Video & Articles: Appliance & Equipment Repair>Briggs & Stratton Riding Mower Engine Head Gasket #794114

Briggs & Stratton Riding Mower Engine Head Gasket #794114

10:30
This video provides step-by-step instructions for replacing the head gasket on Briggs and Stratton small engines, commonly found in Toro riding lawn mowers. The most common reason for replacing the gasket is when making repairs to the engine.

All of the information in this gasket replacement video is applicable to the following brands: Briggs & Stratton, Toro

Tools used: 1/4” socket or nut driver, 3/8” socket or nut driver, 5/8” socket or spark plug wrench, 1/4” hex bit, large flat-head screwdriver, T20 Torx bit screwdriver, torque wrench, gauge

Step By Step Instructions

1
Before you replace the cylinder head gasket in your engine, make sure the engine has cooled, the ignition switch is in the off position, and the key has been removed if applicable.
2
If necessary, disconnect the headlight wire harness.
3
Then, lift up the hood or engine cover and detach it.
4
Now, rotate the air filter cover retaining knobs counterclockwise and pull off the cover.
5
Lift out the air filter.
6
Use a quarter-inch socket or nut driver to unthread the screw inside the filter housing.
7
Now, use a 3/8 inch socket or wrench to unthread the four blower housing mounting bolts.
8
Detach the oil drain tube and lift off the blower housing.
9
Use a 3/8 inch socket to unthread the bolts to release the intake manifold.
10
Detach the breather tube from the air inlet pipe.
11
Slide the choke rod out of the control bracket to set the carburetor assembly aside.
12
Next, detach the wire and boot from the spark plug and pull the wire free of the mounting bracket.
13
Use a 5/8 inch socket or a spark plug wrench to help unthread the spark plug.
14
Use the 3/8 inch socket to remove the bolt securing the mounting bracket.
15
Pull the bracket off.
16
Now, use a quarter-inch hex bit to unthread the exhaust manifold bolts.
17
With the bolts removed, pull the exhaust manifold free of the muffler.
18
Use the 3/8 inch socket to unthread the valve cover mounting bolts.
19
Starting on a corner, you can use a putty knife to help break the seal and a large flat-head screwdriver to assist in prying off the cover.
20
Be prepared for a small amount of oil to spill.
21
If necessary, rotate the flywheel to loosen the rocker arms.
22
Then, use a 5/8 inch wrench to secure the pivot nuts and a T20 Torx bit screwdriver to loosen the set screws securing the rocker arms.
23
Rotate the arms and remove the two push rods.
24
Use the 3/8 inch socket to unthread all of the cylinder head mounting bolts.
25
With the bolts removed, pull off the cylinder head.
26
Remove the old gasket if still intact.
27
Before you install the new cylinder head gasket, clean off any residue from both the cylinder and the head.
28
Now, align the new gasket on the cylinder mounting pins.
29
Reposition the cylinder head and thread the mounting bolts.
30
To avoid warping the head, first torque the bolts to 150 inch-pounds in a specific alternating pattern.
31
Now, torque the bolts in the same pattern to two hundred and fifty inch-pounds.
32
With the head fully secured, insert the aluminum intake push rod through the lower guide.
33
You can rotate the flywheel to help determine if the rod is properly positioned.
34
With the rod in the down position, confirm that the valve cap is in place.
35
Then, align the rocker arm on the cap and push rod and secure it loosely.
36
Repeat this procedure to install the steel exhaust push rod with the red indicator mark.
37
With the rocker arms in place, rotate the flywheel until the piston is approximately a quarter of the way past its top position and both rocker arms are loose.
38
Confirm that the gaps between the rocker arms and the valve caps are at manufacturer's specifications.
39
The intake valve gap should be between three and five thousandths of an inch.
40
The exhaust valve gap should be between five and seven thousandths of an inch.
41
With the gap set, tighten the pivot nut set screws.
42
Next, scrape off any sealant residue from the valve cover and the cylinder head.
43
Apply new sealant to the cover.
44
Now, reposition the cover on the cylinder head.
45
Thread the bolts and torque the bolts to sixty inch-pounds.
46
Insert the exhaust manifold into the muffler.
47
Confirm that the gasket is in place.
48
Then, secure the manifold to the cylinder head with the mounting bolts.
49
Rethread the spark plug.
50
Be careful not to damage the threads by over-tightening.
51
Reattach the boot to the plug.
52
Reposition the mounting bracket and secure it with the bolts.
53
Confirm that the intake manifold o-ring is in place.
54
Attach the choke rod to the control bracket and the breather tube to the air inlet pipe.
55
Position the intake manifold on the cylinder head.
56
Then, thread and tighten the bolts to secure.
57
Position the blower housing.
58
Make sure the housing is properly seated on the air diverter.
59
Rethread and tighten the mounting bolts to secure the housing.
60
The longer bolts go in the back.
61
Replace the screw in the filter housing.
62
Reposition the air filter.
63
Realign the cover and rotate the retaining knobs clockwise to secure.
64
Reattach the oil drain tube to the blower housing.
65
Reinstall the hood or engine cover and reconnect the headlight wire harness if applicable.
Description
This video provides step-by-step instructions for replacing the head gasket on Briggs and Stratton small engines, commonly found in Toro riding lawn mowers. The most common reason for replacing the gasket is when making repairs to the engine.

All of the information in this gasket replacement video is applicable to the following brands: Briggs & Stratton, Toro

Tools used: 1/4” socket or nut driver, 3/8” socket or nut driver, 5/8” socket or spark plug wrench, 1/4” hex bit, large flat-head screwdriver, T20 Torx bit screwdriver, torque wrench, gauge
Step-By-Step Instructions
1
Before you replace the cylinder head gasket in your engine, make sure the engine has cooled, the ignition switch is in the off position, and the key has been removed if applicable.
2
If necessary, disconnect the headlight wire harness.
3
Then, lift up the hood or engine cover and detach it.
4
Now, rotate the air filter cover retaining knobs counterclockwise and pull off the cover.
5
Lift out the air filter.
6
Use a quarter-inch socket or nut driver to unthread the screw inside the filter housing.
7
Now, use a 3/8 inch socket or wrench to unthread the four blower housing mounting bolts.
8
Detach the oil drain tube and lift off the blower housing.
9
Use a 3/8 inch socket to unthread the bolts to release the intake manifold.
10
Detach the breather tube from the air inlet pipe.
11
Slide the choke rod out of the control bracket to set the carburetor assembly aside.
12
Next, detach the wire and boot from the spark plug and pull the wire free of the mounting bracket.
13
Use a 5/8 inch socket or a spark plug wrench to help unthread the spark plug.
14
Use the 3/8 inch socket to remove the bolt securing the mounting bracket.
15
Pull the bracket off.
16
Now, use a quarter-inch hex bit to unthread the exhaust manifold bolts.
17
With the bolts removed, pull the exhaust manifold free of the muffler.
18
Use the 3/8 inch socket to unthread the valve cover mounting bolts.
19
Starting on a corner, you can use a putty knife to help break the seal and a large flat-head screwdriver to assist in prying off the cover.
20
Be prepared for a small amount of oil to spill.
21
If necessary, rotate the flywheel to loosen the rocker arms.
22
Then, use a 5/8 inch wrench to secure the pivot nuts and a T20 Torx bit screwdriver to loosen the set screws securing the rocker arms.
23
Rotate the arms and remove the two push rods.
24
Use the 3/8 inch socket to unthread all of the cylinder head mounting bolts.
25
With the bolts removed, pull off the cylinder head.
26
Remove the old gasket if still intact.
27
Before you install the new cylinder head gasket, clean off any residue from both the cylinder and the head.
28
Now, align the new gasket on the cylinder mounting pins.
29
Reposition the cylinder head and thread the mounting bolts.
30
To avoid warping the head, first torque the bolts to 150 inch-pounds in a specific alternating pattern.
31
Now, torque the bolts in the same pattern to two hundred and fifty inch-pounds.
32
With the head fully secured, insert the aluminum intake push rod through the lower guide.
33
You can rotate the flywheel to help determine if the rod is properly positioned.
34
With the rod in the down position, confirm that the valve cap is in place.
35
Then, align the rocker arm on the cap and push rod and secure it loosely.
36
Repeat this procedure to install the steel exhaust push rod with the red indicator mark.
37
With the rocker arms in place, rotate the flywheel until the piston is approximately a quarter of the way past its top position and both rocker arms are loose.
38
Confirm that the gaps between the rocker arms and the valve caps are at manufacturer's specifications.
39
The intake valve gap should be between three and five thousandths of an inch.
40
The exhaust valve gap should be between five and seven thousandths of an inch.
41
With the gap set, tighten the pivot nut set screws.
42
Next, scrape off any sealant residue from the valve cover and the cylinder head.
43
Apply new sealant to the cover.
44
Now, reposition the cover on the cylinder head.
45
Thread the bolts and torque the bolts to sixty inch-pounds.
46
Insert the exhaust manifold into the muffler.
47
Confirm that the gasket is in place.
48
Then, secure the manifold to the cylinder head with the mounting bolts.
49
Rethread the spark plug.
50
Be careful not to damage the threads by over-tightening.
51
Reattach the boot to the plug.
52
Reposition the mounting bracket and secure it with the bolts.
53
Confirm that the intake manifold o-ring is in place.
54
Attach the choke rod to the control bracket and the breather tube to the air inlet pipe.
55
Position the intake manifold on the cylinder head.
56
Then, thread and tighten the bolts to secure.
57
Position the blower housing.
58
Make sure the housing is properly seated on the air diverter.
59
Rethread and tighten the mounting bolts to secure the housing.
60
The longer bolts go in the back.
61
Replace the screw in the filter housing.
62
Reposition the air filter.
63
Realign the cover and rotate the retaining knobs clockwise to secure.
64
Reattach the oil drain tube to the blower housing.
65
Reinstall the hood or engine cover and reconnect the headlight wire harness if applicable.

Applicable Product Model

icons/lawnmower
Model
Subtype
Product Diagram & Manuals
Parts Needed
Recommended Tools and Accessories
Fuel Tank
Fuel Tank
$31.52
Fuel Tank
Fuel Tank
$54.38
Total$0.00

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