3
Maintenance (see figs. ¦§¨)
Also, seeMaintenance Schedule. Follow the hourly or
calendar intervals, whichever occur first
. More f requent
service i s required w hen operating i n adverse c onditions.
To preventaccidental starting, removespark
plug wire
and ground it and disconnect
battery at negative terminal, if engine has
electric starting system, before servicing.
Oil service (see fig.
¦)
Check oil level regularly.
Be sure correct oil level is maintained. Check every 5
hours or daily, before starting engine. See oil filling
procedure, Oil Recommendations.
Change oil.
Change oil after first 5 hours of operation. Change oil
while engine is warm. Refill with new oil of recom-
mended SAE viscosity grade. (see fig.
©)
Gear reduction, if equipped
Remove oil fill plug
and oil level plug .Drainoil
every 100hours ofoperation orevery season. Torefill,
pour SAE 30 oil into oil fill hole until it runs out level
check hole. Replace bothplugs. Oil fill plughas a vent
hole
and must be installed on top of gear case
cover.
Air cleaner service (see fig. §)
Replace pre-cleaner
, i f equipped,and/or cartridge
if very dirty or damaged. (see fig.
C
)
1. Loosen screws or remove knob. Then remove
cover.
2. Remove pre-cleaner, if equipped, and cartridge
carefully to prevent debris from falling into
carburetor.
To service pre-cleaner, wash in liquid detergent and
water.Squeeze dry inaclean cloth. Saturateinengine
oil. Squeeze in clean, absorbent cloth to remove ALL
EXCESS oil.
To service cartridge, clean by tapping gently on a flat
surface. Do not use petroleum solvents, e.g., kero-
sene, which will cause cartridge to deteriorate. Do not
use pressurized air, which can damage cartridge. Do
not oil cartridge.
3. Reinstall cartridge and pre-cleaner, i f equipped.
4. Replace cover and tighten screws or knob
securely.
Maintenance Cont’d
Spark plug service (see fig. ¨)
Use onlyBriggs &Stratton S parkTester
,to checkfor
spark. (see fig.
D
)
Clean/replace spark plug every 100 hours or every
season, whichever occurs first. Spark plug wrench is
available from any Authorized Briggs & Stratton
Service Dealer (see fig.
D
).
Note: Insomeareas,locallaw requiresusingaresistor
spark plug to suppress ignition signals. If this engine
was originally equipped with resistor spark plug, use
same type of spark plug for replacement.
Spark plug gap
should be .76 mm or 0.030 in.
Keep engine clean (see fig. ¨)
Periodically remove chaff and debris build-up from
engine. Clean finger guard. Do not spray engine with
water to clean because water could contaminate fuel.
Clean with abrush or compressed air.
Accumulation of debris around muffler
couldcauseafire.Inspectandclean before
every use.
To assure smooth operation, keep governor linkage,
springs and controls free of debris.
If muffler is equipped with spark arrester screen
,
remove spark arresterscreen forcleaning and inspec-
tion every 50 hours or every season. Replace if
damaged. (see fig.
D
)
Clean cooling system. Chaff or debris may clog
engine’s air coolingsystem, especially after prolonged
operation. Internal cooling fins and surfaces may
require cleaning to prevent overheating and engine
damage.Removeblower hous ing and clean as s hown
.
Maintenance Schedule
Follow the hourly or calendar intervals, whichever
occur first. More frequent service is required when
operating in adverse conditions noted below.
First 5 Hours
D Change oil
Every 5 hours or daily
D Check oil level
D Clean finger guard
D Clean around muffler
Every 25 hours or every season
D Change oil if operating under heav y load or
high ambient temperature
D Service air cleaner pre-cleaner, if equipped*
D Serviceaircleaner cartridgeif nopre-cleaner*
Every 50 hours or every season
D Change oil
D Clean andinspect spark arrester, if equipped.
Every 100 hours or every season
D Service air cleaner cartridge if equipped with
pre-cleaner*
D Replace/clean spark plug
D Change oil, gear reduction, if equipped
D Clean cooling system*
* Clean more often under dusty conditions,or
when airborne debris or chaff is present.
Storage
Engines stored over 30 days need to be protected or
drained of fuel to prevent gum from forming in fuel
system or on essential carburetor parts.
For engine protec tion, we recommend use of B riggs &
Stratton Gasoline Additive
B
available from an Autho-
rized Briggs &Stratton ServiceDealer.Mix Additive with
fuel in fuel tank or storage container. R un engine for a
short time to circulate Additive through carburetor.
Engine and fuel can be stored up t o 24 months.
Note: If Additive is not used or if engine is operating on
gasolinecontainingalcohol, e.g.gasohol, r emoveallfuel
from tank and run engine until it stops from lack of fuel.
1. Change oil. See Oil service. (see figs.
©¦)
2. Removesparkplugandpourabout15ml (1/2oz)
ofengineoilintocylinder.Replacesparkplugand
crank slowly to distribute oil.
3. Clean grass and chaff from cylinder and cylinder
head fins,under finger guardand behind muffler.
4. Store in a clean and dry area, but NOT near a
stove, furnace or water heater which uses apilot
light or any device that can create a spark.
Service
See an Authorized Briggs & Stratton Service Dealer.
Each one ca rriesa stock of GenuineBriggs & Stratton
Parts and is equipped with special service tools.
Trained mechanics assure expert repair service on all
Briggs &Stratton engines. Only dealersadvertising as
“Authorized Briggs & Stratton” are required to meet
Briggs & Stratton standards.
Whenyoupurchaseequipmentpoweredbya
Briggs& Strattonengine,you areassuredof
highly skilled, reliable service at more than
30,000 Authorized Service Dealers world-
wide, including more than 2,700 Master
Service Technicians. Look for these signs
whereverBriggs&Strattonserviceisoffered.
™
You may locate your nearest Authorized
Briggs & Stratton Service Dealer in the
“Yellow Pages™”directory under “Engines,
Gasoline” or “Gasoline Engines,” or “Lawn
Mowers” or similar category. Or log on to our dealer locator
map onour website www.briggsandstratton.com
Note: Wal king fingers logo and“Yellow P ages”are registered
trademarks i nvarious jurisdict ions.
An illustrated shop manual includes “Theories of
Operation,” common specifications and detailed infor-
mation covering adjustment, tune-up and repair of
Briggs & Stratton L-head, single cylinder, 4 cycle
engines. OrderP/N 270962 froman AuthorizedBriggs
& Stratton Service Dealer.
Insist onGenuine Briggs& Stratton replacement parts
with ourlogo onthe boxand/or part.Non-original parts
may not perform as well and may void your warranty.