5HP Briggs and Stratton

[Trotter]

Hi.

I recently bought the 5HP Briggs and out of the box it's having problems.

It seems to start and idle fine when in neutral. But when I shift gears it sputters, backfires, and dies when I barely crank the throttle up. I am testing it on a stand out of water so I'm not sure if there's anything with that.

Even when I try to throttle up in neutral it will sputter and convulse badly, backfires (backfires more frequently the more I try to nudge up the throttle), and then eventually dies.

I figured that perhaps the motor had been sitting up for a while and possibly collected condensation so I let it run to warm up for about 10 minutes. Came back and tried to throttle up a hair and it just repeated the above symptoms.

I read somewhere that a while ago they possibly had defective speed limiters and simply disconnecting it allowed the motor to run normally.

I don't want to just disconnect it randomly at this point. I was wondering if anyone has heard of this and if there's anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks.

Also want to add it won't shift into reverse.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I take it this a new one? If so, it has a warranty. Take it somewhere and let them fix it. You should have a list of authorized service centers. Grab your sales receipt or whatever proof of purchase and take it in for warranty repair.

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

The closest one according to the Briggs site is 60 miles away from me. Just trying to find a simple fix before I'm forced to drive that far.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Trotter, the speed limiter only prevents the engine from overspeeding when cavitating or aerating. That is not the problem. Are you sure the gas you are using is fresh? Check to make sure the choke is working properly. Sounds like a carb problem. Just take it back and have them fix it. Not worth messing with it if it's a brand new motor.

 

[griggsb]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I have a 2002 Briggs & Stratton, and it's a great motor. I have never had any problems with it. Does your's have an adjustable idle mixture? Mine does. If it does, you may have to tweak it a bit rich possibly. Sounds like it may be starving for fuel. Wouldn't take but a second to try anyways. Please keep us posted on what you find out. PS I have a video of mine on Youtube if you need to see it for reference.

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Gas is fresh from the pump. I did figure it was starving for fuel in the begining and I found I had to keep pumping the fuel through manually just to keep it idle. But after doing that a couple of times it seemed to hold its idle pretty good.

I'll check for an idle mixture in the morning. Thanks for the tip.

 

[griggsb]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

No problem. Great motors. Keep us posted.

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Nothing to add other than it is in a Briggs service center. Briggs customer support was nice enough to call my area service centers to see if anyone was willing to take a look. I called myself and they all flat out refused and one of the ones I called earlier that said they didn't want anything to do with it later said I could bring it by after Briggs and Stratton called them.

The problem was that the closest outboard service center is over 65 miles from my location. So I tried calling other service centers that were much closer and none of them wanted to look at it. There was one actually but he said there was a 4-5 week backlog of work so basically it would be a month before he would even get the chance to look at it.

But it's in a different one now and hopefully they can repair it.

So thank you Briggs.

 

[griggsb]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Good deal. Hope they can get you on the water soon.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

That's not the first time I've heard about Briggs & Stratton outboards and service centers that don't want to look at them. This time of year, service centers are very busy fixing lawnmowers and other equipment like that. The mechanics there don't see outboards much, and are reluctant to get involved with them.

It's one of the reasons I wouldn't buy one. But, that's just me.

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Here's the update.

The guy at the place said that it just needed some kind of adjustment. I'm not sure exactly what he did since I'm not engine savvy but I took it out on the water afterwards and it worked great!

I just want to critique the motor in case anyone is curious. For what I wanted it to do it was almost perfect. I read in some places that people complained about the noise but in my opinion it was not very noisy at all. When running it at cruising speed it's about as loud as I would expect an outboard of that size to be. I didn't have to throttle down to be able to carry on a conversation with my buddy. Where it does get loud is when it's fully throttled open. At that point you do have to throttle down just to have a conversation.

It is also very light on the gas. It comes with a 3 gallon tank and I took it out on the lake on a 3 day camping trip. Between those 3 days I probably ran it 6 hours (constant) and there was still 1/2 of gas left in the tank when I was done.

Now the problems. It does vibrate significantly. You don't feel it when traveling in the boat, but it does not troll very well at all. What happens is that when at idle speed it vibrates uncontrollably and will turn itself which is a problem because when trying to troll all of a sudden my boat makes a sharp right turn on its own.

The fumes gets thick too since it exhausts out in the open air. We tried towing my buddy's boat behind me and since my boat was fully loaded he had to sit in his boat. We had to stop towing because he was breathing in thick exhaust. Even when sitting in front of it you'll suck in a small amount of exhaust into your lungs.

Also, the motor will not start back up if you cut it off and try to start it right back up. I figure since it's air cooled that maybe it's too hot to be started right back up after running it for a while. We had to sit for about 5 minutes to wait for it to cool and then it'll start again. That wasn't terrible since we basically picked a spot and sat there to fish for a while anyhow.

In my opinion it is a fine motor--for the price--for hunting and fishing in a small area. Don't expect to travel since it is only 5HP. The lake I was at I was traveling between our campground and the marina. The marina is about 4 miles away and it had taken about 40 minutes to travel that distance one way. So when I had to get provisions the whole trip took about an hour and a half roundtrip not counting the time I spent once I reached the marina.

That being said I'm already looking to buy a new motor and need help from the community. My boat is rated for up to a 15HP motor but I don't have 15HP money so that's out of the question. I'm considering 6-8HP because those are in my price range. I'm thinking 8HP is where I should look because I can't imagine a 6HP being that much faster than a 5. I would consider the 6HP heavily if it will give me a couple of more mph at least to make long distance traveling more bearable.

Can anyone tell me if there's a noticeable difference between 5HP and 6HP? The manufacturer of my boat tells me that I would need at least 6-8HP to plane, but I'm not concerned about planing. I just want something that's swift and travels longer distances well.

Any wisdom on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I rest my case for the dependable Eska, long live tecumseh power

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

A 1957 Evinrude Fleetwin 7.5 hp would be nice and swift, I want one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1957-Evinrude-Fleetwin-7-5-hp-/260608458005?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item3cad797d15

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Yah, well, if you read your B&S manual, you'll find out that they recommend against using the outboard at low speeds for long periods, since the engine will tend to overheat. That might be the cause of your starting problem. So much for trolling. As for the turning problem, there may be an adjustment to control how tight the pivot is. I know there is on most outboards.

Since your B&S is almost new, you could probably sell it to some unsuspecting soul for enough to buy a 9.9 or 15hp Johnson or Evinrude from the 70s. Good outboards, both of them, and they'd probably plane your boat and let you go that four miles in a lot less time, while capable of slow trolling for as long as you could ever want.

Just saying...

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I'm prepared to take a loss on the Briggs and it'll be a good deal for the person that buys it. I'm hoping to find something else in the 8-10hp range for about $1000. I also don't want anything too old so I think I'm setting my limit to 15 years.

I found a local pawn shop that's selling a 15hp Mercury for $1000. The owner swears by the condition but has never ran it. It's a 2005 and looks brand spanking new. But he says he doesn't have what's needed to test run it being a barrel and a gas can. Rather suspicious if you ask me. I'm going to ask if I bring the gas can will he supply the barrel and water to test run it.

My question is are fuel fittings relatively generic or would we have to find a specific nozzle particular to the Mercury?

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I'm hoping to find something else in the 8-10hp range for about $1000. I also don't want anything too old so I think I'm setting my limit to 15 years.

why not...I hope you find the best option (Tohatsu or Honda). newer the better?

 

[DJ]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

I'm prepared to take a loss on the Briggs and it'll be a good deal for the person that buys it. I'm hoping to find something else in the 8-10hp range for about $1000. I also don't want anything too old so I think I'm setting my limit to 15 years.

I found a local pawn shop that's selling a 15hp Mercury for $1000. The owner swears by the condition but has never ran it. It's a 2005 and looks brand spanking new. But he says he doesn't have what's needed to test run it being a barrel and a gas can. Rather suspicious if you ask me. I'm going to ask if I bring the gas can will he supply the barrel and water to test run it.

My question is are fuel fittings relatively generic or would we have to find a specific nozzle particular to the Mercury?

Just buy a Merc. hose adapter (iboats), use your current 3 gallon tank and take along a plastic barrel. All told, about $25.00 and you'll still have the adapter and barrel if you buy it.

DON"T forget to mix the fuel with TCW-3 rated outboard oil at 50:1

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Well I bought the motor and gotten a written guarantee from the guy that I can get a full refund if it has any major mechanical problems. I bought a Merc hose adapter and it doesn't fit. The clip is too far back for it to latch onto the nozzle.

I also bought the Moeller Merc fuel line assembly and it has me confused. It has two 3/8" female connectors. The first connector is identical to the separate connector I bought that didn't fit. There's a second connector on the other end that's smaller.

My first thought is that one end should go to the outboard and the other to the tank. But now I'm wondering if it's two different types of connectors to ensure I have the right one that goes to the motor. I'm afraid to open the package as I would not be able to return it. Argh.

At this point I'm just praying the thing starts and runs smoothly.

 

[Trotter]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

So I bought the 15hp Mercury and it started right up on the first pull. It ran great except that it was a little clumsy when shifting between reverse and forward.

I decided I better change the gear oil and couldn't figure out where the fill hole was. There's a screw on the side of the lower unit and I unscrewed it only to find a bright greenish fluid. I always thought gear oil was a clear consistency so I figured that wasn't what I was looking for.

Anyone know where the fill and drain holes are for the gear oil on the 2005 Mercury 15hp 2 stroke?

 

[steelespike]

Re: 5HP Briggs and Stratton

Speaking generically the vent plug is just under where the gearcase seperates from the leg.Plugs are usually flat head slotted.
The drain is just below the bullet probably near the front portion.You fill through the drain hole.Till it comes out the vent.The plugs are on the port side of the older gearcase i'm looking at.
Gear oil is thick 90 weight outboard gearcase lube.Might have a greenish brown look.