Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil

pcfast

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  • / Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil
The other day I was mowing our lawn with our Toro Recycler self-propelled lawnmower with a Briggs & Stratton 1900cc 4-cycle engine. Since the grass was slightly wet this caused the blade in the mower to jam so I tipped the lawnmower over on it's side to get out the wet grass. When I got out the wet grass I was able to mow for awhile... then it started blowing White Smoke out of the carb. It was quite a lot of Whie Smoke so I let I stopped the Toro for awhile and noticed that it was still giving off some smoke.

At first I thought it was overheating, so I checked the oil level and noticed it was a bit low. I put in some 10w30 oil and let the Toro sit for 1+ hour to cool off. When I started it up again it started doing the same thing but this time started leaking some oil.

I took off the air filter and noticed it had a little bit of gas on it. I also checked the spark plug and it was blackish. I've read on here swapping in a new spark plug and air filter and letting the mower run for awhile will fix it. I assume I tipped it the wrong way flooding the carb. What do lawnmower experts on here think?

I should mention the dipstick on this is a bit hard to read so it is possible I overfilled it. I should drain and change the oil I guess.

I hope this is enough detail and I would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts what I should do to fix my Toro Recycler.

-Thanks
 
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Fish

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  • / Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil
Yah, tipping the mower started it all, it takes a long time to burn all of that oil off, and you probably ruined the air filter as well. Might as well get a new blade, or sharpen the old one...

So you might as well chalk this up as a good thing, as the engine needs taken care of anyway.

Drain the oil and gas and dispose of legally. Remove the air filter and clean the area totally. Go to town and buy some new 30 weight oil, a new filter, and plug. Put in @ 20 ozs. or so of the oil in, and the new plug, and let sit for a bit with the dipstick out. Come back, and install the dipstick and check the oil. If it is full, install the dipstick and plug, put in some fresh gas, but leave the air filter off for now. Take to the side of
the yard next to the neighbors you don't really like, and start the mower. Let it run and smoke like hell for a few minutes, then shut off, and
recheck your oil level after a bit, fill as needed.

Then restart and run until it stops smoking, then reassemble.
 

pcfast

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  • / Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil
Take to the side of
the yard next to the neighbors you don't really like, and start the mower. Let it run and smoke like hell for a few minutes, then shut off, and
recheck your oil level after a bit, fill as needed.

The most important step. :)

I will do what you suggeseted and report back.
 

possum

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  • / Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil
Be careful getting out wet grass. My neighbor has some very sore taped up fingers from that a week ago. Some how the blade spun enough to cut his fingers. The blade was very dull or it would have been worse.
 

pcfast

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  • / Toro Recycler Blowing White Smoke and Leaking Oil
I use gloves when getting out the wet grass.
 

pcfast

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Changing oil on this Toro is PIA!
 

Rivets

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A tip for changing oil. Take a pan, we use the type that are used in hospitals, tip the warmed up engine on it's side and drain the oil out the fill tube. Very easy, simple and quick.
 

possum

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The first time I used the fill tube to drain oil was last year. I hated it. Thought was stupid , hard, messy. Then I found an old shallow cake pan, and tried to have a good time whether I liked it or not. I like it now, fast, no mess, no tools, just tip it and get it over with. I still feel a bit like an idiot when doing it though.
 

pcfast

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I changed it from the bottom. It is doable but a bit difficult to get the lawnmower up.

The Toro is working now. New oil in, changed the spark plug, and put in a new air filter. I let it run for awhile and the smoking stopped eventually. I also added Seafoam to the gas tank which seemed to help.
 
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