Found Snapper rear engine rider that won't roll

Great find, even if you have to put a little time and $$ into it. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away. I just got a free pressure washer that a guy put out to the street, with the hose and nozzle and everything.

Took the high pressure hose apart, found an inline filter scree clogged with sludge, cleaned it out, flushed the pump and hose with fresh water, fired it up, it works great.

Good luck with your Snapper RER. I love mine - just putting a new engine on it now.

Well a 28" old enough to have an 11 hp engine on it MAY have a parking brake that jams against the rubber tired driven wheel. This would still let the wheels turn in opposite directions when stood up.

I have had dozens of Snapper RER but never had one break either of the two chains and unless the center chain case chain wrapped itself around the sprocket, don't see how it would lock up.

A friend just got one in that the axle bearing on one side was worn so badly that it pressed the rubber tired driven wheel up against the metal drive disc and would not let it roll.

Walt Conner

Thanks for the advice Walt. I will check on the brake tomorrow. I noticed a metal strap/band on the opposite side of the tired drive wheel and it was still loose. I don't know if that strap works off of the brake or not. I will definitely stand the mower up again tomorrow and get a good look.

Kogafortwo, it never ceases to amaze me what people throw out. I would love to find a high pressure washer like what you found. This summer I found 3 Craftsman self-propelled baggers, 1 Snapper self-propelled bagger, 2 Murrays, 1 MTD and 1 Poulan Pro self-propelled bagger with a 5.5 hp Honda. I've enjoyed tinkering with them and now have a few to sell next spring. I've found several weedeaters that are now ready to sell too. This Snapper RER is the first riding lawnmower that I have found. I teach school and am off in the summer so I have some time to find and tinker with these. Makes me sick to see people trash these mowers when not much is usually wrong with any of them. We definitely live in a throw away society. I just enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out what's wrong with them.

Finally got the rubber wheel to turn. After applying excessive force in both directions, I got the rubber drive wheel broke loose and it all now spins like it is supposed too. I guess it was locked up because of no lubrication and sitting for Lord knows how long. Now I get to see if I can get the 11 horse Briggs to run. Does anybody know where I can get a diagram of how the throttle cable hooks up to the carb? The place where I think the throttle cable hooks in doesn't come close enough to hook in any way. It is like there is a linkage that is missing. Thanks again for all of your help.

Phil Harris

Thanks for your help, guys! Engine model number: 252707 I think...it is very hard to read.
Here are some pictures:

No one can tell you how to hook up the throttle cable. It hooks to the sub-assembly that's not even there. There should be an assembly bolted over the governor arm that the throttle cable, governor spring, choke link, and kill wire all attach to. You pretty much need another engine to copy off of. I don't think anyone will be able to "tell" you how to hook everything up. Even parts breakdowns aren't much help in this case.

Mow Joe said:

No one can tell you how to hook up the throttle cable. It hooks to the sub-assembly that's not even there. There should be an assembly bolted over the governor arm that the throttle cable, governor spring, choke link, and kill wire all attach to. You pretty much need another engine to copy off of. I don't think anyone will be able to "tell" you how to hook everything up. Even parts breakdowns aren't much help in this case.

Click to expand...

Mow Joe is right: you are missing the part that bolts to the bock right where your governor lever is. I bet you can order one from one of the parts suppliers. Try one of the sponsor links at the top of the page, or Jack's Small Engines or PSEP.biz.

What I call the "Throttle Box" is missing. There should be jillions of them around any small engine repair shop, mower shop. Try the little guys, the big shops don't want to mess with anything like that. OR IF you have a friendly junk yard around, look there. You need the governor spring also and the screws to attach the throttle box, throttle cable clamp.

Won't let us in junk yards around here any more.

Walt Conner

What I call the "Throttle Box" is missing. There should be jillions of them around any small engine repair shop, mower shop. Try the little guys, the big shops don't want to mess with anything like that. OR IF you have a friendly junk yard around, look there. You need the governor spring also and the screws to attach the throttle box, throttle cable clamp.

Won't let us in junk yards around here any more.

The type box you need is obsolete, not used on engines for several years so be careful what you get if you buy a new one.

Walt Conner

My snapper rear rider was running and rolling just fine, then suddenly it stopped rolling. I looked under the mower and everything is turning including the wheel shafts. I figured maybe the drive disk was worn and wasn't making enough contact to pull a load so I replaced it. Nothing changed. when I hand turn it the wheels move freely when in the air. I started the mower with the rear in the air and at first the wheel began to spin while it was in neutral then I seen a little smoke from what looks to be a plastic gear box and now they won't turn on their own but still move freely when I turn them by hand. Any suggestions?

Just make sure you get the model, type, and serial number off the engine before you search around for the throttle bracket. Your also going to need the bracket that holds the throttle cable in place. I bought a parts mower for $25 and used the wheels, tires, linkages, and other stuff I needed. Sometimes the parts mowers are in better shape than ones that run and cut.