making one of the OHV engines since side valve engines are no longer made in the US.

Here is the Operator's Manual:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/msowGK-K_ny7tH217FzoPu.pdf

Here is the Illustrated Parts List:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/Z6lnsHVJ1DajI.pdf

As you will see from Page 2 of the IPL, the plastic control knob (Item 467) pushes over a metal shaft, or "control dial" (Item 409) which incorporates a crank which operates a metal link (Item 410). The link seems to connect to the speed control lever on the carburetor control plate (Item 620).

Your Pulsa-Jet is the later type that was used on the third design generation engines - that was interesting, I'd never heard previously of it being used on a first design generation engine, but it seems the 11 cubic inch series may have been introduced at the time the 8 and 9 cubic inch engines were approaching the third generation. This carburetor has an automatic choke, which works very well indeed when correctly assembled, but not at all if it has been assembled by an amateur who didn't read the instructions. You can check whether it is working by removing the air cleaner and looking down the the carburetor's air intake. If the choke is closed, see if it will open and close again under light finger pressure on the choke butterfly plate. If it is already open, the carburetor has been got at and you'll have to assemble it properly. Tell us, with a photograph, if that is the case and we can go through the process for sorting it out.

Cold start procedure consists of setting the speed control to maximum (fully clockwise) and pulling the starter. If the speed control and choke are working properly, it will start first or second pull any time of the year. Stopping procedure consists of rotating the speed control to the stop position (fully anticlockwise) and holding it there while the engine stops. It is a pity the decal which showed these positions is missing from your engine - see Page 6 of the Operator's Manual for details of how to operate the speed control.

Although your engine was made in the middle of 1982, the year Briggs changed over to Magnetron electronic ignition, according to the IPL you are out of luck: your engine has breaker points.

Please come back with some pictures, and a report on exactly what, if anything, doesn't work at present.