bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2014
- Threads
- 65
- Messages
- 24,995
I do hope it was an oil proof Byutyl rubber one and not a neoprene one for water.
18 hp Vanguard Oil Leak
- Thread starter bk10s
- Start date
I do hope it was an oil proof Byutyl rubber one and not a neoprene one for water.
Nitrile O-rings are another great choice, also Chem resistant including fuel/oil and withstand higher temps the Byutyl.
Fwiw: Old dead thread but this may help someone?
The Dip stick tube O-ring on my neighbors old 80's Vanguard twin started leaking bad because I removed the top tube bolt to remove its engine cover recently for repairs.
I didn't remove the tube just the top bolt but clearly I disturbed his lower seal enough to leak bad after reassembling. Grrr!
Like many engines I see, his cooling fins were just packed with grass/dirt so it overheated (imagine that?).
Since heat expands chit bigtime it spit the valve guide out of his head & bent both aluminum exhaust push rods.
Very common issue with air cooled engines where owners fail to remove their engine cover & really clean the fins out thoroughly every few yrs, more often on machines used daily. The cooling fan draws air in to cool them right along with dirt, grass, leaves, trash etc.. therefore they all need a good cleaning. Just doing this very simple task adds many yrs of life to your engine! Never spray water on a hot engine NEVER!
An air compressor (I prefer) or just picking/scraping the dirt/debris out does the trick. If hosing it off always cover coils & carb with plastic bags first.
Also if the engine has an external oil cooler (small radiator looking part with 2 rubber hoses). Understand those rubber oil hoses leading to them will become very brittle eventually & they split/crumble. That allows your engine to lose oil very rapidly while mowing destroying an engine within minutes before its even noticed.
Inspect their hoses regularly, if hard, leaking or cracked then immediately replace both oil cooler lines with a good grade high pressure hose before its too late. Sadly not buying about 1 foot of hose (2 lines about 6" long on most) has sent many outstanding engines to the scrap man. Not just Briggs either, goes for any with an external oil cooler!
Most small engines oil pumps have less than 10psi pressure but still I only buy a reinforced hose for this application, know what I nean Vern?
Hope this helps save a few engines!
Fwiw: Old dead thread but this may help someone?
The Dip stick tube O-ring on my neighbors old 80's Vanguard twin started leaking bad because I removed the top tube bolt to remove its engine cover recently for repairs.
I didn't remove the tube just the top bolt but clearly I disturbed his lower seal enough to leak bad after reassembling. Grrr!
Like many engines I see, his cooling fins were just packed with grass/dirt so it overheated (imagine that?).
Since heat expands chit bigtime it spit the valve guide out of his head & bent both aluminum exhaust push rods.
Very common issue with air cooled engines where owners fail to remove their engine cover & really clean the fins out thoroughly every few yrs, more often on machines used daily. The cooling fan draws air in to cool them right along with dirt, grass, leaves, trash etc.. therefore they all need a good cleaning. Just doing this very simple task adds many yrs of life to your engine! Never spray water on a hot engine NEVER!
An air compressor (I prefer) or just picking/scraping the dirt/debris out does the trick. If hosing it off always cover coils & carb with plastic bags first.
Also if the engine has an external oil cooler (small radiator looking part with 2 rubber hoses). Understand those rubber oil hoses leading to them will become very brittle eventually & they split/crumble. That allows your engine to lose oil very rapidly while mowing destroying an engine within minutes before its even noticed.
Inspect their hoses regularly, if hard, leaking or cracked then immediately replace both oil cooler lines with a good grade high pressure hose before its too late. Sadly not buying about 1 foot of hose (2 lines about 6" long on most) has sent many outstanding engines to the scrap man. Not just Briggs either, goes for any with an external oil cooler!
Most small engines oil pumps have less than 10psi pressure but still I only buy a reinforced hose for this application, know what I nean Vern?
Hope this helps save a few engines!
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2024
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 372
What are the rest of the numbers for your engine?
Check out Parts Tree for your exact engine series
I think you are mistaking the air you feel that is coming away from under the top cover. The upper shroud cover directs air over the entire motor to cool, especially the cylinders. It's good to remove the top cover at the end of every season and clean inside, dirt and grass clippings get caught in the cooling fins and it will slowly damage the motor.
As for the oil leak, you need to clean everything really well to determine exactly where it is coming from. Oil travels and migrates with heat. Find the source after cleaning well.
Sump base gaskets are not uncommon to leak along with the bottom of the valve covers. If it has an oil cooler, that can be suspect as well.
Check out Parts Tree for your exact engine series
I think you are mistaking the air you feel that is coming away from under the top cover. The upper shroud cover directs air over the entire motor to cool, especially the cylinders. It's good to remove the top cover at the end of every season and clean inside, dirt and grass clippings get caught in the cooling fins and it will slowly damage the motor.
As for the oil leak, you need to clean everything really well to determine exactly where it is coming from. Oil travels and migrates with heat. Find the source after cleaning well.
Sump base gaskets are not uncommon to leak along with the bottom of the valve covers. If it has an oil cooler, that can be suspect as well.
