Briggs & Stratton 120000 vs 130000 engine

Most likely lubrication- the 120000 is recommended for fixed applications (pumps, gensets) and it's possible it won't lube the valve train if it's bouncing around a lot. Also, the 120000 looks to be a fixed-speed engine and may not have enough bottom end to get a kart moving or have too high an idle speed for a Comet clutch.

-Carl

The engine is not a fixed speed, it has a throttle lever on it. I looked it up at small engine warehouse

Here is a .pdf file of my engine

The RPM range looks to be the same on both 1800 to 3600. My Comet clutch enganges somewhere between 1800 and 2200. And my engine has a lot more HP at the lower RPM range than the go kart engine. But I am not sure if the 1800 is the minimum RPM. Sounds kind of high.

As Roy mentioned, he uses the Intek engine series, which is what my engine is. Maybe B&S has qualified their go kart motor to be legal in go karts for resellers.

I'll probably give B&S a call tomorrow and see what they say. But as of now, I can not see any reason why the 120000 series engine I purchased would not be a good choice for a mini chopper.

Thanks.

I think I may have just figure out a difference. I went to your mini baja link and found the model of the engines you use. I looked it up at small engines warehouse and their was a note that said a spacer is required on the Intek engines to make the shaft height the same as the L head engines.

So most likely, the Intek engines shaft, if mounted on a flat surface, will not accept a standard Comet style clutch, or it may be to close to the mounting surface.

This is just a guess, but the Intek engine you are using in the mini bajas looks exactly the same as the Intek 6.5hp engine I am planning on using. So I don't think their will be any reliablity or performance issues using this motor in my mini chopper.

The Intek engines idle at 1800, makes it tough to get the machine to idle, then engage and still have some rpm range left. We have been using Polaris or IBC clutches, the Comet clutches are too wimpy, not to mention no tuning parts.

Clutch tun> The engine is not a fixed speed, it has a throttle lever on it. I

But tillers don't go from idle to full power to idle- they run at one speed, no?

It's not- a lot of small engines have high idle speeds- the carb may not have a traditional idle circuit, or the idle is a fixed jet. Thanks, EPA.

Some engines have a speed-sensitive decompression feature (Easy-Spin) that holds the exhaust valve open until the engine is turning X RPMs, X being about 1000 RPM , IIRC.

Maybe- one of my coworkers crews a quarter midget and the rules are pretty strict.

-Carl

I have used the large self drive walk behind tillers, and they always go from idle to full and back to idle. You have a throttle on them and when you want to dig, you go full throttle, and when you stop or turn or lift the blades, you go to idle.

But my main question is how is this motor different from the "go kart" version that they recommend to use?

I know clutch tuning will be something I will have to do once it is all running. Just want to make sure the motor I have will work before I put oil in it and fire it up.

Thanks.

One source I've read mentioned that B&S vehicle engines have a spring for the throttle so that when the throttle lever or peddle is let go, the engine returns to idle, ala car gas pedal. Most are intended for applications like lawnmowers where when you set the throttle, it stays set. One parts list had the callouts for what was needed to convert one particular engine to a kart engine. It might even have been on the Briggs site, I was looking for governor linkage diagrams at the time. There's a lot of differences in the different series of engines, some minor, some major, like cylinder material. I've got a book that details some, but not all, the differences. Some models have just sleeve bearings, some have partial ball bearings, some have full ball bearings. Some are splash oiled, others have partial or full pressure oiling. Without a catalog or some other factory-supplied material, I don't think it's really possible to just look at an engine and tell what's inside.

Stan

Thanks for that info. The spring return makes sense for go kart use. And if it already comes on the 136200 model engine, that could be a good reason why B&S say to only use that exact model for go kart applications. But that is not a concern for me. I will be stripping all the accesories off the engine, and fabricating my own air cleaner assembly, exhaust, gas tank, and throttle setup.

It looks as if this engine will work out fine. It's for a fun project that is not going to be used in any type of racing environment, or even on a regular basis.

If I come across anything unusual that would prevent me from using this motor in this type of applicatoin, I'll post it for others to know.

Thanks again for all the info.

I just spoke with B&S tech support. They told me that none of their new engines are recommended for go kart use. B&S wanted to get away from that market for liability reasons and stuff like that.

But I did ask what the differences were between their older go kart model. Besides the obvious tilted cylinder, and OHV setup, the main difference for not using them on go karts is the throttle setup. All their new engines have a stiff throttle setup that does not return to idle. The older model 136200 (for go kart use) had a return spring. One other difference is that the new engines have a float bowl carburetor design.

The engine can be mounted up to a 15 degree angle front or back and still get proper lubrication.

They also stated that any B&S engine used in a go kart application would void the warranty. Just repeating what I was told.

Sounds like this new engine will work out great for my application once I modify the throttle assembly to work properly with a return spring.

Ya, I know this. He answered my questions about the differences between the 120000 and 130000 series motors, so I didn't want to take up any more of his time. But my only explanation to that was he was refering to their standard line, not their racing line of motors. It could be a complete different division, and thats why they are going away from go karts in their standard line. They will leave it up to their racing line to supply those motors. But who knows what he was thinking!

Ya, I was looking around on the B&S racing engines. They look pretty nice. But for now, I'm just looking for a fun play motor to stick in my mini chopper. I'll probably gear the thing so it won't ever hit over 35 mph since my butt will only be about 10" off the ground! But at least I know I will have plenty of power with the 6.5hp engine. This engine will have no where near the abuse of any type of racing engine, and most likely less abuse than the average 2 seater go kart you can pick up at the local sporting good store.

I have learned alot about these 4-stroke engines from the research I have been doing. I used to run a KT100 in my Emick go kart back in the

Anyway, I'll be building myself a go kart after I finish this mini chopper. I'll have some fun picking out and modifying a nice race engine.

Thanks again for all the info.