I noticed how dark the oil was in the sump and in your drain container. However the oil on the DipStick was New clean. Yes, someone added oil to the engine after the Rod broke or it would have mixed with the rest of the old oil. Too bad, like you said I too feel like they are good engines.
Nicely done Donny. What a shame, all because someone didn't maintain it correctly. I had a call once, brand new B & S. Visited, and I couldn't pull it over at all. Checked the oil level and it was THREE INCHES above the max mark on the dipstick. It was hydrolocked. There was a one foot wide black streak of oil on the garage wall. Customer demanded to know what I was going to do and wasn't happy with my response. All you have to do is read the book
Thanks for all the great videos, Don. I have a Cub Cadet 28" snow blower with that same engine. I bought it in November 2016 and it's been great. That 357cc engine can easily handle the heaviest wet snow. I do all the regular maintenance on it in September, like changing the spark plug, oil, lubricating everything and give it a coat of ceramic wax to get it ready for the season. It starts up on the first pull every time and looks brand new.
Excellent video. It puts me on track to remove and clean the carb which for the first time ever is probably clogged due to me not emptying the fuel tank and not runnig it dry last season.
I had three engines in 2023 from customers that ran it out of oil and the engine connecting rod broke. It happens, so always check your oil periodically.
It sort of makes me wonder if there's a flaw in the engine's design that causes it to somehow use/leak excessive oil. I have a snowblower with a Tecumseh 10hp Snow King engine from around 2005 and it very rarely needs even a bit of an oil top-up between oil changes
Thanks Don. A tear down to show what the cause is. This is a Cub Cadet so a nice thorough and explanation was nice. You pulled the cord to listen for the sound of the engine. The spark plug trick to check if piston is moving. I love watching these tear down videos, keep em coming. We are all curious what the cause may be.
I have a Yardworks 30", with the same engine for the past 15 years. I have a 1000 foot driveway out in the country. Never have had an issue and never used the electric start.
Looks like somebody had fireworks a bit before New Year's Eve this year! 8^) I also suspect this was a result of low oil causing the rod breakage. The aluminum schmear on the rod journal is a dead giveaway. I used to see this about three times a month on the old B&S 3 1/2 hp mowers I serviced for clients. Great engines, lasted an incredibly long time - IF the oil was kept filled. I had a saying for the clients to memorize - "once low - she's gonna blow!"
I have that same motor on my cadet. and I love it...also I put a fuel shut off on mine....not sure why they dont put one on all snow blowers.... thank you great Video...
Maintenance is key for longevity for any engine be it in a car or small engine..The proof is exactly what you just shown in the video Don. Well done sir..Happy New Year.
Very interesting! As usual Donny, I learn lots here! Enjoyable, easy presentation. Btw .....got tix to see BTO in Mahnomen, MN at the Casino on Jan. 19th! Looking forward to hearing "Sledgehammer"!!!!
It's a shame for a good motor to be shot because you didn't check oil. I check every time i start tractor or the lawnmower very good video thank you and a HAPPY NEW YEAR'S
Good video. My dad taught me about mower engines and I guessed broken rod at the very first of the video. I watched all the way through just to find out if my memory is good from 55 years ago. It Was.
I had a snowblower and a lawnmower both with Powermore engines. Both of them worked really well. They started easily, had plenty of power, and ran smoothly. I now only have a small yard and front drive, so I use an electric lawnmower and I just shovel my snow. Thank you for the video!
Hi Don. I have done a bit of work on the small Powermore engine and found it about 3 times as difficult to work on compared to Briggs or Tecumseh. I have not seen one blow up like this one but a customer's Tecumseh had the carb bolts fall out while the cover held it in place with the result of engine over rev from to much oxygen and it broke the connecting rod as well.
I think they’re pretty good engines to Donnie it’s just a shame how somebody can neglect an engine and how much they’re gonna cost to replace one I’ve seen the crack in it that made me sad nice job
As far as Briggs engines are concerned, I had a John Deere riding mower with a Briggs. It lasted a little over 300 hrs, before I started having issues with it. I serviced it religiously, changed oil & filter, along with the air filter, and lubed it every spring. I'd also check the oil before I used it. It got to the point that every time I'd use it, I'd have to add a quart of oil, and about every 3rd time, I'd have to clean the spark plug. It smoked like I was spraying for mosquitos! Fortunately at about the time all of this happened, we moved & I needed a bigger mower, so I bought a ZT mower with a Kohler mower. Love your videos, very informative.
Stated in every manual that came with any 4-stroke engine ever: "CHECK OIL BEFORE EACH OPERATION". Lol Nice tear-down and video, Donny. And have a Happy New Year! :)
I don't mind tearing down for educational purposes, but usually I just stick a screwdriver down the sparkplug hole to see if the piston moves or not. And it never ceases to amaze me that people will spend $1000 or more on a snowblower and then not do even the barest minimum of maintenance on them. Stabilizer in the fuel and check the oil before you run it and small engines will run damn near forever for the amount of time most people use them.
I have a Cub Cadet 30 snowblower, knock on wood no issues with 420 cc Powermore, it's a beast in heavy snow, bought in 2016. I would never run it low on oil. Another great video Don. Happy New Year
Wow, you have 98 answers to your question Dony, people don't read the comments. Anyway, my question is why the oil level was so low, it's not normal, was it burning oil ? it's not an old motor ! Bonne année Dony !
I have the same problem not beeing able to see the oil level on the dip stick. I pulled the dipstick and did a light sand plasting on the back of the cross hatched section. Now the oil level is much more visible. The oil stays in place rather than running off quickly.
I have the same engine on my MTD machine. It's been great - very reliable, but I look after it. I've owned mine since 2013. Shame to see good equipment abused.
HI Dony, Thank you for the your time in showing us the internals of these Powermore engines. Worked on a couple myself..I just think these are great engines but in some way taking from our economy, in that manufacturers are putting the motors on at a cheaper price but charging the same price for the whole unit. Briggs and tecumseh have been around for ever and some still going... thank again jp!
Loved the video. I have used your knowledge through RUclips to repair many snowblowers. This is the first time I have seen the inside of the engine - very interesting. Keep the videos coming! Steven from south of Orillia.
I have only ever seen blown engines due to lack of oil, or a problem with the throttle/governor causing it to run wide open and over-rev. What causes the Briggs & Stratton engines to spontaneously blow up? I always considered them a pretty well made engine. Interesting that they put a harmonic balance or rotating counterweight (the part at 9:39) to reduce vibration. The old Tecumseh engines shake like a shitting dog and are always missing nuts and bolts, those too were indestructible and I only seem them blow up due to lack of oil.
Thanks Don. I have heard a lot of bad things about Briggs engines from the last few years. Have a great new year, and all the best to you and yours in 2024!
1. Unknown part is the counterweight. Reduces vibrations. 2. Very good engine. Never seen fail except with low oil. However, valves do need adjustment to restore compression to full in most PowerMore engines. Valves gap 8000 and 10,000. To me, that is poor metallurgy - deliberate? I can't say for sure. This could also be due to the fact that most owners do not change oil for years. Oil keeps thinning out (from unburnt gases passing in larger amounts than lawnmower engines that do not face load like snow blower engines) therefore, oil level will appear mostly normal or close to normal in snow blower engines brought in for repair, but not lawnmower engines. You will find the same in generator engines used near full load. 3. The only bad thing in this engine (and all PowerMore engines) is that a fuel cut was omitted, in my perception, deliberately. A fuel cut off valve can be installed on this engine too (possible in all but one PowerMore engine). A hole needs to be made above the recoil starter plastic cover (in this 357cc engine), and a straight Briggs and Stratton design fuel cut off valve can be installed. Before you drill the 1-1.25" hole, check where the recoil starter handle will rest. The hole will start from just ahead of that so that the protruding red knob of the cut off valve stays clear. We install this valve on all (but one) PowerMore engines. 3. Less than 1% of PowerMore engines at my shop are of the 357cc type. So, thank you very much for sharing this video. 4. Your observations about the Briggs engines are entirely correct. 5. Every single North American small engines equipment manufacturer, including Honda, is hell bent upon early obsoletion in every engine and equipment. In Europe, there is a 40 million Euros fine on such tactics. Over here, even owners manuals are deliberately misleading to ensure the same objective.
Great to see a cub cadet video! I have a 420cc 3X 30” one that looks very similar to this one and this video was very helpful for reference. Please make more videos for cub cadet specifically.
I've only seen Rod failure from no oil or at least below the min level for the dipper. Briggs seem to have an additional failure mode of Cams breaking while Kohler and even most popular clones like Powermore are better than Briggs and Honda (though a lot of people will find the latter preposterous). Splash lubrication is nothing like car engines but both are known to throw a rod with no oil.
🔻WATCH NEXT🔻
Watch a Teardown video of a Briggs & Stratton engine here;
➡ruclips.net/video/Ufc3rA2Yzbc/видео.html
@donyboy73. Feliz 2024. Gusto nuevamente ver Tus videos!!! Gracias por TU entrega y por compartir Tus conocimientos.
Love watching you.
Reason I watch your videos is because you waste no time getting to the point and no bs talking
Thank You and Wife 😊❤
No, he does do some "BS talking"; you, he, & the rest of the majority are just too harmed & corrupted to notice it and/or stop doing it.
It's the rotating counter weight to reduce the vibration.
I'm surprised he didn't know that was the counter weight
@@jjyemg2397He knows exactly what that is, trust me. He is just making conversation. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤷🏿♂️
Harmonic balancer
Also known as a balance shaft.
He just said that to generate comments. See, it worked.@@jjyemg2397
Someone a long time ago said, “... an Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure.” That sure applies here! Thanks! Great autopsy video.
Good day Yes totally true. I remember many yrs ago my dad keep oil in it.
Too bad Thanks
Informative no stutter no “um’s” means he’s well prepared and editing pro. Just a wealth of knowledge
I noticed how dark the oil was in the sump and in your drain container. However the oil on the DipStick was New clean. Yes, someone added oil to the engine after the Rod broke or it would have mixed with the rest of the old oil. Too bad, like you said I too feel like they are good engines.
Nicely done Donny. What a shame, all because someone didn't maintain it correctly.
I had a call once, brand new B & S. Visited, and I couldn't pull it over at all. Checked the oil level and it was THREE INCHES above the max mark on the dipstick. It was hydrolocked. There was a one foot wide black streak of oil on the garage wall. Customer demanded to know what I was going to do and wasn't happy with my response.
All you have to do is read the book
Thanks for all the great videos, Don. I have a Cub Cadet 28" snow blower with that same engine. I bought it in November 2016 and it's been great. That 357cc engine can easily handle the heaviest wet snow. I do all the regular maintenance on it in September, like changing the spark plug, oil, lubricating everything and give it a coat of ceramic wax to get it ready for the season. It starts up on the first pull every time and looks brand new.
I was just going to say the same thing, mine runs like a champ too.
I have the same engine (357cc) on my Troy-Bilt, and I agree about its power. Mine doesn't even bog down with the end of the drive snowplow pile.
I've got 2 of them they start every time first pull. I do 6 driveways and 5 businesses. Customers are always happy
You would be the type of customer that I like!
I always check the oil in all my lawnmowers and snowblower engine's before starting them
The part that you removed looks like a counter balance shaft . Smooths out the pulse ( vibration) of the engine.
Counter balance shaft.
Great job Dony. I didn't know the club cadet was that good. I also always found the Briggs & Stratton engines had a great name.
Excellent video. It puts me on track to remove and clean the carb which for the first time ever is probably clogged due to me not emptying the fuel tank and not runnig it dry last season.
Great job Donny. I really enjoy your videos 👍
Thank for your help
Great video, Dony. However, Tecumseh always got my vote back in the day.
Counter balance shaft for smoother operation. Great video
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and, I wish you a Happy New Year to you, and your wife. 🎄
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année. 🥂
I had three engines in 2023 from customers that ran it out of oil and the engine connecting rod broke. It happens, so always check your oil periodically.
It sort of makes me wonder if there's a flaw in the engine's design that causes it to somehow use/leak excessive oil. I have a snowblower with a Tecumseh 10hp Snow King engine from around 2005 and it very rarely needs even a bit of an oil top-up between oil changes
Why were they using that much oil ?
you are awesome donyboy73 at working on those Engines
Counter weight,looked good,helps balance the engine from viberation
It’s a counter balance shaft to stop a lot of vibration, they use those in a lot of vehicle engines.
Thanks Don. A tear down to show what the cause is. This is a Cub Cadet so a nice thorough and explanation was nice. You pulled the cord to listen for the sound of the engine. The spark plug trick to check if piston is moving. I love watching these tear down videos, keep em coming. We are all curious what the cause may be.
very informative. good job brother 👍
You could Tig weld that hole in the Block, but that metal impregnated puddy would work well also.
Dony Boy is the Taryl Dactyl of Canada.
Thanks Don.
great explanation , it’s a stripe search and great job 👍
Nice review donyboy love you expert on it ( ty Ron Happy Near Year @ you family to )
Thanks Ron!
I have a Yardworks 30", with the same engine for the past 15 years.
I have a 1000 foot driveway out in the country.
Never have had an issue and never used the electric start.
The owner of that engine does nice work
Looks like somebody had fireworks a bit before New Year's Eve this year! 8^) I also suspect this was a result of low oil causing the rod breakage. The aluminum schmear on the rod journal is a dead giveaway. I used to see this about three times a month on the old B&S 3 1/2 hp mowers I serviced for clients. Great engines, lasted an incredibly long time - IF the oil was kept filled. I had a saying for the clients to memorize - "once low - she's gonna blow!"
TY for Sharing
I have a power more same engine. I bought it in 2009 and it runs perfect.
I have that same motor on my cadet. and I love it...also I put a fuel shut off on mine....not sure why they dont put one on all snow blowers.... thank you great Video...
Maintenance is key for longevity for any engine be it in a car or small engine..The proof is exactly what you just shown in the video Don. Well done sir..Happy New Year.
The piece you were not sure of is the harmonic balancer hope that helps
new viewer .. thank you for posting. Excellent video
Counter-balance shaft. I have one in the Yamaha golf cart I did a fix-storation in.
The Nomenclature for that part is a Counter Balance shaft, it's propose is to reduce vibration. It is common in many 4 cylinder automotive engines.
Lots of nice spare parts there. Make sure there's oil in your engine.
Very interesting! As usual Donny, I learn lots here! Enjoyable, easy presentation.
Btw .....got tix to see BTO in Mahnomen, MN at the Casino on Jan. 19th! Looking forward to hearing "Sledgehammer"!!!!
That was catastrophic when it went so no "thinking" about it. I like your editing (sped up) during the mundane sequences. Happy New Year DB73
It's a shame for a good motor to be shot because you didn't check oil. I check every time i start tractor or the lawnmower very good video thank you and a HAPPY NEW YEAR'S
Good video. My dad taught me about mower engines and I guessed broken rod at the very first of the video. I watched all the way through just to find out if my memory is good from 55 years ago. It Was.
I had a snowblower and a lawnmower both with Powermore engines. Both of them worked really well. They started easily, had plenty of power, and ran smoothly. I now only have a small yard and front drive, so I use an electric lawnmower and I just shovel my snow. Thank you for the video!
Happy New Year,Dony and family
Good parts engine.
Hi Don. I have done a bit of work on the small Powermore engine and found it about 3 times as difficult to work on compared to Briggs or Tecumseh. I have not seen one blow up like this one but a customer's Tecumseh had the carb bolts fall out while the cover held it in place with the result of engine over rev from to much oxygen and it broke the connecting rod as well.
I think they’re pretty good engines to Donnie it’s just a shame how somebody can neglect an engine and how much they’re gonna cost to replace one I’ve seen the crack in it that made me sad nice job
As far as Briggs engines are concerned, I had a John Deere riding mower with a Briggs. It lasted a little over 300 hrs, before I started having issues with it. I serviced it religiously, changed oil & filter, along with the air filter, and lubed it every spring. I'd also check the oil before I used it. It got to the point that every time I'd use it, I'd have to add a quart of oil, and about every 3rd time, I'd have to clean the spark plug. It smoked like I was spraying for mosquitos! Fortunately at about the time all of this happened, we moved & I needed a bigger mower, so I bought a ZT mower with a Kohler mower. Love your videos, very informative.
Stated in every manual that came with any 4-stroke engine ever: "CHECK OIL BEFORE EACH OPERATION". Lol
Nice tear-down and video, Donny. And have a Happy New Year! :)
don't need to read, it's difficult..🤡
Great video Big D. Just bought a CUB. I will make sure the maintenance on mine. Thanks
Good day from Waterloo Happy new yr to u & yours Don. Thanks
Have a very happy new year Don!
I don't mind tearing down for educational purposes, but usually I just stick a screwdriver down the sparkplug hole to see if the piston moves or not.
And it never ceases to amaze me that people will spend $1000 or more on a snowblower and then not do even the barest minimum of maintenance on them.
Stabilizer in the fuel and check the oil before you run it and small engines will run damn near forever for the amount of time most people use them.
Nice video,thanks
I use a long #3 Phillips screwdriver when I test. Won't jamb between cylinder wall and piston
That piece is a counter weight. Thanks for the video.
Looks like it was ran low or dry and a person put fresh oil in that is why its so clear. Great video
Merci Don et bonne année à toi ainsi que ta famille 🎉🎉
counter balance shaft
Pretty familiar with rebuilding engines small and big but still love your videos Don.
I have a Cub Cadet 30 snowblower, knock on wood no issues with 420 cc Powermore, it's a beast in heavy snow, bought in 2016. I would never run it low on oil. Another great video Don. Happy New Year
Those motors don't run in a dirty environment, if the oil gets changed they should not be using much of any oil !
Wow, you have 98 answers to your question Dony, people don't read the comments.
Anyway, my question is why the oil level was so low, it's not normal, was it burning oil ? it's not an old motor !
Bonne année Dony !
Counter balance shaft makes for a very vibration free engine
great video donyboy!
I have the same problem not beeing able to see the oil level on the dip stick. I pulled the dipstick and did a light sand plasting on the back of the cross hatched section. Now the oil level is much more visible. The oil stays in place rather than running off quickly.
I have the same engine on my MTD machine. It's been great - very reliable, but I look after it. I've owned mine since 2013. Shame to see good equipment abused.
I have a Powermore engine on my Cub Cadet caster wheel mower. 4 seasons without any issues and it almost always starts on the first pull!
Hi Donny, great video man cheers 🍻
Happy New Year to you and your wife
Another great video. Thanks Don. ❄️ I'll try to avoid Briggs. 😊
HI.that part is called the synchro balance shaft
The part you took out with the gear on it was the balancer shaft!
Thanks for sharing this video with us, your subscribers.
I greatly enjoyed it.
Nice job happy new year. 🇺🇲
Informative...
At 9:19, there is a bolt lying in the bottom of case is it a connecting rod bolt that came out?
Great video
HI Dony, Thank you for the your time in showing us the internals of these Powermore engines. Worked on a couple myself..I just think these are great engines but in some way taking from our economy, in that manufacturers are putting the motors on at a cheaper price but charging the same price for the whole unit. Briggs and tecumseh have been around for ever and some still going... thank again jp!
Great tips enjoy watching your videos as usual been there done that that’s for sure merry Christmas and a happy new year 👍
Great tip with the screwdriver. Thanks
Loved the video. I have used your knowledge through RUclips to repair many snowblowers. This is the first time I have seen the inside of the engine - very interesting. Keep the videos coming! Steven from south of Orillia.
Don it's a balance gears like some of the kohler k series engine
Always good to watch.
I have only ever seen blown engines due to lack of oil, or a problem with the throttle/governor causing it to run wide open and over-rev.
What causes the Briggs & Stratton engines to spontaneously blow up? I always considered them a pretty well made engine.
Interesting that they put a harmonic balance or rotating counterweight (the part at 9:39) to reduce vibration. The old Tecumseh engines shake like a shitting dog and are always missing nuts and bolts, those too were indestructible and I only seem them blow up due to lack of oil.
Another excellent video. Thank you sir
see a lot of broken rod videos with busted or cracked cases
These are good engines and are easy to find parts for.
Don,
Great video and explanation - thank you.
Paul (in MA USA)
It looks like the same engine I have in a Troy Bilt snow blower. This is a good reminder to do my pre season maintenance. Great video as always.
Yes Troy-bilt and MTD have the same engines!
Great video😂 too bad the glue the motor with no oil
Thanks Don.
I have heard a lot of bad things about Briggs engines from the last few years.
Have a great new year, and all the best to you and yours in 2024!
1. Unknown part is the counterweight. Reduces vibrations.
2. Very good engine. Never seen fail except with low oil. However, valves do need adjustment to restore compression to full in most PowerMore engines. Valves gap 8000 and 10,000. To me, that is poor metallurgy - deliberate? I can't say for sure. This could also be due to the fact that most owners do not change oil for years. Oil keeps thinning out (from unburnt gases passing in larger amounts than lawnmower engines that do not face load like snow blower engines) therefore, oil level will appear mostly normal or close to normal in snow blower engines brought in for repair, but not lawnmower engines. You will find the same in generator engines used near full load.
3. The only bad thing in this engine (and all PowerMore engines) is that a fuel cut was omitted, in my perception, deliberately. A fuel cut off valve can be installed on this engine too (possible in all but one PowerMore engine). A hole needs to be made above the recoil starter plastic cover (in this 357cc engine), and a straight Briggs and Stratton design fuel cut off valve can be installed. Before you drill the 1-1.25" hole, check where the recoil starter handle will rest. The hole will start from just ahead of that so that the protruding red knob of the cut off valve stays clear. We install this valve on all (but one) PowerMore engines.
3. Less than 1% of PowerMore engines at my shop are of the 357cc type. So, thank you very much for sharing this video.
4. Your observations about the Briggs engines are entirely correct.
5. Every single North American small engines equipment manufacturer, including Honda, is hell bent upon early obsoletion in every engine and equipment. In Europe, there is a 40 million Euros fine on such tactics. Over here, even owners manuals are deliberately misleading to ensure the same objective.
Great to see a cub cadet video! I have a 420cc 3X 30” one that looks very similar to this one and this video was very helpful for reference. Please make more videos for cub cadet specifically.
I had one in the shop last week!
The customer is always right.
Don thanks for the video can you do a walk through in the shop to show your top 10 or 5 favorite tools that snipper was an awesome tool super sharp.
So far, not much use for the SB this year...but still 3 months to go!
I've only seen Rod failure from no oil or at least below the min level for the dipper. Briggs seem to have an additional failure mode of Cams breaking while Kohler and even most popular clones like Powermore are better than Briggs and Honda (though a lot of people will find the latter preposterous). Splash lubrication is nothing like car engines but both are known to throw a rod with no oil.