OT - Lawn mower re-power question

Royse · Aug 7, 2016

I'm replacing (temporarily) a Kawasaki 23 HP with a Briggs 25 HP.
The Kawi has a low oil pressure safety shut off, the Briggs does not.
Assuming this is a simple on/off switch like on a generator, I
think I can either leave the wire off or ground it to get it to run.
Am I thinking right? Any advise on open or grounded?
Since it's temporary until I rebuild the Kawi I don't want to
modify the original wiring harness if I don't have to.

Greg1959 · Aug 7, 2016

Grounded

Pete in MD · Aug 7, 2016

Are you sure about that Greg?
I would think the switch is a normally closed switch held open by oil pressure. When oil pressure drops the switch closes and grounds out the magnatron.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 8, 2016

Royse,
Don't have the answer to the oil pressure switch on kaw. I'm thinking the oil switch on my 13 hp Honda pressure washer shorted out the coil, no spark. I can say that I've made MUTT mowers out of parts and engines off other mowers. All you would have to do is just pull all the wires off your switch, don't cut anything, just run a few new wires to power up the bare bones things like power to starter solenoid, kill wire, alternator wire and by pass all safety switches. I think you have to ground the switch so when you turn it off, it will short out the ign modules. After you get the kaw rebuilt, then use old wiring. Good chance the electrical connections an original wiring won't match up to Briggs connectors. Use ohmmeter to figure out how switch works. B on the switch is the battery wire, L is lights. I would have to see the switch and use ohmmeter to figure out the rest?

Good luck.

Texasmark1 · Aug 8, 2016

Never can tell. Depends on whether or not the switch is a NO (normally open) or NC (normally closed). Gotta ohm it out to tell if not in switch
literature.

I replaced a Kohler 20 with a Briggs 20 and a Kohler 17.5 with a Briggs 18. Both engines fit the mounting stud (10") bolt pattern that fits singles
and twins alike; the starters were on the same side for that wire to reach, and the connectors were the same shape with identical pin-outs. Only
thing different was the location of the throttle/choke. But going from a single to a V twin that was to be expected.

Royse · Aug 9, 2016

Thanks for the help guys! I got it going.
The Kawi had WAY too many hours on it before the meter quit.
Then I've used it for another 5 years or so.
I swapped it so I can rebuild it and will put it back in.

The switch reads open with the engine at rest, but the mower
runs with the wire disconnected so I left it that way.
I was hoping to have a definitive answer to post back but I don't.

OT - Lawn mower re-power question

Royse

Well-known Member

Greg1959

Well-known Member

Pete in MD

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Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Royse

Well-known Member

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