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The manual for my push mower says not to tip it on its right side, as that is where the air filter is and it will flood it, and "damage the engine".

That is fine, however the oil filler is also on the right side, and when I change the oil tomorrow, I can't help thinking I'll have to tip it on its right ?

How should I tip the mower without going against the manuals instructions ?

How will I be able to distinguish the drain plug from the engine bolts ?

BKBrown said:

If that is not in the Manual, it will probably be closer to the center or not in the 4 or 5 bolt patern with the mounts, or different size. Is your Manual online as a PDF file ? Does Mountfield have a web site where you can ask the question ?

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Nope, just a paper manual. It just says to use the filler to empty it, but doesn't explain how to tip it to avoid soaking the air filter.

I'll have a look, but if I can't find the plug, I'll just use the filler, but try to tip it more to the back than to the right. Hopefully that'll work.

It's interesting that a push mower has an oil filter -- just say'in. :biggrin:

I guess, if the filler is at the rear, you could take the handle off to tilt it back.
STRANGE that there is not a drain plug.

Does anyone where you made your purchase know ?

Good Luck, and let us know !

After thought: since you can take and post pictures, Let us see the bottom and maybe we can tell !

Two-Stroke said:

It's interesting that a push mower has an oil filter -- just say'in. :biggrin:

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It doesn't... What made you think that ?

jmurray01 said:

It doesn't... What made you think that ? :lol:

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I thought I read "filter" -- you actually wrote "filler". :ashamed:

Two-Stroke said:

I thought I read "filter" -- you actually wrote "filler". :ashamed:

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He did say "filter", "air filter" and then he said oil filler. When I read it the first time, I made the same mistake you did so don't feel to bad. It's kind of easy to do, the way it is written.
I would think that you can tilt the mower carefully and not have an issue with the air filter as the oil should exit before it reaches an intake port
The drain plug should be apparent if it is there, as it will be tapped in the bottom of the crankcase and typically the other bolts are protruding through the deck.
For example a Briggs has a plug with a 3/8" square recess.

BKBrown said:

I guess, if the filler is at the rear, you could take the handle off to tilt it back.
STRANGE that there is not a drain plug.

Does anyone where you made your purchase know ?

Good Luck, and let us know !

After thought: since you can take and post pictures, Let us see the bottom and maybe we can tell !

Click to expand...

Briggs has removed the drain plug from most of there push mower engines. Not even molded into the oil pan anymore. He is correct the oil must be drained through the fill tube. Drain the fuel tank first and you won't have a problem with soaking the ari filter.......I am a Briggs dealer.

I have ran across this on boat engines but not mowers. On the boat engines they make a pump that you pump the oil out. The only problem I could think of from tipping the engine is the gas in the gas tank and carburetor. You said that it was a Chinese engine in a earlier thread and who knows what they do? Just seem there must a better way to drain the oil then out the filler but who knows.

Illengine is right. My old Snapper 3.5HP B&S self-propelled (from 1985) mower has a drain plug in the pan of the engine. But, my Dad's 2 year old Wal-Mart special (also with whatever they call a 3.5 HP B&S these days ) does NOT have the plug, or even a cast-over place where the plug went. Everything else is pretty much the same. Of course he's right - he's a B&S dealer. Dumb me. :ashamed:

It's rather stupid that they would reconfigure the entire casting to do away with a 15 cent plug. However, even WITH the plug, most people I have known for YEARS always changed their push-mower oil by tipping the mower on it's side (with an empty fuel tank). Maybe B&S figured most people didn't use the darned thing anyway, so just save the expense. But, I don't understand why they spent the money to do away with the CASTING.

Perhaps to reinforce the throw-away nature of the modern small engine....:frown: :

"Don't even BOTHER changing the oil, no matter what the manual says. By the time it needs an oil change, it's ready to blow up or sieze anyway. We've made our point to this end clear by eliminating any convenient way of draining the old oil."

Briggs claims the reason they got rid of the drain plug is because some of the OEM's are using a deck design that doesn't allow access to the drain plug even if it has one. Center hole for the crankshaft and that is it.

As has been alluded to already, there are pumps that will go down the oil fill tube and draw the oil out that way. It is actually my preferred method of changing the oil in the walk-behinds and self-propelled mowers that I work on. No back strain, spilled gasoline, stuck carb needles, scratching up a customer's deck, etc. I pump the oil into a graduated container so I have a good place to start for how much oil I'll need for refilling.:smile::wink:

Sorry guys, I got it wrong!

When I got the mower out the shed yesterday to change the oil, I realised the air filter was on the LEFT, and the manual said not to tip it on the LEFT, not right...

And also, the oil filler was on the right.

God knows how I thought the air filter was on the right along with the oil filler, but oh well.

Anyway, I tipped it on its right to empty the oil, and my God, it was BLACK!

After I got 0.41 litres out (the capacity is 0.45 litres, so I was pleased to get almost it all out), I filled it back up with some Mountfield MX855 SAE30 high quality anti-wear and anti-foam oil.

I started it up, and wow! With the old oil the whole mower vibrated, but with the new stuff it didn't even twitch once! You could balance a needle on the top of the engine!

Needless to say I'll be using this oil all the time from now on! :biggrin: