Briggs and Stratton head gasket question

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 9, 2013

I bought that walk behind sickle mower at the auction and liked it once I got it running and freed the sickle bar and put a tube in onee of the tires. Then after about an hour or less of running it the head gasket blew out by one of the head bolts that I found upon inspection was quite loose. Should have checked them before I ran it. It is a 4 hp B&S from 1984 or thereabouts. I ordered a head gasket for it on eBay and it should be here soon. Should I use copper coat on it like I would on a tractor head gasket or is that not advisable in this case? Also does anyone know the proper head bolt torque? I saw ideas online ranging from 20 to 35 ft/lb and am not sure what to do. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Zach

Anonymous-0 · Aug 9, 2013

Post on the "Garden Tractors" forum, below. Lots of experts on small engines there. Tom

notjustair · Aug 9, 2013

I've pulled a ton of those apart. You can't beat the flat head Briggs. I never put anything on the head gasket or worry about torque. I get them good and snug by tightening in a circle jumping opposites (tighten 3 o'clock and then 9, then 4 o'clock and then 10, etc). Make sure you get the longer bolts into the right places. Believe they are the valve location. Can't recall if they are blind holes - clean 'em out.

Haven't killed one yet.

old · Aug 9, 2013

Never have used any thing on small engine gaskets. I worked one summer fixing small engine for a lawn mower place. I still fix a lot of small engines to make a few extra $$ on the side and even have a local lawn repair business that the guy know me by name and the sound of my voice and they call me on tractor stuff. I would look for a local place for parts that way you stand a chance to have it up and running in 24 hours or less

Jason S. · Aug 9, 2013

I have a couple of the Briggs factory shop manuals here. If you give me the model number I can tell you the torque for the head bolts. You said its a 4hp. Is it a horizontal shaft? I'm asking because those were discontinued in the 1960's and replaced with the 5hp 130202 series. If it is a horizontal shaft the three longer head bolts go in the corner where the muffler is because of the block being hotter around the exhaust valve. Without looking I believe the torque is around 40 inch pounds, but give me the number and I'll check for ya.

JD Seller · Aug 9, 2013

IF you have a new gasket an the head and block are flat then plain/bare is OK. If any of that is not the case then I would use Copper coat.

The little B&S heads where many times aluminum. If the head gasket blows it can burn a low spot in the head real quick. I just take a large piece of sand paper/emery cloth and lay it on my table saw top. Then just run your head across that. You can flatten a aluminum head real quick. that way. Just rotate the head end for end every little bit. The starting end always is cut away faster this way. So flip ends every little bit. The head will come out good and flat.

UncleTom · Aug 10, 2013

On Briggs engines i always snug up the head bolts by hand. They seem to come loose to where they leak and start hard.Ive seen them cough and sneeze out the head and run like crap and all they need is to snug the bolts a little.

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 10, 2013

Thank you, I will check for that. Swapping ends makes a lot of sense, I had not thought about that.
Zach

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 10, 2013

Thank you. It is a vertical shaft, model number 114982. It is a somewhat unusual looking engine to me since it has a small horizontal output shaft on one side that runs the wheel drive as well as the main vertical shaft with the big pulley for the cutter. The head bolts are all the same length when I eyeballed them, would have to measure to see if there is a small difference that I didn't see.
Zach

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2013

140 inch pounds or approximately 12 foot pounds on the head bolts. Use a new gasket, dress up the flatness on the head and you won't have a problem. Here is the engine specification page that shows the torque.

www.smallenginesuppliers.com/html/engine-specs/briggs/common_specs_english_all_engines.pdf

Jason S. · Aug 10, 2013

140 inch pounds is what it says in the manual, I thought that's what it was but I didn't realize I made a typo earlier and left the one off. Sorry about that. Being that it's a vertical shaft all the head bolts should be the same length.

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 10, 2013

Thank you very much. According to my mental calculation that is about 11.6 ft/lb so I will set my wrench to that since I don't have one that reads in in/lb.
Zach

John B. · Aug 10, 2013

Zach I always use the wet/dry emery paper with warm soap water. This keeps any debris from building up and making scars in the piece I'm sanding. I use 400-500 grit and dip the emery paper in a bucket of soap water often. This keeps the paper clean of any debris. I just had to do this to one of the heads on my B&S 14hp Engine. Turned out great.

Briggs and Stratton head gasket question

Zachary Hoyt

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Anonymous-0

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notjustair

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old

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Jason S.

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JD Seller

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UncleTom

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Zachary Hoyt

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Zachary Hoyt

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Anonymous-0

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Jason S.

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Zachary Hoyt

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John B.

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