a year and a half ago my neighbors let me have their 2001 Scotts S2048 for the trouble of removing it from their yard. It had a mouse nest in the engine and I had to replace both coils.
The engine was very loud like something was banging, but I just figured that was how an old neglected engine would sound and ran with it. One day after pulling a trailer far heavier than it was ever designed for (it's easy to abuse free stuff) the engine stopped banging, but it no longer had enough power to mow. The right hand side cylinder was no longer firing. I removed the valve cover and found the intake rocker bolt backed out over 1/4" and a very bent push rod. I went ahead and opened the other side and the intake rod is bent on that side too (amazing this ran).
Should I just replace the push rods and keep abusing it until I have to tear it down a lot further, or should I do that now?
I am mechanically inclined but not experienced.
The engine was very loud like something was banging, but I just figured that was how an old neglected engine would sound and ran with it. One day after pulling a trailer far heavier than it was ever designed for (it's easy to abuse free stuff) the engine stopped banging, but it no longer had enough power to mow. The right hand side cylinder was no longer firing. I removed the valve cover and found the intake rocker bolt backed out over 1/4" and a very bent push rod. I went ahead and opened the other side and the intake rod is bent on that side too (amazing this ran).
Should I just replace the push rods and keep abusing it until I have to tear it down a lot further, or should I do that now?
I am mechanically inclined but not experienced.