Lawn Mower Season and Additional Gas Engine Maintenance
It’s that time to pull your lawn mower and other outdoor equipment out of the garage or shed. Even though we have a couple more weeks before we can expect consistent blue skies and warm temperatures, tomorrow is the official first day of Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere), and lawn mower season is just around the corner.
It’s always a good idea to get a jump on servicing your lawn mower and other gas-powered equipment a couple of weeks before you’ll need to put them back to work. If you had a chance to winterize your equipment last fall before storage, then you can expect efficient, long-lasting performance from your machines.
Winterizing gas-powered machines involves:
- fuel stabilization
- changing the oil
- changing spark plugs
- battery service (if applicable)
- and a general checkup.
Even though you won’t be able to stabilize your fuel in retrospect, other “seasonal” maintenance can be done (and should be done) year-round.
Read about winterizing maintenance in our How to Winterize Power Tools and Machines article, and get caught up on any gas-powered service issues that might have been overlooked.
OK, so you might be a power tool owner who is on top of maintenance and wondering what else you can do to keep your yard equipment in high gear. Luckily for you, when it comes to gas engines and the tools that use them, the only limit to the maintenance that you can do is the time you have to do it.
Here are a few suggestions for additional mower and yard tool maintenance:
- Test Engine Compression- Valves and rings that seal an engine will wear with normal use over time, reducing its compression of the air/fuel mixture in the compression cylinder. This low compression will seriously reduce the performance of your mower.
Test- You can test the compression of your mower’s engine by accessing its flywheel. With the machine off, rotate the flywheel by hand counterclockwise. If engine compression is good, the flywheel will rebound quickly and with significant force. If the flywheel rebounds weakly or not at all, it might be time to replace a valve or ring.
- Degrease and De-Carbon- Degreasing will do more than make your mower. Grease and other gunk can clog areas that need ventilation, can cause the engine to heat up, and even damage some parts. Make sure to use a degreaser that won’t damage plastic and aluminum parts.
Carbon can also build up around the cylinder head, gasket, and valves, and should be scraped off for the best engine performance. Accessing the cylinder head can be tricky, but it shouldn’t be a problem if you have experience with basic engine repairs. Plus, it might be time for a replacement gasket while you’re in there.
- Check the Breather- Many mower engines have a crankcase breather usually located over the valve chamber. Because it lets excess heat and gas out of the crankcase, it should be checked at least every couple of years.
It’s time to replace the breather if the tiny holes on its body are closed, or if there is no longer a gap between its fiber valve and body.
Visit our Home Page at eReplacementParts.com to find the parts you need for your seasonal equipment repairs and maintenance. Our inventory is stocked with parts for all your favorite brands.
Like, for example, our selection of Murray replacement parts for their lines of cultivators, edgers, lawn mowers, lawn tractors, and trimmers. An online inventory here to take care of all your maintenance and parts replacement needs.
