Perfect, thank you. Would a bad main bearing do that as well or would the shaft wiggle and leak oil?
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I have an old Briggs lawnmower with which I hit a marker pipe 32 years ago. Crankshaft bent and wobbeling. I did the exact same procedure as Steve - big sledgehammer. With a bit of luck it works. The mower is still running strong and almost no vibrations.
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Depending on the age of the engine, like say a Flathead Briggs, they didn’t even use proper bearings. The output shaft just rides in the crankcase with an oil barrier. I’ve witnessed this on more than one Bolens engine. Has a long aluminum surface with an oil notch.
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I think it is a 7hp Briggs and Stratton Engine 128602-0264-E1 and you are correct, I don’t see a main bearing just a seal. A new shaft is 4x more then I paid for the whole thing.
I have to check it, it only rubs when I pick up the mower to move it, or it is going over a dip in the lawn which could indicate the deck is flexing as well.
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Here is a couple of videos on push mower bent crankshaft straightening:
This guy misses two important beginning steps. Does show marking; and the big hammer method though.
Next one showing the long pipe method WITH the two initial set-up steps:
Your choice. I’ve done both successfully. Successful until the rest of the mower was no-longer-useable.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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I’ll bite. What did he (probably me, too) miss?
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One for sure, didn’t take sparkplug wire off and remove spark plug FIRST THING!!
Also, did not protect shaft/ keyway from hammer blows. Maybe did not show damage caused by bad work habits. Also, did not show engine running before and after comparison. 
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Yep. Yep.
You got it right MikeR.
Also all walk behind mowers for-sale in the the U.S. for decades now have had to have a mandatory quick shut down engine braking system whenever the operators hand would leave the system.
So you have to bind-tie down the safety loop/handle to be able to pull over the engine.
Hammering I have always used a 3 pound brass head hammer.
Again think if you do crankshaft stub straightening . . .
a risk for a fractured shaft . . . cracked hold down bolt . . . even a hit/bent cracked blade . . . these showing up later . . .
Many can not reliably do the hub and bolt removal without damaging, And then a good, safe re-install.
Your feet and lower legs are in a segment of anything flying out at speed from underneath.
I wait for a ran empty tank to tip up and hand grind sharpen my blades on the mower to not have to remove them. Not able to balance then. But not many times removed-reinstall twist torquing on that hold-down bolt.
S.U.
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Maybe this fits this topic?
This one followed me home today: a French made Bernard engine.
These are nice and sturdy built, slow running engines, this one is a 4hp model.
And they are beautiful for a engine nerd.
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That’s a great looking engine you have there Goran ,i’m currently on the hunt for a Lister CL6 that also runs nice and slow with plenty of torque ideal for slow running applications and very quiet too .
Dave
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The weird looking muffler reminded me of something I was meaning to ask you. Have you ever made and of the custom mufflers for your saw, like the ones the guy makes on the Ironhorse youtube channel?. I’ve thought about it but never pulled the pin.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=48e29eb02cee5d80&sca_upv=1&q=Iron+horse+chainsaw+muffler&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO8LDAwsOIAxXemIkEHTVhA_kQ1QJ6BAgqEAE&biw=1280&bih=595&dpr=1.5
Wow. I just called up his site to get a link. Seems to be a lot of bad mouthing of the old fart, like he’s a crook and doesn’t know what he’s doing. Had me fooled. I know Buckin Billy likes his mufflers.
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Kinda looks like something Harley Davidson would have made with those external push rod tubes.
GC
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Thanks Dave.
Lister cl6 is a diesel engine? That would be a nice one to find.
Sorry for me there are not many lister engines of any kind to find in Sweden.
If cl6 is a diesel i guess it would be a nice slow-runner for a generator.
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Hi Tom, you mean like this?
Well, just joking, this poor Partner P100 i “piped” and some other fixes, it really makes the constant beeping noise in my ears go away for a while
Otherwise i mostly do some small modifications, like cleaning, grind edges and corners, moving a baffle, make some holes slightly larger, modifying spark arrestors.
Chainsaw mufflers really are a real compromise, to give low noise, high power, low weight, no sparks, and: nowadays: emission control, which i really think is like trying to put out a burning house by p*ssing on it, it a lightweight two-stroke…
Better use a cleaner fuel.
And back to my oldies…
This Canadian made 1949 saw is equipped with what we call a “sound re-director” no modifications needed there
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Hi Garry, i think they look nice, reminds of a older motorcycle engine like you said, Harley, or something British 
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I think Dave means a Cold Start not CL. Diesel it is. I know one somewhere in Belgium, but first my other projects have to finish.
Dave, if you are interested I can try to contact the guy. Shipping will be an item?!
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Maybe Dave-in-Oz means an air cooled Lister version? Supposedly made up special for far-rural, no-water Postal Stations.
S.U.
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W ooops slip of finger +old age + stupid /blind all the of them my bad typing of course i mean a Lister CS 6/1 its a slow running 600 rpm diesel indirect injection and will run of filtered sump oil or any old rubish oil u have laying around, all parts are still made in India today .
Dave
Edit this is the Lister CS 6/1 that my friend has ,and this is why i am now in the hunt for one also as i have so much junk fuel around its a shame not to put it to work.
Dave
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Good Morning All
It has been too small engine using quiet around my place now for weeks.
Most years I daily run the IC engined wood splitter for 30 minutes or so. Not this year. Using up an old deck’s tear-offs woods been tarped-up and set back for three years now. Battery Haksall cutting, then hand splitting.
Winter not-used vehicles, and equipments batteries charging day. So instead of long corded Grid charging I decided to use the last purchased, least hours Inverter-generator:
Very wise to always before each use to check an engines oil. Especially on these low oil capacity small engines.
Only this tool-less Bilt Hard and the Predator 9500 in my quiet generators makes this easy:
The rider lawn mower battery removed and brought to the heavy Predators location. Easiest of the two to remove; and it will not be needed re-installed until next grass growing season. The big generator could be needed any time year around. Has to be Wife turn key operable.
For those not knowing the 12vdc outputs on small engines produce a voltage unregulated, very low wattage output. ONLY gets up to a good battery charging voltage at 3000-3600 engine rpm.
These small batteries designed for these have thicker more over-charge resistant; and vibrations resistant plates in them. Once gone too low state of charge; have to be charge shocked to get them to take a charge. My one charger I can do this.
The 80cc Bilt Hard will easily power the two batteries chargers on ~2800 rpm Eco mode.
It will take me three more inverter-generator carry-too’s; charging two batteries at a time, to get all monthly recharged backup.
I’ll edit in pictures as I do this.
Yep. Will be burning through 2-4 liters of expensive Washington State over-taxed gasoline.
Hey! My New Years noise making celebration because, I can.
Steve Unruh
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Steve as always your regular maintenance and generator engine checks puts me and plenty other people to shame no wonder i have so many dead machines that came from the scrap yard if there all like me , still it was fun getting them going so i could wreck them properly .
Dave
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