OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines Briggs 5.5HP OHV Intek Engine - On Rover Base

I don't know exactly when Chongqing began early production, Gadge, but the project is dated 2002 in the Briggs history statement:
http://www4.briggsandstratton.com/miscpdfs/RNT/history%20of%20briggs_MS8751.pdf

Here is the list of Briggs locations large enough to be called "facilities" and therefore have plant numbers, as it stood in 2011:


That is taken from Page 7 of 32 of a published conformity document called "Briggs & Stratton 856 Ship Notice/Manifest Version 004010", and is headed "B&S facilities and their associated plant numbers are as follow."

As you can see, 57 is not a Briggs plant, so your engine does not have a valid plant number in its Code. This is the phenomenon I was talking about when I suggested that the engines with non-existent plant numbers in their Codes, may come from Chongqing. All such numbers I've heard of so far, are in the 50s. Note that most of Briggs' older plants, all of which have numbers lower than the 20s, have been closed and do not appear on this list. There are also a couple which appear on the list but have been closed since 2011.

All this may mean that you have a very early Chongqing engine, from before the plant's opening ceremony. Alternatively, my whole hypothesis may be wrong - but AFAIK, no-one has ever reported an engine carrying the Chongqing plant code "28". It may only be used on engines sold within China. The reality is that no small side valve engines have been made anywhere but Chongqing in approximately ten years now, and no side valve engines at all, including large ones, have been made anywhere but Chongqing in the past couple of years. All of the Chongqing engines that have been reported to me have Plant Code numbers in the 50s, and those Code numbers do not match the Plant Code numbers of any actual plants.

Thanks buddy!

Grumpy,

I think you have a little misunderstanding on how the date code is read in reference to the above chart. This is just my opinion but I can be wrong.

The above chart is for shipping manifests and doesn't correlate to the date code. If it did we here in the States would need a much broader chart as I have customer engine with last digits that are no where on the list. I haven't seen a chart anywhere that correlate the date code with a particular plant; this is an internal item that Briggs hasn't released publicly. It would be nice if they did release it. Now if they are starting to use true serial numbers then they might include those style numbers above but I haven't seen any to date here in my shop.

Here is some examples of date codes that I have on file here as I use them to track a customer engine for service warranty.

080312YG, 0106287ZE, 070301ZA, 090327YD, 93062952, 95033132.

Hi AVB, the Briggs literature says that the last digit in the early days of the modern model number system, or two digits from then onward, are the plant number. (Initially they said the last two digits were the shift the engine was made on, and the plant number, but I'm not sure they ever did that, and if they did, it was only very briefly). So, the first six digits of the Code are the date of manufacture, and the last two are the plant number, except on early engines that only had seven digits altogether, and on those the last number is the plant number. We have a short summary of how it works in this old thread:

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=47946#Post47946

I agree that Briggs had no intention of the public being able to interpret their plant numbers, but for some reason, perhaps having to do with ISO quality standard compliance, they published a formal document explaining their logistics system, for the use of suppliers. Perhaps they hoped that nobody else would ever find it on the internet. You can read it here:

http://iconnect-corp.com/specs/vendors/briggsstratton/856_v4010.pdf

I am aware that some Codes have appeared recently with two letters at the end instead of a traditional plant number. I haven't yet "broken the code" on the meaning of those. However we haven't seen any instances yet where the last two numerical digits are not either the number of an engine plant (including half a dozen or so engine plants which have now closed) or a number in the 50s in the case of side valve engines made since the Chongqing plant was established. There is still more work to be done in identifying the locations of the older engine plants which were closed during the "bad days" prior to establishing the Chongqing plant, when Briggs was losing money on side valve engines and was taking steps to stem the hemorrhage. Because they were gone before the 2011 document was produced, they are not on the list.

Tnx Grumpy for the info it looks like we and especially myself got some more research to do to get things straighten out on these codes.

I have only been working on these engines professionally since 2009 and there is a lot I got to learn. This was and still time of large changes to the whole small industry especially with China getting into the game.

This one of the reason joined here as I am trying to both expand my knowledge of these engines and to provide help whenever I can. Feel to correct me when I am wrong as need to be providing correct info and not misinformation.

I looked at the Australian Briggs site and it is setup a little than ours here in the US and some of the info is different but I try to compare and weed out things that I know is outdated.

It is sorta like working on Stihl products. You can't get the service manuals or even the parts lists here but sometimes there are overseas sites that have the info.

You are already a very valuable member here AVB, and are also playing a strategic role: AFAIK, we don't have another active US-based member who is a professional repairer. Our information on things like US-made ride-on mowers is woefully inadequate, and you may be able to help us with that.

The nearest thing there is to perfect information is what we can get from service manuals, and even there they need to be read in conjunction with service bulletins that we often don't have, so I don't think any of us is ever completely sure that we know the "truth", whatever that is. The system is that if somebody thinks a member may be wrong, they pose the question in a post. Sometimes that leads to a debate of course, but as long as everyone remembers that, as John Denver said, "The truth is hard to come by", we get by. You are following that system, and if I ever depart from it, please tell me immediately.

One of the things we need, is access to more and better information from the manufacturers. The closest we can come to that, apart from publications, is information from dealers and repairers who are in touch with the manufacturers themselves. Of course they are not always able to pass on what they know, but sometimes they can, and it is a great help to this site when that happens.

The global movement to sourcing most small engines and small engine powered machines from China, is an obstacle to service work at the moment because most of those machines are sold unbranded, and an importer somewhere in the world puts a label on them. Those importers usually don't produce proper service manuals and in Australia at least, usually don't handle spare parts. The Chinese source doesn't usually produce manuals either, at least not in English, because each importer wants an individualised document to make it look as if they produced it themselves. This is especially a problem with items like line trimmers, which often need repair (usually due to mishandling by owners). For the moment, what usually happens is that nearly new mowers and trimmers are scrapped over a fault that could be put right in a few minutes.

We may have a different attitude to some of these matters in Australia, due to a distribution system which makes most items incredibly expensive to the end-user unless (in the case of small items) you just buy them direct from a Chinese distributor, with no form of technical or spare-parts support.

Just a point on the actual repair.


If you had a air line to spark plug adapter that would make it a hell of a lot easier with getting the valve retainers on and off.

That works fine; unless, you got to replace the intake valve stem seal on this Intek engine. Either way you go at it you're going need to remove the head as the intake valve must be removed in order to install the new seal.

Guys thanks for the pointers regarding the repair. I have finally received the gasket kit has AVB indicated.
As I haven�t completed this type of repair before on a Briggs Intek I would appreciate some pointers and anything I special I need to take into consideration to ensure the repair is successful.
I plan on removing the head and cleaning everything up nicely before re-assembling the engine. I�d appreciate some guidance on re-assembly before I tackle the task.
I also have some separate questions.
1) Do I use the new metal rocker cover plate? If so do I re-use the pushrod guides?
2) Should I install the new head gasket or just re-use the original gasket if it is acceptable condition
3) Tips for re-installing the valves and setting the clearances.
4) Correct valve clearances for this engine type � I have read a couple of conflicting notes although I may be misunderstanding something.
5) Is lapping the valves the same process as a side valve engine or do I need to follow a separate process? I am assuming whilst the head is off I should lap the valves to get a nice seal.
Anything else more experienced guys have would be much appreciated as I have probably missed something.
Thanks a lot.
Jaffa

If you carefully remove the old push rod guides you can reuse them, if not the PN is 691343. This is for one each guide. These are fairly expensive little chucks of plastic; just my opinion about plastic.

I would use the new parts provided including the metal plate. No point of having to do the work over when you got the new parts. The head gaskets will self destruct upon removal.

Valve clearance is .004" - .006" for both valves since this is the vertical engine. The horizontal version does have a different exhaust valve gap setting. Jam nut should be torqued to 75 - 95 in lbs.

When setting clearances put the piston at 1/4" pass TDC of compression stroke. This is measured thru the spark plug hole using a dowel or similar item where you can mark the TDC position and 1/4" pass on the measuring item. Now of course you can convert these the metric measurements if needed.

You may wonder why 1/4" pass TDC, it is to prevent the inference caused by the decompression release on the cam at or just before TDC compression stroke which is to make starting easier.

Valve lapping should be the same. This is optional but you should use your own judgement on this as you are physically checking the condition of these on site.

Guys thanks for your assistance in getting this mower all back together. After a couple of hours work it is now running very nicely and most importantly not leaking any oil around the valve chest cover.
I ended up using all the new parts as you indicated AVB. The valve guides were very easy to replace onto the new metal plate.
I ended up lapping the valves before re-assembly however they were already in quite good condition. It was surprising to note the inside of the bore was unmarked which I found surprising for a mower that was 10 plus years old.
I have included some photos of the process which others might find useful.

Thanks for posting that Jaffa, it makes it a complete story and reinforces AVB's detailed information that made the job possible. Up to now we've seen very little of the small Inteks here on Outdoorking, and this needs to change. I think eventually Briggs will have to find ways to make those engines at prices that compete with the better grade of chondas, or it will run out of market opportunities - we need to understand them by the time that happens.