# Got another freebe!



## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

My dad called the HVAC technician today to take a look at our furnace and to get an estimate for replacing it. While the technician was here I started chatting with him and the subject of lawn mowers came up some how. I mentioned that I was a small engine mechanic and he asked me if I would be interested in a used riding mower (he has two of them). I asked him what kind and he told me it was a 40" Murray rider with a 12HP I/C Briggs engine. I then asked how much he wanted for it and he said he would sell it for $50 if he delivered it to my house or he would give it to me for free if I drove to his house and picked it up! I'm going to borrow a trailer from a friend of mine tomorrow and go pick it up. According to him, the mower will turn over but will not start. This should be pretty easy to fix...it's either the seat safety switch or a carb problem. Either way, I should be able to fix it up for relatively cheap and I should be able to get $500-$600 for it when I sell it.

I'm really excited because the money I make off of this mower is going towards a new computer I'm planning on building.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

It turns out that I wasn't able to pick that mower up until today and there is alot more wrong with it than I originally thought. The mower itself is in pretty good shape and just needs a good cleaning, but the engine is a whole different story. The guy apparently never checked or changed the oil in the motor because the oil got so thick that it couldn't keep the crankshaft lubricated and the rod broke. The good news is that the cylinder shows no signs of damage and the rod didn't get bounced around the crankcase and cause more damage. The only thing I will need to do to get the motor running again is clean the aluminum from the crankshaft (using my secret trick which I may share with everybody at some point), install a new rod, hone the cylinder, and put in a new set of rings. This may sound like alot, but I've had plenty of practice so it shouldn't take long :thumbsup: It only took me 1.5 hours to remove the engine from the mower, tear it down, and clean everything in the parts washer....and most of that time was spent actually cleaning the oil out of the crankcase since it was the consistancy of 00 grease.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

oh man some people can be very, ummmm well not toooooo bright if you know what i mean. i have a habit myself of checking every single one of mine before each use. even the car. of course in doing so i sometimes forget the gas. :lol: but not the oil. i know you'll get it going :thumbsup:


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

oh and to tell you my good deals i got the very same engine in good cond. on a noma with all new deck and jackshafts etc. guy didn't feel like workin on it. uses a little oil but it's got no dipstick so i have a tendency to overfill it.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

I know what you mean! I'm still amazed at the people that go to the store, buy a brand new mower, then take it home and try to use it without filling it with oil! On top of that, they try to bring it to our shop and get it fixed under warranty! To quote my boss..."Warranty does not cover supidity."

I wish more people were like you and check the oil before each use. I also check the oil every time I use my equipment and always keep an eye on the sump gasket and dip stick to make sure they aren't leaking. When it comes to my car, I check the oil at least once a week but this is a little different because I have an oli pressure gage. As long as my oil pressure is normal and the engine temperature is normal, I should have plenty of oil in the engine. This brings up another point...I'm amazed at the people that never pay attention to any of the gages or idiot lights in their cars...all the stuff is there for a reason!


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

:lol: true so true. me i've got what you call idiot lights but never trust em i check it every day. me too with oil leaks. if its leaking a little which will be normal with most, i clean it off so clumps don't build up. i've had hours on that noma from cleaning oil and grass clumps. oil not from the engine, the idiot didn't tighten the oil plug or cap. had an old 3.5 one time it was a freebie. ok man gave it to me cause it would start and run but took several times to even start. so i popped the head off and so much crap was in there the piston was hitting it. on top of that oil clumps surrounded the carb and engine. cleaned her up. she ran so good i kept it as a spare for hard use.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

oh nother thing briggs good engine, thats why most get em. thats until the dummies forget the oil when they start em. i like the new ones with the oil sensor that don't let you start em unless they are just right. of course my friend got him a used one but fairly new 6.0 craftsman. had an oil sensor. idiot who he got it from gave it to him saying it didn't run. i beleive he put in about an ounce or two of oil and started right up. some people were just born with brains and some with hardly any. forgetting oil and stuff like that.ohhhh boy the mowers i've had from that, people not knowing what to do with em. my noma, just a solenoid and a carb cleaning. and i was cutting. solenoid was free, i popped that off an old 85 murray. my old murray 8 i got for free due in fact the man was moving and didn't want it. its well worth 200 bucks for just the 8 hp engine since when i checked it out was rebuilt not too long ago. rebuilt starter, and engine and carb. that i/c12hp of mine is the oldest one of mine and practically its new running. i've bought one like that for 25bucks running due in fact to owner stupidity and not knowing that the shroud cools the engine. so he took it off said it was helping with cooling. blew the head off. simple new head and shroud and all was well.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

Thought you guys might like to see my freebe lawnmower since I got the engine rebuilt and everthing cleaned up and fixed.You can probably see by the picture that it's not the best looking mower because it has some cosmetic problems (faded/stained paint and faded plastic). However, the thing cranks right up and runs like a dream...not bad for a freebe!


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

you think that looks bad huh it looks relatively good. my noma was free with a running 12hpI/C briggs and new deck and components, but of course the piston has dimples from a peice of metal impacting it, (my suspicions are about) these people around here but i fixed it, the pistons still good and she runs great. just a small peice, valves are good. of course#3 was my fav race driver so i painted it on the hood. runs great. :dude: free, 40 bucks in belts only.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

here's my old murray 8 oldy :dude: 
well this one was free, bad deck but i use it to run around right now, rebuilt original 8hp engine, synchro balanced and no pull start  only electric. runs great. i spent exactly ummmm well nothing on it. even came with a relatively new battery, dude was moving out and i knew him and asked for it.
oh and i'll get the model of the trans tommorrow if i can. stought old thing, pops wheelies good.


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