Question for 23hp B&S users, real life answers!

[Peterac]

What does your 23hp Briggs & Stratton idle at? I have a 2012 and want to know what others idle at? Mine is either 1200 or 1300rpm.
Thanks

[Laird]

Mine will idle at 1200 but to shift the argo and not have it creep I had to add a spring to get it to idle at around 900.

[Peterac]

Thanks for the reply Laird. My idle has slowly returned to the 1200-1300 rpm and I’m getting creeping happening more than I would like, particularly in reverse.
Where did you attach the spring on the return and how did you decide on its size/ strength etc?
Any chance you can provide a picture?

[Noel Woods]

I went down to a 1000 rpm initially but found the engine overheated at idle, so turned it back up to 1200rpm. The down side as pointed out above is the sudden launch when going into gear.

I had two such 23 B&S engines over the years and both had continuous problems with getting hot throughout the power band, even when driving without hoods. Several times the fuel pumps even melted.
I eventually solved these problems. I sold one machine, and converted the other over to a Kohler Command 25hp. The Kohler runs great.
I've had several B&S 16, 18, and 35hp motors and none had these issues. Several other folks have reported similar issues with the 23hp. I had to adjust the valves every 40-50 hours of run time too. That was a real pain in a limited work space. I spoke with a tech and he told me that these engines were designed for log splitters and lawn tractors and were engineered to run in the open and not under the confines of an engine bay.
I guess if you run them in the cold zone you will be ok.

[Peterac]

Thanks for your detailed response Noel. I wish I could get my rpm down to 1000 consistently at least. What temp are your summers typically?

[Noel Woods]

Our summers get around 100f and 80% humidity. However I and others found that even during driving in cooler weather, above 50f, that the 23hp B&S engines overheated. One of the worst experiences I had was back on a trail miles from camp when the engine got so hot it started to mishape the firewall. I turned the machine off and gave it an hour to cool down, then nursed it back to the trailer. I had another machine with me that my better half was driving, it was my other Argo with a different engine and it had no issues and the hood was on. On the overheated machine I took the hood off as a precaution before we started the ride because it had issues before.
That particular day we were in the mid 50f range and for the most part were driving in the shade. My theory for that machine and others that friends had was that the integral fan just didn't pull enough air in to function properly.
Maybe some of the other folks can chime in as well.

I'm not a B$S hater by any means, and have other smaller and larger Briggs motors that run fine. My belief is the problem is limited to the 23hp.

[Ruffus]

Is there any chance the carb is running leaner than it's suppose to? That would cause a hotter running engine.

[Peterac]

You’ve given me something to keep an eye on, thankyou.

[Laird]

Sorry to not have replied to you PeterAC (auto correct won't let me spell your name right.....Grrrr). ANYWAY, I picked a random light spring and hooked it in the rod retaining clip at the throttle butterfly and stretched it back to the bracket that supports the carb. I will try for a picture but don't hold your breath cause I ain't real good at certain techy things.......like downloading pictures. I sort of experimented till I got the results I now have. I am not totally satisfied so it is a work in progress. The overheating problem I haven't had as of yet. I may add a cooling fan. If I do, I will take pictures.

[Noel Woods]

Regarding carb. adjustment, I tuned the thing several times and made no difference, two of my friends that own small engine repair shops even had a go at it as well, and one of whom brought the Briggs tech in on the deal and he was the one who mentioned that these engines were designed to be ran in the open (log splitters and lawn tractors) and not in the engine bay of an off road vehicle. I even questioned as to why the other Briggs engines I owned didn't have the problem, and that stumped him.

I have one of those amphibs today, and with the Kohler motor, there has been no issues at all, none. I could have kept the 23hp Briggs for a compressor I own, but felt that it had such a poor track record, donated it to a friend who's Max4 needed a replacement motor.
Even in that machine with much more open engine bay, that motor still would overheat.

[Peterac]

Laird, thanks I understand the tech thing. Look forward to it if it happens.

[Peterac]

Noel my conversation with B&S tech was they are designed to idle at 1750, end of conversation. When the motor overheats what happens?

[Peterac]

I had a stripped bolt on the engine and had to remove the carby to repair. Then I noticed…..no gaskets on either side of carby. Will ring mechanic who cleaned and overhauled my engine.
Would lack of gaskets cause higher idle or erratic idle?

[Laird]

I would have to say , in just my opinion and experience, most likely. With no gasket on the mating surfaces, there could very easy be a vacum leak.

[john swenson]

i installed a 22 h.p. b and s vanguard in my max 2 . first time out on the trails at busco in 80 deg. temps . , after a while the engine would bog down and miss . sat awhile and it was good till it heated up again then same thing . finally added a fan to pull the heat out and that took care of it . it mostly happens in warm weather when i'm riding strong thru mud and up hills etc. probably should have bought a kholer ! but around the farm here it's fine without the fan . johnboy va.