795629 Air Cleaner Gasket The Seal You Forgot

A gasket is the last thing you think about, until the lawn mower will not start. The 795629 is that piece of fiber between the air filter housing and the carburetor, a large center opening, four bolt holes around it and two small openings. One thin sheet, and without it the air path is not sealed at all.

What does an air cleaner gasket do? Air moves through the filter, then through the gasket opening into the carburetor. The gasket is the seal: the bolt holes hold the housing down while the fibrous sheet squishes into the gap. Sealed properly, every bit of air has passed through the filter, and the mixture stays where it should.

What does a torn or tired gasket look like? A mower that starts hard, smokes, idles roughly and drinks more fuel is often not a carburetor problem at all, but unfiltered air sneaking past a gap in the seal. When the old gasket tears, holds its dents, hardens until it crumbles under a fingernail, or will not peel off in one piece, it is time for a new one, and a spare in the toolbox is cheap insurance.

What do you watch at installation? Clean the oil and dust from both sealing faces, lay the gasket flat, and tighten the bolts in a cross pattern. Pulling one side down hard first warps the sheet and opens a brand new gap. The hole pattern and center opening must match the old gasket exactly, and when in doubt, send a photo.