Grass cutting season is upon us

[Njguy1977]

I decided since I didn’t get a phone call back from the local mower repair shop for a repair quote I’d tackle a head gasket replacement on a 17.5hp Briggs and Stratton in a ride on mower with the overhead valves. Made sure I had all the right tools after seeing some tutorials on YouTube and was missing the correct feeler gages. The mower repair shop is close by, went there for the gages and was promptly told that they no longer carry them since NOBODY repairs their own stuff anymore. I put up both of my hands to the sky and promptly said I still do, which made the service guy laugh. Went to autozone afterwards, got the feeler gauges, broke the engine down and replaced the gasket and reassembled the engine (it helps I have the know how on how to rebuild car engines and all the tools to go along with it .) My only issue of the day was YouTube is extremely confusing with valve lash and how to gage it correctly with the feeler gage. I accidentally went too light on the gap between the valves and rockers and the engine wouldn’t start because the compression release didn’t work. Well after some research and figuring it out (thanks Tarryl fixes all) I went back out there after dinner, reset the valves and rockers correctly and she fired right up. It runs way better now and much better then 6 years ago when I got it for free. Looks like it’s good for another 22 more years before it will need the same job done again. No more oil burning and I will be happily mowing this season, can’t wait for the cutting to begin.

I’m sure I’m not the only one doing their own small engine repairs. I have 1 more mower that needs some attention. It’s a lawn boy from 1967, needs a bottom seal replaced and she should be good to go after that. I can’t imagine anybody repairing 2 stroke mowers anymore.

Share some of your lawn machine repairs, might help someone out if they have questions.

Larry

 

[DesertIguana]

My grass is rock, it required no trimming, cutting, fertilizer, or watering. Yes I get small weeds, they are easy to uproot. My Land Tourtoise also helps with weeds, as of last Monday last coming out of hibernation, she eats some.

 

[Tirvine]

My lawn is now small enough, about the size of a living room rug, that I could sell my push mower and use a string trimmer. Every year I widen the surrounding beds by a couple of feet. Soon the lawn will be gone. Awwwww.

 

[Berwick12]

If you want to send me the carb off of that lawn boy that would be great.....But every year it's something. I've always fixed my lawn mowers. Buying cheap. Fix them up. Run them to the ground

 

[Mojo88]

Tomorrow is get the snowblower ready for storage and the lawnmower ready for the first cut if it doesn’t rain. It seems we cut grass until Thanksgiving the last few years and I only went through one tank of gas in the snowblower.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I gassed up and started my snowblower before a predicted storm that never came this year A couple of weeks ago, I siphoned out the tank and let it run dry.

I have mowed at my house once. Still need to service that mower.

One of the John Deere tractors at another piece of property has a starter solenoid that was acting up last year. As soon as a new starter came in the mail, it quit giving problems. I'll probably have to replace the starter this year, though.

This week, I have to replace the alternator on one our our tractors. The original one's pully broke off in the hayfield two years ago. I replaced it. The replacement lasted two years.

 

[Njguy1977]

If you want to send me the carb off of that lawn boy that would be great.....But every year it's something. I've always fixed my lawn mowers. Buying cheap. Fix them up. Run them to the ground

I appreciate the offer, I’ve rebuilt the carb already and replaced the needles, I can find the high idle ones easily it’s the low speed needles that are hard to find. I have a 65 brick top 18” that’s cream colored that runs like a champ. When the grass is high the 2 stroke lawn boy cuts through it very easily, only down side it’s a side thrower with no bag provision. The 67 I have is the green teardrop and just needs the shaft seal because it surges when it runs. Once I have time to tinker with it I will give it a go, it’s the 3rd engine I bought that’s in it as the other 2 I previously had I’m using as parts. The original 67 engine was sized and no amount of oil was going to help. Maybe this year I will have to time to make it run again.

I did re-run the ride on and it starts very easily now and no oil leaks and no more burning oil. Is this a repair i would do again, the answer is yes! The only thing I just recently bought is another steel pushrod. Briggs uses an aluminum pushrod for the intake valve which wears out fast along the guide. It’s the same length as the exhaust one which is steel, the trick is just get another exhaust rod and use it for the intake and the problem s solved and the reliability is greatly increased. Since you can’t easily buy a new gas powered anything anymore that’s affordable it's worth it to fix what you have and keep it going for as long as possible.

Larry

 

[garyg]

Air filters on the Toro, new plug & an oil change. The snowblower here ran only once, 5 minutes for the seasonal startup in November ..

Now I need to figure out how to maintain the Toro's Personal Pace drive system. This one's only on its sixteenth year. I'm a week away or so from having to cut,

 

[StillShaving]

My lawn is now small enough, about the size of a living room rug, that I could sell my push mower and use a string trimmer. Every year I widen the surrounding beds by a couple of feet. Soon the lawn will be gone. Awwwww.

I am almost to that point. I have a small lawn and a creeping grass (Zoysia) that does not grow very tall and can go weeks without cutting. Though if I let it grow too long before cutting then my reel mower does not work very well and I use the grass trimmer to get it back in shape.

Last summer I started looking for some wheel that could be attached to the shaft of the trimmer in order to keep the spinning head level when mowing. Something like a uni-cycle string trimmer. I did not find anything for sale online and may consider some redneck engineering next season.

 

[c__port]

I've never allowed someone else to work on a small engine for me. If I can't figure it out, then a box of parts will eventually get pitched or given to someone for parts value. Small 2-cycle engines are sometimes just not fixable for a decent price.

Yesterday and today, I did the maintenance on my 36" Toro finish mower with a 15hp Kawasaki. I greased everything that had a sleeve or zerk, changed the plugs, changed the oil, filters, checked belts, blades, and brake bands, and fired it up and mowed. It was mfd in 2008 but you would never know from looking at it - it runs and looks great.

A few hours after I mowed, I checked the oil before putting it away. There was a disturbing strong gas smell to the oil on the dipstick, and the level was slightly higher than before I mowed.

A quick google search gave me 3 likely causes - damaged fuel pump diaphragm, stuck needle valve in the carb, or shot crank bearings. It took about 20 minutes to get the flywheel off and verify that there was no wiggle or seal damage on the crankshaft. Whew. The fuel pump test showed no leakage. A carb is about $20 but requires a bit of jury-rigging for the throttle linkage due to age.

There is an inline fuel shutoff valve that I never bothered to use, even over winter. One of the repeated suggestions on the web search is to always, always shut the fuel off.

So I changed the oil to remove the contamination, and have ordered the carburetor. The fuel line is certainly going to be shut off immediately after the key shutoff from now on.

 

[Ad Astra]

Here the dormant season's Halloween-St Pat's Day. Been mowing (Troy-Bilt) for a month ... ... but we did just buy a gas edger. Wife hated the electric one! I'm onboard.


AA

 

[Columbo]

My son now helps with these things. Our Sears lawn tractor is also well into its “20s”, and the old Koehler engine still pulls as well as when it was new. I attribute that to regular synthetic oil changes and good fuel system maintenance over the years. A fuel cutoff valve prevents a lot of off-season problems. We keep it on a battery tender when not running, which really helps to extend the battery life. Cuts well, and no serious chassis or deck rust.

Still, after all these years, some things do wear pretty good. We went out to the shed this weekend to check it over for the upcoming season. The rear tires are starting to get thin, one front tire was bone flat, and the seat cover is starting to crack and peel.

We’ll do what we do every year: change out the blades and send last years out for resharpening, an oil and filter change, clean the air prefilter, and a shotglass of techron in the first tank. And maybe a shot of grease into the front wheel bearings and pivots.

But what really got my goat this weekend were the gas cans. We’ve had these big Blitz plastic cans for 25 years now, never given a problem, they work easy and don’t spill the gas. You pull the nozzle out of the cap, and it pours wherever you stick it. I think I paid under $10 for them. But the plastic caps on a couple finally cracked.

Replacing gas cans has really turned into an expensive ordeal. The Blitz company is long gone (no parts), and all the new plastic ones cost a fortune, have every safety feature known to man, but can’t but spill gas everywhere but where you want it. The gents at the store agreed, and tell me “that’s because the government got involved”. Good grief. Why must everything be so difficult today?

I finally wound up buying Eagle steel cans, at $60/ea. At least they’re US made and not a nightmare to use, although we had to wedge a piece of wood under the lids to fill them. I think the fuel cost us another $60-70 for the season.

 

[Berwick12]

A fuel cutoff valve prevents a lot of off-season problems

I second, third and fourth the above comment.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I got rid of half a dozen Blitz cans a couple of years ago and replaced them with No-Spill brand. The push button is easy to use. The can can fall over and won't leak. The 5 gallon cans have a handle on the top and side. The side handle make it easier to hold up right. For small hand held equip ment, I sit the can on its side in a ledge and put the engine under it and push the button to fill.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Nobody repairs their own? Last year I bought a riding lawnmower for $100. The motor was shot, the previous owner having cracked a piston after running it without oil. It had just over 70 hours on it. A replacement motor was $900, so practically a new mower for a grand. This spring I will be doing the oil change myself.

 

[luvmysuper]

I have 5 gallon plastic Jerry Cans I bought several years ago, don't know the brand off the top of my head, but they had the government mandated "no spill" spouts. First thing was to go to Menards and buy replacement plain EZ Pour "water can" (cough cough) spouts, vents and caps. The spouts are about 8 bucks and they have ones that fit a variety of gas cans.

 

[Njguy1977]

I have 5 gallon plastic Jerry Cans I bought several years ago, don't know the brand off the top of my head, but they had the government mandated "no spill" spouts. First thing was to go to Menards and buy replacement plain EZ Pour "water can" (cough cough) spouts, vents and caps. The spouts are about 8 bucks and they have ones that fit a variety of gas cans.

View attachment 1826062

I have the same gas can that’s the spawn of satan that you speak of. Some needle nose pliers and remove the strainer inside the container and break the red plastic safety on the spout and you have defeated the devil himself. My tank retains the spring push when you fill, no lockout, and when you refill it the gas stays inside when your pumping.

Larry

 

[Columbo]

I have 5 gallon plastic Jerry Cans I bought several years ago, don't know the brand off the top of my head, but they had the government mandated "no spill" spouts. First thing was to go to Menards and buy replacement plain EZ Pour "water can" (cough cough) spouts, vents and caps. The spouts are about 8 bucks and they have ones that fit a variety of gas cans.

View attachment 1826062

That’s a great option. I’ll have to look into those.

It’s too late to return the Eagle cans; we filled them. They’re solid cans, just expensive. And the Blitz cans are so old the red plastic has turned pink. But finding a basic 6 gal gas can is close to impossible nowadays. Love to keep them as spares.

 

[gpjoe]

I decided since I didn’t get a phone call back from the local mower repair shop for a repair quote I’d tackle a head gasket replacement on a 17.5hp Briggs and Stratton in a ride on mower with the overhead valves. Made sure I had all the right tools after seeing some tutorials on YouTube and was missing the correct feeler gages. The mower repair shop is close by, went there for the gages and was promptly told that they no longer carry them since NOBODY repairs their own stuff anymore. I put up both of my hands to the sky and promptly said I still do, which made the service guy laugh. Went to autozone afterwards, got the feeler gauges, broke the engine down and replaced the gasket and reassembled the engine (it helps I have the know how on how to rebuild car engines and all the tools to go along with it .) My only issue of the day was YouTube is extremely confusing with valve lash and how to gage it correctly with the feeler gage. I accidentally went too light on the gap between the valves and rockers and the engine wouldn’t start because the compression release didn’t work. Well after some research and figuring it out (thanks Tarryl fixes all) I went back out there after dinner, reset the valves and rockers correctly and she fired right up. It runs way better now and much better then 6 years ago when I got it for free. Looks like it’s good for another 22 more years before it will need the same job done again. No more oil burning and I will be happily mowing this season, can’t wait for the cutting to begin.

I’m sure I’m not the only one doing their own small engine repairs. I have 1 more mower that needs some attention. It’s a lawn boy from 1967, needs a bottom seal replaced and she should be good to go after that. I can’t imagine anybody repairing 2 stroke mowers anymore.

Share some of your lawn machine repairs, might help someone out if they have questions.

Larry

I changed the oil on mine yesterday...filter too!

 

[ColtRevolver]

It ain't a lawn mower but we'll be using this to cut hay in about a month. Today I changed out a faulty alternator.