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Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

My Riding Lawn Mower Cuts Unevenly

Uneven can be a vague term when talking about how your riding lawn mower cuts. Does it scalp the lawn when you turn or cut lower on one side than the other?

Those are two of the most common problems and a third is that the front of the deck cuts more than it should.

Put your riding lawn mower on a flat concrete or gravel surface and visually inspect the deck. Does it lean to the left or right? Is it low in the front and high in the back? Once you determine what the problem is, you can now make adjustments. A tape measure works to adjust the deck from side to side and get it as level as possible. There is a special tool designed for this that measures the height at the blade tips that is available on Amazon or other retailers.

The deck must also be adjusted so the height in the front and rear are correct. A general rule is that there only be 3/4″ difference from front to rear in height. So adjust that accordingly to get the height right.

Are your scalp wheels missing or wearing out? This can cause the deck to scalp the lawn when you make turns. Replace them and the bolts and nuts if they are out of specifications.

These small adjustments can make a world of difference in the look of your yard after you mow, so make them and go test the mower to see if it resolved the problem.

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

My Riding Lawn Mower Pulls To One Side

It is pretty annoying when your riding lawn mower does not track straight. It either pulls to the left or pulls to the right and never seems to go where you want it to without a fight.

The good news is that this is a solvable problem and I will give you some things to check to correct this problem and get your lawn mower back on track.

The easy thing to check is your tire pressures. A low tire on either side will cause the mower to pull in that direction. So a tire that is going flat on the right side will cause the mower to pull to the right side and you need to keep putting left correction into the steering wheel to keep the mower going straight.

So check all the tire pressures. The front tires are normally around 15psi and the rears are at 10.

Raise the front end up and check axles and bearings. They should feel tight and not have a lot of play in them when you move them back and forth. If they are loose, replace them with new bearings and check that the axles are not damaged with grooves worn in them.

There is a tie rod that can be adjusted as well on one or both wheels. Look at the mower from the front and see which wheel is pointed in or out. Sometimes they are both pointed in the wrong direction and an adjustment will cure this problem. If your tie rods are non-adjustable, they will need to be replaced.

Lastly, check the steering gear to be sure that it is not worn out or slipping in the gears. These gears need lubricated during maintenance to prevent them from wearing out.

These are the most common problems that cause steering issues. Check them one at a time to solve your steering problem in your riding lawn mower.

If you need professional help with your riding lawn mower, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower is Using Oil

Are you wondering why your lawn mower is using oil and you cannot see any leaks or smoke coming from it?

All engines will consume oil over time during the normal combustion process. Oil will bypass the piston rings or valve seals and enter the combustion chamber and burn. If it is only a small amount of oil, it will not produce any smoke.

This is absolutely normal and will not hurt your engine. This is also why it is so important to check your oil on a regular basis and ensure you have enough oil in the crankcase before you start your engine.

Thinner oils will have a tendency to get past those oil seals and piston rings, so be sure that you have the correct oil for summer and winter use to prevent this issue.

Most small engines require a 30 weight or 10W30 oil during the summer and a 5W30 during the winter months. A synthetic oil during the winter is better because it will cause less friction and make the engine easier to start.

Check with your engine manufacturers manual to see what they recommend to use for your oil and temperature ranges.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower Won’t Start in the Spring

This is an all too common problem for lawn mowers today. The ethanol blended gasoline that is in use today is the culprit.

Your lawn mower sits for 5-6 months out of the year with gasoline in it and then you try to start it in the spring and nothing. Today’s gasoline begins to go bad after 90 days. It will then begin to separate the different chemicals all the while the ethanol is attracting moisture into the gas tank through the humidity in the air.

As the different chemicals separate from one another, they begin to dry up inside the carburetor. When this happens, the idle and main jets become plugged up as well as the emulsion tube. Now gasoline cannot go through them and into the engine, so that is why it will not start.

The carburetor will need to be disassembled, cleaned and put back together. If the ethanol intrusion is really bad, the carburetor will need to be replaced. It could be a very expensive one or an affordable one depending on what brand of engine it is.

It would be best to take your lawn mower to a shop near you to get it repaired by someone skilled at carburetor cleaning and assembly. You can find one on our Locations page.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Troy-Bilt Self Propelled Lawn Mower Takes Many Pulls to Start

Are you pulling and pulling and then FINALLY your lawn mower decides it wants to start?

This is a pretty common problem with a Troy-Bilt lawn mower with a Briggs and Stratton Overhead valve engine. After a while the valve lash will become tight and not allow the valves to open far enough to let fuel in and exhaust out. If not enough fuel comes into the combustion chamber, then it will not ignite and burn properly.

If you are mechanical by nature, remove the valve cover and set the engine at Top Dead Center and check the valve clearance. One these small engines, the intake is set at .004 and the exhaust at .006 to have them run at their best performance.

Adjust the valves if they are not in specifications and reinstall the valve cover with some Triple Bond sealant. Let it dry for a few hours before you test run the engine to see if you have solved the problem.

If after your repair it still is hard to start, check the fuel and choke system to be sure that they are working as they should.

If you need a Troy-Bilt small engine mechanic to help with your lawn mower, visit our Locationspage to find a shop near you.

Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Loses Power When the PTO is Engaged

You are all set to cut your lawn and you pull the PTO knob to engage it and the engine starts to bog down and barely runs. Well, that is going to be a problem for sure. If your riding lawn mower doesn’t have the power to mow, you are not going to get much done today.

This problem normally occurs in a twin cylinder engine. One cylinder has developed a problem and is not producing the power that it should. It could be something minor or major depending on what actually happened with the cylinder head. It is not uncommon for a push rod to slip off the rocker arm because the engine never received the required maintenance to ensure that it runs like it should.

One cylinder could not be getting the necessary fuel to keep the engine running as well. Dirt or other debris could be clogging up the main jet or the fuel injector might not be working correctly.  Bad fuel can cause low power or water in it as well. Water in the fuel will make a popping sound out of the exhaust as it is running.

Low power on a riding lawn mower is usually a problem that you want a professional lawn mower repair shop to diagnose and repair for you. Visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Pulls Slowly

Has your self-propelled lawn mower begun to slow down and not pull as good as it once did? Over time that happens because things begin to wear out. The transmission will wear, the drive gears in the wheels will wear and the drive belt wears as well. The drive pulleys can wear out too.

In most cases, the drive belt is the one item that will cause the self-propelled lawn mower to slow down over the course of a season. The belt will begin to wear on the sides and not get enough grip to pull the drive pulleys. It could also slip and glaze on the sides and cause the belt to slip as well.

Drive belts also stretch over time and then they fit loosely in their pulleys.

Check your drive belt for a correct fit and looseness when the drive system in engaged. The belt should fit all the way down into the pulley and be even with the outside edge of the pulley. If it is sunken down into the pulley, it is worn out and the drive pulley itself could be worn out.

Check your other system drive components for wear to ensure that your drive system is working as it should. If you need a self-propelled lawn mower repair shop, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Push Lawn Mower Bogs Down Under Load

Is your push lawn mower bogging down when you get into thick grass or when you mow a little faster?

If so, it could be an engine problem or you could be mowing more than you should. Waiting to mow tall grass is not good for a lawn mower with a small engine and will bog it down.

But if your grass is relatively short, your mower should power right through it and not bog down. If it does, you could have a problem with the engine or your deck could be clogged with grass and have a dull lawn mower blade.

The first thing to check would be the lawn mower blade and deck. Make sure your deck is clean and you blade is fairly sharp.

If everything is fine in that area, your carburetor or fuel system may be causing you the problem with low power. The governor may also set incorrectly. These are problems  that you can check out yourself or if you need a professional lawn mower repair mechanic, visit our Locations page for a small engine repair shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Backfires After I Turn The Key Off

Most likely the back fire is coming from the exhaust when the key is turned off and it can be pretty violent. A loud bang sure can scare the heck out of you when it happens!

But why does your lawn mower backfire when you turn off the key?

The reason it does is because there is a solenoid on the bottom of the carburetor that shuts off the supply of fuel when the key is turned off. If this valve fails in the open position, it allows raw fuel to be pulled into the carburetor and the combustion chamber and then it ignites from the heat of the exhaust pipe. Pow!

An easy way to tell if your valve is working is to turn the key to the on position and you should hear a small click from the solenoid valve. You can also hold onto the valve while you turn the key and you will feel it move the solenoid to the open position.

You can remove this fuel solenoid but you must shut off the fuel flow or you may end up having a tank full of fuel on the floor or ground. Hose pinch pliers work well for this.

A test to ensure it is getting 12VDC power to it is also something good to do. Sometimes this valve will get stuck because of the fuel gelling up as the ethanol begins to separate from the gasoline. You can clean it up and then retest it for proper operation.

If you need a professional lawn mower repair shop in your area, visit our Locations page for assistance.

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

What Gasoline Do I Use in My Lawn Mower

This is the age old question and debate on what type of gasoline to use in your lawn mower and everyone has a different answer.

Some people say to use 93 Octane while some say to use mid-grade and most just pour whatever gasoline they have on hand.

The quality of your gasoline is more important today because of the ethanol that is in it. If you can find gas with no ethanol in it, that is a great place to start.

All small engines are low compression engines which means that you do not need to spend the extra money to use 93 Octane or 91. You can use the lowest octane rating that you can find at the pump which is generally 87. This fuel ignites better and will produce more power for your engine than the other higher octane fuels.

High octane gasoline is designed for engines that produce high internal compression. Without it, the engine will knock and ping when under a load and that is why most high end cars require it.

Save your money and don’t throw it away buying high octane fuels when simple 87 pump gas will serve you well.