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What is the make, model and type number off of the engine ID plate or sticker? Scag did not build the engine. I have run them overfilled before and not had an issue, but some engines will smoke or purge oil out of the breather and into the air cleaner housing. If the engine has an oil filter...

When they get that bad, it's time to look for a replacement tank. Chemicals that once worked have been pulled off the market.

Heck, in California they have managed to ban everything to a point no one will be left with anything. I will not go off on a political tangent, but I think most people can relate to history beginning to repeat itself once again.

Hello F., How many hours are on this used mower? Did you get an owner's manual when you bought it? If not search for one online or ask the local dealer if they have a spare one tucked away in a file cabinet. An owner manual can answer a lot of questions. I always advise starting out with a...

Hello T., Option 1 is to start with a full fuel tank and see how long it tanks to run it empty while mowing. Option 2 fill it every time before mowing. Option 3: A dry wooden paint stir-stick work really well for a rough gauge to measure fuel level. The tanks are so well hidden and molded in...

The spark plugs should have a faint tan appearance after some extended running time under load. A slight (faint) glow of the exhaust pipe near the heads is not unusual to see at night, especially just after running hard under load. If they are glowing bright orange, it is running too lean or...

Hello P., If the wiring does not resolve the issue, consider the following: I suggest you pull the flywheel and clean the underside really well along with the stator. Inspect the stator for green spots where the shellac coating has failed. The other possibility is some of the flywheel magnets...

Doing a radius in those areas would likely lower the compression and affect the flame front of the combustion.

The cylinder has some seriously hardened carbon scratching going on. As a minimum, the engine needs a good honing and new rings. The cylinder bore looks like someone made a hand sanding attempt sometime in the past.

Typically, the box stores do none of the setup and certainly none of the repairs. The area dealership or independent repair facility has contracts for the PDI's. For the stores that have tried it, the machines usually end up in a mess.

Sounds like this a box store purchased unit. I have seen them get abused by unruly kids and robbed of parts many times over the years. When I was A service manager for a local JD, we performed PDI's for a couple of the box stores and it was not unusual to check some of the display units that...

Just because he jumped the contacts does not mean the solenoid is bad. I suspect there is a safety switch not functioning correctly. Please provide the product label information off of this mower. Here is an example I found on Parts Tree...

Hello M., Most dealers don't have good PDI's because they leave it to chance and poorly trained people who never read the actual procedures. Dealers barely make any profit on new mower sales these days. When I was a service manager at a local JD dealer, I often frustrated my guys because I...

First thing to realize is that your mower deck height selector is just reference numbers, it is for reference only. For my area, most grass is cut at the #4 or #5 level setting. Any shorter and the grass dies after a few days of excess heat. Deck pitch and level are what's important for a...

Truth be told in this situation, you never will get the full measure of oil out of these as if they were dry. There are pockets, cavities and hydraulic piston assemblies that will all retain a small amount of oil in them. Don't be alarmed because this is natural due to design. Top the units...

Which carburetor design does this have? Was the clip for the needle installed correctly?

Hello Bubba, Welcome to the forum. First: Product ID label of the machine you are working on. Second: The engine Model, Type and Serial numbers that are stamped into one of the valve/rocker covers. Wild guesses No compression in one cylinder typically means a bent or dropped push rod due to...

Ha! This site is slowly getting better. It only took 5 communications to get the needed machine and engine label information. The choke may or may not have a minor adjustment on this model, but the need to use the choke each time you start it is just the nature of some engines these days...

Just gap it with a typical thin business card and the gap will be ideal for the coil to produce fire at the plug.

The borrowed mower likely has the old pulse jet carburetor, and they could literally pull a little water in with the fuel and still run. Your mower is strictly gravity from the tank to the carb.

If a machine comes to you with safety switches bypassed by the customer, make a note of it on the repair order, but don't change anything. They usually don't want to put the safety switches back into service anyway. Anything on a repair order that deals with the wiring, or safety has to be...

Starter fluid is not always reliable due to a high flash evaporation point. Chemtool B-12 carb spray is more consistent when it comes to test firing an engine over like this.

Hello D. A bad needle or fuel logged float is the most common problem.

Hello J., Sounds like fuel crept past the fuel needle when the engine was sitting (for a long time) and flooded the crankcase oil. That is where all the white smoke came from. The oil and filter need to be changed a couple of time to clear out all of the oil/fuel mix. You tore into this engine...

Hello B., Sounds like you got water or grass clipping in the fuel tank somewhere along the way. Pull the upper cover and remove the fuel tank and empty the fuel into a clear glass jar to check for water separation or debris. Then blow low pressure air back into the fuel hose nipple to clear it...

Have you ever seen someone get off of a mower and then push one of the directional pedals trying to figure out why it was not moving with the tip of their foot as expected? Hmm? I have, and it was a close call that would have been a serious injury. Luckily, it was just a bad scare with the...

Gee! I've never seen a .0045-inch feeler gauge. Most in the industry only to the 3rd place after the decimal point. .003, .004, .005, etc.

Hello D., I understand the ambitions that come with youth, but it also comes with innocence. They do not understand safety until they get hurt. It is reckless to let them "learn these lessons the hard way." Never disable any safety switches and put a child on a machine. That can (and often...

I recommend a used engine block with minimal wear at the very least. There are a lot of these old 3HP and 3.5HP engine laying around and for sale on eBay.

The solenoid connector is bad about spreading the round female pins and will not maintain connection with the male pins. Try holding a light finger pressure on the connector and listen for a light click when the key is turned on.

They sent you the wrong flywheel that is likely for a later active (module) timing model that would have different coils and wiring configuration.

I hoped you torqued the flywheel to specification, or you will get practice doing it again.

For some riders, that is just a factor of the design, but it should gradually reduce.

Hello C., The initial belt whip action is typically caused by the belt initially gaining a full grip on the pullies until they gain full RPM. It also happens if the engine running speed is too low and putting an extra strain on the engine. The deck should always be engaged with the engine at...

Hello P., A decent multimeter and learning how to do voltage drop testing are needed here. There are many good videos online that demonstrate how the voltage drop tests are conducted. (No parts required, no guess work). Anything with electrical wiring can be tested this way.

You buying? I'll take two.... LOL

Hello M, Oil is made by refineries. The base oil product does not have problem, but the "additive package" in the finished oil product eventually oxidizes and the additive settles to the bottom of the container. Old quarts of oil are nice for "collector's" conversation, but I do not recommend...

There is a difference if it has a filter versus if it does not. With a filter it is best to crank the engine over briefly to fill the filter. If there is no filter to worry with, then just fill it up to the level needed on the dipstick.

The fuel caps on newer equipment are not vented, which is another reason for the valve with the hose running to the air cleaner housing. With the engine running it pulls off fuel vapors created by the engine vibrating the fuel in the tank.

It does not hurt to have 2 quarts at the ready, but don't just put them in because you have them. This is where you side with caution and start out putting in 1 quart. Crank the engine for a few seconds, then let it sit so the oil settles. Check the oil level with the dip stick and add a little...

Also, consider that the units were likely assembled dry with filters that did not have a little oil applied to the seals. It is often times that the simple missed steps for cost savings that take time to show up after hours of operations.

I am not a fan of the newer plastic ones; I came from the old metal bayonet style days.

Your machine is a mystery to us without the product ID plate information. Reference the ID sticker under the seat mount area.

The rod attached to the arms are out of adjustment or one of the arms have been bent, or there is excessive linkage pivot bushing play from wear.

It's something else to break and only comes with a new tank. It is a "roll over" valve in the event that the engine is tipped to an extreme angle.

It appears that the filters were not properly tightened when the machine was assembled. The oil is under pressure to operate the hydraulic drive motors on each wheel. There is also a cooling fan that blows a lot of air to keep the unit cooled down.

Hello C., 8-TEN parts have been good for everything that I have used them for. Remove the deck belt and verify there is no dragging or a pulley that did not seat properly when tightened. You would need an Amp clamp to verify the pull/hold in coil draw, but I don't think this is an actual...

I think the poster disappeared because they cannot be bothered with looking for chassis or engine information. Then again maybe GROK provided them with a lame answer that they will be pondering over for a while.

Hello R., A picture would be most helpful.

Wow! You like to throw mysteries at us. My powers of ESP are shut down for the holidays. (They don't work that well anyway). Is there a number stamped into them that you can cross reference? "Momba" is just a product name that has likely been bought out by another company. What is the model...