Service Information

References

• Briggs & Stratton
• Lawnboy
• Kohler
• Tecumseh

• Sears has many of its mower diagrams and other information on-line. For servicing of Sears/Craftsman equipment, this may be more then adequate. You may need the complete model number to access them. Here is a road map to get through the Sears Web site (at least as it configured now, Summer 2001, provided by: Frank Clason (patdc@nts-online.net).)
  • Start at Sears Home Page (same link as above).
  • Go down the left hand side of the page and click on PARTS.
  • Go down to item #2 and input the model number - make sure it is complete.
  • Click on GO and then on CONTINUE.
  • Go down to the diagram that says "OR select the area...".
  • Click on the item under the column that says VIEW DIAGRAM for your area of interest.
  • Click on CONTINUE.

  This should bring up the schematic (diagram) of interest. I was really surprised to find the diagrams - they appear to be quite useful and could come in real handy in the future.

• LAWN-MOWER-SHOP.COM has a variety of information on basic maintenance and troubleshooting including: Tune-up procedure and checklist, starter repair, a troubleshooting guide, links, carburetor diagrams, and more.

The Lawn-mower-shop.com Web site has a great deal of useful information including diagrams of popular carburetors, rope starter repair, and links to small engine manufacturers. There is even a "slide-show" illustrating complete disassembly of a typical small engine. This may be all you need for many popular engines.

The following are good for general information but may not have the specific information for your equipment. However, the combination of the original user or service manual and a small engine repair book is probably all you need.

1. Small Engine Repair, 2-12 HP
   Richard J, Rivele, Ed.
   Chilten Book Company, 1993
   Radnor, PA 19089
   ISBN 0-8019-8323-1

   (There are also several other versions of this book covering small engines up to 20 HP. For the most part they are very similar with some additional information provided where appropriate for each size range.)

2. Chilton's Repair and Tune-up Guide for Small Engines, 1-1/2 to 20 HP
   Chilten Book Company, 1979
   Radnor, PA 19089
   ISBN 0-8019-6810-0 (Paperback: ISBN 0-8019-6811-9)

3. The Complete Handbook of Lawn Mower Repair
   Paul Dempsey
   TAB Books
   Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214

4. Small Gas Engines: How to Repair and Maintain Them
   Paul Weissler
   Sterling Publishing Company
   Two Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016

5. Simple Gasoline Engine Repair
   Ross R. Olney,
   Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1972
   Garden City, NY

6. Walk-Behind Lawn Mower Service Manual - Third Edition
   Intertec Publishing Corporation
   P.O. Box 12901, Overland Park, Kansas 66212

7. You Fix It: Lawn Mowers
   Carmine C. Castellani & Clifford P.Seitz
   ARCO Publishing, Inc., 1975, 1976
   219 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10003
   ISBN 0-668-02705-3

8. My Lawn Mower Hates Me - An Original Manual for Hand and Power Mowers
   Tom Cuthbertson and Rich Morrall
   10 Speed Press
   Box 4310, Berkeley, CA 94704

9. Handbook of Lawn Mower Repair
   Franklynn Peterson
   Emerson Books, Inc., 1978
   Buchanan, NY 10511

10. Repairing and Maintaining Yard Equipment and Power Tools
    Mort Schultz
    John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994
    605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012
    ISBN 0-471-53500-1 (cloth:acid-free paper), ISBN 0-471-53501-X (paper)

11. The Repair & Maintenance of Small Gasoline Engines
    George R. Drake
    Reston Publishing Company, A Prenice-Hall Company, 1976
    Reston, VA 22090
    ISBN 0-87909-724-8

12. Small Gasoline Engines: How to repair and maintain them
    A Popular Science Book
    Paul Weissler
    Times Mirror Magazines, Inc., Book Division, 1975
    ISBN 0-06-014564-1

13. Fix It Yourself - Power Tools and Equipment
    Time-Life Books, Inc., 1989
    Alexandria, VA
    ISBN 0-8094-6268-0, ISBN 0-8094-6269-9 (lib. bdg.)

14. Small Engines - Mowers, Tillers, Chain Saws
    The Editors of Time-Life Books
    Time-Life Books, Inc., 1982
    Alexandria, VA
    ISBN 0-8094-3910-1 (retail ed.), ISBN 0-8094-3911-X (lib. bdg.),
    ISBN 0-8094-3912-8 (lib. bdg.)

15. Small Gas Engines and Power Transmission Systems,
    A Repair and Maintenance Manual
    Walter E. Billiet
    Perntice-Hall, Inc., 1982
    Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
    ISBN 0-13-814327-7 (hardback), ISBN 0-13-814319-6 (pbk.)

16. Garden and Yard Power Tools - Selection, Maintenance, and Repair
    Walter Hall
    Rodale Press, 1983
    Emmaus, PA
    ISBN 0-87857-446-8 (hardcover), ISBN 0-87857-447-6 (paperback)

17. How to Repair Briggs and Stratton Engines, 3rd edition
    Paul Dempsey
    Tab/McGraw Hill, 1994, $14.95

    (From: Jim Nelson (jgn@ameritech.net).)

    This is an excellent book about B&S engines.

    I don't know any old galoots who can teach me this stuff, so I always end up at the bookstore. This book I had to buy to identify the missing controls on a B&S driving a mortar mixer I bought cheap.