Recent content by sgkent

the blades need to be an airfoil. They move air up and the deck is shaped to flow the air out the chute. New air moves in from underneath and lifts the clippings and leaves. They make machines that are just air movers, and are basically push leaf blowers. Someone might make one that is...

IMHO you have accumulated wear issues. Might be time to go compare costs of replacing things with just fixes to get by. Might be you dropped the valve seat and discovered the other issue with the starter in the process of troubleshooting, or maybe the starter stopped so abruptly that it jammed...

as suggested replace the gasket, take the old one with you if you buy it locally. Also, use a machinists straight edge to check the head for warp.

check your fuel to be sure that it has not aged poorly. Ethanol can cause issues when it sits. So can gasoline dripping into cylinder, be sure the oil is not being diluted with gasoline. It may not be the MMO that improved things but rather clean oil. I did a scientific study many years ago...

will the adjustable jet screw into where the fixed jet goes? If not then a bone yard is likely the only place one will find non-epa carbs.

in for a penny in for a pound

CombatMax roach traps. Contains Fipronil. It works 1000% times better than boric acid. Same thing used in Termite proofing. Trust me on this. We had some living in an outdoor drain and an outdoor street drain that went ballistic when the county decided they were better than spraying. Whatever...

be aware that the valve guide is not concentric. Each one is unique, and when the valve seats are ground, that guide angle is used as a pilot. Don't turn the guide if you do the above repair, and do not use something hard like steel to drive it back into position for fear of mushrooming it.

most likely you have a fuel or carburation problem. Check the oil too to be sure it isn't filled with gasoline that has been leaking down while it sits.

1st post. Welcome. Try model, serial number etc., and why you feel a need to adjust the belts. For example - if the old ones wore out, and you put new ones on, maybe they are the wrong length. Or maybe the pulley brakes are worn and changing the geometry to where belts no longer fit properly.

no but I have a 20 year old Toro with a Briggs that has done that since new. Is your Honda one that stores on end? If it is enough that it concerns you, I would follow Slomo's advise. You know it leaks oil. That should not be happening. Might have been someone's first day on the job, or they...

I would verify that the choke is working properly. Would add some fuel line drier like Heet or another brand to the fuel and drain a little fuel out of the carb, and try it again. Certainly a new genuine and not counterfeit spark plug may help. If that fails, I would definitely adjust the valves...

sorry to hear, thank you for your honesty. Covid and the inflation that followed was a double whammy. People lack the money in general to pay for what it really takes to make a quality product, and all the hard working baby boomers retired out. It has been discussed many times. Stats today came...

Auto Doc - interesting read. One has to wonder how does someone get multiple plastic baggies in the fuel tank except by sabotage? I know friends who have pulled tee shirts and socks out of gasoline tanks in collector cars when restoring them. Rev-B - also an interesting read. John Denver...

These things happen with water and fuel. A ground / instrument school instructor I had came into the class one day and told an interesting story that had happened to him that morning. He had a three hour round trip flight scheduled with another pilot he was checking out. They did a pre flight...