Spring Maintenance Thread!

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It's getting to be that time of the year again. So what are your plans, or what have you done so far. Today I picked up 4 quarts of the new PP 5W-30 for the OPE this year, a new NGK Spark plug for the Riding Lawnmower and the Pressure Washer, and the pushmower. A new Purolator PureONE filter for the riding mower, new air filters for all as well. I'm starting to get the itch, but it's still too cold outside. =|
 
I changed oil on my Toro mower last fall, so it's ready to go. I will need to change oil on the Honda snowblower. I only used it once this winter... what a waste of perfectly good M1 HM 5w-30.
 
Lawn Tractor -> M1 0w-40
Generator -> M1 0w-40
Inboard boat -> M1 5w-40
Push-mower -> M1 0w-40
Chipper -> M1 0w-40
Honda 9.9 4-stroke Outboard -> AMSOIL AZO 0w-30

Won't be until late April though most likely when we open the cottage.
 
Craftsman riding mower M1 10-30

Craftsman pressure washer M1 10-30

Coleman Powermate generator M1 10-30

Honda walk behind mower M1 10-30
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
It's getting to be that time of the year again. So what are your plans, or what have you done so far. Today I picked up 4 quarts of the new PP 5W-30 for the OPE this year, a new NGK Spark plug for the Riding Lawnmower and the Pressure Washer, and the pushmower. A new Purolator PureONE filter for the riding mower, new air filters for all as well. I'm starting to get the itch, but it's still too cold outside. =|


Which P1 for your Craftsman mower??
 
I have 55 gallons of winter hi-test gas with Sta-Bil to put into the cars before the ambient temperature gets hot enough to cause the winter gas to cause the containers to swell up and become round similar to a basket-ball, and then store 20 gallons of summer gas with Sta-Bil.
 
I have been working on my Jeep. So far it has a new radiator and coolant, the tranny fluid has had 3 quarts removed and replaced twice, new oil and oil filter, new air filter, new distributor cap and plug wires, new plugs, new fuel filter. I need to replace my headliner in the spring and tires when Black Friday comes again in Nov. She has kept me busy lately but is running good.
 
I'll probably change the oil in my trail Jeep as it's been a couple of years. I'm going to go with Nextgen Maxlife 5W30.

I have some valve cover gaskets in my kids car and I'll probably change the snow blower and genny oils on a free weekend.

My next project is my log splitter build. I wanted to find an older engine but will probably try a Predator engine from Harbor Freight. You can't get much for a hundred bucks, so what the heck.

Oh, going to finish the tube work on my buggy and install the 4.0L/auto drivetrain. I have one ring & pinion and spool to install too and mount the radiator behind the seats.
 
Lawn Tractor (Craftsman with a 17HP Kohler) will be getting some Rotella T6 and probably a Purolator Classic.

ATVs (Polaris Scrambler and Kawasaki Prairie) will be getting all fluids changed. Castrol 5W-50, Royal Purple filters, and OEM fluids for everything else.
 
The Blizzaks on plane jane steel rims have to be taken down to the self service car wash, and cleaned off, then rinsed with the wax setting, brought back to the garage and given a day or two to dry. The pressure in each of them gets reduced to 4 to 6 PSI, then the rims get touched up with Rustoleum semigloss black spray paint from cans.

The cheap steel and cheap paint job that plain jane steel rims have will rust out big time if I don't clean and touch them up after they are taken off of the cars.
 
The 757 was serviced before it was put away, so other than a new battery (it's still on the original JD battery) it's ready to go. I'll pick up a replacement in the next week or two.

All of my other equipment was put away serviced so it's ready to go.

While plowing the driveway this winter I noticed that one of my N's was running a little sloppy-indicative of slightly worn distributor bushings so I'll replace those, and while I have the distributor off I'll replace the point/condenser and make sure the timing is set. I'll wait until the threat of snow is gone since it's my plow tractor, and in case I get into it and decide to do more I don't want it apart in the event we get more snow. I also don't want to use one of my other show tractors to plow, and I don't have chains/loaded tires on my N that I use to bush hog in the summer.

All of our winery lawn maintenance equipment was put away serviced, so it's ready to go. Our grape harvester needs some maintenance, but we'll take care of that this summer.
 
Pulled a stupid move yesterday so I'll be adding a cylinder head/gasket replacement on my mower.

Cub Cadet Snow Thrower:

Did first 5 hr OC last week (went with Mobil-1 OW030), will do storage maintenance beginning of April.

Craftsman Blower:

Clean or change plug
Clean/oil air filter
Fresh gas/oil mix with stabilizer. Switching to Lucas semi-synthetic 2-stroke oil this year.

Echo Trimmer

Clean or change plug
Inspect air filter, change if needed
Fresh oil/gas mix w/stabilizer
Lube according to manual

Toro Mower:

As mentioned above, replace cyl. head & gasket
Replace blade with sharpened spare
Replace plug
Replace air filter
Change oil
Fresh gas with stabilizer
Remove engine cover and cowling, remove debris with compressed air.
May check ignition gap
 
Originally Posted By: Woody71
Pulled a stupid move yesterday so I'll be adding a cylinder head/gasket replacement on my mower.

Cub Cadet Snow Thrower:

Did first 5 hr OC last week (went with Mobil-1 OW030), will do storage maintenance beginning of April.

Craftsman Blower:

Clean or change plug
Clean/oil air filter
Fresh gas/oil mix with stabilizer. Switching to Lucas semi-synthetic 2-stroke oil this year.

Echo Trimmer

Clean or change plug
Inspect air filter, change if needed
Fresh oil/gas mix w/stabilizer
Lube according to manual

Toro Mower:

As mentioned above, replace cyl. head & gasket
Replace blade with sharpened spare
Replace plug
Replace air filter
Change oil
Fresh gas with stabilizer
Remove engine cover and cowling, remove debris with compressed air.
May check ignition gap



What did you do that requires you to change the headgasket?
 
Cub Cadet rider- will get Ford FL400S and Rotella 15w-40
Troy Bilt generator- will get Rotella 15w-40
Troy Bilt pusher (GCV160)- will get the last of my Mobil 10w-30 syn
My G650GS will get a BMW OEM filter and Rotella 15w-40
 
Lawn boy push mower with the Tecumseh 4stroke- going to put some 10w40 max life in it to try and slow down the oil leaks and consumption. I'm hoping to add a rear bagging kit to it this year along with a high lift blade. New wheels will have to wait until next year. Got the mower for free, so I don't want to sink to much into it.
 
Spring? Spring?? You call this Spring??

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Sold my poulan 20" (B&S quattro 4hp) last week, already warmed up my Craftsman (B&S 675) a bit. Sometime later this week it shall receive it's rounds of oil change, using Isosyn 15W40 (as always).

Sometime later this late sping: I shall get my pressure washer out to give the usual treatment (warm up, drain tank, change oil to 15W40, etc.)

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
What did you do that requires you to change the headgasket?
Cleaned the plug. Threads squeaked when I removed it. Sprayed the plug threads with a squirt of Sea Foam Spray. Tightened it a half turn and didn't feel it tighten so I kept going. Pulled out a mangled plug and the threads on the HG are shot. I should have known better as I've changed numerous plugs on my OPE. From now on nothing on the threads and torquing to manufacturer's specs (15 lb in for my mower)

The upside is the new Tecumseh head and gasket kit (went with the kit because it was actually cheaper than just the gasket) were only $33. Will give me a chance to see what the cylinder looks like and clean it up before I put the new head back on.
 
Welp yesterday I went through, cleaned and organized the garage, took down all but the christmas lights over the garage (which requires me to go out on the roof), changed the oil (PP 5W-30) spark plugs (NGK in lawnmower, tractor, and pressure washer, Champion in weed whacker and leaf blower) and filters in all the OPE, amsoil MP-HD lubed all the joints and stuff on the tractor. White lithium greas'd the garage door screw drive,

Replaced the mailbox with a new one, put up a flag on the front porch. All in all a productive day. Didn't get to the focus. I may take the lazy way out and take the oil and filter to the dealer and ask how much to change it lol.
 
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