Been thinking of this for 6 months

[Tharrell]

Well, all is good. My push blower (5hp B&S) is back from the dead.
Last year while operating it, I saw a little smoke and shut it off.
It shut off with a sound I used to hear occasionally when I was racing bikes.
I can't really describe it except to say it was abrupt.
I knew right away it had seized. I pulled on the cord and I was right.
I had visions of twisted, melted-welded aluminum and steel.
I put it in the basement thinking I would replace the engine sometime over the winter.
Having not touched it at all and after reviewing some new accounts saturday that will need a big blower, I set out to navigate the replacement engine offerings on the web. Several possibilities exist but, I'm cheap and I always seem to think about the alternatives. Good for me.
I thought I had nothing to lose so I took the head off and put some wd40 to soak around the rings. I gently tried to hammer the piston down with a wooden dowel and a hammer but, it wouldn't budge.
Another disappointment.
I resigned myself to taking the engine off and getting it ready for a new one. I took the front access cover off the fan and thought the fan wouldn't be a problem because it was seized but, voila! The darn thing rotated when I put the wrench to it!
I couldn't believe it. The piston went up and down,etc...
I ran my finger around the bore to see if there was any damage I could feel. None!
That got me pumped. I put it back together with the same head gasket and no torque wrench.
Fresh gas (93 octane), fresh plug and fresh oil.
Poured a little gas in the carb and set the controls with my fingers crossed.
Would you believe it fired on the first pull? Yep, it did.
I ran it for a while, shut it down and checked the head bolts.
I still can't believe my good fortune. I've gone out to crank it a half dozen times since! Tony
btw-Here's a low quality mpeg of it. You can hear my security system just before I crank it!

[topsites]

Heh every seized engine does that much, after you free it up they all run again, just no telling how long. Idling along they can run for some time but it's the higher rpm's that test it, not trying to scare you but this is something I'd check into further.

Might want to try and crank it but slowly, give it some rpm's then wait a bit and then a little more, don't go WOT right off the bat, just ease it on up there and let it sit for a bit then ease the throttle a bit further, and so on.

Then if it runs for a good 15-20 minutes at WOT you got lucky some kind of way, maybe it didn't really seize the engine idk but...
It's worth a try, for sure.

[meets1]

I did the same thing last winter on a briggs. It was on our log splitter and the oil plug was loose and it just stopped. Pulled everything right there, oil, WD-40, and a little pounding - started back up and I was running. It lasted thru the winter and they I noticed it was really lacking power and very hard to keep it turning those R's when in heavy wood. I scraped it this spring on a rainy day and placed a honda on it with oil alert.

[Tharrell]

I'm just thankful I have a blower to start the season with. Once the cash flow starts again, I'll probably buy a small Honda to go on it if it goes south.
By the way, I noticed some black engines on Troybilt tillers at Lowes yesterday that looked just like Hondas but weren't badged anything.
Are they Hondas or some Chinese knockoff? Tony

[newz7151]

By the way, I noticed some black engines on Troybilt tillers at Lowes yesterday that looked just like Hondas but weren't badged anything.
Are they Hondas or some Chinese knockoff? Tony

They are the MTD branded horizontal engine. They are made in China, but who knows anymore where MTD got the design from. Likely copied Honda and then made changes to them to cheapen them down more.

[Happy Frog]

Seized engine: pull the spark plug, poor some Marvell Miracle oil in the cylinder, let it soak three-four days, put the spark plug back on and try to start it.
Works more often than one may think...

[PEVO]

Is it the rings That cause this or the rod bearing scored up & seizing when it gets hot???

[smokediver]

Is it the rings That cause this or the rod bearing scored up & seizing when it gets hot???

It all depends, it can be the rings, or I have seen main bearings sieze. I've even seen small pieces of metal and screws from throttle plates go through a cylinder. I've also seen the oil slinger break or come loose and not throw oil. That usually causes the piston/rings to sieze in the cylinder.

[grass_cuttin_fool]

I have a little wonder with a 5hp briggs and when I bought it .....it had seen a hard life. IT runs ok nad does what I need it too 15 minutes a week in a parking lot.I went to price a new engine and WOW....its something to do with the size of the shaft and the fan and its a special application and that engine is very pricey. Now I didnt double check my dealer...we have been friends for 25 years...I dont think he was shooting me a line of bull on this. If you find an engine that crosses over easy and economically let me know

wayne

[Tharrell]

I saw where one of the engine houses had some black Honda engines for sale. They actually called them Hondas, maybe they are.
Anyway, the video works good if you play it with windows media player. It's kind of short I know. I had a nice full size video that wasn't long at all but it was about 4.5 and Lawnsite wouldn't let me upload more than 3.91 or something.
Looking back on when this happened, I remember it was a hot day, I had the machine worked on, specifically the carb. The mechanic put a remote throttle on it (I don't know why?) and it has 2 seperate controls for run and choke. I believe I ran it too long at wot with the choke on. Then I shut it down without throttling it down. Tony

[Runner]

LOL. I had a push blower years and years ago by the brand name of Roto-Hoe. It had a 8 horse Briggs on it. I bought it because it was just a little cheaper than a Billy Goat...Well, the price was about as much as the 8 horse Briggs would have costed, so that tells you something. lol Anyway, this shake, rattle, and roll unit eventually ctracked a few welds here and there, and as I rewelded things, eventually, some other things would come loose. Anyway, with the "highly precision balanced" large steel impellar that eventually shook the crank seal loose, causing the motor to leak oil, eventually IT ceased up a quite a few times, and by using a pipe and a hammer, I was able to loosen it back up to turn it over.

[jkason]

They are the MTD branded horizontal engine. They are made in China, but who knows anymore where MTD got the design from. Likely copied Honda and then made changes to them to cheapen them down more.


Actually, they are a VERY GOOD COPY of a honda engine.

So good in fact, they copied the mold marks. And engineering marks.

Good luck getting parts for them though.
When they first came out, the only parts available were the gas tanks and the recoil assy.

Here's a hint. Compare the printed warranty statement.
Honda has an injunction against the chinese manufacturer to stop them from importing the engines stateside (or something of that nature).

[newz7151]

Actually, they are a VERY GOOD COPY of a honda engine.

So good in fact, they copied the mold marks. And engineering marks.

Good luck getting parts for them though.
When they first came out, the only parts available were the gas tanks and the recoil assy.

Here's a hint. Compare the printed warranty statement.
Honda has an injunction against the chinese manufacturer to stop them from importing the engines stateside (or something of that nature).

There are not internal parts provided for this engine. Same as the new Kohler engine. External replacement parts only (although the Kohler may eventually be a rebuildable engine based on longevity and future dealer input). Also, if you look at a Chinese clone and a true Honda, you will notice that the flat part on the block where the Honda has the engine model molded in (GX160, etc) is blank on the Chinese clones.

[Tharrell]

My buddy Richard bought a 6.5 at a tool sale that looks like a Honda but it's blue. It runs excellent. He paid $99 for it. I looked up Harbor Freight and they have the same engine for $129 and also a 13 hp for $350 or something. Tony
Also, I wondered about parts too but Richard sez just buy a new one!