OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines OLD B&S Sprint 375 - A bet

I found the magazine

By the way, I probably should have specified and actually meant 'good luck with the mower' haha. But, nudge nudge wink wink all the same haha

found the tacho thing

Its in a 1982 UK magazine, so someone who knows about electricity (besides getting zapped) may tell you it needs translating into our 'language' (eg different Hz, etc)

"Daub a calculated number of paint blobs evenly around your crank pulley (or on flywheel mesh on briggs I guess), start engine and shine a 240v light onto the blobs. Due to the mains fluctuations approx 50 per minute (in 1980s UK at least), you get a copy cat 'stroboscopic' effect. To work out how many blobs you need, calculate 6000/revs req'd. Change rpm until the calculated number of blobs appear clearly"

So you would want 2 blobs (6000/3000ish rpm for briggs)

I would personally pay for the proper tach, especially as you need to do those briggs rpm in 2 stages

To get the governor 'droop' right (so it doesn't die when you hit a thick patch) you need to let tension off the little spring, get 200 rpm from the top no load speed by adjusting the big spring, then gaining another 200rpm by tensioning the small spring

This can relatively accurately be achieved through wce's method - just dont do overboard.

The little spring is often called the anti surge spring - you have a nice heavy blade disc underneath. If it was a little lightweight bar blade, you have to be so much more accurate.

Update

So the 24 year old rejuvenated Rover 375 has been used for about 10 months now - on about 600sqm of sloping grass.

Had a good look today (while it was pouring rain) and only needed to
1) Topup oil - only about half a cup
2) Cleaned & lighly oiled the Air Filter
3) Checked blades - still in good shape

Mower still starts first pull and revs just right. No smoke or oil leaks.
Still amazed at these old machines given the workload expectations we have on them.

In the last 10 months, my wife has adjusted her "demands" and has also made me build her ....
Several outdoor bench seats and conversions of old BBQ's to planting trolleys, outdoor planter boxes, indoor timber spice rack and all sorts of nick nacks. Can't beat doing stuff with your hands.

Guess I am also keeping her busy .....

Hi SAB,
Does the missus have more respect for your mechanical abilities now?

Thx NormK

Amazing.
Wife now looks at me the same way she did 40 years ago - competent, decisive, caring, knowledgeable, flexible, etc etc etc

So its either my newfound handiwork skills .................. or her cataracts playing up again.

Hi SAB

Hope you have made sure all that stuff is built like a brick s-house.

If they are not and they break, the next thing you will have to build for yourself is a dog house haha