Soverign

I have a very old Sovereign 3415 S by Simplcity. It's so old it has the combination starter generator.

Dusty, Those are about as simple as they come. When you say Syncro-Balanced, I'm going to take a guess and say the first 3 numbers in the model of your engine are going to be 170 or 190 (horizontal crank) or 171 or 191 (vertical crank). 7 or 8 hp. Either way, the 7 through 12 hp vertical and horizontal aluminum engines all use the same coil if it is a 2 leg type. There is a 3 leg variety that could be found on the 7hp engine. Look at the coil closely, it is possible it has a Magnatron coil on it. The Magnatron will only have a kill wire attached to it. There are 2 types of Magnatron systems. The newest has the module inside the coil and you can see a little metal button on it that faces the magnets in the flywheel. These are completely sealed and are the newest variety. The older type is a module that slides in between the coil and armature leg. You can see the connections made to the module. If it has never been touched, it has a set of points under the flywheel on aluminum engines. Model 14 and higher cast iron engines have a cover on the carb side of the block where the points are. As easy as a Magnatron coil is to install, no need to remove the flywheel, I'd just go that route. Last I knew a Magnatron coil, if it's the 398811 or 393811 can't remember which number for sure, would be in the $40 to $50 range. You will hear people say sand the rust off the magnets on the flywheel. It makes absolutely NO difference in running/starting. The only reason might be if the rust is thick enough that the armature is rubbing on it. The proper gap is .020. A match book cover or the boxes that B&S used are usually the right thickness too. The vibrations from rubbing the flywheel will shorten the life of the coil.

No, I don't know how much I want to put into this. I would get it usable and sell it. I priced a new coil to day, almost $50. I did get a set of points and condenser today, $30. something.

You can't open the throttle on the carb by hand at all? On an engine like you describe, the model and type numbers will either be stamped into the flywheel cover near the bottom or on a tag attached to the cover around the cylinder. White powder in the bowl indicates water was in it. Did the carb body have 3 or 4 bolts holding the top to the bottom? You can check the governor adjustment easy enough. Loosen the clamp bolt on the governor arm so the arm can be turned on the shaft. Note which direction the lever would turn the shaft for wide open throttle. With the throttle wide open, turn the lever (usually CCW) with a screwdriver until it stops. Hold it in this position and tighten the clamp. Verify the throttle does not bind and can close fully. If all ok, start the engine and it should have normal governor control.

Brian, The serial #32543-0126-01-7109281 It's a Briggs Sychro Balanced.

Edited by Dusty MI - 26 Jun 2010 at 7:12am

Dusty MI wrote: Brian, The serial #32543-0126-01-7109281 It's a Briggs Sychro Balanced. Did Simplicity put Briggs engines on their garden tractors? My brain is a little slow sometimes, I just realized last night that the throttle cable was not hooked up when I pulled the engine. Also the throttle on it looks like it was for a stationary engine. Dusty