Locate the valve cover on the side of the engine. It is usually held in place by two or three bolts.
Remove the bolts and lift off the valve cover.
Inside the valve cover, you will see two valves: the intake valve and the exhaust valve.
The intake valve is the one that opens to let air and fuel into the cylinder. The exhaust valve is the one that opens to let exhaust gases out of the cylinder.
Each valve has a small spring that holds it closed. To adjust the valves, you need to loosen the locknut on the spring and then turn the adjusting screw until the valve is properly adjusted.
The correct valve clearance for a 16 hp Briggs and Stratton Intek single-cylinder motor is 0.005 inches.
To adjust the intake valve, turn the adjusting screw until the gap between the valve stem and the rocker arm is 0.005 inches.
To adjust the exhaust valve, turn the adjusting screw until the gap between the valve stem and the rocker arm is 0.005 inches.
Once you have adjusted the valves, tighten the locknuts and replace the valve cover.
Start the engine and check to make sure that the valves are properly adjusted by listening for any unusual noises. If you hear any unusual noises, you may need to readjust the valves.
