Complete shot in the dark here but does anyone have experience of working on lawnmower engines? When I serviced the Briggs & Stratton* engine the other day the oil was very runny and smelt of perrol. Since then I have just ran the engine up to temp once and stopped it by turning the fuel tap off to ensure all the fuel was burnt off and not sitting there in the carb etc. I checked yesterday and the oild on the dipstick seems to be smelling of petrol again. I can only guess the petrol is getting past the piston ring but this is well out of my comfort/knowledge zone. Can anyone provide any clues/ideas on what could be wrong and what I can check? *It's a 13.5hp model from about 2004 if that helps. Model 285h77 Type 0252e1
It's probably leaking past the combustion valve located next to the extenuator spring. If you take the main compartment to pieces and lay it all out and take a photo, I'll point out what you need to do to fix it
Had the same happen with an Suzuki sv650 And it was the fuel tap not working properly which was then flooding the carb and filling the piston, leaking in to the sump
Thanks. I have replaced the fuel tap and it did stop the engine when I turned it. Only difference is that I topped up the fuel after it had cooled down so maybe it is leaking under the extra pressure. I suppose I could test it by trying to start it after it has been sat a while with the tap off.
The wife filled mine with diesel (or tractor juice as she calls it ) and she managed to start it ,,, it white smoked for a bit till it got up to temp but it ran ok ,,, but after a few runs it had oiled all the carbon in the head and the plug ,,, ended up whipping the head off and cleaning it up ,,, fresh petrol in and it was like a new un since then I have marked up the fuel cans
So a quick update in case anyone is interested. The engine comes with one of two types of carb, and one, not the one fitted to mine, is known to have problems with the float and the nozzle/jet in the float tank The problem causes fuel to seep out and basically drain though the engine and into the oil. The new fuel tap I fitted should have ruled this out and I'm wondering if I forgot to switch it off one evening as the smell isn't getting any worse. In any case I have ordered a carb refurb kit even though I couldn't find any mention of the type I have fitted having this problem. Kicker is that dealers on this side of the pond want £70 for the kit which costs $18ish exc taxes in the US. Fortunately Amazon had it for sale from the US store with shipping and customs fees for £30. Ironically I also needed some new brake pads and a disc for it, so after over an hour removing a wheel, another known issue, I removed and stripped the caliper down, and then cleaned it ready for the parts delivery at the middle to end of next week, 7-10 days after the parts were ordered from Boston about 30-40 miles away from me. No problem I thought, I will have time to have the brakes rebuilt before the carb kit turns up from the US, and then be ready to go cut some increasingly overgrown grass. Except the carb kit is turning up tomorrow, 72 hours after being ordered from a site 3000+ miles away! On the upside I am enjoying what has turned in to a bit of a project of getting the mower sorted after it has sat unloved for some years now as I thought it needed a part that I couldn't source, only for me to figure out it was just a serious grass/mud blockage! Sometimes working on old simple stuff helps me realise that I do know more than I give myself credit for. Having a phone to take photos when disassembling is a major bonus, as is a tablet/laptop with a set of exploded parts diagram. The internet may be a shit pit of advertising scum suckers at times, but it definitely has its upside. Finding stuff which Joe Schmo has posted something to help others who find themselves in the same boat whilst expecting no thanks or reward certainly makes things easier, and reminds you that despite how it feels at times, the World is not completely full of c**ts, present company mostly excluded of course Did I mention the mower has a cup holder
Haha I wish the disc is only about 3" and the pads are more like rubber size affair. Didn't realise it was a disc braking system and was too liberal with the use of WD40 in the area whilst sorting another problem.
About £2k to buy something equivalent new Secondhand, like this one was you run tbe risk all over again. Besides I thought you of all people would appreciate dodgy old kit that others would say to scrap
So I stripped various bits of the carb, cleaned it, replaced various seals, gaskets and the needle. Tested it by leaving the fuel tap on and it still leaked over night! Took it apart again, checked it, cleaned it, put it back together and it pi$$ed fuel out! Decided I must have messed up the float/needle so removed the bowl, reseted the needle and float. Tested it with fuel tap on over night and it leaked again! Took it apart, you seeing a pattern here? Replaced the float needle seat. Now that it a fun job to remove with no correct tools. I used pliers, a socket and a long screw, just call me Capt Improvisation. Put it all back together, left the fuel tap on over night, and it didn't leak Engine started first time the next day so I ran it to temp, stopped it by using the fuel tap to clear as much fuel as possible. Then did another other night test and it passed again Went out to the garage tonight, and everything was how it should be so I am a happy chappy. Front end all back together and now just waiting for the shop in Boston to send me the brake bits I need. If they don't get here soon I will have to try and find some way to get some brakes sorted so I can get the grass back to a manageable level. Have to admit doing this was fun
@Barstewardsquad. Damn! Link me in on stuff like this mate (if that's possible?). I'm a complete tightwad when it comes to replacing anything that can be fixed, so have repaired most things - chainsaws, washing machines, vacuum cleaners AND lawnmowers! I know hindsight's wonderful and easy to use, but I'd have gone with float needle all day long. A bit of valve grinding paste & 'lap' the needle into the seat works (as long as the float isn't punctured). Have you got a picture of your brakes & what's wrong with them? I might be able to suggest an alternative fix? Or are you holding out for the correct parts? I once repaired a campervan starter motor with a piece of exhaust pipe, bent into the shape of a motor brush. I was out 'in the sticks' & stuck!
Hi @Black & White problem with brakes is simply that the pads got soaked with WD40. As I'm swapping the pads and the wheel is such a pain to remove, over hour with a lump hammer and a block of wood, I decided to replace the disk as well as it is towards the low end of its tolerance. As for lapping the carb bits, well that is way beyond my ken, just happy I got it fixed for £30 as I thought a new card was in the £150 range, but have now found it for £75! Would have been quicker to replace the carb but I'm happy as it was a good learning process for me. Problem is I have an even older ride-on mower that I am now looking at doing up That needs some welding though and so I may just clean it up and flog as a working project for someone else to enjoy. My next job is to try and fix/replace the motor on the 10yo Dyson we have. New ones all seem to be battery powered or have a ball, something we don't want. Looks like the motor can be got for about £30, but it may just need some new brushes fingers crossed.
