Can you wash a Briggs and Stratton riding mower engine?

[jay1957]

I am getting ready to clean my John Deere E170 riding Lawn mower, and I was wondering if it was safe to rinse off the engine?

 

[slomo]

Try a leaf blower or compressed shop air first. Pull the engine shroud and clean the cooling fins, all around the block.

I applaud the cleaning effort. Turtle Wax the deck and apply used motor oil to the under side of the deck. Tires properly aired up. Valves ran.

 

[jay1957]

Try a leaf blower or compressed shop air first. Pull the engine shroud and clean the cooling fins, all around the block.

I applaud the cleaning effort. Turtle Wax the deck and apply used motor oil to the under side of the deck. Tires properly aired up. Valves ran.

Thanks for the information, I only have around 14 hours on it. I had to have the original engine replaced after only 10 hours on it. It came with a 25HP, and the John Deere dealer put a 24HP on it. I don't know what happened to the first engine other than it sat for over a year during COVID and only ran for five minutes when I started it, and never ran again. I did get rid of the quick oil change filter with this new engine.

 

[Auto Doc's]

Wash it carefully and then blow as much dry as possible with a leaf blower or a shop air hose and nozzle if you have one. Avoid getting the air cleaner inlet wet,

 

[DK35vince]

Just avoid the air filter.
My tractor and zero turn engines get pressure washed.