Activity
Guide
Small Engine
Disassembly and Reassembly
Briggs And Stratton
4 Cycle
Table Of Contents
Section Title Page Number
ENGINE DISASSEMBLY ......................................................................................................3
GETTING READY ................................................................................................. 3
REMOVING EXTERNAL PARTS.............................................................................. 5
REMOVING INTERNAL PARTS ................................................................................. 12
INSPECTING OF THE PARTS .............................................................................................16
CLEANING THE PARTS ........................................................................................ 16
CRANKCASE ....................................................................................................... 17
VALVES............................................................................................................... 17
VALVE GUIDES ..................................................................................................... 18
CAMSHAFT .......................................................................................................... 19
CRANKSHAFT ...................................................................................................... 19
PISTON & CONNECTING ROD ............................................................................... 22
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT ENGINE CONDITION ......................................................................23
REASSEMBLY ..................................................................................................................24
PREPARING THE CRANKCASE ................................................................................ 24
INSTALLING THE PISTON ..................................................................................... 28
INSTALLING THE CAMSHAFT ............................................................................... 33
INSTALLING CRANKCASE COVER ........................................................................ 33
INSTALLING THE VALVES ...................................................................................... 35
CYLINDER HEAD................................................................................................... 36
FINAL ASSEMBLY ................................................................................................. 37
TESTING THE ENGINE ......................................................................................................38
Small Engine Disassembly and Reassembly Briggs And Stratton 4 Cycle
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Ask the instructor for the:
Small Engine Rebuilding (Briggs
& Stratton) Video Tape
Watch the "Disassemble" section
of the tape.
The video will give you a general
idea of the procedure even if
your engine is not a Briggs &
Stratton.
Get the repair manual for
your engine.
You will be required to look
up specifications in the repair
manual.
ENGINE DISASSEMBLY
CAUTION !!
Never use excess force when working on the engine. Hammering
on parts will cause damage.
Clamping unprotected engine parts in the vise will damage the
metal surfaces. Always use wooden blocks on each side of the part.
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GETTING READY
Remove the fuel from the gas tank. Carefully drain all gasoline into
the red gas container marked "Waste Fuel".
Use two wooden boards to support the engine above an oil drain pan.
Remove the oil plug from the bottom of the engine and drain the oil
into the pan.
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Pour the oil into the large
oil drum.
Get some containers to put your
parts in. All the parts you
remove must go into containers.
(Muffin trays and egg cartons are
handy for organizing small parts.)
REMOVING EXTERNAL PARTS
Remove the fuel line from the
gas tank and drain any
remaining fuel from the tank.
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Remove the gas tank and pull start housing.
Remove the air filter.
Remove the muffler.
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In the next step you will be removing the carburetor and
governor linkages.
Do not proceed until you have taken a digital photograph of the
engine to help locate the parts during reassembly.
Remove the carburetor.
Remove the carburetor
and governor linkages.
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Remove the carburetor gasket
or rubber O-Ring.
Remove the bolts holding the
magneto coil to the engine.
Disconnect the kill switch wire
from the magneto coil.
Small Engine Disassembly and Reassembly Briggs And Stratton 4 Cycle
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Remove the flywheel brake if one is fitted.
Remove any screen or other fittings from the flywheel.
Ask the instructor to help you
determine if the nut holding
the flywheel is left or right
hand thread.
Use an impact gun and socket or special flywheel tools to remove
the nut holding the flywheel.
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Use a flywheel puller (special tool) to pull the flywheel off.
Ask your instructor for help if you are not sure how to use it.
Remove the small shaft key
from the crankshaft.
Use a spark plug socket and ratchet to remove the spark plug.
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Remove the bolts holding
the cylinder head in place.
Remove the cylinder head.
Remove the cylinder head gasket.
Remove the valve
spring chamber cover.
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Use fine sandpaper to remove any burrs or rust from the crankshaft.
REMOVING INTERNAL PARTS
Remove the bolts holding the crankcase cover.
Use a soft mallet to tap the crankcase cover off the
crankcase. Do not remove any of the internal parts yet.
Complete the ** Operating Theory For A 4 Cycle Gas Powered
Small Engine ** INFORMATION BOOK.
Small Engine Disassembly and Reassembly Briggs And Stratton 4 Cycle
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Ask the instructor to quiz you on the names of the engine parts.
Be prepared to use your partially disassembled engine to explain
the four stroke cycle to the instructor.
Sign up to have your work checked, then proceed. Instructor's
Initial
Use the valve spring compressor
to compress the valve springs.
Remove the retainers holding
the valve springs to the valves.
Remove the valve springs
and valves.
Remove oil pump or oil slinger parts if your engine has them.
Remove the governor mechanism if your engine has one.
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Rotate the crankshaft until the valve timing marks on the camshaft gear
and the crankshaft gear are inline.
Remove the camshaft.
Remove the valve lifters.
Use a hammer and punch to
put small locating marks on the
connecting rod and connecting
rod bearing cap.
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Remove the two bolts holding
the connecting rod bearing cap
and remove it.
Push the piston and connecting
rod out of the cylinder.
Place the connecting rod bearing
cap back on the connecting rod.
Be sure that the cap is in its
original position. Be sure
the marks or tabs line up.
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Carefully remove the crankshaft from the crankcase.
Sign up to have your work checked, then proceed. Instructor's
Initial
INSPECTING OF THE PARTS
Watch the video program called "Inspection" on the Small
Engine Rebuilding (Briggs Stratton) Video Tape
Select the Microsoft Word button at the bottom of this screen.
Use Word during the next steps to record your findings as you
inspect the engine.
CLEANING THE PARTS
Wash all engine parts in the
parts cleaner.
Do not allow parts cleaner to
contact the magneto coil or
other electrical parts.
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Blow the crankcase dry
using compressed air.
Be sure to blow compressed
air into all the bolt holes.
Take care not to lose any parts
in the parts washer.
CRANKCASE
Check the outside of the
crankcase for any signs of
damage and record your findings.
VALVES
Use the wire wheel to remove
carbon deposits from the
stem and face of the valves.
Ask for the instructor's help if
you are not sure how to do this.
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VALVES
Check the faces of the valves and the valve seats for signs of pitting
or burning.
Record your findings.
VALVE GUIDES
Record the specification for valve guide wear from the manual.
Slide a short piece of rubber onto the valve stem.
The rubber must be long enough to hold the valve off the seat when it
is placed in the valve guide.
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Blow the valve guides out with compressed air, insert the valve. Use
the dial indicator gauge to measure the amount of movement when you
move the head of the valve back and forth.
Record your measurements. Exhaust _____ Intake ______
CAMSHAFT
Inspect the camshaft bearing, surfaces and lobes for signs of wear
and or roughness.
Record your findings.
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CRANKSHAFT
Inspect the crankshaft bearing journals for score marks or roughness.
Use a digital vernier to measure the diameter of the journals.
Record the values as shown.
Journal 1: ______ Journal 2: _______ Journal 3: _______
Look up the crankshaft bearing journal specifications from the
shop manual and record the values.
How do your readings compare to the specifications?
Write a paragraph describing the condition of the crankshaft and
state whether or not it should reinstalled in the engine.
Small Engine Disassembly and Reassembly Briggs And Stratton 4 Cycle
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Note the position of the
connecting rod bearing cap.
Remove the connecting rod
bearing cap from the
connecting rod.
Use the shop manual to look up the torque specification for the
bolts holding the connecting rod bearing cap.
Record the value.
Ask the instructor for a piece of Plastigage.
You will use the Plastigage to measure the clearance between
the crankshaft journal and connecting rod.
Break off a piece of plastigauge,
the length should be the same
as the width of the crankshaft
journal.
Position the connecting rod on
the crankshaft journal as
shown in the picture.
Put a piece of plastigauge on
the journal.
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Be careful not to rotate the
crankshaft while you install
the bearing cap.
Use a torque wrench to
tighten the conntecting rod
bolts to specifications.
This will squeeze the plastigage
between the connecting rod
and crankshaft.
PISTON & CONNECTING ROD
Remove the bearing cap.
Use the envelope from the
Plastigage to measure the width
of the Plastigage strip on the
crankshaft.
The thinner the Plastigage strip
the wider the clearance
between the connecting rod and
crankshaft.
Acceptable clearance is .001" to
.002"
Record the value for your engine.
CAUTION !!
In the next step you will be removing the piston rings. They break very
easily, do not stretch them any farther than required to remove them.
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Use a piston ring expander to
remove the rings from the piston.
Do not overstretch the rings!
Be sure to note the order and
direction of the rings so they can
be installed exactly the same.
Remove any carbon which has built up in the piston ring grooves.
Check that the oil holes in the lower ring groove are clear.
With the connecting rod in one
hand and the piston in the other,
pull up and down on the piston.
If you feel any play, the piston
or piston pin is worn and must
be replaced.
Record your findings.
Check the piston and skirt for
any sign of scoring, cracking or
damage.
Record your findings.
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CONCLUSIONS ABOUT ENGINE CONDITION
Create a short report.
List your measurements and observations.
Describe the generall condition of the engine.
Sign up to have your work checked, then proceed. Instructor's
Initial
REASSEMBLY
Watch the video program called "Assembly" on the Small Engine
Rebuilding (Briggs & Stratton) Video Tape
CAUTION !!
Be sure to coat all engine parts with clean oil before assembly.
Parts not oiled will be damaged during initial start up.
Small Engine Disassembly and Reassembly Briggs And Stratton 4 Cycle
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PREPARING THE CRANKCASE
If no problems have been found with the valves, you will use
lapping compound to lap the valves onto the seats.
The lapping compound and tool can be found in the botton of the
Sioux Valve grinding machine.
Put a small amount of
lapping compound on the
face of the valve.
Do not allow any of the lapping
compound to get on the stem
of the valve!
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Place the valve into the valve guide. Do not allow lapping compound
to get into the valve guide!
Use the lapping tool to spin the valve so the lapping
compound refinishes the valve face and seat.
Clean the crankcase and
valves in the parts washer.
Blow the crankcase dry
using compressed air.
Be sure to blow out the
valve guides.
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Check the rubber lip of each crankshaft oil seal for signs of wear,
if required replace it.
Be sure to put lots of oil on the rubber lip of the oil seals where
they contact the rotating crankshaft.
Oil all of the crankshaft
bearing journals.
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Install the crankshaft in
the crankcase.
INSTALLING THE PISTON
Wipe the cylinder walls with a
clean cloth, then oil them
thoroughly.
Unpack the new piston rings (if provided) and determine which
ring belongs in which groove.
Also note which side of the ring is to face up.
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Put each of the upper piston
rings into its groove and use a
feeler gauge to measure the
side clearance of the ring.
Record the ring side clearance:
Record the specification for ring side clearance from the manual.
Is the ring side clearance within specifications?
Position each of the compression
rings near the bottom of the
cylinder and use the feeler gauge
to measure the gap between the
ends of the ring.
Record the End Gap for
each ring.
A gap which is too large
indicates a worn cylinder or
ring. A gap which is too small
will not allow for expansion and
will cause the piston to sieze in
the cylinder.
Compare your readings to the
specifications in the manual.
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The first ring to go on the piston is the oil ring. If your engine uses
a three part oil ring, follow the directions below.
Use the piston ring installation
tool to install the compression
rings.
Position the rings so the gaps
of the rings are staggered.
Put lots of oil on the piston,
piston rings and piston pin.
You will use a piston ring
compressor to install the
piston into the cylinder.
Pressing the lever on the
compressor unlocks it
for adjustment.
You will need a 1/4" ratchet
and extension to adjust the
compressor.
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Install the piston ring compressor on the piston.
Make sure that the dimpled end of the compressor is pointing toward
the connecting rod.
Use a ratchet and extension to
tighten the compressor onto
the piston.
Position the crankshaft so the
connecting rod journal is at
the bottom of its travel.
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Slide the piston and connecting rod into the cylinder. The compressor
should be resting on the engine.
Some pistons may have locating marks, the manual should tell
you which side of the engine the mark should be facing.
Be sure the ring compressor
is tight on the piston.
Use a hammer handle to tap
the piston into the cylinder.
Guide the connecting rod
onto the crankshaft journal as
the piston moves downward.
Take care not to damage
the journal of the crankshaft.
Oil the connecting rod
bearing cap and place it on
the connecting rod.
Make sure the marks you made
earlier line up with each other!
Install the bolts and tighten
them finger tight for now.
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Find the torque setting for the connecting rod nuts in the
manual. Record the value.
Use the inch pound torque wrench to tighten the nuts.
(Ask the instructor if you are not sure how to use the torque wrench.)
After the nuts are tight try to turn the crankshaft.
You should be able to turn the crankshaft if everything has
been assembled correctly.
Sign up to have your work checked, then proceed. Instructor's
Initial
INSTALLING THE CAMSHAFT
Lubricate the valve lifters and install them.
Lubricate all parts of the camshaft and install it.
Remember that for correct valve timing the marks on the
camshaft gear and crankshaft gear must line up.
Stop here until the instructor has checked your work. Instructor's
Initial
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INSTALLING CRANKCASE COVER
Install any other oil pumps, governors etc.... as shown in your manual.
Install a new crankcase
cover gasket.
Oil the bearing surfaces in
the crankcase cover.
Install the crankcase cover.
Install and tighten the
crankcase bolts.
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Position a dial indicator on the end of the crankshaft. Move
the crankshaft back and forth.
Use a dial indicator to check the crankshaft end
play. Record it.
Look up the specification for end play and compare to
your measurement.
INSTALLING THE VALVES
Lubricate the valve guides.
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Lubricate the stems of the
valves, then insert them in
the valve guides.
Use the valve spring
compressor to compress the
valve springs and install the
springs and retainers.
CYLINDER HEAD
Look up and record the torque setting for the cylinder head bolts.
Record the value.
Install a new head gasket.
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Install the cylinder head and
torque the bolts to specifications.
Follow the tightening sequence
shown in the manual.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
[Need a redirector for understanding ignition.]
Install the ignition parts.
Look up and record the ignition breaker point
gap. (point type ignitions only)
Set the ignition breaker point gap to
specifications. (point type ignitions only)
Sign up to have your work checked, then proceed. Instructor's
Initial
Install the flywheel key into the crankshaft.
Install the flywheel along with any washer and other parts.
Start the nut by hand, then use the impact gun to tighten the nut
holding the flywheel.
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If the air gap between the ignition coil and the magnet is adjustable
you should adjust it to specifications.
Install the rest of the parts on the outside of the engine. Be
very careful to install the carburetor linkages correctly.
Install the spark plug.
CAUTION !!
Do not attempt to start the engine without the instructor's approval.
Fill the crankcase to the correct level with oil.
Fill the fuel tank 1/4 full with gas.
TESTING THE ENGINE
Design and build some type of mounting for the engine so it is
secure when you test run it.
Stop here until the instructor has checked your work. Instructor's
Initial
Connect an exhaust hose to the engine and start it up.
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