Last week when mowing with Country Squire

[MNGB]

I was mowing with the CS when suddenly some not so good sounds came from the engine and it stopped, dragged it in to the shop, removed the spark plug and found the ground electrode was hammered tight against the center electrode I could tell this was not good. So this afternoon I removed the hood then the head and I'm pretty sure I found the problem what do you guys think

 

[Cvans]

Ouch ouch and more ouch. That just looks bad no matter how you look at it.

 

[MNGB]

Ouch ouch and more ouch. That just looks bad no matter how you look at it.

Yes it is and I not sure it pays to repair it this engine is somewhat rare and there are no aftermarket part and NOS part are expensive

 

[4getgto]

Yes it is and I not sure it pays to repair it this engine is somewhat rare and there are no aftermarket part and NOS part are expensive

Have any idea of the cause Gary..?
Certainly not good..

 

[chieffan]

Repair may be cost prohibitive compared to updated replacement engine.

 

[Cvans]

You might have to do what I did with June Bug and replace the engine with something other than original. At least you will have a usable tractor.

 

[MNGB]

Have any idea of the cause Gary..?
Certainly not good..

Not really other than maybe lots of hours on the engine and the piston just broke

 

[MNGB]

You might have to do what I did with June Bug and replace the engine with something other than original. At least you will have a usable tractor.

I have a line on an OEM engine a B&S model 23 they built 1000's and 1000's of them this engine was a replacement at one time it a Model 243431 its a 10 hp vs 9/9.5 for the model 23

 

[cjet69]

Sorry to see that Gary. Hard to believe a piston could fail that bad. That deserves mounting on a wall plaque. Is the bore still good?

 

[CRF6179]

I have a line on an OEM engine a B&S model 23 they built 1000's and 1000's of them this engine was a replacement at one time it a Model 243431 its a 10 hp vs 9/9.5 for the model 23

How about we upgrade to a big block?

 

[dodge trucker]

What about all those Kohler engines you had a year or so ago that you were talking about goin thru and getting running? One of those work?

 

[MNGB]

What about all those Kohler engines you had a year or so ago that you were talking about goin thru and getting running? One of those work?

yes I have 3 or 4 Kohlers that would work but I'd like to keep it original if possible

 

[Toomanytoys84]

I wonder how many hours that engine had on it….id imagine many! Not sure I’ve ever saw a piston exploded like that in a small engine. Threw several rods but never a that!

 

[MNGB]

I wonder how many hours that engine had on it….id imagine many! Not sure I’ve ever saw a piston exploded like that in a small engine. Threw several rods but never a that!

Its a first for me also, this tractor worked all it life until about the last 10 / 15 years, it was owned by Boise Cascade at their mill in International Falls, MN they plowed snow with it.
The reason I want to stay with an OEM engine as this is what is referred to as a roundy and this hood only fits B&S engines of the time

 

[TAHOE]

Ouch!!!

 

[dodge trucker]

Block itself hurt?

 

[MFDAC]

Dang Gary sorry to read this! Could it have run lean enough to burn the piston? I've seen failures like that in automotive engines that ran too lean.

DAC

 

[MNGB]

Block its self hurt

I have not looked at it real close

 

[MNGB]

Dang Gary sorry to read this! Could it have run lean enough to burn the piston? I've seen failures like that in automotive engines that ran too lean.

DAC

No it wasn't running lean spark plug looked a bit on the rich side about normal for these engines

 

[MNGB]

While I was into the shop this afternoon I wiped the oil off the cylinder wall and it looks as good as can be no scoring, was thinking about what might of happened I thing the piston failed at one of the ring grooves do to many hours on it.
The good news is I bought a 10 B&S engine its a bit newer and it included a starter/gen clutch housing the clutch and clutch flywheel, seller had a video of it running sounded good to me.