Recent content by Tiger Small Engine

The Kawasaki FJ is and older engine. Keep an eye on the oil if it is using oil (light gray smoke). There isn’t much more you can do within reason. Run it.

Fuel filters don’t always fill up with fuel. Make sure fuel tank vent and or gas cap is venting properly.

I am not a big fan fan of John Deere. Overpriced, overrated, parts are higher for OEM, and often more difficult to work on.

I enjoy greasing equipment. It gives me a certain sense of satisfaction. When there are not grease zerks where they should be on equipment, I am disappointed.

I run 87 octane, 10% ethanol in everything from a 37 hp Vanguard to a Stihl BG85 blower, and have no problems. Keep the fuel fresh and moving, store the fuel correctly, and it is that simple. Or pay extra for stabilizer and premium fuel for no reason. Small engines are not designed to run 91...

You stored it without any gas, but did you run the fuel completely out of the carburetor as you stored it?

Common sense tells me that grease is good for rapidly spinning parts, and no grease is bad. I think people tend to overthink situations sometimes. I have the original spindles on my 2006 Scag Turf Tiger. Do you think that is because I NEVER greased them?

Most people are not going to remove a bearing in a spindle to pack it, before installing it. Nobody is going to remove the bearing once the spindle is installed to pack it at a later date. Pump the spindle full until it comes out is the only practical way. It can take 100-150 pumps sometimes.

Depending upon the deck hanger set up, sometimes you can put a bushing on the hanger rod to help give the deck more height. The limiting factor is you can only raise deck as much as pulleys and spindles will allow before contacting underside of mower.

Watching my neighbors mow with a zero turn, and really having no idea how to mow is what makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. Mowing the same direction week after week, mowing too low, ringing trees, making weird patterns because they used the house as part of the pattern, not making 3...

So you are saying that all that wear over the years, once combined, adds up to a deck that is actually cutting too low at its highest setting (3”). Makes sense because even when riding mowers are new, the decks are set up too low. Most of the time the best you can do is about 3.5”- 4” from...

The red light was working, but now isn’t. That is a good point about the wiring harness. I have seen and heard about problems with the Spartan mowers and wiring harness issues. Will check into it. Guess there is no way other than to replace harness and see if it solves the problem.

Thank you for this service manual. I do not work on EFI engines because of lack of tools and experience. I am currently having problems with my Ferris zero turn with Vanguard 37 hp EFI on it (only 5 hours on new engine). No click, no crank, nothing. Was running great and now nothing. Have...

If you want to really juice your lawn up, hire a company like Trugreen to come and apply liquid fertilizer. The lawn has to be small enough. typically less than an acre, for this to be affordable. It isn’t cheap period though. Mow your grass in four different directions each week, keep your...

Out of curiosity, how old is the mower and batteries? How much did the new replacement batteries cost?

We are talking about the cost difference of a few bucks a tube of regular cheap grease versus better quality red and tacky grease. I like to save money as much as the next guy, however, when it comes to cents per application and giving the customer better quality, the decision is easy. Plus if I...

Remember, it wasn’t that many years ago that starters, alternators, etc. were rebuilt locally. I mean, some still are but very few. People remove and replace most times. An aftermarket starter price is really reasonable. However, the OEM starters are usually 3 times and up, the cost of aftermarket.

The spring loaded mulch chute keeps the exit chute on. You have to have the correct size and it does a good enough job of keeping the chute in place. Put mechanic wire on it if it is bothering you.

What you are experiencing is usually the beginning of the end of the transaxle.

Apparently you will have to drill holes in bottom plate so you can hold brushes in with a couple of wires. It is a real pain.

Homelite went out of business about 24 years ago. Most shops don’t work on off brand handheld equipment for a variety of reasons. Good that you took the time to try to get it running. Most likely was a carburetor issue or low compression. To go through the carburetor successfully, it takes...

I use Gorilla Glue construction adhesive (white) and comes in a caulking tube. Make sure surfaces are clean, apply, clamp for 24 hours.

We have sarcasm on Lawnmowerforum!

Simple fixes will shut a lot of people down because they don’t even try for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include: lack of interest, intimidation, lack of tools, lack of confidence, lack of time, and lack of self sufficiency. We are a specialized society that has become used to...

First thing I would do is clean carburetor, run and test under load. That doesn’t do it, check/adjust valves.

The tank crossover valve is either on the left position, for the left tank, or on the right position, for the right tank. There is no middle position that has fuel flow to both tanks.

Was just thinking about you this week Star Tech. If a person has skills, knowledge, experience, and a positive attitude, it really makes a great deal of difference. Let’s just say the phrase, “attitude is everything” isn’t just a saying.

I don’t even know of a machinist in our area that will grind valves. When you factor in your time back and forth, and paying labor cost, it would be on the expensive side. Even new valves need to be lapped in to the old seats.

There is no way a 1/4” or 1/2” deck belt is making that much difference. Is it a manual blade engagement, or has a PTO switch? Do you see a way to adjust the belt tension? There usually is.

Front tires should be closer to 20 pounds of pressure, and rear tires closer to 12 psi. Put mower on level concrete and get out your tape measure. At this point pick a spot on the deck as a reference point and measure side to side in front and back. Front of deck should be pitched about 1/4”...

Maybe over time and usage, the engine developed just enough play that the starter wasn’t lining up exactly right. Glad you got it fixed. Lots of customers think their battery is strong and good. I load test it in front of them, and reality sets in quickly.

Yes, new Spartan keypad consoles come with a 3 year warranty. I have seen several over the years that either new a new keypad console or complete wiring harness. Take it to the dealer in this instance would be my recommendation.

I don’t have a valve grinder, and surprisingly, most people don’t. Most people don’t even know what valves do, much less how to lap them. When a valve moves by turning with your fingers while under spring tension, that is what lapping helps prevent. When a valve leaks when you put gas on the...

Either the carburetor anti-afterfire solenoid (most likely), or a start/run relay bad. These carburetor solenoids go bad with consistency on customer equipment.

My ultrasonic cleaner saves time and works great! I use about 3 parts water and 1 part Super Clean.

Good possibility, based on your description, it is the starter solenoid. Next time engine only clicks, remove protective red rubber boot(s) and cross two main terminals with a screwdriver. I bet it starts.

Some aftermarket carburetors run great, except they hunt and surge. They are set up a bit leaner from the factory in China. It can be a very frustrating experience to try to get them to quit hunting and surging. Check to be sure gaskets are in good shape and installed properly and carburetor is...

If it is your mower, you can decide to add more safety switches (sort of joking), or disable safety switches. The liability and responsibility is on you. The manufacturer installed safety switches because people are not always the brightest, accidents happen, and liability. About 2 (usually...

Lapping valves also increases the compression. When valves and the seats are pitted and carboned up, it really affects the engine performance.

You can replace a camshaft in a used engine for less than half of what a new engine costs. Tariffs have been overhyped and used as excuses a lot lately. Most tariffs have not even taken affect and are just being used as a tool to get the countries in line that have been ripping off the good...

Broken baffle that helps maintain the proper vacuum to cut the grass correctly. I have fixed 2 or 3 already this year. It catches on something when mowing and rips off the deck.

Transaxles normally take 20W-50 synthetic.