# Steel sleeve or not



## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

I have a Briggs that smokes and I want to put rings in it. I would like to find out if it is a steel sleeve block or not before I open it up. The model number is 190707 8 horse vertical shaft. Thanks for any help.


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

by that model # it is not steel sleeve, as all of the parts manuals show no ball bearing on crankshaft, steel sleeve is usually only on I/C engines which have at least one ball bearing on the crank. What makes you think that is what is causing it to burn oil if you haven't had the head off yet?


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## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

I just think that from experiences. It smokes like a train. What do you think it is. I would also like your opinion about re-ringing a non-sleeved block. Thanks for looking up the block type.


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

Could be numerous things, bad breather, bad a/f, gas in the oil, blown head gasket, worn valve guides or bad valve stem seals etc etc, we have no way of telling what knowledge people have and what they have checked, 

I have never done rings or a rebuild on any engine for a mower for a couple of reasons, first of all what it will cost a customer in parts and labor it works out better to short block it, number 2 if i did rings or rebuild as far as most customers are concerned it should be good forever so I end up married to it, number 3 is if the rings and cly have worn what about all the other bearing surfaces in the block that are not replaceable, if the cly is worn it comes from dirty oil, lack of oil, overheating etc which would also affect the other bearing surfaces. I would sell them parts and a repair manual if they wanted to do it themselves but that was it, basically it was not profitable for us to do them. I personally built 5hp racing go kart engines for a few years, I have done rings on these but we used I/C steel sleeved engines.


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## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

It sounds like we have a similar back ground. I also had a lot of enjoyment building 5HP Briggs Karts. It was a blast. This mower is more of just helping someone out, there no profit in it so I'll open it up and see if the cly is salvageable. Wish it was an I/C. Thanks again.


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

Actually we had more in common, I built them in Cal myself, I lived in Palmdale, I also ran hobby stock, stock cars at Saugus speedway. Good luck with the mower. If you are helping someone then yes I would give it a try.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Briggs made engines with cast iron sleeve that were not I/C engines. Many vertical shaft engine (even I/C) did not have ball bearings on the crank shaft support, many had sleeve bearings. I am not aware of a way to tell based on the model number of the engine. The easiest way to tell is to pull the head and have a look. You can easily see the sleeve from the top of the cylinder with the head off.

Here is a little video I found on youtube that shows the difference in the cylinder between a "Kool Bore" (aluminum) and a "Dura Bore" (cast sleeve).


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## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

Yes that is a good video, I was just trying to find out without tearing it down. I didn't want to end up with another useless engine in pieces. But I gota do what I gota do and hope for the best. I hope it's a steel sleeve block and I can just re-ring it. It's a nice little Snapper rear engine but not worth a new engine. Thanks for all the help.


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## justin3 (Apr 10, 2007)

Before you go crazy, check the basics like others have said. Make sure the Mower isn't over filled with oil, the owner is using the correct weight oil, Those older Briggs engines like to leak fuel into the oil through the carb, make sure the oil isn't contaminated with gas.


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## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

I tore it down and the oil is defiantly leaking passed the rings. There is a ridge also. I already ordered 30 over piston and ring set. I'm going to see if I can bore it myself at the junior college. It.s a fun little job.


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## myboy (Nov 30, 2011)

It smokes like a train. What do you think it is. I would also like your opinion about re-ringing a non-sleeved block.


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## buy*david (Nov 7, 2011)

I bored the briggs block myself and installed a cast iron sleeve. I honed it to fit the original piston. The machine work turned out great, and now I'm waiting for some parts to finish it. It's nice to not have to depend on a machine shop, and just do it myself.


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