Recent content by Steven_Renich

@Rivets Thank you for the advice. It has ben helpful in understanding the engine. I will look at it carefully before tearing it down. It will be a couple of weeks before I can get to this again, but I will try to post the results.

On the cam... I did measure the clearance: .007 on all four valves. Slightly over the .005 spec in the B&S manual, but not enough to cause cranking problems. So I am confident the new cam will fix that.

Head gasket or crank seal.. Ok. That's two people with more experience than me who think it is the head gasket. I have a complete gasket set on order, so I think it will be fixed either way. How can I tell it's the head gasket? Should I clean the engine and test for leaks? Or would I be able...

Ok thanks. The problem I am most concerned about is the puff of smoke on start. I will address the others in a separate post later. What are the most probable causes for the puff of smoke? How can I track it down? If it's not the rings then I don't want to pull the pistons with all that...

@Rivets If it is a blown head gasket, would I be able to tell when I take the heads off?

Rivets, thanks for the reply. I looked at the plugs before buying the mower. Both looked relatively clean, as if they were used, but not fouled. I did this because I was told the head gasket was blown. I used it around the yard a couple of times before checking the valve clearance. They...

tldr All the details on my B&S V Twin engine that leaks oil and smokes. I have an older (around 2012) Craftsman riding mower with a 26 hp Briggs and Stratton. It has problems and I am going to tear down the engine. 1) Leaks. It leaks oil, and leaks and leaks. The man I bought this from...

B&S V Twin smokes on startup. I just bought an older (around 2012) Craftsman riding mower with a 26 hp Briggs and Stratton. It emits a bit of blue smoke when it starts. Then there is no smoke for a moment until the muffler starts smoking because the there is a bad oil leak and oil is sprayed...