A BIG Success! Repairing a MTD Pro 52 Inch Hydro Walk Behind Mower

I guessed it! This 18hp Vanguard Briggs and Stratton engine had a blown connecting rod. It took a bit of money, and a good chunk of time and patience, but I got it completely rebuilt. This was probably the most complicated engine I've ever worked on. But after the rebuild, both cylinders have awesome compression and it runs, moves, and mows great! I even painted the deck to make it more presentable. It's a nice machine now! 00:00 Intro 01:46 First look 07:14 Initial diagnoses 10:53 Disassembly: removing the mowing deck and then the engine 15:33 Engine tear down and rebuilding the number 1 piston assembly 25:07 Briggs and Stratton 844540 Piston Rod Assembly 31:23 Mounting the rebuilt engine- diagnosing lots of little problems 41:06 Reinstalling the mowing deck 49:04 Testing the machine 51:06 Cleaning and painting the mowing deck and belt cover 55:00 Finished project! 57:07 Outro