I brought my Briggs & Stratton 16.5 tractor in for it's inaugural oil change. While draining the oil, I hear a little "plop" and find a small round half piece of metal with a cam on it about the size of a watch battery. I don't think there is any damage as of yet, but I have pulled the bottom half open. Any guess as to what this part may be?

Post a picture via "go advanced"

First idea. Part of the piston from a previous repair especially if the part was aluminum.

Thanks for the advanced option reminder, I have done no previous tear-ins on this motor, but always have taken very timely maintenance of it. The last few years though, it was always tough to crank. I'm assuming valves were tight. Here's a pic of the junk that was in the pan http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/vhsalumni1983/photos/browse/271f?c= I think it may be from the bottom or top pushrod area, still tearing into it.

That's a members only group of Yahoo groups.

You stated you brought in in for the inagural service. What did the repair guy say?

I'll get that pict thing straight yet! By inaugural, I meant annual spring tune up... I usually do all the regular maintenance myself... 7989 maybe this works? Under the cam gear there seems to be a part with a piece of plastic, a sprung spring, and nothing else... could this be what's been "eaten"? And what's it called?7990

The picture works

I'll get that pict thing straight yet! by inaugural, I meant annual spring tune up... I usually do all the regular maintenance myself....7989 maybe this works?


Yep that dawned on me after I hit the submit button. I am afraid I cannot help you. I will back out of this question.

You can re-size pictures with IrfanView - Official Homepage - one of the most popular viewers worldwide (http://www.irfanview.com).

Here's the whole mess

....7989 maybe this works? Under the cam gear there seems to be a part with a piece of plastic, a sprung spring, and nothing else... could this be whats been "eaten"? and whats it called?7990

That's the oil pump.

BTW, there should be diagrams at Home - Briggs & Stratton (http://www.briggsandstratton.com)

The sprung spring you are referring to was the compression release that was on the camshaft. There were many warranty claims on the compression releases a couple of years ago, actually probably four or five years ago.