Spring Maintenance Thread!

[JPP]

Craftsman 18.5 HP INTEK.
Pulled the 2 blades off and put them on the grinder and the are sharp.
2 new Bosch plugs.
1 new air filter.
2 Qts PP 10W30.
1 Wix oil filter.
Fresh Gas.
New Valvoline grease in all the zerks.
Tire pressures checked.
Boogity Boogity Boogity Boys........ Let's go mowing!

JP

 

[dwcopple]

52* here yesterday. Pulled the tractor out of the garage. Left battery in all winter (oops). No problem, turned right over. Giant puff of black smoke and she purred like a kitten again.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
52* here yesterday. Pulled the tractor out of the garage. Left battery in all winter (oops). No problem, turned right over. Giant puff of black smoke and she purred like a kitten again.



The tractor started right up. For me, it was the pressure washer that gave me a hard time. Cranked it, cranked it, cranked it. Nothing. Sigh.

Found the starter fluid and pulled the air filter. It would run, lots of white smoke, before dying again. Rinse, repeat. Finally managed to get it to stay running, 20 minutes later, by now my arm being quite tired from pulling the pull cord.

I swapped the spark plug and it wasn't fouled or anything. Not sure why it gave me such a hard time starting.

 

[SHOZ]

My pressure washer has a B&S motor on it. It has the carb pulling fuel from a small well on top of the fuel tank. This is always full of water and the thing runs like [censored].

Really a pain to take the carb off and then the tank to clean it out. Ethanol is to blame.

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
52* here yesterday. Pulled the tractor out of the garage. Left battery in all winter (oops). No problem, turned right over. Giant puff of black smoke and she purred like a kitten again.



The tractor started right up. For me, it was the pressure washer that gave me a hard time. Cranked it, cranked it, cranked it. Nothing. Sigh.

Found the starter fluid and pulled the air filter. It would run, lots of white smoke, before dying again. Rinse, repeat. Finally managed to get it to stay running, 20 minutes later, by now my arm being quite tired from pulling the pull cord.

I swapped the spark plug and it wasn't fouled or anything. Not sure why it gave me such a hard time starting.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
My pressure washer has a B&S motor on it. It has the carb pulling fuel from a small well on top of the fuel tank. This is always full of water and the thing runs like [censored].

Really a pain to take the carb off and then the tank to clean it out. Ethanol is to blame.

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
52* here yesterday. Pulled the tractor out of the garage. Left battery in all winter (oops). No problem, turned right over. Giant puff of black smoke and she purred like a kitten again.



The tractor started right up. For me, it was the pressure washer that gave me a hard time. Cranked it, cranked it, cranked it. Nothing. Sigh.

Found the starter fluid and pulled the air filter. It would run, lots of white smoke, before dying again. Rinse, repeat. Finally managed to get it to stay running, 20 minutes later, by now my arm being quite tired from pulling the pull cord.

I swapped the spark plug and it wasn't fouled or anything. Not sure why it gave me such a hard time starting.


Maybe it was water in the fuel. It's a brand new (last year) Briggs and Stratton Professional Series 875. The big 8.75tq OHV vertical shaft one. It doesn't have the stupid nylon pulsa-jet carb. But thinking back, it probably is water in the gas.

 

[wander2039]

Only checking the blade on the old Briggs 6.5hp this year. No more oil changes for it. Oil still looks new from last year, not sure what I put in it. It'll probably still last another 10 years if the deck holds up.

*Edit - PYB 5w30 per another thread in this section.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I tuned-up the Honda HR215 this weekend (GXV140 engine). I adjusted the valves, greased the ball bearing wheels, and took off the twin-cut blades and installed a high-lift bagging blade. That thing'll suck the concrete off the ground now! Also installed a new NGK BPR5ES plug and a fresh change of Rotella T5 10W-30.

Ready to go for another 12 years (with semi-annual oil changes, in the spring and in the fall).

 

[05LGTLtd]

Changed oil on the Craftsman mower. I calls for SAE30wt, but multi-grade allowed. I decided to throw some Mobil 5000 10w-30 in this time! Also picked up a free filter when I bought some Castrolo 0w-40 at AAP, what do you think?

 

[Vikas]

Well, after 6 months hiatus with old gas + blue marine Stabil in it, the Honda lawnmower, fired up on the first pull! And even after putting it back on the low idle, it just kept on running.

The Sears snow thrower started instantly too.

But the new Champion generator needed three attempts to start even though it had only been about 6 weeks since it had ran. Any way, it has all automatic remote control start, so all I had to do was to press the button and watch it start.

Need to maintenance on the lawn mower soon, the blade swap and oil change is in my future.

 

[SOHCman]

Coaxed a 30+ year old 5 HP Briggs to life with a mmo piston soak, starter fluid, new air filter, removal of mouse poop from the cooling air cowl, and repeated t5 oil changes in-between warm up runs to clean out years of sludge.

Runs great! Almost ready to till the garden If it would stop raining!!

 

[TurboLuver]

JD 345 -> M1 5W40 and a Napa gold 1394 last fall after the final use.
This spring - New fuel filter, Transmission fluid and filter change, New Oregon gator mulching blades and 2 new front tires.

Snapper LX1848 -> M1 5W40 and a Purolator L10241 last fall.
This spring - Sharpened the blades and New fuel filter.

 

[95busa]

Changed the oil on my cub cadet, 19hp kohler. Rotella 15w-40. Motorcraft fl400s filter. Lubed the steering. Will shortly change the oil on my Troy hilt pusher, gcv160 honda engine. Working through the last of some mobil 1 10w-30 on that one.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Just changed the pump oil on my Craftsman Pressure washer- used RP synfilm 220. Drained out ND30w

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Toro 8-25 rider got cleaned up and new oil. Still need to sharpen the blade.

JD push mower (JS65C) cleaned up and new oil.

Yard machines snow blower cleaned up, new oil, drained all fuel and emptied bowl.

Used the same oil for all of them Mobenzoil 1 ultranum 4W-25 or somewhere around there. (a bunch of the 1/2qts left over from oil changes combined in a 5qt jug).

Need to get a filter for the generator and change that oil still.

 

[beanoil]

Honda push mower, GC 0w30. Husky weed wacker, fresh 89 with 3 ounces of Elf 2 stroke for a change. Can Am Spyder, Lubro Moly 10w40 and HiFlo filters in the engine and trans. My brand new Craftsman LG tractor will have to run a couple of hours before it gets changed, but GC will be called to action there also, with a free Fram TG from a deal somewhere in the past.

 

[TFB1]

I haven't done anything to mine but put gas in them... I figure the M-1 0W-40 in the Honda engine is good for another year(or at least late in the season)... I'll change the '80 B&S in the next month or so, the '87 B&S mostly changes itself...

 

[jeepman3071]

I just picked up a 2005 Snapper rear engine rider with the 28" Hi-Vac deck and 12.5 HP Briggs OHV engine.

-Changed oil with Rotella T 15w40
-New Gator mulching blade
-New drive disk
-New air filter
-New Champion RC12YC spark plug
-New fuel filter + fuel line
-New battery
-New belt for mowing deck
-Greased front end, rear axle bearings, mower deck spindle

I'm just waiting on a carb rebuild kit since it sat for 2 years with old gas in it. The old gas I drained smelled like turpentine, and it surges at full throttle.

After that it should be good to go.

 

[Vikas]

Did the oil change and blades change on the Honda and noticed HUGE oil leak; must be the main seal :-(

Have dosed on QS Defy high mileage + ATP 205 resealer Miracle Juice and will know if it makes any difference.

 

[fdcg27]

Got one of the old Tecumseh beasts out about three weeks ago.
The grass really did need cutting.
Topped off the oil with some old QSGB SL, pulled it a couple of times and then gave it a shot of either.
Came right to life and ran fine for the first cut.
I've used the same old mower for two more badly needed cuts since, using the fuel I had left over in one of the cans from last year.
A simple lawnmower needs little more than fuel, oil and an occassional blade sharpening.
A simple machine is a low maintenance joy.

 

[bvance554]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27

I've used the same old mower for two more badly needed cuts since, using the fuel I had left over in one of the cans from last year.
A simple lawnmower needs little more than fuel, oil and an occassional blade sharpening.
A simple machine is a low maintenance joy.


Amen brother!