Briggs FAQ – Mike & Jen's Old Engines

Q: When was my antique Briggs & Stratton® made?
A: Please check here for Serial Number List.

Q: How do I date my engine when it has no serial number tag?
A: On the back of the flywheel and on the mag plate, there will be two circles, one with a letter and one with two numbers. The two numbers are the last two numbers of the year the PART was made. The letter equals the month the PART was made. A= Jan, B= Feb., ect. This will give an idea of when the engine was made. Parts could be made a couple months before the engine was assembled.

Q: How can I cross a Sears model number to a Briggs model number?
A: Take the Sears number, and take off the 500. and you will be left with either five or six digits. That is the Briggs Type Number. Click one of these links to find your engine model.
5 Digit Type Numbers
6 Digit Type Numbers

Q: What color should my engine be?
A: Briggs claims that they painted ALL their engines black. But we have seen them painted different colors depending on the end users needs.

Q: How do we prep and paint our engines?
A: Check this link Paint and Prep.