General info on Briggs twins - 16-17-18hp etc

[pacer 3,159]

I have just acquired a pretty decent C-161 with a B&S 16hp twin with the aluminum block and both cyls are badly scored and the crank has slop in the housing. From what I can gather this version is not a good candidate for rebuild. Are the 17-18-?hp versions parts interchangeable on the 16 - since I have a complete 16 could I use any of its components on another Briggs twin? I fully realize the Briggs arent the most desirable engine but I DO have this engine and maybe could use some of the components... Im still pretty new to WH and have picked up a fair amount of knowledge on the Kohlers, but the B&S's not so much

 

Looking on ebay seems there arent many 16's and quite a few 17-18s. Any of you guys got a 'short block' 16 that wouldnt hurt my pocket book too badly ?

 

I have a pretty nice K-241 (10hp) that I just may have to put on it....and give up on the B&S angle, but thought Id run it by the folks here - seems theres most always somebody got a good suggestion

[Forest Road 594]

Kohlers generally hold up better than anything else. Really depends on your needs. 10hp maxes out on a 42" deck and a single stage blower. Extra hp is required for 48" & 60" decks and 2 stage blowers. It'll push and pull anything as well 20hp Onan. Well ALMOST....

[pacer 3,159]

Heh! snow is definitely NOT a concern! down here in La. And the tractor came with a 42" RD so I should have a good bit of leeway on engine size>

Edited January 23, 2015 by pacer

[Forest Road 594]

Absolutely!!!

[km3h 543]

Well let me see here. You have a C161. They made them in 1978 and 1979. So that old Briggs and Stratton lasted some 35 years. I'd say someone got their money's worth. I don't know why folks are so down on them. I have several that are still going strong and would not hesitate to rebuild one if it was in a tractor I wanted to keep and use.

[boovuc 1,090]

I agree Nick. A local Amish gentleman showed me his old Briggs twin when I stopped to ask him about it this summer. It was on his "Manure Spreader" parked along a local road. He used it as it was for the better part of 15 years on it and a baler. It was covered in shhhhh, "manure" and pigeon shhh, "droppings" and he told me he changes the oil in it once a year! (I would have hated to see the air cleaner)!

It was a 16 horse like I have seen in the Workhorse GT's and the "better" Sears Garden Tractors from the 80's. It had a one inch shaft and at one time, it spun something on the flywheel side as it had a hub on it.

I think they are a tad bit harder to work on but after seeing that and some comments from the Workhorse fans, I wouldn't be scared of an old Briggs twin holding up for a long time.

 

In regard to bringing back the WH Briggs, that would be a tuff call knowing that a Kohler would drop right in there and are generally easier to find and get parts for, Pacer.

[pacer 3,159]

Was hoping to get a Briggs 'guru' that might have some insight as to parts interchanging between the 16, 17 & 18hps. There is little in the way of 16 engines or parts but quite a bit of 17's, and especially 18's, with a couple decent sounding 'short blocks' in the 18's. If the 16hp bolt on stuff - flywheel, manifolds, carb, etc - would cross over to the 18 .... well that may be an out. (I'm thinking -- NOT!)

 

Any B&S 'experts' on here?

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,495]

Was hoping to get a Briggs 'guru' that might have some insight as to parts interchanging between the 16, 17 & 18hps. There is little in the way of 16 engines or parts but quite a bit of 17's, and especially 18's, with a couple decent sounding 'short blocks' in the 18's. If the 16hp bolt on stuff - flywheel, manifolds, carb, etc - would cross over to the 18 .... well that may be an out. (I'm thinking -- NOT!)

 

Any B&S 'experts' on here?

This may be worth pursuing. I recall some talk about a manufacturer using the same engine for multiple hp outputs. It was not economically feasible to design an engine for each hp to meet demand. This is what they did and the numbers I'm using are a guess.

16hp @ 3000rpm

17hp @ 3300rpm

18hp @ 3600rpm

 

Garry

[boovuc 1,090]

I don't ever recall seeing a horizontal shaft 17HP Briggs twin from that era. Vertical shaft, yes but not a horizontal shaft. You may have better luck talking to the older Sears gurus on the big briggs twins. 

[Fordiesel69 210]

If the intake and ex valve seats are not loose in the block, rebuild it.  A machine shop can certainly take care of the machining for you, and install a new bushing for the crank. 

[Fordiesel69 210]

This may be too late, but worth mentioning, the older briggs twins were offered with 2 different cylinder types; bare aluminum (aka cool bore), or cast iron sleeve.  If your block has the bare aluminum cylinders, and it has scratches but is not out of round, or worn too much, you can usully re-ring and reduced the oil consumption significantly.  If it is out of round, it may be better to overbore and have sleeves installed.  If you are lucky to have the cast iron sleeves, it will be a real easy one to rebore and rebuild. 

 

Aluminum blocks as a whole are not a bad thing, they can still be machined.

 

I got lucky to get a 1999 era L-Twin 18HP on my Workhorse GT-1642, and it has the ball bearing crank bearing w/ cast iron sleeves.  The downside is I need to tear it down and have the valve seats fixed.  It is a very low hour engine, but sometimes you get unlucky.  I beleive the failure was from a blown intake gasket.