[cashxx]

Hi all.....

Tractor:
White GT-1855 with Briggs and Stratton VanGuard 350447-0119-01

Just got done not long ago getting my White GT-1855 outfitted for winter with an angle actuator for the front plow and I'm noticing that Oil is coming out of the breather into the Air Filter. Would say about a tablespoon or two.

How bad is this and what could be causing it? I know there is a reed stopper in there or something, but it looked ok to me when I took the blower housing off. It seems like its only coming out when the tractor is at idle.

I ran some sea foam through it hoping that would help but no luck and I don't remember this happening when I was younger and last used this tractor about 12 years ago.

 

[craftsmanmowerfreak]

umm if it sat for 12 years it will do that for a while.

 

[cashxx]

No the last I was running the tractor was 12 years ago. My parents and brother have been using it since then until they got a new zero turn and then I went up and got this one.

 

[Deereman112]

Possibly a plugged air filter. Thats the easiest thing to replace or check. Just replace the filter and see if that helps.

 

[cashxx]

Bump.....

Still to this day I still get oil in the filter coming up through the breather. Breather has been replaced and didn't fix the issue.

Does anyone know what would cause this? One of the Head gaskets? I see alot of buildup around the left head gasket and wonder if it blew out somewhere.

 

[38racing]

On the single cylinder the blown head gasket is common with oil into air filter via the breather tube. You can make a simple manometer to test for crankcase pressure. On singles performance degrades but might be less noticeable on a twin.

 

[cashxx]

So I did a cylinder leak test and tested compression. Sitting on the tractor the left side had a compression of about 130 and the right side had 150.

Doing a leak test with the piston at the top, the left it says is leaking and the right is ok.

On the left side you can hear air escaping and it seems to be coming out of the carburetor. If I put my hand over the carb the sound changes.

Does this mean something is wrong with the intake valve then? Would that cause pressure in the engine for the rear oil seal to come out and oil to come out of the breather then?

 

[cashxx]

Well.....finally got my gasket set. Set is a joke, doesn't have all the gaskets for a vtwin. I'm 99% sure I got the correct one. Set I got was 808390 for engine 350447-011901-94031011. It doesn't give you two sets of seals for the valve stems and didn't give me two of the correct head gaskets, only one! Who knows what else is missing! I got the full kit incase I ever need to open the crank or something. But now I'm not sure I trust the kit.

Anyway.....I tore off the left head and checked everything and put in new gaskets/seals on everything. Now I am getting 90 for both sides when doing the compression test. I don't understand how it went from 150 and 130 to 90, but at least they are the same now.

Looking around the web it looks like thats what it should be running is around 90-100 or so. So that might explain why the rear oil seal kept popping out, because of the 150 pressure.

The cylinder leak test is passing on both cylinders now as well so I have my fingers crossed that things are fixed! I hope so, been a long (vacation) week messing with this!

I drove it around the yard for a few minutes and no oil in the air filter and the rear oil seal didn't leak. So for the love of god I hope its fixed!.....lol

 

[VTXRider]

Good news and happy cutting.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Well.....finally got my gasket set. Set is a joke, doesn't have all the gaskets for a vtwin. I'm 99% sure I got the correct one. Set I got was 808390 for engine 350447-011901-94031011......l

Looks like the correct gasket set is 808389
I see where some vendors say the 808390 is a substitute, but the latest IPL from Briggs still shows the 808389.

 

[cashxx]

Hi Bill thanks for the comment. Everywhere I looked they all pointed to using 808390 saying it replaced 808389. Like you I see in the Briggs parts list as 808389 being the correct one. Looking at the picture on Jacks Small Engines for 808389 it looks like it has the same limitations as the 808390 with missing gaskets. I don't get it, its a VTwin why in the world would they only give one when you need two of everything. Some gaskets have two and others don't. Like for the intake and exhaust gaskets they give you two.

I was going to get just the head/valve gasket set, but it was $50 and thought I might as well spend the $70 and get all the gaskets.

Even with that valve kit things are different! If you lookup 808391 they all say 841191 is the replacement. But if you look at the kit the studs for the rocker arm in the picture are different and for the new style. I think you can still get the studs though with 691497. If you look them up on partstree they say not available anymore for engine 350447-0119-01.

I don't know why the don't just keep the gasket sets separate with different part numbers and keep it more simple. Have more part numbers, but if that number is specific to that engine then it should stay the same and always be that number then.

I think you can upgrade the valves and stuff to the new model, but you have to upgrade everything like the whole head and stems/valves, etc.

 

[cashxx]

I finally did a vacuum test and the needle bounces towards the negative side so it should be good. I still have a little oil leak at the rear seal though! I'm wondering if the crank shaft is just worn where the seal sits and wore a groove in it or something? It is 21 years old, but not sure what the life expectancy is? Oh and the compression is back to 150 and 130. Not sure how I was reading 90 on both after replacing the left head gasket and stuff. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and test it multiple days and 2 or 3 times on each side and it said 90. Now its back up where it originally said at 150 and 130. Not sure if my gauge was screwy or what. Everything passes on Leak down test.

 

[cashxx]

Been three years and luckily no oil in the air filter. Gasket set must have fixed the issue.