One of the best channels on youtube i admire your work and talents and you do it all while being very genuine and a true nice bloke full credit to you.

Been a gardener for last 20 years, watched your vids and learned a lot of tips to keeping engines running etc. A small tip for you, when you reseat the valve seat, finish by using the valve as a drift, this will ensure proper alignment between valve and seat

Thank you Mustie 1. This 3 year old video helped me diagnose and repair a mower recently. It was put to the curb with a sign : RUNS, SORT OF. It started and ran ok for a few minutes, then would begin to stumble and lose power. Because I had watched this, I knew about loose valve seats. Sure enough, when I pulled the head, the exhaust valve seat was sitting cockeyed. Tapped it back in, dimple peened around it, runs fine now. You have the best man-channel on KZfaq.

Great Video’s Mustie, bingeing on your projects as I recover from surgery. Thanks for the quality subject matter and sharing your extensive knowledge. Thanks so much for the extra work so we have interesting films to watch. Take care and may the free piles treat you well!

For us do-it-our-selfers, your site provides the inspiration! Love it & Thanks for taking the time to show us all of your tricks of the trade. Most enjoyable.

I enjoy watching you troubleshoot and fix these old things with go ol' ingenuity! I had a Craftsman mower with a 12hp engine that kept losing the valve seat too, so I used a punch to 'stake' it back in place... worked forever after that!

Hey thanks for the video! This is my same exact mower and thanks to you I was able to fix my mower. It suffered the exact same problem, the seat came out but with the help of your video it running great now!!! Thanks you my friend!

Mustie, I love your honesty about the valve caps for adjusting. You are real and it is appreciated.

Thanks Mustie for for all the great videos you've made. Been stuck to this channel.

I had the exact same problem with a 17 HP Briggs Intek and I realized that I have been adjusting the valves the wrong way this whole time! Now I've got around 100 psi of compression and it runs like a champ! Great video!

Having worked on my mowers for years without any training, it was nice to see my "intuition" was close on many things. My test was does it run (better) that when I started, if it did, it was a victory. B&S, Kohler, unmarked for Gravely and Troy-built (had to order parts from THEM) I kept them all running (and sharpened) by intuition, sweat, and an occasional drop of blood. Gave up all my equipment when we moved in-town, but makes me happy to watch your video and see someone with far more experience do things roughly the same as I did. Thanks.

Nice video! I had the 20hp model for 9 years and before selling it, I gave it a quick valve job, and cleaned up the head with new gaskets. I always used a synthetic oil and kept on eye on the air filter, which can clog pretty quick especially with cotton wood fluff. After 6 years it still runs great!

Great video! The intake pushrod is aluminum and the exhaust pushrod is steel to compensate for uneven expansion of the metals when the engine warms up. the intake pushrod also tends to wear at the guide plate and should be reversed if not replaced, they're cheap. Also, run the piston 1/4" past TDC to bypass the compression relief when adj. valves. Nice job!

Excellent teacher and great work as always!!Great video.

I have the exact mower and it ran like a dream until a few days ago. Started surging and running rough. Wish I lived near you. You are a wizard.

This by far the BEST CHANNEL on small engines and things like that, Mustie I went to Briggs and Stratton School in Memphis Tenn back in 1992 at a place called Engine Power Company, I will be 50 this year and man o man you have really taught me much much more, thanks Mustie, keep up the good videos and awsome work that you make so easy to understand!!!

Great video ! There is just one more step I would of taken after staking the valve seat back in place. I would of lapped the valve lightly with some lapping compound. After the compound is wiped off you can see where the valve is contacting the seat. Inspect the lapped area on the seat just to make sure the valve is making contact with the seat all the way around as there is a possibility that the seat is not in completely straight. Think of it this way. only by a slight chance are you going to get the seat back in the head at the exact same rotational position it was installed at the factory, the original position the valve seat was cut in. You only need to be a thou off here or there for the valve to not seat properly. Now if the valve seat in the head looks good after lapping then check the valve. If the valve is bent even the slightest amount there then would be area where the seat on the valve is not polished looking from the compound. This overlooked step is one that does not take a lot of time and should not be overlooked. Keep up the great videos!

I have never been mechanically minded but by watching your videos and your very enjoyable easy manner I am loving learning about engines and motors.... keep up the good work :O)

Dude I can sit and watch you all day, I'm one of those that has to watch the video 100 times just for a simple spark plug change LOL, but being able to see and watch someone else just makes things so much easier for me. I just started learning how to repair Small engine so all knowledge is good knowledge so thank you for your patience and taking the time to record !!!!!

Hi Mustie: It's fun going back and watching some old videos once in a while. I enjoyed this the first time and now am enjoying it again back in the old shop. Cheers, Steve

If you take a socket and a hammer sometimes you can give the top of the valve spring a couple good whacks and the keeper will dislodge before the spring returns to it's normal shape. I've had great success with it before. Also, putting oil on the keeper before installation will help keep it in place when you go to install it.

Awesome, informative video. Straightforward, to the point, without all the "filler bs" other guys put in because they have no substance. This entire video is very pertinent and useful. Thank you!!!!!!

Watching your video's, these are extremely informative on small engine repairs,,the things I know very little about, thanks for the lessons. Seeing your different videos on repairs to a wide variety of modern mechanical marvels is a pleasant way to enjoy some downtime. Thanks

thank you soo much for this video. my 3 year old Craftsman replaced my 20 year old Craftsman that I nursed along. quit running. cleaned carb and also replaced flywheel as it stopped after hitting tree root, turns over but wont catch; plan to replace starter next already replaced spark plug, fuel filter, battery, etc.);s have learned everything from youtube and BS manual. While using flywheel puller, of course made hole in crankshaft not sure if thats a problem; will try to figure out how to check compression; but if thats the problem I guess I'll break down and search for a shop; your video helped a lot but also showed me its not something I have tools or knowledge to do what you did. I'm an old retired school teacher and cant afford $100 a month to get yard mowed. I've looked at many videos and yours is one of the best I've seen. Again thank you.

Hey bud thanks alot for your videos my local mower repair dude tryed telling me that my ride on was not worth fixing and i should give it to him for 200 bucks after i paid 1000 for it only 2 weeks prior after this video i spend $13.50 on a gasket 10 bucks on a set of feelers and boom new mower ohhh ffffuuuccckkk yeah bud thanks alot

Another very interesting vid. Thanks for sharing.

I LOVE YOUR EXPERTISE and your WITT ! You know what you're doing and you make it look EASY, and I know it ain't! And the gag-reel of bloopers at the end was the icing on the cake! Thank You! Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸

That large gap in clamping force has been resolved in newer engines. And the aluminum vs steel pushrod is for heat. Aluminum for intake, steel for exhaust. Gauging lash should be done with some force to pull gauge out. Not loose but tight. Some drag is best. Rings wouldnt hurt but I've been there, done that. Expensive for my 445677 0476 e1 twin cylinder. Almost 40 a set. On Ebay, they ran up to 99 a set. Ridiculous but worth it when these engines run 1000 or more for new units. Got a new carb from China for it. It's so reliable that it cuts grass 3 ft high with little effort. I wish I had a shop that nice. I've got more tools than most people but I need a shop. Enjoy your mowing folks!

I watched this video when it was uploaded. Funny how now I ended up with one of these mowers/engines to fix. Just my luck that the valves are fine in it. It has a connecting rod issue...well, half of a connecting rod and bunch of shrapnel.

You're making some quality videos, there. And highly educational, too! I really enjoy watching them. Your channel is my new addiction😎...The 'blooper reel' add-on is a nice touch. Already looking forward to the next one. All the best from the Netherlands🇳🇱

Love your videos, and your ingenuity. When you were trying to tap the seat back into the block, it reminded me that I was taught to use the valve in place to keep the seat straight. Then use a socket about the same diameter as the valve face to gently tap it in. Only do this until the seat is started about halfway down. Then remove the valve and drive the seat in the rest of the way. The valve does a great job of keeping the seat aligned, but don't hit the valve too hard or it will break.

thank you so much your comments told me why my ride on has so much compression .old videos are valuable , your the man,

The reason they give for two different metal push rods is that the exhaust valve gets hotter than the intake valve which cools when the gas/air mix passes it. Apparently the different metals and different temps allow both push rods to expand the same amount.

I know this is an older video, that said I want to thank you for saving me a lot of time diagnosing my 2004 Craftsman DLT 4000 that has this engine. Nothing as dramatic as yours, I've always looked for mouse nests etc before doing my seasonal PM. Now at 420+ hours, it wouldn't start when hot the other day. A minor valve adjustment and we're good to go again. Thanks for the great informative videos!

Thanks for the top walk through. Our intek 17.0HP just threw a valve, was about to drag the mower to the scrap but I’ll think I’ll have a go at repairing it with a replacement head 👍🏻

Great job, love that. I fixed my first lawnmower last week and i think i could make some money out of these fixes. looks simple to me when you know the basics.

From Italy with affection Thank you for having shared your knowledge and passion Sorry if my english is not perfect

Keep up the great videos I love watching and learning from them

Nice fix. I didn't know you could put the valve seat back in the head. I learned something today. Great video. Thanks for producing these informative videos.

I seem to have missed this video when I was ill, so it was fun watching it today. Thanks Mustie.

I was freaking out seeing you forget the rockers, then you remembered and all was well again haha.

Well done Bud!! I use the same Shop Band-Aids!! Once in a while I use the black ones!!☺

Just found you today, I have learned more today than ALL of last Thursday😊 and we're both in NH! I'm searching to understand 2 stroke engines ......I'll keep watching great channel!

I love the electrician tape on the finger !!! My dad who was a master mechanic over 50 years showed me that in 1964 when I was 7 . And blue my favorite color!!!!

Terrific video. You're an excellent teacher.

This happened to a friend of mine Briggs....I was winging it but first I did a comp test and wasn't sure if it was a bent valve or what.Then this is what I found.I popped it back in and didn't do the punch around the seat emboss.....but it still worked and lasted years.He paid me with a bunch of Farnicastaffs.

Thank you for sharing! You have taught an old man a great lesson today, thank you!

Mustie1, your videos are absolutely the very best engine repair constructional ever produced.

When I was young (too many moons ago) I would repair neighbors mowers and things to have money for go kart and field cars parts and gas. (gas - 24 cents a gallon) It amazes me to see how different things are made now where most things you work on I have never seen apart. I suspect when your out cruising and see something sitting out for sale or free you have a good idea of what might be up and if it would be feasible to grab, even before coming to a stop!

Remember....when mowing, ignore obstructions. Drive straight ahead and only stop when then the mower stops.

SPRING LAUNCH !! Great channel man, my craftsman was leaking oil like a sieve on the bottom end, had to retorque all the main bolts. Still leaks on the top end, probably the head gasket. Mine is a tecumseh 12hp from 1990. Also its way past its valve gap check, so I got to fix that too. I also think you're a great channel because you show that its not too hard really to FIX STUFF. Cant believe what you find at yardsales and stuff.

I have the intek 21 series 12HP very very similar looking to this engine. My dad bought it in 2010 and still 2021 no blown gasket but I replaced it anyway for fun. Mainly the valve cover gasket was starting to leak oil and collect dirt and looked gross, I like my things spotless so that's why I opened up a lawn mower engine for the first time. Thanks for this video it was entertaining to watch. I gotta get myself a filler gauge for those exhaust/intake gaps.

Gotta love a guy who believes that blue painters tape make a great bandaid! Having spent years in a machine shop and walking around with me and the guys with oily rags and blue tape around Injuries makes me feel right at home

just so happens...in my horde. ..I have a brand new one...Love it!!#

Hey Mustie! I really appreciate your channel man it’s a lot of fun to watch and learn and just hang out thanks for all you do you’re awesome!

I hear your voice and I see the actor Allen Alda, you sound so much like him. That is why your videos are so good and soothing when you explain what you are doing. I have seen many of your videos, they are good, interesting and I have learned a lot. I think I can tackle my lawn tractor thanks to you. I will make a comment back to you in the future when I get the tractor to run. Thanks for you help and education. I really enjoy your videos.

This guy does such fun and interesting projects.

I like the out takes at the end. And, yes, I did catch that you forgot the valve stem caps on re-assembly, but I did not say anything out loud - wanted to see how long it took you to realize the booboo . Mustie, you make these repairs look so easy - if I had half of your skills .... Always a pleasure watching your videos !

You sir are absolutely amazing! I was getting bored watching KZfaq after many years...just couldn’t find something that sparked my interest....subbed a few months ago and enjoying all of this!

Haha Love the take-outs. this kind of relights my fire to work on a JohnDeere I have almost given up on. Thanks for the inspiration.

Dood, as a guy who works on computers (and guns in my free time), I love watching your videos. This is the kind of stuff I wish I knew.

You are the macgyver of engines :)

Burned valve seat. They were all flatheads when I worked @ Lawn mower shop now I'm 69 wow...Great job brother!.

5 years ago the parts were very reasonable, today however, it can be cheaper to fix rather than replace. I had a Briggs where the intake valve guide moved and held the valve open, no compression. Took it to a Machine shop removed the guide, knurled it replaced and it worked great, he also did a valve job, it would have taken more than just lapping the valves to make them seat properly. Great video sir

Great video, however in my small engine shop I lap that valve w/valve grinding compound prior to spring installation. That 3 minute procedure ensures a perfect seal and alignment of the valve face surfaces.

He makes the most complicated stuff look so simple.

How I wish to have known of your video's a year earlier! It took my mechanic a whole lot of expensive (!!) investigation hours to finally discover a dislodged valve seat in my 3 cyl Mitsubishi engine. "This never happens", he said. "I didn't go look for it because it seemed to me the less likely thing". Right. Had to pay him nearly 2000 dollars...... Great video's Mr Mustie! Thnx

Amazing amount of teaching on this video. Thanks for sharing your talents with us.

a little dab of grease will hold them keepers in place and make it a lot easier, pulse if you do happen to drop them they stick to the bench and not bounce to the magic hole in your shop. ;)

Interesting range of videos and repairs! You could have put the seat in the freezer over night and warmed the head up in an oven then popped the seat in a lot easier with a 'socket' type drift.

Thanks for your informative video. You do an excellent job of explaining things that even I can understand. Keep up the good work!

Just watched your video on the new car lift. Nice job on the assembly of it. This is a nice addition to your shop and no more working on your back or knees lol .were getting to old for that.

A blopper real at the end... Classic Jackie Chan... LMAO... That's why you have the best channel you admit when your wrong and show us too, keep the videos coming.

That bent blade is for making crop circles!

Love watching your videos and bring engines back to life. Really sad how Americans don't fix much stuff anymore and just throw it away to buy a new one

Hi there great job and like lots of others l spotted you forgot to install the caps for the valves before setting the gaps. This reminds me of me every time I do a job and try to reverse engineer the rebuild. It great to see guys like you have the same issues. Many thanks for the honesty and sharing. Kindest regards. Joe.

better than watching a perry mason show....solved it in less than a hour. awesome job.

I love the 405 thumbs down from the folks that gave their "broken" mowers away.

I know not a lot about engines but I’m fascinated by the way you explain things great entertainment 🇬🇧

Good job. I love the out takes at the end. Good to know I'm not the only one who launches small parts to parts unknown.

There's your problem lady... ;) Anyone ever notice that valve spring compressors never seem to be "quite" right for the task at hand. It's almost they design the damn things for 1 specific engine but tell you its "universal"...

Note to self, if you use a sharp pointed punch and make some punch marks around inside the hole along the sides it will help hold them in also it just make it a little harder to get them back in but when the motor gets hot again they have a better chance of staying in place..

Bought a non running 8HP Craftsman chipper for $50. Carb cleaned and headgasket blown. Purr's like a kitten. I still need to sharpen the two smaller blades and order the long single blade. I found pencils and some crap from mice. The longer blade had some large chips in it. Not a bad fix. Thanks for the video's and keep up the good work.

... Just started watching this video today, I like this guy presentation, none of this putting down the other video guys, straight up forward to the point on how to make old and unusable parts come back alive..

Great video as usual. I am not a mechanic; I was wondering when valve grinding into the seat is indicated. Thanks

Mustie, i'm not even old and I like your channel.

You are so modest. Keep on wrenching! Hope you get new tools in your stocking!

Always love watching your videos and using them as a second opinion. Keep up the great work.

I call it "staking" when I do it to guns. Specifically AR-15 gas keys on bolt carriers.

You should be selling tee-shirts that say "The Hoard Will Provide". You're sittin' on a Gold Mine!

Good info. Good repair. Love the outtakes at the end... I've never done anything like that... never lied about it either. Lol

New subscriber. Really enjoy watching you tinker. It's amazing what a little time, investigation and knowledge can do. Learning a lot. Keep them video's coming. Thanks

I think the two different push rods is that the exhaust valve gets a lot hotter than the intake. So as it heats up, it gets tighter. The aluminum rod will match the expansion of the head/block. The steel one will grow less to compensate for the heating of the exhaust valve. I think one of these days, you will find a mower that has been sitting for years without a mouse nest and you will just have a heart failure from shock ;)

it'd be awesome to start a apprenticeship with mustie. it would be so great to know all of this stuff and learn it hands on.

Just found this video. What a great find! Video was well done and very informative.

you are are the reason i watch your videos,i learned something today,your the best,keep those videos coming

I removed the keepers like that once. Takes incredible amount of hand strength. I'm now to old to do it that way.

Love the vid's but i'd love to see the profit made from the item you fix.

I enjoy your videos. Thanks for in depth approach to engine repair.

Only 8 minutes into the vid and I'm learning TONS. When refitting the valve retaining collets, my Dad always used to hold them in place with a dab of thick grease before loosening the valve spring compressor - I didn't inherit his practical engineering abilities. It's a shame that you're not EVERYONE's neighbour!