Topic: B&S vers Honda

[mowinmachine]

I've rebuilt a few Honda horizontal shaft engines. The quality is pretty good. But the thing is that parts for these seem to be more expensive than Briggs. After having blown the rod in my Briggs, I'd say that replacing the stock with a billet rod is highly advisable.These cost around $100, so you have to figure that into the comparison.

 If I had a choice, I'd actually probably go with a Kohler. We have one guy on our group who has beat the living crap out of his 13 HP Kohler. It still runs great. The rod, lifters, and basically everything else in the engine is much heavy duty then what you see in a Briggs.

[amcchevy1]

If I had a choice, I'd actually probably go with a Kohler. We have one guy on our group who has beat the living crap out of his 13 HP Kohler. It still runs great. The rod, lifters, and basically everything else in the engine is much heavy duty then what you see in a Briggs.

and you will pay for a kohler tooooo. but the quality is there.

[bountyhunter]

 acually figered what I would have in briggs vers Honda and because of Hondas Better bottom end its not more expensive than briggs and if the vertical engines take same parts as horazonals.they can make some big hp and torque.a lot of go karts are runnning the horz. shaft model so parts are there!! just buying a new one to start out would be the bad thing but maybe not!!

[mightymowe]

  That is how we looked at as well,you pay a bit more for the engine in the first place but you get some good stuff that you dont have to buy later.
  From what I have seen of the Kohler I think that might be a good choice too,at least something to think about,there should be a lot of parts for it.

[bountyhunter]

David let me know how performance parts work out! Thanks again Ferris

[mightymowe]

Will do that,should know something by the end of the month.

[Mowerpar]

Kohler's are nice but Heavy compared to a briggs.  A 15hp command has the same bore and stroke as a 305 chevy.  The lifters for the for mentioned motor will fit in the kohler

[mightymowe]

 That Kohler has got to have a heavy valve train if you can use small block Chev lifters in it.
 I had some trouble at the broker with paperwork so it took untill about three days ago to get my parts for my Honda.now I got to put it together and see what it does.
 I also just found another engine,sort of,it is an 11 hp Honda GX340.It was on a generator and must have dropped a valve,because there was a hole in the piston,but it still turns and there was a electric starter on it and some other parts,best part was the guy gave it to me.

[Mowerpar]

lakota might be able to make a roller cam for the kolher too

[Andy_White]

are you going to use that honda if not I'd like to have  it.

[mightymowe]

I have a use for it so I will keep it.I will add it to the collection,this makes two GX 340's and 1 GX390 and a couple of smaller ones.I also just spent a bunch of money on valve train parts to make them faster yet.

[fx28]

I have yet to see an aircooled Horizontal Honda Rider on anything from the factory... I don't quite see where  we started racing reel mowers or attachments...

I have heard this question asked many times. Here is what the gx390 was used in. It was a very nice garden tractor with available 4 wheel drive. I was the first to use it in an fx mower in 1996 I believe. Won many a race with this engine, I am still running the same block today.

The Honda engine is quite reliable and easy to build. Thanks to the mini cup people the parts were researched and developed on their dime. With a little machine work the bottom end of the 390 can make a lot of power with the stock oem parts aside of having cam welded and reground. Money is well spent on the cylinder head for this engine to make power! Tim at EES who formerly worked at Mountain Machine Service is probably the best in the business to set you up on this engine 

Chuck

[bountyhunter]

mightymowe. how did the parts work out for ya! im going ta run briggs for one more year do to the cost ta buy a other engine than we ll see!! I still think the Honda might be a better option! know briggs has more cube inche but you can make up for that with design!! oh one last note I think a Honda powered fx won in a race at delaware Ohio last year???s

[fx28]

I believe in the last 12 years of uslmra nationals have been won by a honda except for 1 or 2 . Greg Honchell and a friend of Kevin Kiper ran the briggs motors.


Chuck

[George Herrin]

Yup only 2 Greg and Kevin. Win on Sunday Sale on Monday!!!