Customer states "mower consumes oil"

[jeepman3071]

Not sure what would cause this, but definitely doesn't look good. It was smoking pretty bad. I'm thinking run low on oil or had water sitting in it at one time? This is on a Toro Timecutter residential zero turn, Kawasaki FR600V, about 10 years old. Usually the machines I see run low on oil have tossed a connecting rod.

 

[KGMtech]

She's dead. Maybe water got inside and sat? this looks like any rust was scraped down, but the damage remains.

 

[fantastic]

Probably Run low, look at all the leaked oil on the frame.

 

[Japanese]

Very clean piston though.
The customer might've been trying to do some repair on his own and didn't put things together well. Or maybe run too long with bad oil.

 

[The_Eric]

Not sure what would cause this, but definitely doesn't look good. It was smoking pretty bad. I'm thinking run low on oil or had water sitting in it at one time? This is on a Toro Timecutter residential zero turn, Kawasaki FR600V, about 10 years old. Usually the machines I see run low on oil have tossed a connecting rod.
View attachment 339557

My vote is water intrusion.

 

[fantastic]

Not sure what would cause this, but definitely doesn't look good. It was smoking pretty bad. I'm thinking run low on oil or had water sitting in it at one time? This is on a Toro Timecutter residential zero turn, Kawasaki FR600V, about 10 years old. Usually the machines I see run low on oil have tossed a connecting rod.
View attachment 339557

Probably Run low, look at all the leaked oil on the frame.

2nd guess...
Carb needle let excessive fuel then mixed with the oil on the cylinder walls causing this metal removal.

 

[Fattylocks]

The piston sure looks like it was steam cleaned.

 

[JohnnyG]

The piston sure looks like it was steam cleaned.

Or pressure washed and put away for a few years.

 

[JohnnyG]

My vote is water intrusion.

More like acid intrusion.

 

[CleanSump]

Will it the bore clean up enough to use oversize pistons?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I had one like that years ago. It was free because it didn't run and sat outside for years. the engine was completely full of water. I got a few years out of it but eventually it just kept burning more oil and losing compression. The last time I used it, it was running really bad and kept popping and blowing off the breather until it finally pulled over way too easy and never ran again

 

[SShooterZ]

Some Seafoam should fix that right up.

 

[jeepman3071]

I'm thinking water intrusion. The air filter cover on the top is missing (broken off). The machine has other indicators of being stored outside, and on these Kawasakis if the filter cover is missing rain will go directly into the air filter. It's a shame because a replacement engine likely isn't in the cards for this machine.

 

[jeepman3071]

Probably Run low, look at all the leaked oil on the frame.

Yeah the oil was barely on the stick when it was brought in.

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

I'm better on water. I revived and edger that my friend bought at a yard sale for $5. The piston was oriented vertically and the water mark was a ring around the bore. After freeing it up, I cleaned up the bore as best I could with Scotch Brite. It ran. It edged. It smoked too,

 

[jeepman3071]

This engine had 110 PSI compression on this cylinder before I pulled the head. The owner might just throw some 20w50 and Lucas oil stabilizer in it and run it for as long as he can. The mower itself is rough, deck is solid but rusted, seat taped up, but it still drives and cuts.

 

[jeepman3071]

Will it the bore clean up enough to use oversize pistons?

It probably would, but honestly it isn't worth it to me to completely tear down these engines and rebuild them for people. They don't want to pay for that labor, and then I have to offer a warranty similar to if I installed a new engine, which transfers the risk of bad quality parts to me instead of the engine manufacturer. I'd actually rather install a used engine especially if I can hear it run first.

A brand new Kawasaki FR600V is somewhere between $1700-$2000 just for the engine depending on shipping and what options it comes with.

 

[fantastic]

It probably would, but honestly it isn't worth it to me to completely tear down these engines and rebuild them for people. They don't want to pay for that labor, and then I have to offer a warranty similar to if I installed a new engine, which transfers the risk of bad quality parts to me instead of the engine manufacturer. I'd actually rather install a used engine especially if I can hear it run first.

A brand new Kawasaki FR600V is somewhere between $1700-$2000 just for the engine depending on shipping and what options it comes with.

Basically 1/2 or 3/4 of the money for a new box store ZT. I don't know if it was this customer in particular since mowers change hands but it's hard to get motivated doing that much work when you see all the red flags you saw on this mower.

50 grade till she blows...or sputters out.

 

[Japanese]

I'm thinking water intrusion. The air filter cover on the top is missing (broken off). The machine has other indicators of being stored outside..

Why there is no rust in the cylinder though? Is there rust anywhere on the engine?

 

[jeepman3071]

Why there is no rust in the cylinder though? Is there rust anywhere on the engine?

They brought it in running, so my guess is it sat for a period of time with water, and then the piston rings scraped the rust off when it was running. The mower has been stored outside for its whole life based on the condition of the rest of it. This is just a guess though, it could be a different issue like being run low on oil as well.