Husqvarna 54" Rider - 24hp Kawasaki smokes

[kballowe]

I have a Husqvarna 54" rider with the Kawasaki 24hp twin which is used only to mow grass.

Purchased April 2011.

Mower has 55 hours on the clock and has had three oil changes with Rotella 15W-40.

Just started to blow a bluish white black smoke on startup within the past couple of months. This happens after the mower sits for a while - and does this even without using the choke.

After the first time, I replaced the air filter, even though it looked just fine.

It will smoke for a few minutes and then stop smoking. Engine function/power seem unaffected. It doesn't appear to be using much oil.

Any ideas?

 

[bepperb]

Oil overfilled or parked on an uneven surface?

 

[kballowe]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
Oil overfilled or parked on an uneven surface?


No. Mower parked perfectly level. Oil exactly at full mark.

It's like, after it warms up a little bit, then it quits smoking.

 

[SteveSRT8]

3 oil changes in 55 hours? Only on BITOG!

Seriously, have you even broken it in yet? It sounds like the answer is no. That thing needs high grass and full throttle for a solid hour or more, load it up please...

 

[lawman1909]

I would run the engine hard for a couple mows. And try switching to a 10w-30 or straight-30. 15W-40, to my knowledge isnt spec'd for this engine so instead of trying to use an oil you think is better, use what the engineers spec'd for it.

 

[kkreit01]

How does one "run it hard"? Don't you always mow at full throttle? I do.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
How does one "run it hard"? Don't you always mow at full throttle? I do.


My 26 hp Briggs Platinum says to always run at full throttle, never anywhere else.

But these engines use a governor mechanism that limits the rpm. This means you need to load the engine to get it to open the throttle. Tall grass, uphill runs, stuff like that.

 

[kballowe]

I always park the throttle at the stop.

We gave out 19 year old riding mower to our son. Ran it with Rotella 15W-40 its whole life. Still no smoke. That's the reason that I use it in this one. And the push mower, and all of our motorcycles.

It gets plenty of up and down hills but not really tall grass.

Interesting enough - I left it sit in the shade for eight hours and started it with NO smoke.

 

[kballowe]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
3 oil changes in 55 hours? Only on BITOG!

Seriously, have you even broken it in yet? It sounds like the answer is no. That thing needs high grass and full throttle for a solid hour or more, load it up please...


5 hours. 20 hours. 45 hours.



I only mow an acre. With a 54" cut, this thing is a lawn mowing machine. It gets an annual oil change, even though it doesn't accumulate many hours.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: kballowe
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
3 oil changes in 55 hours? Only on BITOG!

Seriously, have you even broken it in yet? It sounds like the answer is no. That thing needs high grass and full throttle for a solid hour or more, load it up please...


5 hours. 20 hours. 45 hours.



I only mow an acre. With a 54" cut, this thing is a lawn mowing machine. It gets an annual oil change, even though it doesn't accumulate many hours.

Spoken like a true Bitogger!

My 54 inch lawn eating monster is powered by that infamous Briggs platinum. It has never smoked, but it only has a little under 100 hours now. I cover a bit larger lawn with a lot of terrain challenges, I thought I was nuts for changing mine out at 50 hour intervals.

 

[Srt20]

I think you need a heavier oil, and more frequent oil changes.

 

[abycat]

Originally Posted By: Srt20
I think you need a heavier oil, and more frequent oil changes.


I'm not sure that is the case.

 

[Cujet]

I suspect it's not broken in. Might try a conventional oil and running it under heavy loads for quite some time, as suggested above.

 

[kballowe]

UPDATE

OK, so we've had some rain and the lawn is growing again. I've had to mow it twice in a week. In both cases, there was no smoke. None.

It appears that this only happens when it sits for several weeks.

We will see.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^Well that was easy!

Seriously, great news, and good luck with the mower...

 

[Alltherage]

We have a craftsman with kohler 26hp twin. I get smoke on startup if it's exposed to rain or moisture and then sits. I have also come to realize I can't run the oil to the full mark. I have to run it at half or even at the bottom of the bracket. I switched to full syn sn oil at 150 hours and eliminated startup smoke and consumption. Trying delo 10w30 syn blend now

 

[JTK]

I've had V-twin OPE engines that would smoke on startups or inclines when the oil level was at the full line per the dipstick. Keep the oil level lower, no issue.

You might be parked on a perfectly level surface, but the engine could be tilted ever so slightly, such that some oil is escaping the crankcase and getting into the cylinders over time.

Lowering the oil level to just below the full line might help.