lawnmower oil

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Originally Posted By: Dantheman
Briggs and Stratton now recommends 5W-30 Synthetic for all temp. ranges . At least for the 6.75 Quantum on my SNAPPER push mower .


Correction - 7.0
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My opinion on lawn mower oil is: For the average residential mower, as long as anything from 0w20 to SAE60 racing oil is in the crankcase, and the oil gets changed once every 2-3 seasons, the engine will never die from a lubrication related failure.

That said, GC continues to be flawless in my JD rider.
 
I don't think I would use a 60w racing oil. A splash system is use on many of 4 cycle lawn mowers. I like the 30w which I did notice at operating temp it tended to be more tacky and cling to the metal over the 10w-30. Splash System
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
I'm using a 12.2 Cst Esso XD-3 full PAO Synthetic 0w-30 HDEO in my yard equipment. This oil has proven in UOA's to be very shear resistant, and starts out at almost a 40wt. It works well because our mornings can be chilly, but they can end up at 90+F.

Plus it's quite inexpensive. I think it's prettty much the ideal yard equipment oil for canadians. If you're hung up on the 30wt issue, the full PAO 0w-40 XD-3 HDEO is available at Wally world (in Canada that is).

I haven't noticed any consumption with the 0w-30 in the yamaha generator, the chinese honda clone pressure washer or the kawasaki/John Deere mower. I check the oil every time before I pull the starter.


ditto

XD3 for hot summer months to handle the heat and load. Otherwise for cooler spring and autumn any left over 5W30 or 10W30 is used for a short 2-3 month OCI.
 
Bump for a very long thread!

Until recently I only used M1 5w30 in my 8 year-old Briggs push mower. No smoking, or any other issues.

However, at the beginning of summer I tried Pennzoil 30 weight. Price was right, so I thought I would save a little cash.
But, there is a problem: Now with every start the mower smokes for a minute or two, and there is definitely more noxiousness to the exhaust.
The mower is very well maintained, so I am perplexed as to what could have caused this, other than the different oil (I really like Pennzoil products, so I'm not slamming Pennzoil).
The fuel is fresh, spark plug is fine, filter is in great shape...strange.

Anyone else have a similar story?

I will try some Valvoline Synpower full synthetic I have left over, to see if the issue improves.
 
I am embarrassed. I changed the oil (it was almost due anyway) to Synpower 5w30, checked the air filter, and changed the plug. The smoke stopped.

I wonder if the problem was the old plug: a Champion "Easy Start", I believe. I usually use the regular plug, replaced annually. The Easy Start looked ok...not really fouled, but darker than I would expect.
Of course, I changed two variables, so I cannot be sure which solved the problem (unless I place the old plug back into the mower and see what happens).

Oh, well...at least it doesn't smoke!

Bob
 
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Guys, do you really think the plug brand can cause a Briggs to smoke or not to smoke? What have you been smoking?

Now, where can the oil smoke come from?
1. Cylinder walls, bypassing the ring pack
2. Too much valve stem clearance

Some kind of cleaning effect of the new oil? Or just too thin oil to stay in the sump?
 
I am preplexed too.

Honestly, I was so stunned by the smmoke that I didn't note the color, nor the smell (I just stayed out of the plume). I initially assumed it was oil burning, but now I'm not sure. Could have been poorly-combusted fuel...or contaminated fuel...
I did notice when I was mowing that the exhaust seemed unusually noxious.

My first thought was rings, but the smoke would be continuous, though lighter after warm-up. The smoke pretty much resolved after a minute or so.
Oil going down the guides was also a consideration...(but, I'm thinking in car terms), but guide wear tends to happen more gradually.

I tentatively ruled-out those possibilites because of the sudden occurence and odd smoke-pattern.


What is truly embarrassing is that I am a former master mechanic (many years ago)!
 
White smoke could be extremely rich mixture (plugged air filter) or poor combustion resulting from a toasted plug but both would run real rough as well.
 
Originally Posted By: lars11
Guys, do you really think the plug brand can cause a Briggs to smoke or not to smoke? What have you been smoking?

Now, where can the oil smoke come from?
1. Cylinder walls, bypassing the ring pack
2. Too much valve stem clearance

Some kind of cleaning effect of the new oil? Or just too thin oil to stay in the sump?


Worn out plugs can cause smokage! This much I know from personal experience. I should have said fouled plugs but same difference.
 
Ok. How? Would that be oil smoke or bad combustion of fuel?
Oil smoke, I don't think so. The oil needs to come from somewhere and the plug is not part of that system. But please explain if I missed something.
 
My 9 year old mower, Honda HRR216, gave a puff of black smoke every time I throttled it up from a low speed to full speed and sometimes when starting. It has been doing this for as long as I can remember. It has been running on 30W dino oil changed every fall.

This spring it was idling rough and stalling when idling at low speed - I cleaned the carb, cleaned the spark plug, put in a new Honda air filter and changed the oil to Amsoil 0W40 formula 4 stroke. It runs much smoother, seems to have more power and there is no smoke when changing speed.

The paper air filter was the original one that came with the mower. I had cleaned it a few times over the years.

I have at least 1/2 acre in lawn :-(

Mike
 
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