How to adjust valves on B&S turbo twin cylinder mower?

I just acquired a Craftsman riding mower for very cheap at an estate sale. The owner said it just needed a new battery and to have the valves adjusted. I didn't get it immediately but instead looked around a bit to give myself some time to see what adjusting the valves on a riding mover entailed. The couple vids I checked out looked very easy. I popped on the mover and he even delivered to my house since it was fairly close. Went and bought a set of feeler gauges since the vids showed all I needed to do was take off the valve cover to expose the exhaust/intake valve rockers and adjust away, right?..... well, when lifted the hood, nothing looked like the mowers in the vids I saw. No simple cover to take off and go to work. I hadn't even thought about what type of engine this mover had and whether or not there would be a difference. I need guidance on finding the valves and how to adjust them on this mower. Any links to videos would also be appreciated.

You have the opposed twin engine on yours which is a L head style engine...... No covers and easy adjust like you said....

You might not have to adjust the valves, which is a lot of work on yours.... You did pick up quite a lil gem right there.

Great engines ~!~! Try to start it up the normal way to see what it does.... If it has been setting for a while drain all the old gas out and put fresh gas in it.. NON ETHO if you can.......

Let us know if it runs ~!~!

post craftsman model number from under seat should start with 917, also post model, type & trim no's from engine itself.

I would love if I didn't have to adjust the valves... maybe the owner just thought since it may have been a little hard starting that it needed it but I'll put some gas in and see what it does. The tank was luckily bone dry and looked clean inside so hopefully he had drained it before storage(he apparently has two other riding mowers from what the wife mentioned) and they just thought it was time to get rid of this one. Where can I buy non-ethanol gas and do you think it will truly make a big difference with starting/running? Shell 91 gas or some sort of Chevron?

Model under seat - 917.270930
Eng mod - 461707
Type - 0145 E3
Code - 0006225B

"Where can I buy non-ethanol gas and do you think it will truly make a big difference with starting/running?"

No, that is b---. I have had, worked on and traded dozens of these engines and all we have been able to get here for maybe 30 years is ethanol. That is something people like to blame when they can't think of anything else. IF there does appear to be a valve problem with these engines, suspect a loose valve seat.

Walt Conner

BuddyC1 here is a link you can use to find NON E gas in your area..... //www.pure-gas.org

Non E gas if sat up for quite some time makes a Jelly in carbs and the ethanol separates from the gas. It attracts moisture and makes water essentially.....

E gas is fine if used all the way up and not sitting for weeks upon weeks... Bert might chime in on this E gas issue......I hope he does.........

Let us know if it runs then we can go from there with problems if you have any

Let us know Mon Ami ~!~!

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:

BuddyC1 here is a link you can use to find NON E gas in your area..... //www.pure-gas.org

Non E gas if sat up for quite some time makes a Jelly in carbs and the ethanol separates from the gas. It attracts moisture and makes water essentially.....

E gas is fine if used all the way up and not sitting for weeks upon weeks... Bert might chime in on this E gas issue......I hope he does.........

Let us know if it runs then we can go from there with problems if you have any

Let us know Mon Ami ~!~!

Click to expand...

Why blame me ?

But yes both Tinker & Bou are right.
Ethanol fuel will not hurt your engine.
Leaving it sitting in an engine for a long time may cause the problems Bou mentioned.
It is really a lottery .
The workshop is 500 yards from the landlords machinery shed.\He has all sorts of problems if he leaves fuel in anything for longer than a month.
I have few problems and in most cases we are using the same fuel from the same fuel station.

So the standard recommendations is to put a fuel tap in and run the carb dry when you have finished using the mower.
At the end of the season drain the fuel tank of fill it to to lip one or the other.
The problems come from the water in the air that is in the tank.
Exclude it and even if you get phase separation ( Lottery again) it will not cause you much grief.


Now people are not perfect so we forget or are just too tired or our attention is diverted so using non- ethanol fuel were it is available removes the problem all together.
Remembering even non ethanol fuel will gum up stuff if left there too long.

Maybe it helps that we have a refinery a couple miles away. Manager used to say the gas was higher priced here because it was fresher. And then MAYBE it puts out better gas than some.

Walt Conner

This may be helpful .....

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6NaqjIxWV1ybHphbUNTQUNNR2s/edit

Tinkerer200 said:

"Where can I buy non-ethanol gas and do you think it will truly make a big difference with starting/running?"

No, that is b---. I have had, worked on and traded dozens of these engines and all we have been able to get here for maybe 30 years is ethanol. That is something people like to blame when they can't think of anything else. IF there does appear to be a valve problem with these engines, suspect a loose valve seat.

Walt Conner

Click to expand...

Good luck with that in Illinois..... Best thing you can do is add Marine Stabil (Blue).