Export thread

Toro Wheelhorse

#1

D

DPG

Well started the rider a couple weeks ago, all went fine. When I engaged the "clutch" for the blades the motor started coughing out piles of white smoke, ran roughly for about 20 seconds then shut down. I was able to start it again but same thing when engaging the blades. I do not think (???) I seized the motor because it did turn over again before the issues started. Any ideas? I'm thinking like maybe I smoked the whole clutch mechanism that runs the blades or something? I think it's going in today for checking. It was blowing massive amounts of thick white smoke is that typically a tell-tale sign of something?


#2

reynoldston

reynoldston

Just what model Wheelhorse are you talking about ?


#3

D

DPG

Hmmm I'm not positive of the exact model number but it's the "XL" series mower maybe 16 (?) H.P. (?) It's maybe 15-17 yrs old and was given to me. The motor has run good and strong up till this incident, hoping I didn't seize it. May be getting it into the shop today I'm thinking in my own mind I'll probably put a cap on it of about $400.00 for a spending limit. If it's anything "major" like a new motor or something I'll probably pass on fixing it sure that would be cost prohibitive by the time all is said and done I could spend a little more and go new.


#4

B

bertsmobile1

Sounds very much like a blown head gasket.
Check the oil level and the feel & smell.

Has it had difficulty starting reciently and in particular slow or labouring when cranking ?


#5

reynoldston

reynoldston

DPG said:
Hmmm I'm not positive of the exact model number but it's the "XL" series mower maybe 16 (?) H.P. (?) It's maybe 15-17 yrs old and was given to me. The motor has run good and strong up till this incident, hoping I didn't seize it. May be getting it into the shop today I'm thinking in my own mind I'll probably put a cap on it of about $400.00 for a spending limit. If it's anything "major" like a new motor or something I'll probably pass on fixing it sure that would be cost prohibitive by the time all is said and done I could spend a little more and go new.
Click to expand...

They didn't make the XL series till 2005 - 2010 so its newer then you thought. They used a OHV Briggs engine and it could well be a blown head gasket as bertsmoble said.


#6

D

DPG

OK thanks what kind of repair is that if it's the head gasket? Nothing I'd be attempting myself approx. what would a Toro dealer get, a couple hundred dollars, "many Hundreds?"


#7

reynoldston

reynoldston

DPG said:
OK thanks what kind of repair is that if it's the head gasket? Nothing I'd be attempting myself approx. what would a Toro dealer get, a couple hundred dollars, "many Hundreds?"
Click to expand...

IF IT IS] a head gasket and that is all it needs I would say a couple hundred. You are looking for answers on a forum so all you are getting are big guesses as to the problem. bertsmobile lives a half a world away and I live about 6 hours away so we have no idea what your problem is. I would say take a compression test would give you better answers on it being a head gasket or not.


#8

B

bertsmobile1

replacing a head gasket is one of the easiest repairs you can go.
Fairly strait foreward my repair schedule book lists it as 2 chargable hours + parts which $ 20 for the head gasket $11 for the rocker cover gasket and $ 15 for oil.
The cheap and not always accurate test is to run the engine for a few minutes then remover the dip stick.
Lots of smoke = blown gasket.
In a really bad case even cranking the engine will give you smoke from the dip stick tube


#9

reynoldston

reynoldston

bertsmobile1 said:
replacing a head gasket is one of the easiest repairs you can go.
Fairly strait foreward my repair schedule book lists it as 2 chargable hours + parts which $ 20 for the head gasket $11 for the rocker cover gasket and $ 15 for oil.
The cheap and not always accurate test is to run the engine for a few minutes then remover the dip stick.
Lots of smoke = blown gasket.
In a really bad case even cranking the engine will give you smoke from the dip stick tube
Click to expand...

Go for it, I haven't got one penny invested. If it come to my shop or any shop around here you would be looking at better then 200 dollars. You most work cheap over there. I know I don't walk out of a grocery store with a small bag of food for less then 50 dollars and I have to change a head gasket for that amount of money. That will be the time I give up doing this type of work. NO thank-you. I get more money then that for just a spring tune up.


#10

B

bertsmobile1

Don't forget the big box charge $ 120 /hr the mower shop up the road charges $ 90 / hr and the mobiles ( like me ) charge out at $ 60 / hr.
2 chargeable hours comes from a Husqvarna warranty scheduled service fees book I was given a while back.


#11

reynoldston

reynoldston

bertsmobile1 said:
Don't forget the big box charge $ 120 /hr the mower shop up the road charges $ 90 / hr and the mobiles ( like me ) charge out at $ 60 / hr.
2 chargeable hours comes from a Husqvarna warranty scheduled service fees book I was given a while back.
Click to expand...

Yes I know what type of book you are getting that timed charge from. I worked out of them in shops through the years. Its called a flat rate over here. The mechanic gets the job and sees how fast he can do the job so he can work on the next job. The customer gets very poor quality of work done. I would never advice anybody to have work done in one of them type of shops. By the way the op has a Wheelhorse not a Husqvarna. Also seeing that is a warranty scheduled book its working on a new unit not the same as a older unit. So get the right flat rate book if you going to give prices to me.


#12

D

DPG

Received a call from the shop late last week apparently the carb had some "junk" blocking it and the gas having no place to go made it into the oil which caused some smoking and burning off. They said at the time of the call the head gasket looked fine and recommended a "tune up service" which would include going through the carb and cleaning it, oil change, etc, etc...So their doing that for now and I told them while it's there to check the belts, etc...But that had me wondering after I hung up the phone I did run it for like a minute (at most) trying to see what was wrong I hope I didn't burn up the engine or anything if it had gasoline in the oil? The complete tunup will be like 180 plus anything additional I'm assuming it'll need new belts it hasn't been "serviced" in-shop in years.


#13

reynoldston

reynoldston

DPG said:
Received a call from the shop late last week apparently the carb had some "junk" blocking it and the gas having no place to go made it into the oil which caused some smoking and burning off. They said at the time of the call the head gasket looked fine and recommended a "tune up service" which would include going through the carb and cleaning it, oil change, etc, etc...So their doing that for now and I told them while it's there to check the belts, etc...But that had me wondering after I hung up the phone I did run it for like a minute (at most) trying to see what was wrong I hope I didn't burn up the engine or anything if it had gasoline in the oil? The complete tunup will be like 180 plus anything additional I'm assuming it'll need new belts it hasn't been "serviced" in-shop in years.
Click to expand...

Price wise that sounds right. I just couldn't set by when berts was giving 1960 prices. Sorry I got off the subject. Glad you found the problem.:thumbsup:


Footer Links 1

Top