0w20 in a JD F510 with Kawasaki PA540V 17 hp ?

I got a bigger 350 CCA U1 SLA battery. But the battery is not really the problem as the frequent starting regime when hauling, the time the engine is running doesn't get the battery topped off. The battery in it now is 4 years old and as long as it was start and mow things worked OK. Plus it was seldom used when cold. 6 years ago or so I started using it to haul wood mulch. That killed that battery. So I guess using a charger to keep it topped off at the end of the day will be in order.
 
Still on the old battery but I got a Denso TT iridium IW16TT plug for it. Gapped at .025". Seems to have two less revolutions when starting cold.
 
Still on the old battery but I got a Denso TT iridium IW16TT plug for it. Gapped at .025". Seems to have two less revolutions when starting cold.
Do I remember correctly, this is the engine that needed some head work? And you repaired it successfully a while back?
 
Do I remember correctly, this is the engine that needed some head work? And you repaired it successfully a while back?
Yes, I put a used head on it, new fuel pump and carb. Runs like a top just slow to start. I was thinking today it acts like the fuel isn't there on a cold start. The fuel filter is horizontal and usually half full of air. I wonder if purging the air would make a difference?

I use it for hauling mostly 1000 lbs of dirt in the wagon. I pulled three 15 ft ash logs out of the woods and down to the bank. It got a workout doing that, dragging them across the grass. It's good for rough chopping too. The front mower and the gator blades can really chew up small trees and the like.

The OE plug is a NGK BPR5ES
 
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Good to hear that it's running well. Is it slow to start when warm?
It almost always needs choke. If it's hot and just shut off it doesn't. Completely opposite of the new John Deere.

The fuel filter has always sat horizontal and had the air bubble. But that is before the fuel pump.
 
So I went out and checked out the fuel filter. It lays horizontal and is half filled with air usually. I wrenched it around so it was vertical and got the air out really easy with some jostling around. Need to get a bit more hose and secure it like that. But it started a bit faster although it was quite cold this morning, 30F or so with a mid 20Fs for the overnight.

Once warmed though it hit one the second or third rotation. Usually 8-10 on the old cold air in the gas filter.

So even though it is on the suction side of the pump, it still has to exert more energy due to the air being easier to pull a vacuum on vs the liquid fuel with that air in the filter.
 
So I went out and checked out the fuel filter. It lays horizontal and is half filled with air usually. I wrenched it around so it was vertical and got the air out really easy with some jostling around. Need to get a bit more hose and secure it like that. But it started a bit faster although it was quite cold this morning, 30F or so with a mid 20Fs for the overnight.

Once warmed though it hit one the second or third rotation. Usually 8-10 on the old cold air in the gas filter.

So even though it is on the suction side of the pump, it still has to exert more energy due to the air being easier to pull a vacuum on vs the liquid fuel with that air in the filter.
I wonder if the idle jet is clogged, or idle mixture is too lean.
 
I wonder if the idle jet is clogged, or idle mixture is too lean.
It's a new carb for what it's worth. I semi adjusted the idle when I put it on but should go through it completely sometime.

Reorienting the fuel filter so it hangs vertically right off the fuel pump inlet really made a big difference. Cut the cold start cranking to about 6 strokes and the hot start to 2 at the most. Still needs choke when hot though but always did.

Also using old last years summer fuel with Stabil too.
 
In over 55 years of using OPE, and rebuilding lots of engines, I have yet to see an engine destroyed by oil viscosity. You could almost run water in a B&S and it would survive. Use a decent oil in whatever vis your temps indicate and worry not.
 
Used it quite a bit the other day and got the oil up to 125F. It starts almost immediately when that warm. It seems to starve for fuel on a semi warm start though. It fires then dies unless full choke. Maybe the float is too low?
 
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