Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
We used to decarbon car engines by running the engine a couple thousand rpm and pooring water down the carburetor. You probably don't want to kill the engine, and I'm sure you don't want to hydro lock it, so careful how much water you poor in there. I'm sure it's harder to do with a one cylinder, but I'd bet it's do able.
I'm so glad I found your wonderful channel. As a 62 year old very able woman you make me feel that I can make small and basic repairs myself. Thank You!
@@rickkessie1926 you can fix some of them if you take it apart and clean all of the grease etc out of it and the squirt some oil into the front of it on the small felt pad. 50 50 chance..
@@butch19471 Back in my day lol there was a composite material washer in the cup at the ball bearings very very few knew about this part five digit number started with 69 something
53 kazillion repairs, and you haven’t lost the joy 🤩 of breathing life into old engines and hearing them roar back to life - great to watch, thank you!
The reason it runs as sweet as a nut after 41 years is because back then things were build to a standard, not a budget. Respect for the work you do and the knowledge you are freely sharing, it helps a lot of people out more than you would think.
if ppl just changed oil more than once in its life... at least once a year. drained gas out at end of season. got real gas, not ethanol gas. new air filter every year. things wud last a good long time. now briggs sais "dont need to chance oil, just add oil as needed when it is burned"???? sure why not, planned obsolescence cant sell new motors if they last for a long time with regular oil n air filter changes.
I like old flat-head Briggs engines as antiques, but I don't know what's so impressive about aluminum cylinder bores and plain crankshaft main bearings. No wonder Chinese Honda clone engines have taken over at the same price point. They all have iron cylinder liners and ball bearing main bearings. Briggs and Tecumseh should have given customers a LITTLE more over the years for NO extra cost. No winder they both went tits-up bankrupt.
It still had aluminum liners. I ran a toro with a briggs for near 30 years until the block was worn. Now if one was a true machinist with all the tools, I would bore it and put in a cast sleeve for another 50+ years.
People often don't understand the feeling of satisfaction that you get when you take a "dead" or trashed engine and get it running again. Your channel is outstanding!!!
76 year old female here. You don't know how many times I wanted to reach in and hold something for you as you worked. Must be the mom in me. Made me smile.
Thanks for the memories. As a teenager during the 1960s I mowed our lawn (almost a acre) with a reel mower powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine. I was always adjusting something and not always well.
Have a picture from the ‘70s somewhere that shows the mini bike my brother and I built using one of those motors! We weren’t yet teenagers. Welded up a couple of old bicycles and “borrowed” the motor from Dad’s little pencil grain auger. Centrifugal clutch, chain drive. Tiny wheels. We had a blast with it but then our bigger older cousin rode it. Frame broke and nearly neutered him. When we came home from school the next day Dad had put the motor back on the auger and all the welding rods were missing🤷🏻
This video brought back so many memories for me. As a kid in the 60’s I’d go to the junk yard and get those engines to build homemade mini bikes and go karts. I’ve rebuilt so many of those engines. So much fun to work on them.
The fact that you did that in white shorts and didn't destroy them is amazing! I walk near mowers and my clothes are dirty.... Thanks for the video, that old motor brings back memories from my youth.
It was really cool watching you bring the old Briggs back. Brought back memories of my Granddad showing me how to set the coil gap. His “go to” spacer was a post card someone had sent him years before. I remember us using that same post card for years. Thanks for the memories. Thanks & keep up the good videos.
Person experience with rusty fuel tanks. IF they are still holding fuel, you can drop and hand full of pea gravel in them with a little soapy water and shake the hell out of them to remove almost all of the rust. Rinse well and dry with compressed air. Has worked great for me over the years.
I took a rusty tank one time and filled it about half full of pea gravel and strapped it to one of those small portable cement mixers and turned it on. Let it run several days and that tank was pristine inside! The downside was that there were some spots where the rust was severe which became. . . holes. . .not a good deal. But, I have used that technique to clean serveral.
I'm a 76 year old guy who's been tinkering with old engines since I was 12. I still have a 1949 Cushman motor scooter I have kept alive since I bought it used when I was 14. Also my old Harley's none newer than 1964.
Wow! Took me back to the old days. We used those little Briggs for go-carts, mini-bikes, and phut-phut mud boats. You can grind the valve stems down a little so the valves close more to top dead center, kick up the compression and the torque up on those little jewels. I am really enjoying your post. Keep 'em going!
cleaning the points is very EASY and the condenser never fails, the fibre rod that lifts points can stick but easy to clean. the one-way freewheel for recoil needs wd40 on balls as oil makes them stick and recoil won't engage.
That Briggs and I are the same age! I’ve worked on B&S engines since I was a child. They are so simple and easy to work on. I’m surprised you didn’t have any old Magnetron conversion kits in that old shop inventory. I installed one on my wife’s grandmothers old tiller that was made in ‘74. Made a huge difference in reliability.
Now THAT'S a workshop!! 😄 If anyone ever accuses you of not knowing small engine stuff and outdoor power equipment, just show them a picture of that place. It totally screams experience!!👍 I love the other small engine guys on TH-cam, but I think your channel is the best of them all. 😁
OMG, this is the best small engine and outdoor equipment channel going. Great advice and knowledge to be got from here, and the instructor is easy on the eyes, with all the respect. Proven mechanic! Also, let's take a minute to appreciate the amount of inventory this lady has! You dang sure don't see that much anywhere anymore.
1981!! It reminds me of growing up. My dad bought, I believe, two push mowers while I was a kid. At least he shopped for one twice. He really needed a riding mower, if not self-propelled, for the size of the lot my parents' house was on! Anyway, he swore by Briggs, and insisted he'd never get a lawn mower with less than 5HP. The last mower he bought had the large wheels in back, which helped a lot in the soft wet earth where we lived. Do you still see such old equipment on occasion? And ... am I mistaken in thinking lawn mowers used to commonly be two-cycle, or have they been largely four-cycle engines for that long? Wait, wait, wait. We're both 80 babies?! Ha! I learned a coworker and I are just a few days apart in age.
if ppl CHECK THE OIL BEFORE EACH RUN OF THE DAY... and change oil once a year or so. air filter too. the 2HP is cheapest to rebuild, parts a plenty. new rod $9. seals $6. gas tank $$$$$
I think I just learn more about small engine repair in a half hour that I have in my previous 40+ years of being on earth. Thanks for the great content!
Such a great video, brings back memories of working on those old "L" heads when I was a kid. Just looked at my old Briggs manual that I purchased NEW, it was printed March 1984. Love watching your videos, even though I've been rebuilding small engines for over 40 years, I still learn stuff from you.
I am so jealous. I wish I had a parts department like yours at my house. I loved how you saw what part you needed and went and found the forty year old part right there in your inventory. Congrats on getting the old motor purrring again! I enjoyed and liked your success.I knew you could do it. Super good job!
Dang! I coveted those horizontal shaft engines when I was a kid! Go-cart! That was 50 years ago. I still covet them, and have an old washing machine one downstairs in the garage. My wife's like: get rid of that! No way! None of my daughters or sons had any interest in engines, so you are great!
Clean the small end of the crankshaft and lightly oil. There is a felt sick in the square part of the clutch to hold and distribute oil. IF the clutch slips, not engaging, remove two screws and pry off the top clutch cover.. clean the ball bearings and track. DO NOT oil or grease them or they will stick to the far ends. This was state of the art when I started teaching in 1982.
It's tough to kill those old engines! I did a complete tear down and rebuild on one for my 1976 High School Small Engine Class. I miss the fun I had doing that, and can relate to the excitement you had hearing it come to life!
We’d leave the Rod loose on purpose to see how long it would take to blow the engines apart at maximum revs ! Shop class was always fun as we always figured out how to do the opposite of what was intended but we learned stuff none the less.
@@shannonwhitaker9630 OMG I thought that was just a Jersey thing!! We did the same in 75 when I had already been working for my Dad for 3 or 4 years repairing mowers so the shop teacher had me "run" the class 🤣🤣🤣
Used to race go carts in the late eighties to mid nineties. We had a blast. Ran stock class at Rockingham for years and Charlotte a few times. Kick the rod out and Sunday epoxy the hole and new rod and ready to go. Blast!!
I just got my 2HP Briggs and Stratton edger running thanks to you. I replaced the ignition coil. It was NOT for Points & condenser. It was an pointless coil. I unhooked the wire to POINTS and it runs great. Just would not run connected points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You saved me a lot of time. You are the first female Power Equipment Tech I have known. Go Girl.
Love your vids Bree! Just have to say, that original starter clutch just needed a squirt of oil on the crank snout. Also, makes me feel old that old that a 1981 engine is viewed as an antique these days. I graduated from high school that year. Was playing with these old Briggs engines back then too as a hobby. Would like to see more of you working on the older stuff 👍😎
Thanks for sharing this. I had the exact same edger in 1990; not a torque monster but it never failed. Love the sound of old flatheads, my first motor love. I was about 12 when I rescued a small flathead 4 cylinder engine from a field near our house. Wrestled it into my little red wagon, rebuilt it in a corner of our garage. Later, I was SO happy and thankful to drive my uncle's model A roadster pickup! I got stories. Survived the 50's until now, and I agree about how sad things have become.
it wasnt junk, or it wud have had a BIG LIP at the top of cyl, scoring from running it low/out of oil and no air filter. those are... i rebuld them to see if i can get them running, they run with 20-50 oil and lots of STP oil treatment 30%? but vicious piston slap... rod knock if i cheap out and dont spend the little extra $ on new rod as the alum rod wears more than the steel crankshaft . drill out the oil hole on the big end of the rod for MORE OIL to the rod journal so it lasts as long as possible with fresh oil
I remember working on those engines many years ago. That's when it had points and condenser under the flywheel. I've had those engine backfire and the flywheel key would shear just enough to keep the engine from running. Thank you for working on this old engine.
Great video. I really love these trash to treasure videos. You need to do more of them. I love your channel and look forward to new videos. Keep up the great work
wow you scared me for a second. when you were changing that clutch out i saw the red on your finger. i said oh my god, she cut her finger then i realized it was greese. lol
Great video. My Daddy worked at Jacobsen Manufacturing for 30 years and left several old Briggs horizontal shaft motors in his shop. You’ve inspired me to get em out and see if I can get em going!
Hey Roger my Dad sold Jacobsen back in the day, mostly tractors. Some are still mowing the lawn! Let me know if you ever want to move those old engines or have someone (like me with almost 50 years experience) get them working again!
@@donmayberryjrsOPE I have one of the old 2-cycle Jacobson lawnmowers from about 1960. Got the 4 blade disk setup. It does still run, but needs a restoration.
@@markschommer7407 I remember working on those units mostly in the 70's, they were pretty popular then. Sharping those 4 blades was at challenge and generally we just replaced them. Where are you located?
@@donmayberryjrsOPE I will. I really ain’t got no use for them. I just had another hip replacement last week. When I get better I’ll go over to his old shop (it’s mine now) and see what all is over there. As far as I’m concerned you can have them. I’m way behind now on my sawmilling so I don’t have time to fool with them.
When I first started teaching Small Engines to my Junior High students, that 2hp Briggs was THE engine we used in class. The L Head horizontal shaft was the perfect visual for students to understand it inside and out. That old edger is a "thing of beauty" because of that old Briggs engine. I get as excited as you did at the end when you started it,,,,,with the new starter clutch of course. Definitely the BEST sounding small engine ever! The Magnetron pointless ignition was the last greatest improvement that made the engine bullet proof.
My hubby found an edger similar to yours at a local pawn shop ...he is retired from more high-tech stuff on commercial aircraft, but he really enjoys and appreciates your videos...it seems to be very therputic for him...he just wants to return small air-cooled powered equipment just for our home use... Bre, you are a real God-send blessing😂 to us and others...Jesus knows how to bless you...just ask Him and believe!!❤😂
How were the valve guides on this engine? Back in the early 90's we still used to use a valve guide reamer (or drill) and tap new sintered bronze valve guides in. I haven't done that process in over 20 years, it's just not worth it anymore, but there was a time. Just curious if the valves in your engine were floppy at all of if the guides were still tight. EDIT: Just something cool that you might be interested in, for the mess free oil drain, what I did was drill a hole through an old oil plug and put a piece of clear hose over the square part. Then pop out the real oil plug and install you new tool hose/plug, and let 'er drain. Works like a charm. Also, I knew that starter clutch would wail like a banshee. You can actually service the clutch, not necessary to replace it. Unscrew it and polish the crankshaft end with sandpaper, the clutch comes apart, and you can drop some oil on the ball bearings. OR, if you want to cheat a bit, that little hole at the front the of starter clutch is there to take a squirt of lube. I have been an outdoor power equipment technician for almost 30 years, I love your videos, there aren't many of us OPE techs left out there.
Spent a lot of years cutting my parents yard with a 5hp Briggs engine like that one on a Sarlo high wheel mower. Had to tune that thing and change the oil every year come mowing time!
This reminds me of working on a Brigbs 5 HP on a garden tractor my dad built in 1964. I cleaned out mouse nest from cowl, took off head saw valves worked, spun the crank shaft with the rope and it was good. Put in some fuel and it started. I needed a gasket for fuel tank. The tractor had a transaxle from a Crosley car, various gears from things and a steering wheel and box off an old C tractor. Attachements were a generator and weed mower from a Bachtold walkink behind mower. The Briggs was the only thing he bought new after the Wisconsin engine never did want to start. Thanks for the memories!
I have a 1978 Sears compact tiller with that same engine on it. It gets used once or twice a year or so. Always starts and runs great. The tiller cost $135.00 in 1978. Thanks for the fun video.
That old engine will outlast anything built today! It's such a shame small engines aren't built like that anymore. Now its a throw away society. Great job getting it running!
Back in the mid 60's my uncle had an old reel type mower that had been sitting in the weeds for years, he told me it had gotten hard to start then one day it wouldn't start so he left it there. I took it home and torn in to it. Just like you, I pulled the head and removed the carbon, cleaned & lapped the valves, cleaned the carb, cleaned the fuel tank with a piece of chain and shook the hang out of it & rinsed, pulled the flywheel and sanded it clean & put it together Oh and lubed the hang out of the clutch, and for the first start I put 1 shot of Old Spice after shave in the carb. and it roared to life. No new gaskets were used in the repair just stuck the old ones back in and it worked great. My Uncle used it until the rubber tires worn slap out then my cousin took the motor and put it on a mini bike.
I get such a kick out of watching your videos. How much joy it brings you to succeed with small engine repair like that Briggs & Stratton. I just grinned from ear to ear at the end of this watching how much happiness you got from fixing that gadget. I've learned a whole heck of a lot watching your videos. Keep up the great work! People all over the world are watching you.
Enjoyable video. Those Briggs were easy and durable. The one's now wouldn't give a dime for . Your very patient and pretty lady. Keep it up. Have a great day 😀.
Warning to viewers. When start up is attemped - take your headset off. The clutch is a real screamer. I'm in my mid 60's and watching you hand lap the valves took me back to my father's garage, hand lapping valves from Dad's car and my three older brothers cars. Also served my apprenticeship as fitter/machinist with a company that manufactured flow control and safety relief valves, so hand lapping was an everday occurence. Good to see and hear the motor run 😎
As a kid, I fixed up a few different old mowers for neighbors and to make money mowing yards. I really like the old white color briggs from the 60's and 70's. They started painting them black in the mid 80's. Also, old mowers from that era used to have the cylinder facing the back of the mower instead of the front. If you pushed down on the mower to let it engine recover in tall grass you would get smoke out of the exhaust from the cylinder getting flooded with oil.
Got one just like it, bought second handed 30+ yrs ago. New belts, blades, and filters only repairs made. Starts easy runs great. Five stars for old things!
I just love your channel! Breathing life back into the good old shid that's built to last! I have that exact edger and it's an animal! I bought it from an old dude years ago for $50 who took really good care of all if his shid like I do. I take exceptional care of it as I do all of my shid. I'm a bit of a maintenance freak of sorts. Take care of your shid and your shid will take care of you. I like my shid to work when I need it to. All of my neighbors out there with their high tech, fancy, shiny electric boolshid and here I am rockin a 40 plus year old fossil fuel burnin edger that'll run circles around their new garbage! My weed wacker, gas. Chainsaw, gas. My lawn mower, gas. Snowblowers, absolutely gas! Electric snowblowers, especially a two stager, is about the dumbest idea and holy crap and and a half are they expensive! Not to mention the over priced batteries and chargers. Don't have enough batteries and they die, you're done. I run outta gas, I go get my gas can, fill 'er back up and keep going. I've absolutely finished one of my neighbor's snow clearing a time or two and of course I talk shid about it after his batteries died and his wife was on her way home. The only electric yard tool I own is a leaf blower, and it plugs in. I'm pretty OG, anti battery powered yard equipment and very anti electric vehicles. I'm a fossil fuel burnin Murican! I was just going to comment that I have that same edger and got on a soap box. My bad.....not.
I restore these old Briggs for therapy reasons because it sure isn't for the money. I currently have a '81 2 hp Briggs on the bench off of a Mclane edger with a '63 Montgomery Ward edger, also a 2 hp Briggs, waiting up next. There's a beauty in the simplicity of these engines and they go forever.
That was a great project. About 52 years ago I bought a new Edger just to get the Briggs and Stratton engine for my first go-cart and I put an electric motor on the Edger. It was cheaper to buy the new Edger than it was to buy anew Briggs and Stratton engine.
I've built a ton of these flathead Briggs engines. Used to race them on Go-Karts There was a piston "pop up" rule. No more than .005 out of the block, so you had to keep and eye on the carbon build up as you were not allowed to scrape the piston. The best carbon remover I used was Easy-Off Oven cleaner Spray it on and let it set. sometimes you warm it up with a heat gun. Works great. Too much carbon acts like a sponge absorbing fuel causing the engine to fire when it's not suppose. (detonation). Enjoy all your videos.
I just found this channel and I love it! I love seeing women being awesome at skills we traditionally associate with men. And I am learning from each video!
they just don't make em like that anymore do they? nice job the look of excitement and satisfaction on your face when it started was enough for me 😁 when i work on something and it works when i'm done, i know the feeling well, it's the best feeling no doubt. i believe that briggs engine was the same model we worked on when i took small engines in shop class in school. They are fairly easy to do really. Great channel 🥰
A trick for the throttle cables, find some cheap vinyl tubing that will fit over the end and run it up as far as you can. Use an electric vacuum pump meant for brake bleeding that uses a reservoir (or make one out of a jar with some tubing) and oil the top of the cable. the vacuum pump will pull the oil down trough the cable and oil it all up good. even if you can't get the tubing up very far, you can just oil up the housing pretty heavy and it will pull the oil through the gaps. This works well for modern cables with the plastic housings as well, just tape up the end of the tubing to the vacuum is being pulled through the housing. Hope that helps....pretty easy if you are set up for vacuum bleeding brakes already
Only recently came accross your videos due to being laid uop with minor health matter. Have enjoyed quite a lot this past week & learnt plenty. My dad had an edger identical to this but we couldn't get it repaired due to lack of parts according to the mechanic. I have a few aging small motor pieces requiring some attention but not worth spending money for the repair shop at about $80 an hour. All were working recently so I am going to see how I go fixing them. Will probably have my tablet in the workshop to refer to your vids when necessary. Can't find anything about the small shields in the carburettas or where to puchase some though. Thanks for your vids. I think you are very clever. I'm 73 now so this gives me another interest - I recently taught myself to service sewing machines for my wife and daughter's charity sewing group. New interests for an ex banker. best wishes.
What a coincidence, just stumbled across this video today and earlier I was working on my dad's old rotor tiller that hadn't ran in years. Fresh gas, new oil and the 5 horse version fired right up!
In the late 60s I had a mini bike with a Briggs engine very similar to that one. Brought back memories. Enjoyed watching that one as I do all of your vids. I all ways learn something new. Tnx.
Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
We used to decarbon car engines by running the engine a couple thousand rpm and pooring water down the carburetor. You probably don't want to kill the engine, and I'm sure you don't want to hydro lock it, so careful how much water you poor in there. I'm sure it's harder to do with a one cylinder, but I'd bet it's do able.
While you were obviously right, I can't locate where you figured out it was the coil and not the points or condensor. Thank you.
I'm so glad I found your wonderful channel. As a 62 year old very able woman you make me feel that I can make small and basic repairs myself. Thank You!
And she doesn't need to use her sexuality to make a successful channel either.
Tis why I often find myself listening to Chickanic's channel.
All it takes is the will.
How do you fix that starter clutch
@@rickkessie1926 you can fix some of them if you take it apart and clean all of the grease etc out of it and the squirt some oil into the front of it on the small felt pad. 50 50 chance..
@@butch19471 Back in my day lol there was a composite material washer in the cup at the ball bearings very very few knew about this part five digit number started with 69 something
53 kazillion repairs, and you haven’t lost the joy 🤩 of breathing life into old engines and hearing them roar back to life - great to watch, thank you!
The reason it runs as sweet as a nut after 41 years is because back then things were build to a standard, not a budget.
Respect for the work you do and the knowledge you are freely sharing, it helps a lot of people out more than you would think.
Amen!
if ppl just changed oil more than once in its life... at least once a year. drained gas out at end of season. got real gas, not ethanol gas. new air filter every year. things wud last a good long time. now briggs sais "dont need to chance oil, just add oil as needed when it is burned"???? sure why not, planned obsolescence cant sell new motors if they last for a long time with regular oil n air filter changes.
I like old flat-head Briggs engines as antiques, but I don't know what's so impressive about aluminum cylinder bores and plain crankshaft main bearings. No wonder Chinese Honda clone engines have taken over at the same price point. They all have iron cylinder liners and ball bearing main bearings. Briggs and Tecumseh should have given customers a LITTLE more over the years for NO extra cost. No winder they both went tits-up bankrupt.
I have an 1983 horizontal 8 hp off of a Troy-Bilt tiller,
It still had aluminum liners. I ran a toro with a briggs for near 30 years until the block was worn. Now if one was a true machinist with all the tools, I would bore it and put in a cast sleeve for another 50+ years.
You are so awesome and so much entertaining, I enjoy your shows. 👍👏👏👏
People often don't understand the feeling of satisfaction that you get when you take a "dead" or trashed engine and get it running again. Your channel is outstanding!!!
Great instructional videos you have. However, ain't nobody got all them parts! What a Wife who can fix everything.
Old Briggs engines never die.... I have one from 1948!!!
76 year old female here. You don't know how many times I wanted to reach in and hold something for you as you worked. Must be the mom in me. Made me smile.
It was so cool watching you going through your inventory and finding parts and gaskets that probably don't even exist anymore !
they exist and for the 2 HP are pretty cheap. even new rod is
Coils rust up nearly every time and points need clean, usually cond bad
Thanks for the memories. As a teenager during the 1960s I mowed our lawn (almost a acre) with a reel mower powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine. I was always adjusting something and not always well.
Have a picture from the ‘70s somewhere that shows the mini bike my brother and I built using one of those motors! We weren’t yet teenagers. Welded up a couple of old bicycles and “borrowed” the motor from Dad’s little pencil grain auger. Centrifugal clutch, chain drive. Tiny wheels. We had a blast with it but then our bigger older cousin rode it. Frame broke and nearly neutered him.
When we came home from school the next day Dad had put the motor back on the auger and all the welding rods were missing🤷🏻
😂🤣😂 great memories I’m sure
This video brought back so many memories for me. As a kid in the 60’s I’d go to the junk yard and get those engines to build homemade mini bikes and go karts. I’ve rebuilt so many of those engines. So much fun to work on them.
I'm 65 and I recently ran across a little two and a half horse that was the power for my first homemade mini bike, barn find LOL, from 1969
The fact that you did that in white shorts and didn't destroy them is amazing! I walk near mowers and my clothes are dirty.... Thanks for the video, that old motor brings back memories from my youth.
It was really cool watching you bring the old Briggs back. Brought back memories of my Granddad showing me how to set the coil gap. His “go to” spacer was a post card someone had sent him years before. I remember us using that same post card for years. Thanks for the memories. Thanks & keep up the good videos.
I just picked up one of these for free 2 days ago. Perfect timing.
One word to describe the feeling when you initially hear a small engine run due to the work you've done ( euphoric!
I had EXACTLY that engine on my mini-bike, circa 1963-64. Great job on the valves and seats. BRAVO!
Person experience with rusty fuel tanks. IF they are still holding fuel, you can drop and hand full of pea gravel in them with a little soapy water and shake the hell out of them to remove almost all of the rust. Rinse well and dry with compressed air. Has worked great for me over the years.
After that, 3m makes a coating that will make your fuel tank bulletproof.
I took a rusty tank one time and filled it about half full of pea gravel and strapped it to one of those small portable cement mixers and turned it on. Let it run several days and that tank was pristine inside! The downside was that there were some spots where the rust was severe which became. . . holes. . .not a good deal. But, I have used that technique to clean serveral.
I'm a 76 year old guy who's been tinkering with old engines since I was 12. I still have a 1949 Cushman motor scooter I have kept alive since I bought it used when I was 14. Also my old Harley's none newer than 1964.
So glad I found your channel. 61 year old lady mechanic here. Into cars too, just like you. Loved watching you fix that old Briggs 🙂
Wow! Took me back to the old days. We used those little Briggs for go-carts, mini-bikes, and phut-phut mud boats. You can grind the valve stems down a little so the valves close more to top dead center, kick up the compression and the torque up on those little jewels. I am really enjoying your post. Keep 'em going!
So much better than what we have today. Wouldn't mind more of these. Thank you 😊
1981 was just yesterday to me and it was the greatest time with kids and softball
Having access to all of those spare parts is totally awesome! Love your videos!
I would be in Heaven there
cleaning the points is very EASY and the condenser never fails, the fibre rod that lifts points can stick but easy to clean. the one-way freewheel for recoil needs wd40 on balls as oil makes them stick and recoil won't engage.
Busy busy! No rain here has slowed me down quite a bit. Been doing auto repair vids which are doing pretty good!
We are still getting equipment in, but have gone into cleaning mode. The shop was a disaster from this season.
We finally got 2 1/2 inches and I’ve been really busy in West Texas
Mostly chain saws
My 2HP B&S on my 1970 California Trimmer Mower still runs like new. My Dad bought the mower new and I still use it.
That Briggs and I are the same age! I’ve worked on B&S engines since I was a child. They are so simple and easy to work on. I’m surprised you didn’t have any old Magnetron conversion kits in that old shop inventory. I installed one on my wife’s grandmothers old tiller that was made in ‘74. Made a huge difference in reliability.
I don't convert them, I always use the points and condenser set up, perfectly fine if you know what you are doing
Chickanic is the best
Now THAT'S a workshop!!
😄 If anyone ever accuses you of not knowing small engine stuff and outdoor power equipment, just show them a picture of that place. It totally screams experience!!👍
I love the other small engine guys on TH-cam, but I think your channel is the best of them all. 😁
Simply the best!
It's a good feeling when you conquer an old engine.
OMG, this is the best small engine and outdoor equipment channel going. Great advice and knowledge to be got from here, and the instructor is easy on the eyes, with all the respect. Proven mechanic! Also, let's take a minute to appreciate the amount of inventory this lady has! You dang sure don't see that much anywhere anymore.
1981!! It reminds me of growing up. My dad bought, I believe, two push mowers while I was a kid. At least he shopped for one twice. He really needed a riding mower, if not self-propelled, for the size of the lot my parents' house was on! Anyway, he swore by Briggs, and insisted he'd never get a lawn mower with less than 5HP. The last mower he bought had the large wheels in back, which helped a lot in the soft wet earth where we lived.
Do you still see such old equipment on occasion?
And ... am I mistaken in thinking lawn mowers used to commonly be two-cycle, or have they been largely four-cycle engines for that long?
Wait, wait, wait. We're both 80 babies?! Ha! I learned a coworker and I are just a few days apart in age.
Great save! Love those flat heads. So easy to fix and maintain.
if ppl CHECK THE OIL BEFORE EACH RUN OF THE DAY... and change oil once a year or so. air filter too. the 2HP is cheapest to rebuild, parts a plenty. new rod $9. seals $6. gas tank $$$$$
I have converted them to flow jet carburetors. The old classic flatheads were available with either type.
You sure brought back some great memories with that 2 H.P. engine repair. Thanks for the memories.
I think I just learn more about small engine repair in a half hour that I have in my previous 40+ years of being on earth. Thanks for the great content!
Such a great video, brings back memories of working on those old "L" heads when I was a kid. Just looked at my old Briggs manual that I purchased NEW, it was printed March 1984. Love watching your videos, even though I've been rebuilding small engines for over 40 years, I still learn stuff from you.
That old logo brings back memories of when I use to tinker with Briggs and Stratton lawnmowers.
I am so jealous. I wish I had a parts department like yours at my house. I loved how you saw what part you needed and went and found the forty year old part right there in your inventory. Congrats on getting the old motor purrring again! I enjoyed and liked your success.I knew you could do it. Super good job!
Dang! I coveted those horizontal shaft engines when I was a kid! Go-cart! That was 50 years ago. I still covet them, and have an old washing machine one downstairs in the garage. My wife's like: get rid of that! No way! None of my daughters or sons had any interest in engines, so you are great!
I had faith in your ability to get it running GREAT JOB
The old cast iron and steel cam is the best.
for sure, i hate the shitty plastic cams
Clean the small end of the crankshaft and lightly oil. There is a felt sick in the square part of the clutch to hold and distribute oil. IF the clutch slips, not engaging, remove two screws and pry off the top clutch cover.. clean the ball bearings and track. DO NOT oil or grease them or they will stick to the far ends. This was state of the art when I started teaching in 1982.
Proud of the fact that you worked on a dirty old engine with white shorts on 🤣
It's tough to kill those old engines! I did a complete tear down and rebuild on one for my 1976 High School Small Engine Class. I miss the fun I had doing that, and can relate to the excitement you had hearing it come to life!
We’d leave the Rod loose on purpose to see how long it would take to blow the engines apart at maximum revs ! Shop class was always fun as we always figured out how to do the opposite of what was intended but we learned stuff none the less.
@@shannonwhitaker9630 OMG I thought that was just a Jersey thing!! We did the same in 75 when I had already been working for my Dad for 3 or 4 years repairing mowers so the shop teacher had me "run" the class 🤣🤣🤣
Great video good craftsmanship do you have a antique engine club in your area.
Used to race go carts in the late eighties to mid nineties. We had a blast. Ran stock class at Rockingham for years and Charlotte a few times. Kick the rod out and Sunday epoxy the hole and new rod and ready to go. Blast!!
YEAH!!! Makes one feel real good to bring an old motor back to life.
Love the paper plate bag funnel thing!!! The easiest mess to clean is the one not made!
Ok who all wants to see a Chicanic rant video on electric, aka batteries??
I think it would go viral!! 😀😀
I said it before I love all your videos but these trash to treasure videos are so fun to watch. That thing ran awesome 👌.
Thanks again Mike!
I just got my 2HP Briggs and Stratton edger running thanks to you. I replaced the ignition coil. It was NOT for Points & condenser. It was an pointless coil. I unhooked the wire to POINTS and it runs great. Just would not run connected points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You saved me a lot of time. You are the first female Power Equipment Tech I have known. Go Girl.
Love your vids Bree!
Just have to say, that original starter clutch just needed a squirt of oil on the crank snout.
Also, makes me feel old that old that a 1981 engine is viewed as an antique these days.
I graduated from high school that year.
Was playing with these old Briggs engines back then too as a hobby.
Would like to see more of you working on the older stuff 👍😎
Thanks for sharing this. I had the exact same edger in 1990; not a torque monster but it never failed. Love the sound of old flatheads, my first motor love. I was about 12 when I rescued a small flathead 4 cylinder engine from a field near our house. Wrestled it into my little red wagon, rebuilt it in a corner of our garage. Later, I was SO happy and thankful to drive my uncle's model A roadster pickup! I got stories. Survived the 50's until now, and I agree about how sad things have become.
That’s one of my favorite things to do, dive in the junk pile and find something to make work. 👍👍
it wasnt junk, or it wud have had a BIG LIP at the top of cyl, scoring from running it low/out of oil and no air filter. those are... i rebuld them to see if i can get them running, they run with 20-50 oil and lots of STP oil treatment 30%? but vicious piston slap... rod knock if i cheap out and dont spend the little extra $ on new rod as the alum rod wears more than the steel crankshaft . drill out the oil hole on the big end of the rod for MORE OIL to the rod journal so it lasts as long as possible with fresh oil
I remember working on those engines many years ago. That's when it had points and condenser under the flywheel. I've had those engine backfire and the flywheel key would shear just enough to keep the engine from running. Thank you for working on this old engine.
Great video. I really love these trash to treasure videos. You need to do more of them. I love your channel and look forward to new videos. Keep up the great work
wow you scared me for a second. when you were changing that clutch out i saw the red on your finger. i said oh my god, she cut her finger then i realized it was greese. lol
I thought she got a boo boo for half a sec
Great video. My Daddy worked at Jacobsen Manufacturing for 30 years and left several old Briggs horizontal shaft motors in his shop. You’ve inspired me to get em out and see if I can get em going!
Hey Roger my Dad sold Jacobsen back in the day, mostly tractors. Some are still mowing the lawn! Let me know if you ever want to move those old engines or have someone (like me with almost 50 years experience) get them working again!
@@donmayberryjrsOPE I have one of the old 2-cycle Jacobson lawnmowers from about 1960. Got the 4 blade disk setup. It does still run, but needs a restoration.
@@markschommer7407 I remember working on those units mostly in the 70's, they were pretty popular then. Sharping those 4 blades was at challenge and generally we just replaced them. Where are you located?
@@donmayberryjrsOPE Appleton Wisconsin
@@donmayberryjrsOPE I will. I really ain’t got no use for them. I just had another hip replacement last week. When I get better I’ll go over to his old shop (it’s mine now) and see what all is over there. As far as I’m concerned you can have them. I’m way behind now on my sawmilling so I don’t have time to fool with them.
When I first started teaching Small Engines to my Junior High students, that 2hp Briggs was THE engine we used in class. The L Head horizontal shaft was the perfect visual for students to understand it inside and out. That old edger is a "thing of beauty" because of that old Briggs engine. I get as excited as you did at the end when you started it,,,,,with the new starter clutch of course. Definitely the BEST sounding small engine ever! The Magnetron pointless ignition was the last greatest improvement that made the engine bullet proof.
Love your videos please don’t stop , you explain well and makes sense and 99 percent of time can follow your own repairs have fixed 4-5 pieces of eq
My hubby found an edger similar to yours at a local pawn shop ...he is retired from more high-tech stuff on commercial aircraft, but he really enjoys and appreciates your videos...it seems to be very therputic for him...he just wants to return small air-cooled powered equipment just for our home use...
Bre, you are a real God-send blessing😂 to us and others...Jesus knows how to bless you...just ask Him and believe!!❤😂
How were the valve guides on this engine? Back in the early 90's we still used to use a valve guide reamer (or drill) and tap new sintered bronze valve guides in. I haven't done that process in over 20 years, it's just not worth it anymore, but there was a time. Just curious if the valves in your engine were floppy at all of if the guides were still tight. EDIT: Just something cool that you might be interested in, for the mess free oil drain, what I did was drill a hole through an old oil plug and put a piece of clear hose over the square part. Then pop out the real oil plug and install you new tool hose/plug, and let 'er drain. Works like a charm. Also, I knew that starter clutch would wail like a banshee. You can actually service the clutch, not necessary to replace it. Unscrew it and polish the crankshaft end with sandpaper, the clutch comes apart, and you can drop some oil on the ball bearings. OR, if you want to cheat a bit, that little hole at the front the of starter clutch is there to take a squirt of lube. I have been an outdoor power equipment technician for almost 30 years, I love your videos, there aren't many of us OPE techs left out there.
You're correct! not too many of us left.
What a little sweetheart that 2 hp is. They sure don't make them like that anymore.
Nice looking edger there a 1981 Briggs and Stratton engine just thinking if it has points and condenser ignition system
Spent a lot of years cutting my parents yard with a 5hp Briggs engine like that one on a Sarlo high wheel mower. Had to tune that thing and change the oil every year come mowing time!
Finally, a flathead Briggs & Scrap 'em!! Near to my heart. Subscription from land of B&S. The balmy state of Wisconsin!!
This reminds me of working on a Brigbs 5 HP on a garden tractor my dad built in 1964. I cleaned out mouse nest from cowl, took off head saw valves worked, spun the crank shaft with the rope and it was good. Put in some fuel and it started. I needed a gasket for fuel tank. The tractor had a transaxle from a Crosley car, various gears from things and a steering wheel and box off an old C tractor. Attachements were a generator and weed mower from a Bachtold walkink behind mower. The Briggs was the only thing he bought new after the Wisconsin engine never did want to start. Thanks for the memories!
I have a 1978 Sears compact tiller with that same engine on it. It gets used once or twice a year or so. Always starts and runs great. The tiller cost $135.00 in 1978.
Thanks for the fun video.
That old engine will outlast anything built today! It's such a shame small engines aren't built like that anymore. Now its a throw away society. Great job getting it running!
I love your stash of old parts that are most likely not even available any more.
Back in the mid 60's my uncle had an old reel type mower that had been sitting in the weeds for years, he told me it had gotten hard to start then one day it wouldn't start so he left it there. I took it home and torn in to it. Just like you, I pulled the head and removed the carbon, cleaned & lapped the valves, cleaned the carb, cleaned the fuel tank with a piece of chain and shook the hang out of it & rinsed, pulled the flywheel and sanded it clean & put it together Oh and lubed the hang out of the clutch, and for the first start I put 1 shot of Old Spice after shave in the carb. and it roared to life. No new gaskets were used in the repair just stuck the old ones back in and it worked great. My Uncle used it until the rubber tires worn slap out then my cousin took the motor and put it on a mini bike.
I get such a kick out of watching your videos. How much joy it brings you to succeed with small engine repair like that Briggs & Stratton. I just grinned from ear to ear at the end of this watching how much happiness you got from fixing that gadget. I've learned a whole heck of a lot watching your videos. Keep up the great work! People all over the world are watching you.
Enjoyable video. Those Briggs were easy and durable. The one's now wouldn't give a dime for . Your very patient and pretty lady. Keep it up. Have a great day 😀.
Warning to viewers. When start up is attemped - take your headset off. The clutch is a real screamer. I'm in my mid 60's and watching you hand lap the valves took me back to my father's garage, hand lapping valves from Dad's car and my three older brothers cars. Also served my apprenticeship as fitter/machinist with a company that manufactured flow control and safety relief valves, so hand lapping was an everday occurence. Good to see and hear the motor run 😎
I love the old Briggs and Stratton engines… they were made so well back then. Good job on bringing it back to life.
I have one of those engines sitting in my shed, many years ago was thinking of using it for a go cart.
As a kid, I fixed up a few different old mowers for neighbors and to make money mowing yards. I really like the old white color briggs from the 60's and 70's. They started painting them black in the mid 80's. Also, old mowers from that era used to have the cylinder facing the back of the mower instead of the front. If you pushed down on the mower to let it engine recover in tall grass you would get smoke out of the exhaust from the cylinder getting flooded with oil.
Got one just like it, bought second handed 30+ yrs ago. New belts, blades, and filters only repairs made. Starts easy runs great. Five stars for old things!
I have lots of memories of working on those old engines. Hated having to remove wheels to work on them. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I just love your channel! Breathing life back into the good old shid that's built to last! I have that exact edger and it's an animal! I bought it from an old dude years ago for $50 who took really good care of all if his shid like I do. I take exceptional care of it as I do all of my shid. I'm a bit of a maintenance freak of sorts. Take care of your shid and your shid will take care of you. I like my shid to work when I need it to. All of my neighbors out there with their high tech, fancy, shiny electric boolshid and here I am rockin a 40 plus year old fossil fuel burnin edger that'll run circles around their new garbage! My weed wacker, gas. Chainsaw, gas. My lawn mower, gas. Snowblowers, absolutely gas! Electric snowblowers, especially a two stager, is about the dumbest idea and holy crap and and a half are they expensive! Not to mention the over priced batteries and chargers. Don't have enough batteries and they die, you're done. I run outta gas, I go get my gas can, fill 'er back up and keep going. I've absolutely finished one of my neighbor's snow clearing a time or two and of course I talk shid about it after his batteries died and his wife was on her way home. The only electric yard tool I own is a leaf blower, and it plugs in. I'm pretty OG, anti battery powered yard equipment and very anti electric vehicles. I'm a fossil fuel burnin Murican! I was just going to comment that I have that same edger and got on a soap box. My bad.....not.
I restore these old Briggs for therapy reasons because it sure isn't for the money. I currently have a '81 2 hp Briggs on the bench off of a Mclane edger with a '63 Montgomery Ward edger, also a 2 hp Briggs, waiting up next. There's a beauty in the simplicity of these engines and they go forever.
I can relate to the old school B&S engines. Brings back memories of that old tech with all metal parts and points. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. Bre, saved a another DOA!
You can never out beat those old vintage Briggs motors.
That was a great project. About 52 years ago I bought a new Edger just to get the Briggs and Stratton engine for my first go-cart and I put an electric motor on the Edger. It was cheaper to buy the new Edger than it was to buy anew Briggs and Stratton engine.
How about an extension tube on oil drain? At least temporary.
It's alive!!!!
Probably more apt to get them running than today model. 👍
I've built a ton of these flathead Briggs engines. Used to race them on Go-Karts There was a piston "pop up" rule. No more than .005 out of the block, so you had to keep and eye on the carbon build up as you were not allowed to scrape the piston. The best carbon remover I used was Easy-Off Oven cleaner Spray it on and let it set. sometimes you warm it up with a heat gun. Works great. Too much carbon acts like a sponge absorbing fuel causing the engine to fire when it's not suppose. (detonation). Enjoy all your videos.
I love old Briggs and Stratton engines!!!!!
Of course it runs. YOU repaired it. I would still be diagnosing and making gaskets. Good Job. Great video.
I just found this channel and I love it! I love seeing women being awesome at skills we traditionally associate with men. And I am learning from each video!
That little engine sounds so good purrs like a hungry kitty at a warm milk bowl thanks for sharing your time with us
they just don't make em like that anymore do they?
nice job
the look of excitement and satisfaction on your face when it started was enough for me 😁
when i work on something and it works when i'm done, i know the feeling well, it's the best feeling no doubt.
i believe that briggs engine was the same model we worked on when i took small engines in shop class in school.
They are fairly easy to do really.
Great channel 🥰
A trick for the throttle cables, find some cheap vinyl tubing that will fit over the end and run it up as far as you can. Use an electric vacuum pump meant for brake bleeding that uses a reservoir (or make one out of a jar with some tubing) and oil the top of the cable. the vacuum pump will pull the oil down trough the cable and oil it all up good. even if you can't get the tubing up very far, you can just oil up the housing pretty heavy and it will pull the oil through the gaps. This works well for modern cables with the plastic housings as well, just tape up the end of the tubing to the vacuum is being pulled through the housing. Hope that helps....pretty easy if you are set up for vacuum bleeding brakes already
Loved the video, back in the mid 70's I had a push lawnmower with a 3 horse power engine & this reminded me of my childhood.
I just love how giddy you get when you’re successful. I laugh right along with you.
Only recently came accross your videos due to being laid uop with minor health matter. Have enjoyed quite a lot this past week & learnt plenty. My dad had an edger identical to this but we couldn't get it repaired due to lack of parts according to the mechanic. I have a few aging small motor pieces requiring some attention but not worth spending money for the repair shop at about $80 an hour. All were working recently so I am going to see how I go fixing them. Will probably have my tablet in the workshop to refer to your vids when necessary. Can't find anything about the small shields in the carburettas or where to puchase some though. Thanks for your vids. I think you are very clever. I'm 73 now so this gives me another interest - I recently taught myself to service sewing machines for my wife and daughter's charity sewing group. New interests for an ex banker. best wishes.
What a coincidence, just stumbled across this video today and earlier I was working on my dad's old rotor tiller that hadn't ran in years. Fresh gas, new oil and the 5 horse version fired right up!
In the late 60s I had a mini bike with a Briggs engine very similar to that one. Brought back memories. Enjoyed watching that one as I do all of your vids. I all ways learn something new. Tnx.