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Usermanual & Oil Question

#1

S

sb1

Good morning Everyone!

First off just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Steve new homeowner in NJ and have few questions regarding a new mower I was given as a house warming gift. (A used mower) haha I want to give it a tune up but cannot retrieve the user manual online and after endless searching I'm hoping you guys can help!

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Q1. Anyone can find a user manual on this model?
Q2. I believe it uses 5w-30 - will this oil suffice? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil...Synthetic-Motor-Oil-1-qt./14958690#about-item
Q3. How often do you replace the spark plug? Every season or every other season?


Thanks for all your input, i appreciate your help as this is my first mower, first house and first post here on the forum!


Steve


#2

cpurvis

cpurvis

It's a Briggs & Stratton engine.

Start your search by looking for briggs 123k02 0631.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=briggs+123k02+0631&t=ffnt&ia=web


#3

cpurvis

cpurvis

The Briggs website has your manual. https://www.briggsandstratton.com/n...nginemanuals.html?searchrequested=123k02-0631

5w-30 oil is listed for temperatures below 40 degrees F, not above. Probably not a good choice.


#4

S

sb1

cpurvis said:
The Briggs website has your manual. https://www.briggsandstratton.com/n...nginemanuals.html?searchrequested=123k02-0631

5w-30 oil is listed for temperatures below 40 degrees F, not above. Probably not a good choice.
Click to expand...


I saw this and was not 100% if this was the manual.



But if i use synthetic is shows 5w-30 or 10w-30 is sufficent.

oil.PNG


#5

TonyPrin

TonyPrin

sb1 said:
I saw this and was not 100% if this was the manual.



But if i use synthetic is shows 5w-30 or 10w-30 is sufficent.

View attachment 32221
Click to expand...

In terms of viscosity, synthetic 5W-30 or synthetic 10W-30 are virtually equal in a mower under typical Kansas conditions. I'm a big fan of synthetic motor oil and recommend it almost all the time - almost. In your case, I would start with a conventional motor oil (10W-30) until I was satisfied my mower was running well. Then, switch to synthetic when preparing for storage and note the differences, perhaps by starting on the first pull.

In terms of tune-up / maintenance, I'd start off by asking what the previous owner did. Changing the spark plug annually is probably not necessary but I'd clean and gap it at the start of the season.


#6

S

sb1

I know nothing about the prior maintenance of this machine. I checked the oil and believe it contain synthic but not 100% sure.

What i wanted to do this week

1. Clean out the filter with my compressor: (i took it out last night and looked fairly clean).
2. Sharpen blade
3. Change oil --> just need to know exactly which type to buy before i do a drain and fill. I want to just change it and use 5w-30 synthetic as is states is good from -20 to 100 F. So how would using 5w-30 synthetic be a bad idea?


#7

cpurvis

cpurvis

"They" say that the old wives' tale about putting synthetic oil in old engines can cause leaks is baloney.

I am here to say that it was NOT an old wives' tale in my experience. I personally switched a Honda Magna motorcycle from conventional oil to Mobil 1 15w-50 and leaks started almost overnight. One of the worst would have required splitting the crankcase halves on a 750cc V4 engine to replace the seal. That was the end of a perfectly good motorcycle--too expensive to repair, and the thing didn't leak a DROP until the Mobil 1 fiasco.

There is nothing magic about synthetic oil--you're going to change it once per year, just like conventional oil. So why risk it?

Also, don't use compressed air to blow out your air filter. Filters get more efficient as they get dirty. Unless you're doing something like mulching leaves, it won't get dirty enough in a season to mess with.


#8

TonyPrin

TonyPrin

sb1 said:
I know nothing about the prior maintenance of this machine. I checked the oil and believe it contain synthic but not 100% sure.

What i wanted to do this week

1. Clean out the filter with my compressor: (i took it out last night and looked fairly clean).
2. Sharpen blade
3. Change oil --> just need to know exactly which type to buy before i do a drain and fill. I want to just change it and use 5w-30 synthetic as is states is good from -20 to 100 F. So how would using 5w-30 synthetic be a bad idea?
Click to expand...

sb1, you seem to have a mower with an old-ish engine so there's two potential issues to be mindful of with synthetic oil. The first is that engine components may not have been built with the engineering precision found today and engineering tolerances may have been such that leaks or similar problems can be produced by using synthetic oil. In addition, there are substantial differences between synthetic and conventional motor oils that go beyond the base oil. Additives used in synthetic oil can be problematic to older engines. All in, I just think it's prudent to give your mower a season to shake out other issues before going synthetic.

If possible, run the mower for under 1 minute prior to changing the oil. Doing so brings dirt, metal, and other particles into suspension to make draining them out easier. And, of course, synthetic oil has no impact on the change interval.

Also, you mentioned the spark plug in the first email and I'd clean and gap it as I mentioned previously.


#9

B

bertsmobile1

sb1 said:
I know nothing about the prior maintenance of this machine. I checked the oil and believe it contain synthic but not 100% sure.

What i wanted to do this week

1. Clean out the filter with my compressor: (i took it out last night and looked fairly clean).
2. Sharpen blade
3. Change oil --> just need to know exactly which type to buy before i do a drain and fill. I want to just change it and use 5w-30 synthetic as is states is good from -20 to 100 F. So how would using 5w-30 synthetic be a bad idea?
Click to expand...

Compressors are used for blowing the dirt and dust OFF THE OUTSIDE of your mower and in particular from the outside of the cooling fins after removing the engine cover.
Compressors are used for drying off parts before you refit them
Compressors are used for leak down tests
Compressors are used for pumping up your tyres
Compressors are NEVER USE TO BLOW A FILTER despite what you see shaved monkeys with intillectual difficulties doing on farcebook.


#10

R

Rivets

If it came into our shop I would be putting a good brand of 30W oil and then change it at the beginning of each season. Warm the engine at least 15 minutes to make sure that the detergent in the oil get as much debris as possible in suspension, before draining.


#11

S

sb1

ok, im going to homedepot and walmart later. Which regular oil should i buy for it?

This Yr:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Midwest-Engine-Warehouse-4-Cycle-Mower-Oil/55522561



Next year and going foward:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-...690#about-item



or just go with regular sae 30 at the end of each season.


#12

TonyPrin

TonyPrin

sb1 said:
ok, im going to homedepot and walmart later. Which regular oil should i buy for it?

This Yr:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Midwest-Engine-Warehouse-4-Cycle-Mower-Oil/55522561



Next year and going foward:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-...690#about-item



or just go with regular sae 30 at the end of each season.
Click to expand...

Pick any quality brand (Castrol, Mobil, QS, Valvoline) of 10W-30. Go with that going forward or switch to a similar quality synthetic. There's a donut-shaped label; look for SJ, SL, SM, or SN in the top, rating area. If you can, do a little research as there's plenty of rebates available. As a new homeowner you may have other 4-stroke needs such as with a snow blower. If so, synthetic can cover it all.


#13

S

sb1

THANKS for all your help!

I definitely do not want any leaks in this mower as i cannot afford to buy a new one at this time. So I'm going to buy either a 10w-30 conv or Briggs & Stratton straight 30SAE oil conventional. As temps will be over 100 deg at some point this summer.

and thanks for advising me about the compressor, i thought pushing the dust/dirt would not hurt.


As of now: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quaker-S...ormance-Conventional-Motor-Oil-1-qt./14958311

is the choice. Any last objections?


lol

thanks,
Steve


#14

S

sb1

cancel my last post ....i see where the confusion is:

on briggs & stratton website:
it states:
SAE30 = 40 - 100 degrees (conv oil)
10w-30 = 0 to 100 degrees " "
oil1.PNG


on briggs & stratton usermanual (which I'm still not 100% is the correct manual states:
SAE30 = 40 - 100 degrees (conv oil) = which matches
10w-30 = 0 to 40 degrees ' ' = which does not match

oil2.PNG


what happens in the offseason when temps drop well below 40 degrees? So confused to what is the correct oil to use. Does this only matter during operating temps?


Thanks

Sorry for the confusion. Just new homeowner...1st time mower user. I change the oil on all my cars/trucks at home but there is not confusion as to the type as Iam having with the lawn mower.


#15

P

Pumper54

Welcome to the forum and the wonders of home ownership.

I would recommend using the proper conventional oil all the time. I really don't think you will be running that engine for hours and hours on end during the day. Most of us home owners run our mowers for maybe a hour or so each week and the cost factor of syn oil-vs-dino oil is way to high in my mind. Also when you asked about the lower temps like during the winter, you will not be mowing and the mower will just be sitting so the lower temp range of the syn is not needed. Also just something to think about, do you really want to out mowing when it is a 100 degrees? So that can also be a mote point.

Tom


#16

S

sb1

thanks for the input! i do not mean to be repetitive but still does not answer my question. Which conventional oil type should I be using?


Live in NJ
Weather mowing conditions 50 to 100 degrees.
will use conventional oil to prevent leaks



thanks


#17

cpurvis

cpurvis

You're attaching way too much importance to this. If you are going to keep the mower in your garage where the temperature will probably never get below 40 degrees, 30w conventional, any brand, is fine year-round. It does not matter if, for some reason, you want to mow when it's 30 degrees outside because the mower will be started when it's relatively warm.

If the mower is going to sit outside, exposed to temps below 30, that's a different situation. Use 10w-30 or 5w-30, any brand, and use it while wearing a parka.

The engine manufacturers specify straight weight oils because their air-cooled engines will consume less straight weight oil as compared to a multi-viscosity oil, especially at higher temps. BUT...you're going to buy 1 quart per year. The engine probably holds about 18 ounces. That leaves 12 ounces to add any time it needs it. If you use all of that, go buy another quart.


#18

B

bertsmobile1

sb1 said:
THANKS for all your help!

I definitely do not want any leaks in this mower as i cannot afford to buy a new one at this time. So I'm going to buy either a 10w-30 conv or Briggs & Stratton straight 30SAE oil conventional. As temps will be over 100 deg at some point this summer.

and thanks for advising me about the compressor, i thought pushing the dust/dirt would not hurt.


As of now: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quaker-S...ormance-Conventional-Motor-Oil-1-qt./14958311

is the choice. Any last objections?


lol

thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

If you have read any of the safety information that is shipped with compressors you will have read not to blow directly onto your skin and it should have a bio-hazard warning symbol.
When you spray your car you need to fit some expensive, dirt, oil & water traps in the air line to prevent them messing up the paint job.
Those same dust water & oil particles can penetrate your skin ( the bio-hazard )
And the same particles will balast holes right through the filter.
With foam, massarge some hair shampoo through the filter then rinse them from the inside out, squeeze but do not wring. paper gets tapped hard to dislodge heavy dirt clumps or just replace them.
It your mower has the boat shaped foam filter install it dry then dip your finger in some clean oil and wipe it across the top side of the filter to make it just slightly wetter than damp.


#19

S

sb1

cpurvis said:
You're attaching way too much importance to this. If you are going to keep the mower in your garage where the temperature will probably never get below 40 degrees, 30w conventional, any brand, is fine year-round. It does not matter if, for some reason, you want to mow when it's 30 degrees outside because the mower will be started when it's relatively warm.

Yes!

The mower will be in my garage during the winter of course
I will use 30w conventional
I will stop asking questions on this thread

BUT

Agree that Briggs and Stratton have 2 different scales for their 10w-30 and is misleading
Click to expand...


#20

cpurvis

cpurvis

I'm not trying to get you to quit asking questions. Ask away! That's what this forum is for.

If it will help, yes, I agree that Briggs information is misleading.


#21

P

Pumper54

sb1,
Most likely the reason B&S has the different temp ranges on the instruction sheets and website is that their engines are used on all kinds on machines not just lawn mowers, some of these machines get used all year round and some are seasonal such as mowers or snow blowers. Most companies that build stuff used year round will put out very general guidelines so that they can cover all the bases. Could you imagine the confusion if a company had to write up a owner's manual for every part of the country and for every different machine their engines go on? Down here in Southeastern Texas we mow earlier and later then most people but we don't need snow blowers as most of our weather is in the 40-110 range.

Again welcome to the forum and ask any questions you might have. As someone once said "people learn by reading how to do it, some learn by watching others do it, and others just have to pee on the electric fence". There are people from all three groups here. ;-)

Tom


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