Category: Lawn Mower Repair Tips

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

Lawn Mower Engine Surges up and Down

Do you ever wonder why your lawn mower engine revs up and down? The annoying sound that also affects the power your lawn mower puts out is caused by a fuel delivery or vacuum leak issue.

The engine gets enough fuel and then it doesn’t and so on and so forth. After a while the mower will develop a more serious engine problem and may begin to hard start or not even start at all. The surging could also become worse and the swings between high and low will get longer in duration.

This is a problem that is best suited for a lawn mower engine specialist to check out. Our Locations page has a listing of lawn mower repair shops in your area to help resolve this problem for you.

You can check the easy things such as slightly cracking the gas cap to see if the surging stops or change or clean the fuel filter if it has one. Some fuel filters are in the tank and not easy to see. You may have to drain the tank and then flush it out.

The other items are the carburetor and gaskets. Fuel lines can be the culprit too. Systematically check these items for blockage and air leaks to find the cause of the problem.

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

Push Lawn Mower Blade Hitting Deck and Making Noise

Occasionally you will hit something hard enough to bend the deck or the blade. With such thin metal decks today, they are easily bent. If your deck is rusting, parts can come loose and hit the blade as well. Some decks have guards inside of them that are spot welded together and when those welds come loose, the guard will hit the mower blade and you will hear quite the racket!

To inspect this area, pull the spark plug boot off the spark plug and then raise the mower deck from the front. It is not a good idea to lean the mower over side to side as this can cause the oil to leak out of the carburetor through the air cleaner.

Look for anything that is loose or for the blade that is bent. Slowly rotate the blade to see if it hits anything and you will likely find the cause of this problem pretty quick. Either the blade will need to be replaced or the deck metal repaired. You should also check to see if the crankshaft is bent while you are slowly turning the blade as this can cause the problem as well.

If you need a lawn mower repair shop to check out this problem for you, visit our Locations page for help finding a small engine shop in your area.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower is Leaking Gas From the Carburetor

If the gas is leaking directly from the throat of the carburetor, that can be a sign of a needle and seat not properly sealing. Over time, contaminants will build up on those components and cause them to leak. A complete carburetor overhaul is usually the cure for this problem.

If gas is leaking from another part of the carburetor such as the float bowl, it could be a loose bowl nut or a bad gasket on that nut. The O-ring that seals the bowl to the carburetor could also be bad. Replace these parts and be careful to clean the grooves that hold the O-ring in place as buildup of dried fuel can cause that to leak as well.

If fuel is leaking from another part of the carburetor such as a jet screw,  it is time to replace the carb with a new one. Make sure to order new gaskets when you replace the carburetor to ensure there will not be any air leaks. An air leak will cause the lawn mower engine to surge and run lean. This means it has more air than fuel.

Fuel leaks can be dangerous and lead to an engine fire. Take them seriously and if you need a lawn mower repair shop to assist with your problem, visit our Locations page for help.

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.

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.