All Briggs had to do is add a little more thickness to that wall and put another bolt or two and this wouldn't happen. Great video thanks for sharing and not playing music.
Thanks for the most useful how-to I've used on RU-vid yet. First time opening an engine for me and my trust in your help only grew as the project went on. 11 out of 10. Thanks again.
Checks in the mail! Don't let anyone tell you this video isn't helpful. I looked high and low for info. concerning this exact issue I was having with my LA110. Not only did I get the symptoms but also an entire remedy. Thanks man!
I have never had nerve enough to tear down a head. This video was perfect but I would add just a little about cleaning the aluminum head even giving demonstration and examples of different things to use. The only tricky part was the feeler gauge adjustments but after everything was back together mine cranked and ran great. Thanks so much for this video
If you had told me two weeks ago that I would be tearing down my lawn tractor engine to replace the head gasket...well...I would have looked at you with a very odd look on my face and called you crazy! I followed your video pretty much exactly and it meant I was able to replace a $15 part instead of paying for a $400 repair!!!! Amazing! The only thing slightly different for me is that I had to remove the muffler in order to have easier access to the spark plug and the valve cover. The muffler overlapped the valve cover a bit. Otherwise...perfection!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you very much for the detailed, succinct and well filmed guide. I replaced the head gasket in my John Deere (OHV engine) last weekend using your instructions. It worked out perfectly.
Thanks John Deere replaced my head gasket before the warranty was up , but if I ever need too in the future I'll look this howToVideo back up . Thanks for your effort in this - - this would be a great help for me since I do most of my own maintenance.
I have that exact motor on Husqvarna ZT and have the same issues. I have always worked on my own equipment, cars, trucks, etc. This video is like already having done the job. Thanks, stay safe.
Thank you for the great detailed video on changing the head gasket. I think my John Deere has a blown head gasket as well. I will watch your video several times to make sure I understand everything. The only thing that I am not sure about is how much to turn the motor to properly position the valves to be able to adjust them. I will look at this during my disassembly process. I will call John Deere and give them all my identification numbers and insure that I get all the correct parts and value settings so I can properly do this. Thanks. Eric
Thank you!! I had wateched another video that was shorter, but after replacing the head gasket the engine wouldn't start. Your demostration and tips on the rocker valve adjustment were right on point. A quick tweak and I was on my way. Great job!!
Really great video - so detailed in the explanation that a beginner like myself could easily clean up the engine and valves on my Craftsman lawnmower (Briggs & Stratton) and replace the head gasket. Thank again for taking the time to produce a high quality detailed educational U Tube video. Keep them coming :-)
Very good and informative video. Watching this video should save folks a lot of money by showing them how to do an easy repair job that can be accomplished in about 1 - 1.5 hours time or quicker if you have some wrenching experience. Two thumbs up from this viewer!!!! Thank you!!!!
Excellent video. I have a JD E100 with only 63 hrs on it. I'm teaching myself small engine repair, little by little, trying to keep it alive. I've determined that a blown head gasket is my likely problem, all my symptoms match what you've shown here. I've never replaced a head gasket, but though your excellent video instruction I feel this will be within my skillset. Great job.
Best video on this! I watched a couple of other ones but they glossed over good to know things. Thanks for taking the time to produce this. Indeed very helpful!
Followed your instructions step by step and mower now works great. Most tricky step is valve adjustment. Saved a lot of money--thanks. Now if I could only find a good quality head gasket that doesn't fail every 6 months or so.
Thanks so much for this video. I have almost no mechanical aptitude, but I followed this video to a "t" and just ran my mower for over an hour. No leaks and no burned oil, no black smoke (other than just a bit a start up). You do skip over the carbon cleaning as well as the reattachment of the motor cover - which are not trivial - but it all turned out well.
Thank you. I have been looking for a walkthrough like this. Most of the other videos i find they all have little test gadgets and and tools i just dont or can not afford. I'm not made of money and trying to get a zt with a B&S engine I was given some life again. This video really helped!
Wow is all I can say! I blew my head gasket & couldn’t find anyone who could do it for over a month and they wanted $350-$400 to replace a $15 dollar part. Thanks to your video which walked me thru every step of the way I just finished it. Obviously I have to wait for the gasket sealer on the valve cover to dry so I can’t start it until tomorrow but I am very confident all is well. Also when I cranked my motor over before it was like it got caught up like you explained while doing the exhaust valve. So that should fix 2 problems. (A friend of mine told me before it sounds like the valves needed adjusted, guess he was right). I am now definitely a subscriber to your channel. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!
I just wanted to post an update, I had a chance to start the mower today and it runs as good as it did when it was new. Starts up like it did when it was new, (where before it wasn’t wanting to crank over right away it was like it was catching on something). Thanks to this video it saved me a ton of money & I know it was done right. Thanks again man!!! Best video out there on replacing a head gasket!!
So did this a couple weeks ago on a 4 year old 21HP for a buddy. Took off the factory head gasket and right where they always blow between the bore and the lifter pocket is a deep nick ( .030 deep ) about half the surface across the area that the gasket seals on. Worked at Briggs from 1977-1991, nice to see quality control is still piss poor. Told my buddy to expect to do this again in the future.
Excellent video. About as good an explanation as it could be. Going to have t do this to my tractor and now I feel like I can do it (but I'll be watching at least once more all the way through!). Thank You.
Outstanding video! Concise and detailed data. One of the best I’ve seen on RU-vid - subbed. Question: If you overfill with too much oil and run the engine, would that blow out the head gasket? Thank you for the help brother. 🖖😎
THANK GOD for this video!!! This is exactly what I have to do, thank you for doing it!!! You saved me tons of money. And I couldn't figure out how to get the fuel pump off with those clips, was afraid to break them off. Didn't know they were clips. Those suckers are coming off. Oil is everywhere on this 2 year old John Deere. I'm disgusted with John Deere now. Or should I be disgusted with Briggs for this shitty situation on a 2 year old motor.
You should be disgusted with Briggs. Several other manufacturers use the same engine, and they all have the issue. Briggs should be the focus of your wrath.
Would oil dripping and burning on the manifold/exhaust signify a head gasket issue? Excellent tutorial! Love that you included all the socket sizes and where each bolt is that needs to be removed to access everything. Most likely will attempt this as soon as I am able.
I have the 16hp Vanguard version and the repair manual says to rotate the engine 1/4 inch past TDC on the compression stroke before adjusting the valves. I did this by inserting a screwdriver into the spark plug hole to obtain TDC then rotated more until the screwdriver went back in by 1/4".
Thanks, at last after watching a half dozen videos, you have the correct intake and exhaust valve identification, so thank you. Common sense says aluminum push rod should be the intake for obvious heat issues, so nice to see someone get it correct. Perhaps you know the answer to smoking blue and whitish issue, I had blown head gasket, typical, replaced it, ran fine, no smoke and got lawn done, came back in a week, and it is smoking again, so how can it be head gasket? Could something else cause this smoke and rough running. Changed oil, filters and plug, strange, could a new head gasket go like this. Thanks,
Amazing video! I I just purchased the exact same mower with 85 hours, looks like a new machine, started like it should until i got to use it for the first time for 30 minutes, white smoke started to build up clouds...LOL... looked at the oil stick it was black so i Changed the oil and filter spark plug, started few minutes later same thing, then i smelled gas in the oil stick, drained the oil again put a new carburetor, new spark plug, new air filter, new fuel filter fresh oil started it nicely, again after 30 minutes or so same thing, way less smoke but still smoky!! i still smell little gas in the oil stick, I am assuming that the next thing would be the head gasket and the fuel pump? what else could it be? any suggestions? thank you!
Great video thank you... 38 hrs on my JD D110 very disappointing, dealership said its not very common but by the number of views on your video I call BULLSHIT!!!
Hi, thanks for the video. Can I ask a silly question? Does the engine automatically somehow put oil in the valve cover? Or is that an abnormality for there to be oil in there? because I had some oil in there.
Thank you so much I was just complaining yesterday you go and look for help and the guy moving like a jet plane and when they finish in the end they tell you that's what they do how can you learn but you you are great you know exactly how to help somebody thank you for that video thank you and keep doing video RU-vid should be acknowledged people like you accept the idiot who come there and move the video like lightning and see this is when they finish you did not know what they talk about
What is the little cap with the tiny coiled spring around it? That comes in kit? Sits between the two pushrods I'm thinking. AS there is a hole there just that size. Not sure though. Did you get a part for that on your build?
What a great easy to follow video. I note you have an upgraded head gasket that you say has been beefed up and it looks bigger than mine was. Do you happen to have the part no. for that bigger gasket. It would be a big help as the parts store here don't know what i'm talking about. would appreciate your help again regards Jeff
Hello excellent video. I’ve a question. When I took the cover off to reveal the push rods I had oil in there. Enough to cover the bottom of the metal cover. More than I thought would be there. This a concern ?
Question? Hey sir, I appreciate the video. I have had a Husqvarna with the 724hp B&S engine dual piston for 2 yrs. Within the first year it started blowing smoke. Been doing research found your video. Followed the steps, albeit slightly different because of the model. Found the blown head gasket, but piston won't move when I manually crank it. It's halfway in and won't go forward or backwards. Suggestions?
Thank you for this very helpful video. Reckon I can do this job on my X304, with a little help - will save me a lot of money & time. How do Briggs and Stratton get away with making engines that blow after just a few hours?
Do you happen to know where the intake manifold gasket goes? And yeah I understand the name but I bought this thing cheap and it has a thin metal gasket with a tab on one side and only appears to go from carb assembly to head assembly
Mine was the exact same as this one and it happened twice in three years. Sears tech told me it was because of the distance between the bolts on that side of the head.
Right on. The Intek is designed to fail. All other head bolts are evenly spaced except for the one area most likely to experience blow-by. The only good news is that if you're relatively handy it's a $15 fix that will last another 5-7 years.
You cleaned off the piston and everything, I noticed that you didn't clean the head, it shows that there was a lot of burnt carbon dirt on it and you just left it dirty. Was there a reason for that? Should you clean the head or not? Thanks in advance.
Thank you for the video. In my case, after installing a new head, the engine started right away, but as soon as I covered valves, the engine did not start, just a few turns and that's it. I removed the head a few times and put it back, but no luck, it doesn't start. And it is hard to turn the engine. Any suggestions? Thanks
Thanks for making the vid. Two questions: did you actually use the valve cover gasket or just the Ultra Grey? Second - I notice you didn't use a torque spec for the valve cover, why not?
Martin Zwicker I definitely used the head gasket, no silicone. I torqued the cylinder head but the valve cover is such a low torque it's not really worth using a torque wrench. You would probably need an inch pound torque wrench for the valve cover.
I misread the first part of your question. It depends on the year weither or not you use the valve cover gasket or silicone. I used the gasket but I believe the newer engines suggest silicone instead of gasket. Thanks for watching.
I have a couple questions for you (1) I noticed your torque wrench is in foot pounds, is it 3/8 or 1/2 in? (2) Is it easier to work with 3/8 over 1/2 with small engines ? (3) My 1/2 in T Wrench is a fixed T wrench and I like that yours is flexable flex head that it swivels, was wondering what brand it was? ... last question promise (4)when you look up the specs for engines especially the valves, do you use one site for the data or do you go directly to say B&S and enter in the model/code , as I have a hard time finding this data and a lot of operators manual dont have it. again thank you for the superb video and taking the time to answer my questions ....~Joe
Definetly recommend a 3/8 drive torque wrench. The actual spec was in inch pounds but I converted it to foot pounds on my phone. My torque wrench in the video is actually Snap on so it's pretty pricey, but you can probably find a flex head on Amazon or home depot /Lowes. I believe I searched Google for Briggs and Stratton engine valve lash and found it using the model and spec number on their website. Hope that helps
This was an outstanding video, many many kudos to you Sir, One question where do you get your supply's aka Gasket kits etc from, I dont trust amazon with Chinese junk so I was looking for a reputable web site to order from. Many thanks...
Thank you for the kind words. I'm lucky enough to have a huge parts warehouse local to me that sells genuine parts. I understand not wanting to risk Amazon Chinese parts but from my experience not all aftermarket stuff is bad. But you can typically find genuine Briggs parts on Amazon and ebay and they're the primary sites I use if I don't get them locally.
I've never rechecked head torque after running, you could certainly do that if you'd like but some bolts behind the exhaust pipe, etc may be difficult to get to once reassembled. Like I said I've never retorqued after running and never had an issue.
When you say turn the engine until the valve is completely open, from your angle I can’t tell if o pen means the valve is all the way extended or in as much as it will go. Which is it?