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The point I am trying to emphasize is this; risk versus reward. Until you open an engine up, you don’t truly know the condition off each part. Another problem is trying to “work with” partially damaged parts to keep cost down. If your parts cost is $500 and your labor is $1000, that means about...

Why would a customer pay up to $2000 for a used, partially rebuilt engine? An engine they can buy new for around $3000. Most likely you will find as you get busier and build your customer base that going in this deep on engines is not worth the time, effort, focus, and risk.

That is quite the list.

So what is the time difference in ethanol E10 fuel versus premium no ethanol fuel in “eating fuel lines?” How many months or years? I ask because nobody can ever answer this question. Ethanol is blamed for too many problems. Meanwhile a lot of debris and water is found in customer fuel they came...

I see very few EFI engines on customer equipment. I have a Vanguard EFI on my Ferris zero turn. I personally do not like EFI on outdoor power equipment and think it over complicates things.

Once mower is warmed up, needing to prime engine to start is not normal at all, so something ain’t right. Put a clamp on the kill/brake lever to keep engine running when emptying the bag (be careful). Better yet, don’t bag your grass. Much easier and better on lawn to discharge or mulch grass...

My experience has been that most people are appreciative of help, especially when they have no idea how to perform a specific task. However, there are always a few people that doubt, question, and complain despite the help received. Just glad most people are appreciative, or I would have quit...

Spray penetrating oil and hit wheels with rubber mallet.

Marketplace is where I list equipment occasionally and it usually sells for list cost and fairly quickly. Every area is different. Good pictures and description of equipment and service/repair help with sale.

Knowing how to weld is incredibly useful if you do enough of it to use your welder and skills over time. You don’t start out welding and laying beautiful beads immediately, it takes time to learn. My welds are not pretty, but never had a comeback from failure.

Dirty carburetor and or water in fuel.

Weld ‘er up for permanent repair.

Of course it is a fuel issue, or air intake leak. 4 pages of back and forth. You are hunting and surging and running lean on fuel. I have seen this problem hundreds of times.

Bypass the defective safety switch. Run another kill wire from ignition switch directly to ignition coil to turn engine off and permanently mount and protect wire.

Mulch kits on anything larger than a 21” mower are usually no good. I don’t even like them on 22” mowers. Raise the discharge chute at 45 degree angle and let that grass fly. Better on the mower, the lawn, and quality of cut. Lower discharge chute around people, cars, or windows for potential...

Dirty carburetor, bad fuel, anti-afterfire solenoid not working, not getting enough fuel, debris in fuel tank, or all of the above.

There are no real pros on this mower. I just worked on one this summer with sticking valves and needed major work to get it running right again. Was not worth the money for customer. It does have a good solid Kohler Command engine and separate hydro pumps and drive motors and is built solid. The...

I see loose and missing engine mounting bolts from customers several times a year. Remove the bolts and make sure they are not damaged. Clean them with carburetor spray and shop towel. Apply Loctite to bolts and correctly torque them down.

Either the incorrect carburetor for your engine, or the carburetor is set up lean from the factory and you will have to drill out pilot jet to get it right. Third possibility is air leaks from gaskets. I have seen the hunting and surging issues hundreds of times over the years. It is both...

The fact is that in this day and age, the majority of people don’t try. They don’t try to fix the dryer that broke, they call AAA to change a flat tire, they call a small engine shop because their pressure washer won’t start, and simply needs a carburetor cleaned and fresh gas. The sense of...

I ask a customer on the phone what brand the equipment is, and they reply, “it’s red.” A bit of an exaggeration but seriously people do not often know much about their outdoor power equipment.

80W-90 in gear box. Opening the gear box is a long shot.

If it runs like a Deere…Well we won’t go there.

Getting the correct blade is important. Important enough to jack up the mower and remove a blade. Which you will need to do anyway when changing blades. The correct model number of equipment and physical dimensions of blades and then double checked on more than one site will get the correct blades.

I have seen videos on YouTube where the person takes the spindles apart after greasing, and takes the shield off of the bearing and shows that grease got into the bearing . That is why I am asking for people’s input on this.

There should be a bolt on the throttle lever bracket that you can tighten to get more tension so lever stays in place. Otherwise, a spring might be the second option.

People break things, especially on mowers, especially on mower decks. Some people (not many) are really hard on equipment. As long as they pay (they always do), I will keep repairing the equipment.

Typical scenario: When you buy a new spindle, and the bearings are shielded, and then you use a grease gun and pump about 100 pumps before grease starts coming out relief or from seals. Do you think the pressure of the grease gets past the plastic shields on bearing and into the bearing, or are...

I have had 4 electrical issues so far this year on no start problems from ignition switch, and have yet to figure them out. I can get them started, just not without running jumper from ignition switch to solenoid trigger momentarily. Therefore I feel your pain and frustration.

17.5 hp Briggs engine is not the model number. Model number example for Briggs: 331777.

A bit expensive is putting it nicely on the robotic mowers able to mow hillsides . Bottom line: If you buy a big box store battery mower like Kobalt from Lowes, service, repair, and parts will be limited or non existent. If you buy a name brand battery mower like Stihl, from a dealer, you will...

Most engines are lucky if the engine shroud is removed a couple of times in their lifetime to check for debris on cooling fins. When that happens it is also because there is an issue with engine starting and running.

The Kawasaki repair guy would have had to diagnose and test the engine in person to give an accurate answer most likely.

Put sandpaper down on glass and sand the cylinder head. I usually go for .002” on feeler gauge when running it under head and glass to check.

If you cannot get the blade to tighten on the spindle, that obviously is not going to work. I have never seen that happen. Order a new spindle if you have to because blade has to be tight.

Debris in fuel tank would be first probability. Drain fuel tank, blow out fuel line, replace fuel filter, check for debris in tank and clean.

Do NOT remove the Welch plugs. Simply spray with carburetor spray, poke holes with tiny wire, and blow with air compressor blow gun.

Prime example of the misunderstanding of the carburetor solenoid and its function. Anyone that thinks this solenoid will prevent leaks or hydro locking the engine just doesn’t get it.

Always go shorter than longer on belt sizes, especially by 1/2”.

Solid mower. Buy it. Stop renting. Zero turn even better.

Do the lawn police come and arrest people for using a dirty nasty polluting 2-stroke in these counties that have banned it? Yes, I am being sarcastic. Toro makes a solid mower. Look elsewhere when it comes to a battery trimmer. Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, and Redmax come to mind. As stated before...

I wipe dipstick, check on level ground, and check dipstick more than one time. I realize that the dipstick is at a slight angle. Can’t see how that would affect reading the oil level that much on a dipstick on different sides.

The carburetor solenoid will NOT stop fuel from entering the cylinder and hydro locking the engine, IF the needle and seat are not functioning correctly. This is a large part of why this part is misunderstood. The term “hydro locking” should obviously be “fuel locking” if it were to be accurate...

Crosshatching in cylinder. You should wait another 20 years when you will needs piston rings, etc. 300 hours is nothing.

Obviously beating the deck out to get the blade from hitting the deck, is after you check the condition of blades, spindles, etc.

Reuse the cylinder head bolts. 300 hours is nothing. If I were replacing the cylinder head gasket I would remove carbon, but 300 hours is low hours.

It is as simple as getting on your hands and knees and looking at the transaxles, or searching the Gravely by model number for specs.

Speaking of dipsticks. Why does a 4-sided dipstick on a Kawasaki engine often not read evenly when checking the oil, or a 2-sided dipstick sometimes also? I have yet to find someone that can answer this question? I Am meticulous about checking and getting the correct amount of oil in engine...

Anti-afterfire solenoid is the correct term and actual job of the solenoid.

Look on the deck for fresh witness marks from blade hitting. Whack the deck with a 3 pound sledge hammer until the blade stops hitting the deck. Problem solved.