Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

pbw

Cadet
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
7
Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard

Intent of this post is to provide more information to folks researching these motors. I tried to find more information (sound/loud or not/ vibration information) on these motors awhile back but never did find good facts, yes lots of post on this forum but I thought video with sound would help. ( Large scale pics to come later) I found this motor in the local newspaper for sale (see good deal) figured I'd buy it and see how it is. It was used once on one fishing trip then stored indoors.

Only thing I have done is changed the oil to Mobile 1 Full Synthetic 5w-30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUlMs5MkQg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6OG0DT4O38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm3apBibBW4
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

Briggs seems really quiet at idle surely starts with little effort.I would be really interested to see how it goes on the water.Pretty sure you would need to sit in middle seat to get any kind of speed.An extension handle comes to mind ,also would give you an idea of vibration.I read somewhere that it leaves your hand buzzing.Extension handle would isolate vibration a little.
I was surprised how smooth and quiet at idle.I read somewhere it is not reccomended to troll.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

Briggs seems really quiet at idle surely starts with little effort.I would be really interested to see how it goes on the water.Pretty sure you would need to sit in middle seat to get any kind of speed.An extension handle comes to mind ,also would give you an idea of vibration.I read somewhere that it leaves your hand buzzing.Extension handle would isolate vibration a little.
I was surprised how smooth and quiet at idle.I read somewhere it is not reccomended to troll.


I love B & S. I won't buy a Honda/Robin-Subaru/Hanshin or other foreign owned Co. piece of equipment. I just bought a new lawnmower. I purposely passed up the Honda powered models for a B & S powered unit. It's great! It's a Snapper. I had an engine choice, I went B & S.

However, the B & S outboard is a lawnmower engine, bolted to a lower unit. Nothing more.

If we are happy with that, then so be it.

I can keep my 50's/60's Evinrude/Johnsons running forever and much smoother-to boot.

I'll run them until the EPA tells me I cannot. I may run them after that.:D:D
 

drewmitch44

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
1,749
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I like briggs but that outboard motor is JUNK. I saw one of those running last fall on a 14' jon in one of the ponds around here. I got a good laugh out of it. It sounded like a lawn mower and it was revved so high and was going so slow. It looked and sounded like a 4 stroke dirtbike that was in 1st gear. Just the way it was revved and the speed didnt match.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I have one . . . It is a loud, vibrating POS and the handle does start to buzz in your hand. However, I am not sure why anybody is talking about power . . . It is a 5 bhp engine. 5 bhp is 5 bhp. It pushes my 14 ft. Sea Nymph to 12 MPH GPS, on plane with two people on board. I thought that was pretty impressive for what again is only 5 bhp . . .

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steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I'm glad to see a first hand experience.While it isn't half the engine of the E/J 5.5,5 and 6 hp twins (no pun intended) it does appear to push pretty close to what they will do.
Have you seen any specific instruction about trolling?Have you tried raising it higher on the transom.Probably wouldn't do too much but might give you a mile per hour or so.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I recall something about trolling that I read here, but it is not mentioned in the manual.

I have raised it a little, but I run out of bite on my current mounting pad set-up. The clamp feet get above the aluminum plate that they seat against. Easy fix, but I haven't messed with it yet. Trim is definitely important. As is, alone, she drags butt some. I can get her to come over and stay on plane if I lean slightly forward. Ends up about 13 MPH then. With two, the trim setting is perfect; I just move the passenger for or aft for fine tuning . . .

Very finicky animal, just like a lawn mower, have to fiddle with stuff to get her to start sometimes, and there are some little parts breaking already. Has around 10 hours on it, and the fuel "sight" line is too firm and brittle and the fitting it goes into simply fell off. We broke the choke linkage by playing around a bunch while at Lake Powell. That may have been more altitude related, but I haven't tried her since. Seems like I would fiddle fart around, pulling plug, playing with choke and throttle and the little tube connection; over and over and then all of a sudden it would start with no real indication of what combo got her to go ???

I actually bought three of these for $600. In open boxes, and had been sitting for three years. All were seized. I got all three running within a coupla hours of getting them home. Sold two on eBay to the same guy for 495.00 ea. the same week, and ended up with this one to run the tinny. I am prolly going to put it on eBay now for $400 plus and buy a decent two cycle like DJ has above ^^^^^. Where I boat it doesn't matter and it should be a little more dependable.
 

phil23

Recruit
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
1
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

Just bought this and recieved this to replace an old 2 stroke that was stolen my 12 foot dingy last year, this engine produces way to much vibration and with the throttle in the lowest position you are still moving at a fair clip, forget trolling. Anyone have suggestions on decreasing the vibration other than buying a different engine or decreasing the throttle adjustment.
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

As far as isolating vibration from your hand you might try a glove of some sort. Or perhaps someting like pipe insulation on the twist grip.
This may sound screwy but try wrapping a couple of layers of something like
tractor trailer mud flap around the tiller between the twist grip and the tiller mount base. just tight enough to stay in place but free enough to perhaps
soak up the vibrations.Try a piece of mud flap on the transom. cover the top
and down the out side secured in place.Be careful that the clamps have a good bite.The more coverage the better.Again maybe it will soak up some vibration.We'll be interested to see if it does anything.
 

CATransplant

Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
6,319
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

Given the price of those B&S outboards, I'd buy a good-running used 6hp johnnyrude in a second over one of those noisy, shaky things. There are millions of them out there, and $500 will get you a nice one.

They're more powerful, quiet, and will idle down so slowly that it's too slow to troll with.

Check Craig's List or eBay and see what good ones are selling for. Even one from the 70s in good condition is a great little motor.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I agree with most of the comments here. I have resorted to only holding the Rubber "stop" at the end of the tiller handle with the tips of my fingers. That piece is flexible and thin so it isolates the vibrations better. One cool thing about air-cooled too is the ability to start it on the ramp, in the driveway, in the garage, anywhere to make sure you've got no issue before dunking her . . . Not many other advantages to these. They work, and that's about the best thing you can say about 'em.
 

Jjones4100

Recruit
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
1
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I bought a B&S 5 hp outboard on Thursday night on Friday I took it out of the box and it was damaged. I could not take it back to the vender they made me sign a release prior to buying. I took this outboard to Briggs and Stratton, the only dealer was 50 miles away, they are so backlogged they won't even look at it for 3 weeks. It is sitting on a garage floor, after 3 weeks they will tell me if I damaged it and if I am liabel for any of the repairs. That is when they will start working on it. So my brand new B&S outboard will probably not see water this year because of customer service issues. I would love to have a noisy shaky rattle trap opposed to nothing at all. Be aware of customer service issues with this product. Know if you have a B&S service center in your area for warranty issues, and they are reputable and stand behind B&S products or even care. My family could of done a lot of stuff for 800 bucks.
 

Drowned Rat

Captain
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
3,070
Re: Briggs and Stratton 5 hp outboard Info Post

I had one of these for a few years. The problem was not the engine. The actual motor always ran strong. The problem is the rest of it is built very cheaply. Cheap plastic parts, exposed everything, no isolation system, above water exhaust, etc... It is loud, but I can live with that. It vibrates terribly though. I put the one I had on a kicker bracket on a 15' tri-hull and you could not go past idle speed.

All the talk about not being able to use it for a troller because it would overheat is not true for this one anyway. You could run it all day at idle and it wouldn't know the difference.

I think it is a little overpriced for what you get. Just a few hundred more will get you a really nice 4 or 5hp mainstream model.
 
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