crankcase seal

Try this website. http://www.mytractorforum.com/280-s...ies/242387-briggs-statton-repair-manuals.html

Or this site. http://www.nflramsofficial.com/service_manual_vanguard_v_272144_download.pdf

You're looking for a Vanguard twin manual #272144.

If your can't get them to open, do a google search "vanguard v-twin service manual 272144 pdf"

The other problem with the web is everyone seems to think that everything they want should be available on line for free.

I am yet to see any Vanguard manuals on line for free.
Most of the older B & S manuals are there as there is no longer any commercial potential in trying to sell them.
On Evilbay you will see a lot of 12 y/o selling downloads of Briggs manuals, usually on CD and usually ripped off a free download site.
In particular this one http://www.mymowerparts.com/about_us.php
Occasionally a cranky tech will download stuff off the Briggs Power Portal ( dealer only) web site and flog them on a CD .
OTOH $ 23 is not exactly expensive.
I paid over $ 200 each for several of the manuals I have here and since buying the business have spent better than $ 5000 on manuals, many of which will most likely only ever be used once.
OTOH when I retire, the library that goes with the business will be extensive and all on paper.

We will happily walk people through individual problems, that is why we are here to learn and then share what we have learned with others.
$ 23 is about 1/2 hour labour charge so the book will pay for itself the first time you use it.

The other thing I have noticed is when selling a used mower, people bid hardest on any mower than comes with a service manual and even more if it has an IPL as well.

Thanks for all the help, one final question: do I need any sealant? I've read that if it's not recommended don't use it, and I only want to do this once. What type for the seal and/or head gaskets?

No sealant. Head gasket surfaces need to be clean and dry. I put some oil on the seal part that goes around the crank just to prevent dry start. Some people put a little RTV around the outer edge of the gasket, but not normally needed unless the surfaces are scratched and leak around the seal.

As you might see, there is a lot of crud where the head gasket was leaking. I'm thinking the head and cylinder might be toast, there was a good amount of etching on both surfaces where it leaked. I put it back together with the new gasket so we'll see how it goes. Unfortunately I broke a rocker arm bolt when re-assembling ( for got to re-adjust my torque wrench after torquing the head:ashamed so I'm still a day away from starting it at least.:frown:

lap the head on a sheet of glass with some wet & dry on top of it. 600 or finer.
Do it with a tap running water over it and move the head in a figure of 8 motion.
For the barrel use a large flat wet stone to flatten the face lubed with WD 40 or similar.

All that crud in the barrel has fallen in when you took the head off

Make sure you clean it all out before you put the head back on.

All that crud in the barrel has fallen in when you took the head off

Click to expand...

Not exactly, if you look close enough you can see that the crud isn't IN the barrel, it fringes the barrel from about 6 o'clock to about 8 o'clock. And a lot of crud fell into the barrel, but I blew that out.

If you are talking about a ring of hard black carbon build up then you leave that there unless you have a ridge reamer to clean it out properly.