I have a 7HP Briggs engine and it gives a compression of 90 pounds. This is barely enough. My friend told me it needs to be higher. Your engine has 12 HP so you can do the math!
The proper way to check for compression is with a leak down test. But this requires special stuff and equipment. How much compression are you getting and how did you check your 12 hp Briggs and Stratton engine?
Get your valves checked - it's easier than actually checking the compression. If it's dirty or clogged clean them and see if the engine works better. May save you some time. posted by
addicted (186)