26HP twin "V" overhead valve Briggs and stratton nightmare!
Ok, this is going to be a long post/question, but necessary for everybody to get the whole picture. I purchased 3 (non working) identical 26HP briggs engines. The idea was to get them running, and sell 2 of them, getting the 3rd one free.
They are intek 446777 overhead valve engines.
I started with the first, taking the bottom end apart to check crank,connecting rods, timing etc. Looked great inside, like new. Then checked the valves. Exhaust valve gap on both sides was 0.030 or larger. It was a carboned up mess. I pulled the heads, cleaned very well, reassembled and set all valves to 0.005. Attached fuel line, jumber cables to the fuel solonoid, touched the starter... vvvvvvvvrrrrrrroooooooooommmmmmm!
Just like new! Sold it with-in a week! I love it when a plan comes together!
Now the second engine. Same process. Found same problem. Fixed same way... Started her up... and hhhhmmm
Ran very raged. Then I noticed the exhaust on the side opposite the fuel pump was throwing extremely hot gas. Way hotter than normal. I shut it down. Figured there was still a problem with the exhause vave. Reset it, and checked other side. It seemed OK. It was quittin' time so the next day went back at it. Now, I couldn't get it to even run. While cranking, it was firing almost as thought it was running, but the second I stopped turning the starter, it quit.
I read somewhere on the net to put a teaspoon of fuel in right in the cylinder, put the plug back in and see if it fires. When I did that, as I turned it over, I saw gas come out somewhere. Ah... ha! I thought. The head gasket is blown and leaking. I pulled the head back off and looked VERY closely at the gasket and head, and machined surface the head mounts on. Everything looks perfect! I put the head back on, retightened and tried it again. This time, no gas leaking and it DID fire. HHhhmmmmm Ok, so maybe a carb. Problem. I pulled the carb. Totally disassembled, cleaned, checked all gaskets, (looked like new). Put it back together.
Now, it won't even fire. The starter turnes and turnes and turns... not so much as even a puff!
When I turn the flywheel backwards, I get a huge amount of resistance which if I understand correctly means compression is fine.
Can a head gasket be blown and not show it? Oh, one other thing that will make you mechanics cringe... I don't have a torch wrench. I was very carful to retighten the heads as evenly as humanly possible and very tight. Could this be the problem? Where would you turn next?
Oh, yeah, one other thing. I grabbed a plug wire and turned it over... GREAT SPARK on both sides. Made my teeth chatter! Lol
HELP!
Thanks in advance... Tim