Homeowner's Blog » Out door power equipment

Small Engine Repair

Paul — Sun, 23 May 2010 18:49:14 +0000

Most outdoor yard equipment uses some type of gas powered small engine. Generally, these units are reliable and will give good performance. Every once in a while, however, they won’t start.

This year, I went to fire up the trusty rototiller (Yard Machines 21A332A700) to start working on the garden and I spent quite a while pulling on that rope with nothing to show for it. It turns out, there were several problems. These are the basic trouble shooting steps:

Check the fuel. Gas goes bad after a while, bad gas will smell funny. If the gas has sat in the tank all winter, drain it out and replace with fresh gas. Check the carburetor, most have a drain bolt on the bottom, drain about 1 tablespoon of gas out. If the unit has a fuel filter, check that too.
Check ignition. Remove the spark plug and check for damage. Check for proper gap. The spark plug should have slightly grey/brown ash on it, that is normal. Black gunk indicates a more serious problem. If several attempts at starting were made, the spark plug should have a slight coating of gas on it and the cylinder should smell like gas. Wait about 5 minutes then ground the spark plug on the engine and pull the starter. You should see/hear the spark. If not, there is an ignition problem.
Remove the air filter and be sure that the choke plate is closed.
After several starting attempts, the carburetor throat should be slightly wet with gas. If not, there is a fuel problem.
If everything looks normal (fuel and ignition okay) then the flywheel key might be bent. This could happen if the engine was stopped after hitting something. In many cases, the fly wheel key can be replaced.

Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine with flywheel cover removed

With the rototiller, I found two problems, no gas and no spark. The gas problem was due to a clogged carburetor port. I took apart the carburetor and blew out all the ports with 35 PSI compressed air to make sure that no other junk was stuck in there.

Briggs and Stratton 6.5 HP engine ignition coil

The ignition problems were due to a mouse nest under the fly wheel cover. The mice chewed through the insulation on the kill wire. I tried to re-insulate the wire, but there was still no spark. I replaced the entire ignition coil. Briggs and Stratton has a good web site where one get know how and order parts directly.

I also installed a new, properly gapped spark plug. Total cost of repair, about $40.00.

Tool Review, Husqvarna 240 E Chain Saw

Paul — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:29:44 +0000

In order to put up our Photovoltaic system, we had to remove an old pear tree. The tree was exactly in the prime location for the array, and figuring that we could replant an apple tree, which I like apples more than pears, everything would be just fine.

I got out the old chain saw, fired it up and began cutting the lower branches. Then, I climbed up a ladder and started cutting away the upper branches. Next, the saw quit running. Now, truth be told, it wasn’t a very good saw to begin with and it was quite old. Naturally, stopping in the middle of a project, while the rented excavator was sitting idle in the yard, called for some fast action.

Previously that day, I was at the local Williams Lumber store and noticed they had a trade in deal on Husqvarna chain saws. I took my old, non-running unit in and purchased a Husqvarna 240 E. It was a really good deal and I had always heard that Husqvarna made good chain saws.

Husqvarna 240 E chain saw

I was not disappointed. The 240 E is a good small chain saw that made quick work of the pear tree, which was suffering from an advanced case of heart rot, as it turns out. I have since used it to cut up all of our fire wood, harvested from our wood lot out back. It consistently starts on the third pull, has lots of power to cut through hard wood like oak, maple and black locust.

It has a 16 inch bar, but I easily worked through the pear tree which was at least 24 inches at the base. I would recommend this for anyone needed a good small chain saw.

New Cub Cadet CC4175 String Trimmer

Paul — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:41:31 +0000

Happy Birthday to me! With my Home Depot gift certificate from Aunt Barbra and Uncle Jim, I purchased a new string trimmer to replace the old one which met its demise earlier this spring. She’s a bute! There are several nice things about this unit; first, it has a 4 cycle engine. No more mixing oil and gas and hoping that I don’t foul a spark plug. Plus, it always seems that each tool, e.g. chain saw, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, used a different fuel to oil ratio, making life difficult. Second, it has several different attachment head accessories that can be bought, so not only is it a string trimmer, it can be a pole chain saw, hedge trimmer, brush cutter, mini rototiller, edger and so on.

There were two units to choose from, the less expensive, less versatile curved shaft unit, or the straight shaft unit. I like the straight shaft units better because it seems to be a better design; less friction, less wear and tear on the power transfer cable, etc. Perhaps I am just imagining it, but it seems to be much more sturdy that the old Pouland string trimmer.

Since it has a 4 cycle engine, it requires crank case oil and there are all sorts of warnings and stickers to that effect. Guessing they may have had problems with that in the past. Anyway, a 3.04 ounce bottle of SAE 30 HD motor oil is provided. I am going to keep the little bottle to measure out oil changes when needed in the future. I also noted that it is about 1 to 2 pounds heavier than the old string trimmer. It seems to have more power than the old unit, and no smoky exhaust to breath while trimming up the yard.

Some assembly required.

I am looking forward to finishing up the trimming over the weekend.

Maintenance of a Toro 22 Inch Recycler Lawn Mower

Paul — Sun, 18 May 2008 00:42:28 +0000

All outdoor power equipment requires some maintenance to keep running in top shape. By changing the oil, air filter and keeping the equipment clean, you can extend the normal life by several years. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to get my monies’ worth from something. I believe the average life you can expect from any piece of outdoor power equipment is about 10 years, ± 2 years.

Case in point, last year, my 10 year old craftsman lawn mower bit the dust. The aluminum crank case cracked and leaked oil all over the place. I used this lawn mower at our rental house, which had an acre of lawn, then when we moved here, I used it for four more years, again, mowing about an acre of lawn every week.

Last fall, my 9 year old chain saw broke the connecting rod. The chain saw was heavily used, and a higher quality unit like a Stihl or Husqvarna may have lasted longer. This year, my 10 year old string trimmer bit the dust. The cable that transfers power from the power head to the cutting head unsprung. The whole unit was beginning to fall apart anyway, again, a higher quality unit may have lasted longer. So I have concluded that 10 years of medium to heavy use is about all you can expect from most stuff.

The Toro Model 20071A Lawn mower was brand new last year, and it has been a good unit so far. Always starts on the first or second pull and does a real nice job with the lawn.

Maintenance is pretty easy. Changing the oil took about 15 minutes, including 10 minutes of warming the engine up. I like to change the oil when the engine is warm because the it thins out the oil and more of the old oil comes out of the crank case. This unit does not have an oil plug on the bottom of the engine, so it needs to be tipped on its side. This is best done when the fuel tank is nearly empty, so gas does not leak out when it is tipped over. I use a catch pan, then empty the catch pan into my “dirty lube oil” container, which is a 5 gallon gas can so purposed. When the dirty lube oil container is full, I take the oil to my favorite garage, M. Alpert and Sons, for recycling. The lawn mower takes 20 ounces of SAE 30W detergent motor oil.

The air filter should be changed every year. The replacement filter is a Tecumseh 36905, which I found at both Lowes and Home Depot.

The old filter is on the left. That is the filter that came with the lawn mower after one season of use. You can see why they need to be replaced every year.

The only other thing that is recommended is to lube the wheel gears for the front drive wheels.

An occasional blade sharpening will also make cutting the grass much easier. You can tell when your lawn mower blade needs to be sharpened by how cleanly it is cutting the grass. A blade of grass that looks torn or shredded where it was cut is a good indicator that the blade is dull and needs to be sharpened.

Lawn Mower Maintenance

Paul — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:31:10 +0000

It case you haven’t noticed, I am big on maintaining things. I figure if I spent all this money on a piece of equipment or something, I should make it last as long a possible. It may not seem like it now, but lawn mowing season is right around the corner. With that in mind, every spring I get the trusty old walk behind mower out and do a little tune up.

The owner’s manual that came with the equipment should have a maintenance section. This will tell you everything you need to know about required maintenance, specifications, recommended fluids and fluid capacities. Generally, it will look something like this (click on thumbnail for enlarged view):

This is a Sears Craftsman model lawn mower that I inherited from the rental house we lived in. I thing it is about 10 years old or so. It has a 6.75 HP engine and a 21 inch cut, which is pretty much standard. I have a fairly large yard, so it thats about 3 hours or so to mow all of it. That does not include putting the finishing touches on with the string trimmer. When I get or build an outside shed, I will get a riding mower.

The first think I do is replace the oil. This machine takes a little less than 1 quart of 10W40 motor oil. I start the engine up and let it get warm, then turn if off. There is no drain plug on the bottom of this engine, so I have to tip the mower over and drain the oil out of the fill tube into a catch basin. Always recycle your old motor oil. In New York, repair stations are required to take used motor oil for free. I think that most states have similar laws. It is good to drain the oil when it is hot because it flows more readily.

Second, I clean the air filter. This is a paper filter, I replace it with a new one every year. During the cutting season, I usually take it off and vacuum it every month or so.

Third, I check the spark plug. It should have a very slight coating of brownish gray ash on it. This can be wiped off. Check the gap and reset to the manufacture’s specification. It is surprising to me how many people do not understand this. The gap is where the spark jumps across to ignite the air/fuel mixture. If it is too wide, the spark will either not jump it or be erratic. If it is too narrow, the spark will not be big enough or hot enough to properly ignite the fuel mixture. Using a spark plug causes the electrodes to wear down, so re-gaping the plug is needed.

Blade before it has been sharpened

Fourth, I remove the blade and sharpen it on the bench grinder. It is inevitable that I will hit a few stones during the mowing season. This causes large “dings” in the blade. I grind these out and sharpen the rest of the blade. Then, the most important part is re-balancing the blade. This is important because an unbalanced blade will cause excesive vibration and will cause the engine to wear out. I hang the blade on a nail or wire and notice which end moves down, I then grid a little metal off of the very end of that side. I continue to do this until the blade stays level when I hang it. This is not precision balancing but it seems to work well enough. A nice sharp blade evenly cuts the grass, making the lawn look better and the engine work less. If you notice that your grass blades are being torn or ripped unevenly, it is likely that you need to sharpen your lawn mower blade.

Blade after it has been sharpened

Finally, I tighten up all the bolts that hold the machine together. Wheel bolts and handle bolts get the most attention. I remove any built up grass and gook from under the mowing deck, rinse everything off with water and we are good to go for another cutting season.