New Rider And Black Oil

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NE Alabama
I have a new Murray 38" cut with a Briggs 13.5hp USA made engine. Splash lubricated without a oil filter.

I changed the FF oil at 5 hours and the oil was black as new asphalt! I wasn't expecting the oil to be that dirty after only 5 hours. New B&S oil was put in.

I changed the oil again at 5 hours to see if the oil was clearing up but it was as dirty as the first oil change. Again I used B&S oil to fill.

My next grass cutting next week will put me at another 5 hour mark so I'm planning on another oil change.

I do understand about soot turning oil black so I expect this next change will be dirty black also.

Is this normal for a new mower? If so, I'll stop the 5 hour changes and just go with it.
 
2 changes is probably enough. I get it , it change mine several times when new. But i have to say. I once ( about 5 years ago) borrowed my bil's murry rider when mine was broken down. It had a B+S engine. I though it would be nice if i changed the oil since i borrowed it.

I changed it and mowed my yard. I returned it and told him, hey i changed the oil for you, so you should not have to worry about it for a while. He looked at me funny and said what do you mean changed it?
He had never changed it.

The thing was 10 years old and i did the first change. Kind of understand why Briggs now says " check and add". He wore out the deck before the engine died.
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
He looked at me funny and said what do you mean changed it? He had never changed it. The thing was 10 years old and i did the first change. Kind of understand why Briggs now says " check and add". He wore out the deck before the engine died.


Not hard to believe.

I quit changing the oil in my push mower years ago. I have one old farm tractor that get used about 2 hours a year (it gets up to full temp, though) and that oil is close to 20 years old (15w-40 Rotella)
 
Use a good brand of 15W-40 next change. Check the spark plug
for rich running. choke maybe mis-adjusted.

Keep us informed about this odd situation.


My 2¢
 
I'm running a $350 Honda so not extactly the same but I changed when new with M1 0-40 and leave it in a few years at a time. Still looks really good.
 
Funny my 22 vanguard goes all season and it still looks like new. All I use is Supertech synthetic. Those engines will easily outlast the crappy tin n plastic bodies
 
+1. Agree with over rich fuel mix. Make sure the choke comes fully open and air filter is not clogged up. B&S suggest that the FF is 5 hours and then 50 hours or one year on oil changes for my 20 HP B&S. Ed
 
My mother bought a new generator a few years ago, but it had sat, unsold and unused, for probably two years. Ran crappy and seriously diluted the oil with fuel. I changed the original spark plug after two oil changes with a champion, I think, and it ran better and did not dilute the oil with fuel any longer. I was using peak conventional 10/30, and started using straight 30, 10/40 or 20/50 pcmo as well after the spark plug change, although I really don't blame the 10/30 for thinning out, but rather the spark plug.
 
Wow! Lots of replies!
Is it not normal for a new mower engine to produce dark oil during break in? However long that is.

I read a post on another mower forum where someone had the same issue after the 5 hour run time. Different mower though. He kept changing the oil after 5 hours run time repeatedly until the oil cleared up.

The choke / throttle is manually operated with a cable going to the carb. I have choke for starting, the a rabbit for normal run and a turtle for idle. (Wished push mowers still had this simple leaver!!!)

Parts will have to be removed to check throttle body for proper choke operation. I'll look at it when we get some sunshine back.

I'll check when I can and let y'all know.

Oh! I have a mulching plug on it if that makes any difference.
 
Change it after your mow, keep checking it, and go from there.
Shouldn't be that dark after 5-hours, but at least now you know what to check. (Choke)

A new spark plug (or a good plug cleaning) probably wouldn't hurt either, especially if it's running rich.
 
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Super Tech 10W-30 or Super Tech 15W-20

Which would of the oils above would you prefer knowing the engine is still new?
 
Originally Posted by TenSilver
Super Tech 10W-30 or Super Tech 15W-20

Which would of the oils above would you prefer knowing the engine is still new?


I hope that was supposed to be 15w40. Either way, that would be my choice.
Summer heat and air cooled engine, a good 15w40 HDEO is hard to beat.
And SuperTech HDEO is great oil at a very good price.
 
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Originally Posted by Lawn_Care
Originally Posted by TenSilver
Super Tech 10W-30 or Super Tech 15W-20

Which would of the oils above would you prefer knowing the engine is still new?


I hope that was supposed to be 15w40. Either way, that would be my choice.
Summer heat and air cooled engine, a good 15w40 HDEO is hard to beat.
And SuperTech HDEO is great oil at a very good price.

Indeed that should have been 15w40! Good catch!

A question... If 10W30 may burn more oil on a b&s engine, wouldn't the 15w40 burn some as well?
 
Originally Posted by TenSilver
A question... If 10W30 may burn more oil on a b&s engine, wouldn't the 15w40 burn some as well?


Honestly I experience less oil consumption with a 15w40 HDEO over a 30-wt oil.
I've never actually measured the difference, but this is a common phenomenon.
 
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