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Paper Gaskets

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chilly13

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It's gotten pretty cold here this year and my old man left a generator for me before he moved, hasn't ran in nearly 15 years he said.

It's a Briggs and Stratton engine and I'm just learning about all this stuff as I go so I need some help.

Oil is leaking everywhere so I go buy the engine gasket kit briggs has and the case gasket came with 4 different gaskets. I was just going to see
what was on the old one but before I do, figured I'd ask. 3 of the gaskets look like a fabric, kinda like on the carb, and 1 of the gaskets is paper.
I believe they give u an option on thickness so I was going to see if I could use the calipers to measure the old one...hopefully. I'm having a hell
of a time finding torque specs to put it back together, is the torque really necessary for the paper gaskets or should I try to be thorough and find the specs.

Does anyone have experience and can give me a ballpark torque? It's a small 8 hp engine.

Any advice at all for installing these paper gaskets would be very helpful. I'm sure I'll see when I split it this weekend but do I use the fabric and the paper gasket together?

Thanks in advance!
 
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nadogail

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Making Gaskets from scratch is something I have not done in over 45 years. It’s not something that can be done in a hurry. I don’t know if auto parts stores still sell gasket paper.
There is modern silicon gasket material sold in tubes.
I suggest you stop at a small engine repair shop with a box of Doughnuts and ask their opinion.
 
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Schurkey

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Compare the new gaskets to each other, and to what is on the engine. The gasket on the engine now is likely to be damaged during disassembly--be careful when matching it to one of the new gaskets.

Maybe you find that there are minor differences among the gaskets, and only one of them is the same as the original. That makes your choice easy.

Find the torque specs. Guessing is not an option.
 
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chilly13

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nadogail said:
Making Gaskets from scratch is something I have not done in over 45 years. It’s not something that can be done in a hurry. I don’t know if auto parts stores still sell gasket paper.
There is modern silicon gasket material sold in tubes.
I suggest you stop at a small engine repair shop with a box of Doughnuts and ask their opinion.
Click to expand...
I have gaskets briggs sent me, no need to make them!
 
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chilly13

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Schurkey said:
Compare the new gaskets to each other, and to what is on the engine. The gasket on the engine now is likely to be damaged during disassembly--be careful when matching it to one of the new gaskets.

Maybe you find that there are minor differences among the gaskets, and only one of them is the same as the original. That makes your choice easy.

Find the torque specs. Guessing is not an option.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your insight. Im only finding owners manuals, not much on repair
 
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chilly13

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The Cobbler said:
the gaskets are likely different thicknesses so you can use them to shim the end play of the crankshaft . as far as torque , maybe around 50 or 60 inch pounds. I would probably be more concerned about even torque and not over torquing than too low a torque
Click to expand...
Does a 5 thou difference in gasket thickness make a difference? I think I remember reading one is .005 thicker than the others. Thank you about the torque reference. It was built in 96 according to the model number. Still not a thing on torque specs online through service manuals. In fact, I'm only finding similar models to mine and even those don't have specs. I understand it isn't really much torque though. They're small bolts
 
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Fixr

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Carefully compare the new gaskets with the old ones. Use the one that has holes that line up with the old one. Snug the fasteners down, and then give them a little bit more.

That's about as close as anyone can get without all of the model, serial, and spec numbers from the engine. Otherwise, we're just pulling advice out of...the air.
 
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chilly13

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Fixr said:
Carefully compare the new gaskets with the old ones. Use the one that has holes that line up with the old one. Snug the fasteners down, and then give them a little bit more.

That's about as close as anyone can get without all of the model, serial, and spec numbers from the engine. Otherwise, we're just pulling advice out of...the air.
Click to expand...
Thank you, yes all 4 of the gaskets are the same size and hole fitment. I believe its for the thickness difference as mentioned above. Im really confused about the paper gasket, ive only ever used rubber or a silicone. Why paper? Do they hold long term?
 
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Fixr

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chilly13 said:
Thank you, yes all 4 of the gaskets are the same size and hole fitment. I believe its for the thickness difference as mentioned above. Im really confused about the paper gasket, ive only ever used rubber or a silicone. Why paper? Do they hold long term?
Click to expand...
Paper is cheap, usually good enough, and it's cheap. Can you get us numbers off a nameplate?
 
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y'sguy

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Is it an aluminum or iron case engine? Aluminum cases are softer and will stip out easily.
The torque specs will be based on the size and thread of the bolts that are in use. Measure them first, then you can look up general specs for bolts of that size. I would be surprised if over 35lbs. Also, find some gasket sealer like Permatex and use a thin film on both side of the gasket. I recall that the RED Permatex sealer would be adequate. It will say what may work best on the package.
Be careful pulling the flywheel off so that you don't damage it or the crankshaft.
 
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chilly13

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y'sguy said:
Is it an aluminum or iron case engine? Aluminum cases are softer and will stip out easily.
The torque specs will be based on the size and thread of the bolts that are in use. Measure them first, then you can look up general specs for bolts of that size. I would be surprised if over 35lbs. Also, find some gasket sealer like Permatex and use a thin film on both side of the gasket. I recall that the RED Permatex sealer would be adequate. It will say what may work best on the package.
Be careful pulling the flywheel off so that you don't damage it or the crankshaft.
Click to expand...
Im not sure honestly, and good idea with the permatex. That was going to be my go to if I couldn't find the specs. Just general torque for a 10mm or whatever they are. Im excited, never cracked a case before and my dads got a big pile of toys/junk that he says needs internal work. He was never the maintenance type. Always bought used I think
 
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y'sguy

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chilly13 said:
Im not sure honestly, and good idea with the permatex. That was going to be my go to if I couldn't find the specs. Just general torque for a 10mm or whatever they are. Im excited, never cracked a case before and my dads got a big pile of toys/junk that he says needs internal work. He was never the maintenance type. Always bought used I think
Click to expand...

Use a magnet on the case, if it sticks it's iron, if not well...
 
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CraigStu

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Apparently the case is aluminum. So I'd look at quite a few generic TQ charts until I found one specifying going into aluminum. Al being soft and the bolts probably a coarse thread, the TQ will be a lot different than a fine thread into iron or steel. Also check if the TQ is for a dry or lubed application.
 
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Fixr

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I expect there are plenty of YouTube videos on rebuilding Briggs engines. It would be worth watching a few just to get familiarized with the process, even if they don't cover that exact engine.
 
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chilly13

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BillK said:
Briggs and Stratton has the manuals for almost all of their engines on their web site free to download.

Yes torque specs are important and you will probably need an inch pound torque wrench.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is how I found the diagrams for the parts I ordered, however, the repair manual and torque specs are still missing from my research. Ill also add, some of the features on my machine are different than the diagram pictures. Maybe someone has tinkered with it before?
 
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chilly13

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Fixr said:
I expect there are plenty of YouTube videos on rebuilding Briggs engines. It would be worth watching a few just to get familiarized with the process, even if they don't cover that exact engine.
Click to expand...
I was hoping someone would say something like that. Ive seen a few and thats why I was feeling confident enough to attempt it. I will say though, the paper gasket threw me off. Ill see if I can find a video with someone talking about that.
 
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four.cycle

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Crankcase cover or sump torque
model series
170000, 190000, 220000, 250000, 280000
140 inch pounds

1994 B&S Repair Manual Single Cylinder 4-cycle engines

If this is not the location of the gasket you are installing let me know.
BK

There is no gasket for any Briggs & Stratton engine that you should not be able to find. No need for cutting, unless you really want to learn how to cut out gaskets. Any hardware store should have gasket paper, but it's a hell of a lot easier to just BUY the gasket. Do NOT buy Chinese-made gaskets for B&S engines - they do not fit properly.

I thought I had sent all that material to ITCL... it should be there somewhere in a "manuals" section as I recall.

No gasket sealer is used on the sump gasket. It's just a thin paper gasket. Torque values would all be "clean dry" threads, of course.
 
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chilly13

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four.cycle said:
Crankcase cover or sump torque
model series
170000, 190000, 220000, 250000, 280000
140 inch pounds

1994 B&S Repair Manual Single Cylinder 4-cycle engines

If this is not the location of the gasket you are installing let me know.
BK

There is no gasket for any Briggs & Stratton engine that you should not be able to find. No need for cutting, unless you really want to learn how to cut out gaskets. Any hardware store should have gasket paper, but it's a hell of a lot easier to just BUY the gasket. Do NOT buy Chinese-made gaskets for B&S engines - they do not fit properly.

I thought I had sent all that material to ITCL... it should be there somewhere in a "manuals" section as I recall.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that info, soon as I get home ill look it up. I bought the engine gasket kit from briggs so i dont have to physically make my own. Thank you for your help!
 
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OccupantRJ

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nadogail said:
Making Gaskets from scratch is something I have not done in over 45 years. It’s not something that can be done in a hurry. I don’t know if auto parts stores still sell gasket paper.
There is modern silicon gasket material sold in tubes.
I suggest you stop at a small engine repair shop with a box of Doughnuts and ask their opinion.
Click to expand...
Gasket material is readily available at auto parts stores. I keep two thicknesses in stock in my shop. I just made some Onan small engine gaskets the other day because they are so damn expensive, or imported tissue paper.
 
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