OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines 16hp oposed twin

what are your thaughts on this for the toro?
i can pick it up pretty cheap i think and is sposed to be in good nick ill try it before i buy.well run it anyway

Can you tell us a bit more about it Mike? Is it OHV or side valve? Can you give us the string of numbers from the air cowl? Is it an I/C (Industrial/Commercial) engine? The I/C has cast iron cylinder liners, the light duty engines usually have an aluminium bore.

One issue is the way the engine is packaged: it may be quite a job to get it to fit the body work if it has a muffler where the steering is supposed to go, or the cylinder heads reach through the bonnet. It also needs to have the same diameter and length of output shaft.

If you provide details of the engine, we can try to estimate whether it will do the job of the original engine, but whether it will fit requires access to the mower, and photos or drawings of the engine. You will have to do that part yourself I think.

Photos?-why is it for sale

check the price for blades and spindles and belts.

Is it varibale speed or does it have a 5 speed gear box,as with the diff is it hydrostatic(heel/toe to drive)and check the engine if it is already warm when you go and have a look.
dont mean to be rude but app how much is it going for.
all the above coments are only what i look into when buying...ken

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300542488213&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_957

Mike, the ad describes that as a V-twin, not an opposed twin, but in the pics it looks like an opposed twin as you said. There can be significant problems, in particular fitting it into the bodywork. In the picture it looks as if the air cooling cowl is missing from the engine, and it is described as "good running order", which usually means it will run if you can start it and put up with the smoke.

You need to know the crankshaft diameter and length, whether the engine is complete, etc. After that you have to anticipate re-ringing the engine at a minimum, and more likely than not having to cobble the whole mower to fit the wrong shape of engine onto it. This is a project for a hobbyist who enjoys the tinkering more than he needs to do the mowing.

Good running order in my auctions means good running order, dont let the 1 bad seller in every hundred ruin it for everyone!

thanks guys
looking at the bodywork of the toro i recon i wouldnt have to butcher it as there is plenty of room there

doesnt look like space would be a major issue, i would be wary on that 16hp though if it has been run without the cowling, but if the cowling is included and it hasnt baked the rings it should be okay.

If it will fit, and the engine isn't blown and doesn't have a sick bottom end (crankshaft, rod bearings, main bearings) it isn't likely to be expensive to fix. I don't know if they had the usual choice of two crankshaft lengths on that engine (I don't even know its type number). You could just ask the seller for the diameter and how far the crankshaft extends below the engine's mounting face, then make the same measurement on your blown engine. You would be getting an older-style side valve engine in place of an OHV engine, which means it will use more fuel, but it might be a bit less tender as well.

Do you feel up to doing a bit of exhaust pipe and muffler work if necessary?

they seem to love the oposed engine over the v twin in the mower forum in the states or should i say lawn tractor forum i didnt know if it was a tougher engine than the v twin and im not realy worried if it uses a little more fuel.i dunno but the older briggs engines seem to be better built than the new ones

The opposed twin should be better balanced than the V twin, and is even-firing so it will sound better (like a BMW twin motorbike). I agree that the side valve engines may be less sensitive to precision in maintenance, but most of the large OHV ones have an oil filter, which is a plus. It seems to me the main issue is cost: if you can get a durable, reliable engine that is easy to maintain for not much money, that is a good deal.

Remember, you need that air cowl, or the engine is not worth buying. You can't operate it withtout the cowl, and I don't know where you would get one for a sensible price. I can't remember an opposed twin ever coming up on Outdoorking since I've been here, so they don't seem to be common in Australia, and that means the cowl may be rare and expensive.

The air cleaner is also missing in the photo. I don't know if you could get one of those or not - you probably could, but it will cost time and money.

I hope he hasn't been running it without the cowl and air cleaner.

he had just replaced the coil and still has the cowling and air filter etc says it blows no smoke and runs well and i won the auction for $103.00 i guess i cant go wrong at that price as has a set of new tyres with it

Mike, you may finish up happy or sad in the end, but I agree, that is a great engine for the price if it's in halfway decent condition, as claimed. It is very difficult to tell how easy it will be to fit, though. Plus if the starter or generator doesn't work, that can be a pain in the backside to sort out.

I guess what I'm saying is that if it turns out to give you a few problems, it may be more of a hobby than an engine swap. That doesn't make it either a bad engine, or a bad deal. If it fits in easily and the electrical items work and are compatible with your Toro, it may be a really magnificent deal. Personally I like the idea of a flat twin better than a V twin, for a mower. The access to the spark plugs and cylinder heads is magnificent, and the smooth running would be nice too.

yeah i never did like it to be easy lol.im off to pick her up tomorow after work he has all the tin for it it was removed to fit the new coil and fired up to make sure it worked then parked.he is moving interstate and cant take it with him .he also has the deck etc all there but rusty.but hey its got 4 new tyres and a good seat so im in front there.ill post some better pics later when i get it home

well i have it home now and i will unload it tomorow morning.i checked oil and turned it by hand and all was good i then put a little fresh fuel into the carb and it fired but wouldnt keep running as if its blocked.i will have a look tomorow. at a closer look it looks like it will slot right into the toro without mods to exhaust etc i still need to check shaft size etc.

Sounds promising Mike. I see it is an I/C (industrial/commercial model, with cast iron bores) as I'd hoped it would be, and the muffler arrangement is rather neat. The inlet manifold, on the other hand, is horrible and isn't likely to be well-suited to cold starts in very cold climates. The oil drain looks a bit cobbled, as if the mower manufacturer did a very crude adaptation of Briggs' design, but I can't see it very well. If it really does extend the drain plug by screwing a long pipe into the aluminium crankcase, let's hope it fits better on your chassis and you don't have to do anything so obnoxious.

As you said, your starting/running problem sounds like a fuel blockage in the tank, line or carburetor and will probably be easy to fix. It doesn't have a fuel shut-off solenoid in the float bowl does it? If so you might not be activating it with your temporary set-up.

Please keep us posted on this. Hopefully you'll end up with a better mower than when it was new.

well its been a busy day i had a close look at the mower itself and decided it was a tip job so i stripped her down and kept the wheels with brand new tyres and the gearbox 5 speed the bonnet and engine and seat.the seat is a beauty its off a komatsu digger lol fabric and comfy just needs a clean.as far as the engine is concerned i think the fuel prob was because the twit had conected the supply to the return line and the return to the supply.i will confirm this later when i play next.thats all for now peoples
gotta be worth the 103 dollars i paid

Thats a simplicity, is it a PTO trans???


Bob.

not sure .the belt ran from fixed pulley on engine.it has 5 speeds and reverse.i didnt test it by riding but seems to work by spinning the pulley when in the gears