OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines got this old 4hp briggs can someone tell me

hi guys got this old 12v 4hp briggs generator today at a garage sale not running...

i got it going just needed a good clean and a valve surface ...
i tried looking em up and found a couple on youtube that resemble mine
but they are horizontal crank motors and mine is running vertical does any one know if this is a vertical or horizontal cranking motor going by the pic...


it seems like a good running motor the exaust valve has had a bit of heat it took ages to resurface but it will do for now i hope ..i havent tested the altanator but atleast she runs would be great to know if its horizontal crank then i can use the motor in other fun things

Hi steptoe,

That is a vertical shaft engine only. The cases, head porting, cowling etc, as well as some internal components are completely different.

Ta

Probaly wouldn run it to much without the snorkel an filter if u can help it :-)

cheers guys ...i ajusted the air fuel mix so its allright for now without the filter but cheers thanks guys and spewin its not a horizontal ...at first i thought was a home made geny

but did they make these for camping in "80"s

gday. looks like a home made job to me. still its pretty cool though.and just cos it a vertical shaft doesnt mean you cant use it for other cool projects.what did you have in mind for it? Gokart etc?? cheers bazz

pretty much any thing you can ride do crazy stuff and hurt yourself on heaps while haveing fun on sunday bbq day it looks like can run to seperate belts so i can ad another altanator and run two 40amp altanators would be good for 12v inverter and battery bank charging if punching out those sorts of amps,,,

but courios how do you use a vertical shaft in a go kart or buggy do you need a tranfure case?
or do you have to convert it to horizontal by adding a oil diper splasher to the botom conrod bolt ? ive seen it done on you tube but looks like alot of messing around but he did not mention anything about or did anything to his ,the oil ports you would have to drill another id imagine in the valve spring houseing?? would that be corect?? ,
thats why i was hopeing for a horizontal and just get a 10 tooth centrafugal go cart clutch strait bolt on fit

Seriously for a horizontal shaft motor project buy a motor that is already a horizontal shaft, they are out there and if you go looking enough they are cheap, there is a 8hp I/C horizontal briggs local to me asking $50, I bought my 11hp horizontal motor for $20, its not worth the stuffing about trying to convert it.

4hp into two 40amp alternators might be pushing it, off the top of my head I cant remember how much hp one would need at full load, but you can hear the idle of my old corolla drop just by turning the headlights on.

40 Amps at 14 Volts is 0.75 hp output, so two 40 amp alternators produce 1.5 hp output. The alternator and belt drive inefficiency would raise that to maybe 3 hp engine power to drive them to full output. However you need to remember that a 4 hp Briggs only develops about 2.5 hp: the rest is Hollywood fiction, permitted by the remarkable test procedure the engine manufacturers use.

Remember that those car alternators will not produce any output unless energised by something like a battery across their output terminals. If they don't have built-in regulators they will also need a pair of those.

most ride on mowers are vertical shaft. use one of these babies with a slip belt clutch and you will have 5 forward gears and 1 reverse gear