Engine Kind of Mystical

[JCAllison]

How in the world do you check a gas filter??? they are a sealed unit??

Hey Mr. R,
First it got cleaned off to see if there was gas in it. Then the hose going to the Carburetor was taken loose and the loose end was put into a coffee can and gasoline was allowed to drain. The gas flowed freely which means that the fuel filter is not clogged. Grandpa's first law: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Will replace it when it doesn't allow flow.

Throw away old gas filter and replace with new, Less then 5 dollars.

That I don't have to spare.

Yes I also wash the pre air filters with dish soap and warm water and then let dry. The pleated paper air filter you should also replace because you have no way to check or test them.

The pleated paper filter was perfectly clean. Didn't replace it. They cost $18.00 here. So far, that's $23.00 that didn't have to be spent this season.

You should start each season with new filters because it is cheap insurance.

Between the middle of March and Thansgibbon day, the lawns get mowed about ten times. Filters shouldn't go bad in that amount of mowing. I know it's cheap insurance, but any cash flow is pretty much more than can be afforded in this economy. Am on a fixed income and sometimes there is more month left than money. It's a matter of priorities.

Now oil level should be checked every time before you even start the mower.

That gets done. It always seems to take about three to four ounces to bring the level up to the top of "Full".

I don't know about you but I fill my mower with gas just before I start it to mow with it when everything is cold which is just a safety thing, never fill a hot mower with gasoline.

This gets done. It takes a little over half a tank of gas to mow around here. There is a two gallon gas container that gets carried around in Lorrie Van Haul. That's where the gasoline for Karel comes from. The two gallon container gets topped up every time Lorrie take us to the Conoco.

Anyway, everything seems to be copacetic. Thanks for the response. Take excellent care, and hang in there.

JC

 

[reynoldston]

Just to let you know I am not any younger then you and living on that fixed income also. I have been in the repair business all my life so I know what it takes to maintain my equipment. Running a mower till the filters are plugged doesn't make a lick of senses to me. I would say if you can't afford 25 dollars a year for maintenance get out of the mowing business. I wouldn't get into the cost of repairing a mower if you think 25 dollars is a lot of money.

 

[JCAllison]

Just to let you know I am not any younger then you and living on that fixed income also.

Hey Mr. R,
I'll bet your fixed income is a LOT more than mine.

I have been in the repair business all my life so I know what it takes to maintain my equipment.

There's not a doubt in my mind that this is true.

Running a mower till the filters are plugged doesn't make a lick of senses to me.

Nor to me either.

I would say if you can't afford 25 dollars a year for maintenance get out of the mowing business.

Am not IN the mowing business, but the lawns need mowing, and Karel, the Craftsman Lawn Tractor has been doing the deed since 2001.

I wouldn't get into the cost of repairing a mower if you think 25 dollars is a lot of money.

You are, of course, right. But, let me see if I understand this correctly: Am given 2000 Craftsman Lawn Tractor when it was a year old for free. Have been mowing the lawns ten times a year with it for almost fourteen years. During that time have replaced the belt that drives the blades once. Replaced the battery after thirteen years. Replaced the shaft that connects the shift lever to the transmission after it rusted because of the humidity here and broke. Have changed the oil at the end of each mowing season in preparation for the next year. Have thoroughly cleaned and waxed the unit once a year. After each mowing, use the 210 MPH leaf blower to clean the grass and dust off. It is then covered with plastic sheeting and a tarp to keep it out of the weather. It never fails to start right up at the beginning of each mowing season, and every time it is needed from mowing. Just imagine how GREAT it would work if I hadn't neglected so terribly.

Anyway, a friend just dropped by to bring me a DVD of the Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret movie "Grumpy Old Men" to watch later.

Am going to have to be going. Thanks for the response. Hope this finds YOU doing well.

JC