Recent content by slomo

Run her at 3600 and never look back. Briggs states that you get max engine life at max revs. All due to best engine air cooling and oil slinging away at full slosh. Not recommended to idle an air cooled mower engine.

Not supposed to idle a mower engine. Either 3400-3600rpms or it's off. Wish companies would stop installing throttle cables. Now CHOKE cables are a must I feel. All these fancy wax filled auto chokes got to go.

More like Brandon Biden. I have a feeling. That is some rich person in the US Gov or some zillionaire, figured out, hey, lets turn ONE cargo ship sideways in the Panama Canal. We can price gouge the eyes out of the world. $$$$ Don't they have tugs to prevent this at the Canal? Just like Billy...

For the little I know about oils, I'd have to agree with Bert on everything he said. 350 Rocket's third party source is commenting on "some" similar things Bert is saying but attempting to say them in a far different way. Like the classic, that letter or number on the bottle is how fast that...

That is rubber hose bits flaking off getting into the oil. If heat was to do as you describe, that oil would be over 400F+. Which is hotter than any oil can stand and not deteriorate.

I did now at your suggestion. 0 results. I'm not a repair shop. No access to the pro site.

So you think clogged cooling fins,,,, is,,, no issue? She's just old?

Look at Doug jumping in here LOL. Welcome to the best mower forum on the interscreen.

Better clean those fins and all around the block. This is a YEARLY or more often maintenance item in your engine manual. Neglect this and you are asking for engine damage. These are air cooled engines. Several videos on youtube.

Next will be a FlowMaster muffler install LOL. Super mower to the rescue.

Might not see it with your eyes.

Is your engine like the one in the picture I posted? Put of a picture of your engine on here. Or a video would be even better.

I can't pull up his engine on the Briggs site. Looked to me as a 9ci 3.5hp engine??? You might be on to something Star Tech?? I don't know if he has a H or V crank either??

Valve adjustment, lap some valves in and maybe a new head gasket that is PROPERLY torqued? Might help you some depending on age and service neglect.

While you are at it.... 1.Have you ever pulled the metal engine shroud and cleaned the top of the block and cooling fins? This is a yearly maintenance item in ALL engine manuals. Neglect this and you are looking at engine damage. 2.Need to pull the head. Remove all carbon from the piston...

Remove the ignition coil. Sand slash polish the coil mounting area AND the coil where it mounts. Both screw areas too. Coil needs a clean ground to fire the plug. Do this first before throwing parts at it.

Take a white paper towel. Hold it near the muffler. You are looking for oil or black soot. Normally smoking on start up only is intake valve seals. Does your engine have one? Might do a valve adjustment while you are at it. Also remove the head. Decarbon the cylinder, head and valves. This...

SAE 30 oil is supposed to be at the TOP of the threads at the yellow oil cap. As in nearly over flowing. Make sure the block is level like the pic below when checking.

Next up in Kali is a ban on all hydro mowers. Going back to belt drives. All that hydro fluid being dumped illegally. LOL

Man, what a loss that will be. StarTech was and is a super valuable addition to this family. Hope he stays around for our sakes. Guy always had great tips and suggestions on MANY a topic here. Super smart guy for sure. Stick around Star........

Check computer ground and power.

Trying to beat your neighbor in yard cutting? How fast do you want to get back on the couch?

Here at work, we buy tons of belts for our air handlers. You can buy 8 of the same belt from the same maker. Non are the same size. Changing brands, same thing.

Buy an OEM belt. That looks to be an aftermarket kevlar V-belt.

Stick with belt drive. Way cheaper and much easier to maintain. Fluid alone is way more than a couple belts. Not to mention if the hydro motors go out $$$$. Whats wrong with a couple push mowers? His and hers? If you have a couple kids, that's 84" of deck action. Great exercise and something to...

Fire up that thing everyone carries around and call McCulloch. I'm sure they have a toll free number. Some lady from Uzbekistan will answer your call.

12+ year old mower. Pull the heads. Decarbon the cylinders, heads and valves. All in your engine manual as a "to-do" engine maintenance item. Neglect this and you are asking for future engine damage. As in scored piston bores ect..... Must be a good running engine to have plugs that old. Also...

Not a recommended procedure but hey, it's your mower.

Unless the old filter was clogged with rubber deterioration pieces from an old fuel line or grit and grass?? Just a new filter resolution tells me there is a fuel delivery issue that might pop up later??? THAT was your cause. Don't get into micron ratings. Just get a large cellulose which is...

Had a guy at work get bucked off a 0-turn. Mower kept right on going. Slammed into a nice new Jeep whatever mobile $$$$.

Think everyone agrees E-10 is deadly to OPE equipment. Yes most toys are rated for E-10. Doesn't mean you won't have issues on it. As in less mpg, less hp, harder cold starts, water in fuel system and fuel system corrosion. All well know issues with E-10. On one truck at work, 2016 Suburban...

Also the gap is adjustable to load her down.

And many a tug to fire off the ol' girl.

$8600 for a lawn mower is totally ridiculous in my book. Buy his and hers push mowers. Great exercise and a whole lot cheaper. That's 42" worth of deck action for those missing a calculator. They are also zero turns LOL.

If you have spark it's not a killer switcher. Bet a wooden nickel a dirty carb slash fuel delivery issue is to be found.

Put all the old parts back on. Clean the carb till it runs proper. Follow what Bert said above. Your engine probably needed the new parts. I hate to see people changing parts when the old ones are good. Test parts before replacing.

Are the valves set proper? 160 psi sounds like the head is full of carbon or the valves are really loose?? What oil are you using? Pull the head/s and decarbon the head and valves. Clean the cooling fins while you are at it.

Standard copper plugs with no resistor if you can snag them. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Also before ordering coils, sand/polish the block to coil mounting area. And the bolts and where the bolt head touches the coil. Need a good clean ground for the coils to fire proper. Test the above with a multi-meter on Ohms. Should be roughly 0 Ohms from coil mounting bolts to engine block...

Still have some homework ahead of you. My step 1 and 2 should be attacked next. Glad to hear she is sparking now.

If you use anti sneeze on ANY bolt, the torque value will be "around" 30% less than a dry bolt. Rough example - dry bolt proper torque is 50ft lbs. With anti sneeze 35ft lbs. Also depends on the lube type and clean threads ect...

I would scuff the deck up with a wire wheel or brush. Then hit it with your choice of non stick goo.

Keep cleaning on the carb. Might take 3 or more cleanings to get her to run correct. Far as the gaskets go, I put a film of 100% silicone grease on all sealing gaskets. Carb bowl, carb to intake and so on. This moisturizes them and aids in removal if needed. Keeps the gasket sticking slash...

Belongs in the front porch or another non pro area. Haven't seen a commercial yard crew yet with battery gear.

I'm about to stop asking questions and start asking for pictures or videos....... Most of the time we are mislead like yup my engine is clean. Then later a pic gets posted. Mower looks like a fudge bar.

Carb is still dirty and or fuel delivery issue.

I would fondle the wires from the O2 back up to where it originated from. Feel for zips in the wire. Computer and any EFI modules grounded cleanly. Main battery ground supreme. Is this liquid cooled? Is there an engine temp or coolant temp sensor on this hooptie?

She's running rich. Look for vacuum leaks. EFI might be trying to over compensate for a vacuum leak. 2psi? Don't think it required replacement. Unless is was deficient in fuel volume??. This is what you need to check, volume. Also your gauge probably isn't calibrated. Yup 2psi is low per the...

Now b, do you really think, your entire lawn would get covered with used oil? Even 1 foot of grass saturated? Let's back her down a couple gears please. The better way to recycle used motor oil is the 100+ year old farmers trick. Spread it on your wooden stockade fence. Course the entire city...

Valve adjustment dirty air filter fouled plugs dirty engine block and cooling fins dirty fuel tank deteriorating fuel lines plugged fuel filter if installed dirty carb most likely as Scrub said.

New cam time. Lobe is all gnawed off.

What stroke were the valves adjusted on specifically? There are 2 TDC spots on a 4 smoke engine.

What kind of grass do you have? How level is the yard? Larger decks require a pretty flat yard. For the most part, the wider the deck the poorer the cut. Is this a manicured yard or a required 4x4 truck farm pasture? 3" HOC is pretty tall. Is this Fescue or some cool season required tall cut...

If it runs on any flavor of starting fluid, there is a dirty carb or fuel system delivery issue.

If you get a fuel squirt with your air compressor, then the primer bulb is defective. Or u have a gasket issue? Doesn't take a ton of air to squirt just saying. Imagine blowing into that carb hole with your mouth.

Only in America. Everyone thinks they need a 0-turn to cut these tiny lawns LOL.

Clean the block and cooling fins while you are at it. This is a yearly in your manual. Also de-carbonize the cylinder, head and valves. Check your engine manual for more info. Neglect these and you will have engine damage later on.

Would this be a manicured lawn with tons of shrubs/flowers ect? If so, 0-turns are OUT. They rut the turf terribly. Can drive through any neighborhood and tell what kind of mower was used. Also 0-turns require you to run over the turf, packing the soil down, about 14 times when the grass is...

Shout it for those in the back.

Check: spark fuel delivery at carb adjust valves clean engine block and cooling fins YEARLY. This is in your engine manual. engine over 5 years old, de-carbonize the cylinder, head and valves. Again in your engine manual. water in the fuel compression clean carb again, inside of the body and...

Used motor oil slathered on with an old paint brush. Great way to recycle. Really good to winterize the deck with. You guys need to stop buying stuff and go green. (y)

Dirty carb or fuel delivery issue. Check for vacuum leaks while you are at it.

I use a pump spay bottle with soapy water for finding vacuum leaks. Cheap and in every kitchen cabinet. Doesn't have to be flammable. That soapy water trick is also great for finding bad plug wires on cars and trucks ect....

Think these are fixed rpm engines as in 3600 or 0. No need for a pilot jet with a primer.

Hire a lawn crew till the engine is repaired proper. Or get a back up mower.

I'm the one throwing out bad advice. And too lazy to look up their parts. All the solenoids I've seen had a plunger tip to snip off. My bad for not looking up his correct part and offering proper advice.

Shouldn't worry about sizes as they are not sized. One jet for that carb only. Unless there is a pilot jet hiding under a welch plug??

Either you have the gaskets on backwards or you got the wrong primer bulb?? So when you blew into the hole and gas flew, did you see it inside the carb go up vertically? That primer bulb, pushes AIR, into that small hole, which pressurizes the carb bowl, pushing fuel up into the carb throat...

Snip the plunger off and reinstall. Never worry about it again. Little fuel shut off valve and you are golden.

WOW, I didn't look close at that. Nice catch!! Safety third LOL.

Take a picture of it or make a video. Put the video on youtube and link it here.

Don't forget I think Slick 50 is THE best oil treatment on the market. Better than what you use.

Little Turtle Wax on the deck, tire shine on the tires. Engine could be from some tool rental shop. Actually no, they keep their stuff clean. I want to say some curse words here......

That is one filthy engine. Is this some mud bog kids toy? Might want to clean the engine block and cooling fins. Valve seats can jump out of the block not to mention other over heating engine damages. These are air cooled engines. With that mummy wrap of adobe around the block, kind of hard...

No need to calculate. Guy is playing with dynamite.

I too do the used oil trick. Paints don't last. Cut dry grass if possible. I go out in the blazing heat of the day, right before dark.

Never used a sledge to beat on a crank that was still in the block. Never entered my common sense box of tricks. So are you saying a sledge will not hurt the metallic bearing and seal areas around the crank? Aluminum block and a rubber seal? LOL LOL

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ez-slide-van-sickle-paint

Didn't know you had health issues. Maybe mow slower and look for man hole covers.

Lots of carbon removal products out there. What do you guys use to de-carbonize cylinders, heads and valves? Bet a lot use wire brushes on a drill. Not a fan of those from all the metal removed and scratching that soft aluminum. Numerous sprays and dips out there. What is the best procedure...

Hope you have a hoss engine. Engine will drink a lot more fuel with those blades. It will bog down much easier in tall grass. Little walking isn't going to kill you. Check your water meter cover while you are at it LOL.

And will deform the bearing material and kill the lower seal. Hope you meant remove the crank from the block first.....

The wise old timers would walk the yard prior to mowing. Looking for chains, barbed wire, water meter covers and the like.

Amazing how old mowers were built to last. Dude had plenty of oil. Must of had a going out of business sale. Course at 16:1, that is a year supply LOL.

Not seeing the problem LOL. :p

That and a too narrow belt. Might be pulley wear needing pulley replacement.

Test before buying a replacement. Can dry water with compressed air or WD-40.

I said fuel delivery issue.

Need to load test the ignition coil.

Those air filter housings warp from over torque and heat. Some use 2 gaskets to seal that area to make the primer work. Blow air with an air source into that small hole on the left. Right below the left carb mounting screw hole. Open the gold choke plate. Look for fuel squirting up in the...

Do as Scrubcadet10 said.

Or some JB Weld on a Q-tip to fill in those low areas gently. Some carbs are NLA now. Have to get crafty and repair them. Little hand drill bit action to clean up the JB.

Fram? Really?? I wouldn't use a Fram even if they were giving them away for free.

Sounds like the PTO coil is getting hot and failing.

Stunned because how much these 0-turns weigh with operator and still spins the tires.

Just mow in a circle. No turning around needed. Easy right?

Welcome to the forum Catrancher. And now most likely good-bye.

I beg to differ on that point. That is a baseless accusation with zero evidence there pal. All written in my best CSI language.

What is the price on the new batteries?

When was the last time the valves were adjusted? Look for bad grounds and mice eating wires.

Mow later in the day as is a couple hours before dark. You have a rider so no big deal far as the heat goes.

Shrink the file. https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-reduce-jpeg-file-size/