Did You Do A "Break-In" Oil Change On Your Riding Lawn Mower/Zero-Turn?
- Thread starter john_pifer
- Start date
Thanks guys, Mine has been wired really, and I think you might be right SHOZ, After the first few hours on it the little bit of blue smoke that I was getting on start up got better, where it was just tiny little puff and it went right away, and not all the time just once in a awhile.
The other day when it smoked like a fright train after setting for a few days, it never done it for the rest of the day, yesterday afternoon I parked it back in the same spot when I got home with it, it set there until this morning. when I started it this morning it did the same, it rolled blue smoke for quite awhile, to the point clouds of it are rolling out of the building lol, I really never expected it to it this morning.
but I noticed the way it is setting, is the back of the mower is tilled down just a hair, and the front would be a bit elevated then, its just a slight angle but could that be allowing the oil to get up past the rings? its 10w 30 in right now
anyhow its setting in the same place tonight, I'll be videoing next time I start it, probably Tuesday, calling for a wack of rain tomorrow.
The other day when it smoked like a fright train after setting for a few days, it never done it for the rest of the day, yesterday afternoon I parked it back in the same spot when I got home with it, it set there until this morning. when I started it this morning it did the same, it rolled blue smoke for quite awhile, to the point clouds of it are rolling out of the building lol, I really never expected it to it this morning.
but I noticed the way it is setting, is the back of the mower is tilled down just a hair, and the front would be a bit elevated then, its just a slight angle but could that be allowing the oil to get up past the rings? its 10w 30 in right now
anyhow its setting in the same place tonight, I'll be videoing next time I start it, probably Tuesday, calling for a wack of rain tomorrow.
My new JD mower says to shut it off at full throttle or otherwise you might get a pop out the muffler.
Yes I always let it idle before shutting it off
Well guys after those 2 episodes of blue smoke for a couple minutes on start up its never done that since, the odd little puff of smoke on start up but thats about it, hasn't really burned any oil either, since the oil change at 5 hours I've only add like 100ml, weird I guess. Hot as hell here now lol 90-95+ the last few days and for the next couple. the mostly 85 for the rest of the week, 19 hours on it now, Rotella T5 15W40 is going it tonight.
On those engines it is either oil seeping past the valve seals, or oil going past the piston rings at start up. Both are very common, and as long as your oil level is correct it will run for a very long time like that.
Typically its after 4 or 5 hours. Id also caution you not to make the jump to synthetic oil until the engine has a fair amount of time on it (300 hours or more). Sometimes switching to synthetic too soon doesnt allow the engine to fully break in properly and to be fair, mower engine really needs synthetic anyways.
300 hrs? It’ll be plumb wore out by then!
LOL, just kidding.
Anyway, the notion that an engine “won’t ever break in properly on synthetic oil” is one of those oft-repeated internet myths - and it‘s not true for auto engines OR OPE engines.
I've never done a break-in oil change, but I did mix the first gallon of gas for my new line trimmer at 32:1. 
Owen Lucas
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I didn't change the oil on my Honda HRX 217 push lawnmower for 4 years, it came out looking really dark and cloudy but Blackstone said it was fine.
Hey guys what do you think of this, so I have the FR691V and you all know of smoking issues, well it doesn't really smoke anymore, just a little puff here and there, but its definitely burning some oil, it has 37.5 hours on it and in the last 7.5 hours it burnt just a hair under 1/2 a QT. what do you make of that? thanks
Rotella T5 15W40
