B&S 305 cc - snowblower engine

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nicholas

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Hi guys
I just bought my first snowblower - ya 30+ years in Cannada and never owned one....:)
The manual says to use 5w-30 engine oil - my question is this spec ok ? - seems rather thin for an engine that is running almost full out for its entire life.
It is a 305cc Briggs and Stratton 4 cycle engine.
It says to change the oil after the first 5 hours and then every 50 hours thereafter.

I was thinking of a syn 5w-40 diesel oil - to offer better protection than car oils.

Any advice would be great.
cheers
nik
 
Go with what the manual says..5w30 is not to thin. You may even want to go with a 0w30 in the GWN. Don't need a HD oil in the winter.
 
In my Briggs 20 HP V-Twin I tried a few different oils..to me Amsoil ASE 30wt 10/30 with it's 1,200 ppm ZDP are what it likes best. Stays very clean at even 30 hours and going.

The Honda 9 Hp blower gets Amsoil 5W-30.

The Toro 2 Cycle is getting Mercruiser syn/blend TCW-3 for kicks.
 
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Nik, you'll like that OHV Briggs snowblower engine. Great runners, lots of power, good on gas. A 5w40 would be good if you use the thing hours on end, other than that, with wet, nasty winter use, a regular 5w30 changed regularly will do fine.
 
Thanks everyone - I am stoked to use it - Murphy's Law - we wont get any snow for years now......;)

After the first 5 hours I think I will start to use 5w-40 syn or GC 0W-30, I understand this to be on the thick end of the 30 spec. And every store around me carries it .

cheers
nik
 
Hi Guys,
Just thought I'd add this tid-bit. I also have the 305cc Briggs OHV on a brand new snow blower. The manual does recommend several different weights of oil based on tempurature, with a synthetic 5W-30 covering the entire tempurature range. But it ALSO specifies that the rating should be SF, SG, SH, SJ or higher, with detergent.

Will a GC 0W-30 have these ratings?

Thank you.
 
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I have a two year old Simplicity snow thrower with the 305cc B&S engine. After initial break in with dino oil, I run Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic. It's probably a bit better for cold starts in low temperatures than dino oil.

The snow engines have an aluminum bore for cooler running. Therefore, heat soaking should not be an issue even on warmer days. In one day, I've run mine hard and long through three tanks of fuel one right after the other and the engine does not lose any performance nor does it consume oil.

I wasn't much of a Briggs & Stratton fan before owing this engine. Now that I've had it for a couple years and see how good it is, I've changed my mind about them.

One thing I found out about the 305 cc engine is that the power rating is a little flaky. Before changing h.p. figures to the presently used torque figures, my 305 cc engine was rated at 9.5 h.p. The very same engine was also rated at 9 and 11 h.p. I went through the Briggs & Stratton parts lists for both horse power ratings (9 to 11 h.p.) and didn't find one part that was different. Every part number was exactly the same for both the 9 and 11 h.p. engines. So, either all 305 cc engines are 9 h.p. or 11 h.p. My seat of the pants dyno tells me that they're probably closer to 11 than 9. I previously owned a couple 10 h.p. Tecumseh engines. They were pretty stout but not as strong nor a smooth as this 305 cc Briggs.
 
The same engine block can be used for differing horse power rated engines.
Often the only difference is the carberator, the ignition timing and the governor setting.
If you've illiminated the carb or jetting from being different, perhaps the governed RPM is a bit different on the two.
Were I work we used to have an engine that had four differing power ratings. Only difference were the porting (these were two cycle outboard engines) the carbs and the exhaust plates.
 
I would have used Mobil 1 0W-30/0W-40 in our OHV Chonda 208cc, but I couldn't find it. But I used PP 5W-30 Syn in it, that seems like a great choice to me.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
The same engine block can be used for differing horse power rated engines.
Often the only difference is the carberator, the ignition timing and the governor setting.
If you've illiminated the carb or jetting from being different, perhaps the governed RPM is a bit different on the two.
Were I work we used to have an engine that had four differing power ratings. Only difference were the porting (these were two cycle outboard engines) the carbs and the exhaust plates.


Every part no. matched. Carb included. Almost all OPE engines are restricted to 3600 rpm. So that rules out higher operating speeds. I say that it's all marketing. It would be difficult for B&S to charge a premium for more power on a larger machine if the engine h.p. ratings are the same as that on a lesser model. Say you're looking at a snow thrower. You see one that has a 9 h.p. engine on it for $1200.00. Right next to it is an 11 h.p. model for $1400.00. That extra power might be enough of a lure to get the consumer to bite. By having all of the 305 cc engines operating with power output above minimum rating, the manufacturer cannot be sued for providing false or misleading product specifications. So, they make the one engine, show lesser h.p. on smaller units, sell them at a lower price then jack up h.p. rating and costs for higher priced units. Smart thinking really. No need to complicate the manufacturing process with production line changes and charge a few more bucks simply by applying a different label.

However, I'd be a little displeased finding out later that I paid for more h.p. when the 9 h.p. engine puts out the same power as the 11.
 
The camshaft part number matched too? All they would have to do is add a little extra lift to the valves or change the cam profile to get an exta HP or two. Also, as was mentioned before, the governer setting could be different. That would make less power at a lower RPM, and the ignition timing could be advanced slightly. Also you cannot forget that every engine is different, one could make only 8HP, the next one, maybe 11.
 
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"The camshaft part number matched too?"

When I did my research, all parts numbers were the same.

As far as I know, all B&S OPE four stroke engines are governed to 3600 rpm. No h.p. gains to be had there.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Only lawnmower engines are limited to 3000 rpms.
I know of no limit on snowblower engines.


I agree with the lawn mower engine speed limitations. That's keep the blade speed down.

Check out the specs for B&S h.p. ratings. They're pretty much all rated at 3600 rpm for their OPE engines. I have run a digital tachometer/hour meter on my snow throwers (Tecumsehs and Briggs). All show max rpms at/or very close to 3600. I believe that torque ratings on OPE engines is measured at 3000 rpm.
 
Also, don't forget to specify whether the snow blower is kept outside, in a garage or a heated garage. It matters on start-up. In my opinion, there is little sense in using a synthetic oil if the start-up temp is 50F or above. You can use a straight 30 (not my fave), 10W-30 or a 15W-40 HDEO (the latter especially if the machine has a couple years' use on it).

And check the low temp pour points for the 5W-40 you are thinking of using ... some aren't so great in cold weather.

I can't think of a better oil for a snowblower stored in a cold place than a 0W-30 HDEO ... but those oils are pretty rare. German Castrol (GC) 0W-30 is a close 2nd.
 
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