Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - B & S engine help

I have a lawn mower with a B&S 16.5 HP Intec engine model 31c700. It was running fine until it ran out of gas. After I filled the gas it seemed like there was no compression. After I took the engine apart I found nothing wrong but the engine was full of gas. I have a couple of questions.
1) I mixed up the valve push rods. One is steel the other aluminum. How do I Identify which is exhaust vs intake.
2) What could of caused the engine not to start then fill with gas.

Thanks alot for your help.

Could some of the crud in you tank have gotten sucked into the carb and fouled something up in there...

I'm not sure on the pushrod's but, when you ran it out of gas, (does it have a inline fuel filter?) if no, trash got sucked up in the carb, or the float just got stuck, and gas wouldn't get shut off via the inlet valve.

I would thin the aluminum rod is for the intake valve, Im not 100% sure but that would be my guess.

Was the cylinder filled with gas?

The fuel in the sump issue is either a result of trash in the carburetor or varnish build-up in the carburetor. The former would require just a blow-out with compressed air and the latter would require soaking & reconditioning. You must also change the oil and filter (if used). The aluminum push rod will be on the exhaust side, reason being, it transfers heat better than steel.

well there is two resons it could have flooded like that and it could have done that because the carbrater needle is stuck open like it did to me or if your engine didn't even roll ofer easy it is ceased up when then seals went bad or the thing got flooded. but take statring fluied and spray into the air filter and the ttry to start it then you may have some luck. bye