Briggs and Stratton Intek Plus 18.5HP How Flat does the head need to be for copper gasket?

[bertsmobile1]

Nothing
IT is the copper coat washing off the gasket
Run it for at least 10 minutes,
a full mow would be fine, let it cool down then retorque the head bolts

 

[nillvurt]

Great, I was considering that it was the copper coat, but it looked like so much it made me worried! Ran a full mow and no leaks, the torque stayed the same. I have high hopes that this gasket will hold for a long time!

Thanks for all your expertise

 

[bertsmobile1]

There are a lot of inteks running around here with one of Lanni's gaskets on them .
Very important now is to fit a fuel tap between the filter ( or pump ) and the tank.
Should the float needle fail with a copper gasket fitted you can bend a conrod or break a ring should you try to start a hydrolocked engine .
The soft gaskets B & S fir are a fail safe because they just blow out but the copper ones won't .

 

[nillvurt]

Is hydrolocked the same as flooded? That is what seemed to have happened this spring when my house mate (who's lawn mower it is and is not mechanically inclined) went to start it. White smoke, oil coming out fuel pump, fuel in the oil, a few loud bangs when cranking the starter. They did not use fuel stabilizer over the winter. I cleaned the carb and float needle and couldn't see anything that looked like it had failed, but may be it just leaked slowly all winter? The solenoid still worked as well, which I thought that was supposed to shut off fuel when engine is off? Could it gravity leak through the fuel pump and fill up the cylinder with fuel?

Good to know about that risk…I may just put the B & S gasket on, since I don't trust them to turn off the fuel valve every time and a head gasket blow out will be cheaper than a bent rod or broken ring. I did install a fuel valve, but mostly for winterizing and for ease of working on the carb/fuel system.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The fuel solenoid just plugs off the main jet so when your turn the engine off by killing the spark fuel is not sucked into the engine & blown out the exhaust .
It accumulates in the muffler till the air : fuel ratio is within the combustion at atmospheric range then it ignites & goes bang .
It does not stop fuel entering the carburettor .
Unfortunately some You tube / face book "experts" said it did 20 years ago and that has stuck .
Pop the tap in & tell them to use it
You can not protect every person every day
People have to learn to look after themselves
Hydro locking is what happens when the carb floods big time or for a long time

 

[slomo]

Is hydrolocked the same as flooded?

Hydrolocked means the cylinder is full of a liquid that the piston can't compress. Normal operation is air and fuel vapors/droplets.

 

[nillvurt]

You can not protect every person every day
People have to learn to look after themselves

I appreciate that perspective! Sometimes I end up feeling too responsible for other people's mistakes

 

[nillvurt]

So it looks like after two hours of running there is a tiny bit of oil on the lower right side (from front) below the low side of the head I made on the far side of the valve rod chamber. No oil dripping down on the shroud. Should I take the head back off and try to flatten it better? What grit do you recommend? I probably caused the problem by getting impatient and using 100 grit, which hit that edge really hard

 

[nillvurt]

 

[bertsmobile1]

Next to no chance of repairing this by hand without a surface plate & scrapers
If you know some one with a mill buy them a bottle of their favourite intoxicant
Or take it to a machine shop
Or a real mower repair shop
But the difference between the above & replacement is not particularly big .