What started off as a lead for an engine through a friends cousins friends I found I had already met the guy.  Well first it was this he had then that.  I had to check for my self.  Well he had some FH Briggs and Stratton’s and other stuff.  Well in a milk crate sat a Briggs F it was apart but one quick look at the block and I knew.

     Now about me, I have been into old iron since I was born.  When I was 4 I loved to drive my dad’s Beaver garden tractor since I couldn’t reach the pedals my dad bolted a pipe to the pedals.  Now I could drive it all on my own.  Since then I have been hooked.  I started collecting Briggs and Stratton’s at 12 and in my 3 years of collecting it has bloomed to 110 plus engines, a Farmall M on full steel and various odds and ends.

     Well back to the story.  It was apart and it was hard to tell what was gone.  Well a look in the light reveled what looked to be a complete engine.  We settled on a price and I told him when I had saved enough money I would be back.  Well a month and a week went by and I was still short with a little help from Mom and Dad I had the cash.  So I gave him a call, he wasn’t home.  3 days later I tried again and got him, but he wasn’t going to be home that weekend.  

      Well the next weekend my dad and I went to pick it up.  When I arrived I found that there was no carburetor.  Now the early larger diameter piece pipe is impossible to find something I have yet to obtain or even see one with my 2 eyes.  Also the valve guides were shot along with the rod bushing for the wrist pin.  While all the correct parts were there the 2 most important parts were gone.  He gave me an oiler that fit, but was incorrect.  I had seen one on e-bay 2 months earlier but didn’t get it.  Well a friend Charlie Stuart came to the rescue he had one.  He’s a great guy after a little talking we agreed on a price.  When I got home I screwed it in what a difference!  

     Next that ugly paint had to go.  After a long treatment of bead blasting, on went 2 coats of primer then some black paint.  I then scraped the paint off the area around where the serial number was cast.  After covering the serial numbers with a square piece of tape it got another coat of black.  I feel this leaves a nice finish to stampings.  With that done I stained a wooden box I had and a nice piece of wood after screwing them together I fastened the engine on.  I then temporarily wired the valves to stay in to keep dust out.  Now satisfied with how it looks its on to the breather, carburetor, intake tube, wrist pin, and valve guides.

To Be Continued

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