very frustrated out of answers 18 hp Vanguard in MaxIV

[westkymaxiv]

the screw i turned is fixed and will only allow you to turn from about 10 oclock to 2 oclock. It is in front of the idle set screw on the same side.

[westkymaxiv]

ok got home drained the oil down to below full mark.The reason I think the 1.5 quart jug of oil was above full is because the Briggs dealer sold be a shorter filter.
I took valve covers off to see if I could tell anything about valve seats. I cant tell anything about them. However one valve cover gasket had dropped down out of position from the last time i had put them on. I cleaned the oil off and put them back on. Fired it up no more oil spiting out of the PCV valve. Running great other than the slight hesitation. I guess we will see how it goes. Starts on about 2 pulls. lots of power.
Now on to trying to figure out what happen to the electrical system. Thanks for all the help.

[Coop]

That Vanguard should take 66 oz of oil. If you are using the Briggs brand oil, that is (1) 48 oz bottle, and (1) 18 oz bottle. That is regardless of filter size because when the engine isn't running the oil drains out of the filter due to the way the filter is mounted on the adapter. Also, if your valve cover gasket was leaking, you had a vacumn leak and might not have had enough vacumn to run the fuel pump, because that is where the pump gets the vacumn from to run, (unless you are running an aftermarket electric pump). Also, there should be 2 idle mixture screws, maybe you need to richen up,( turn counterclockwise), both of them. The cap on them is a limiter cap, it only allows you to adjust the mixture over a small range. Break the caps off,(carefully), and open them up 1/2 to 1 turn. That will probably take care of your hesitation.

Coop

[westkymaxiv]

the manual says 48 oz. oh and 56oz with filter. I jacked it up high to try to really get it drained out. Maybe it still had gas in the crank case. Would that cause the slight backfiring on start up or shut off.
the valve cover gasket.... it was the other valve cover not the one hooked to the pump.
i got the electrical working! cleaned the battery cables and it is working fine. Only thing bothers me I saw a flame out the carb when I started but it is running really good. Oil looked very black to have been in there with very little running. I am thinking of changing it again. I cant tell if it has gas in it or not.. When I looked in side the valve springs the one thing around the spring is higher on one side . But if it is in fact the valve seat pushed up it is that way on both cylinders.

[jpswift1]

Glad to hear it's fixed and everything is up and running 100% again. That's such a great feeling when you get to the bottom of a problem like this!

[Coop]

To check for gas in the oil, pull the dipstick out, with a lighter, try to light the oil on the stick, if it burns, there is gas in the oil, straight oil will not ignite.

If either valve cover was leaking, it could cause a decrease in vacumn, but it probably wouldn't affect the pump as much if it was the other side.

The valve guide is what I was refering to that might have moved, not the valve seat. The guide is the cylindrical tube that is pressed into the head that the valve stem sticks out of. If that moves up, it can hit the underside of the valve spring retainer, causing the rocker to break or pushrod to be bent. That guide can also move down, but usually doesn't.

Coop

[westkymaxiv]

ok I will check the oil. I had thought about trying that.
Should the guide on both sides Intake and Exhaust look the same? The intake and exhaust sides do not match. But it is this way on both cylinders. If this has moved wouldnt I have trouble with the push rods again?

[Coop]

I'm not sure if the guide heights are supposed to be the same. If they are consistant on both sides of the engine, I'd assume they are good. If they had moved I'm sure you would have found out again by now, if it is running good and not eating up pushrods, it is probably ok. Run it!

Coop

[westkymaxiv]

thanks for all the help guys! I think im back in business!