Recent content by cpurvis

Starting to see more and more of this, again. Please ask or answer questions in the forum for the relevant brand. As Bert said, it defeats the purpose of a forum by using PM's.

Correct spark plug?

A surging engine and not responding to mixture screw changes can be caused by an intake manifold leak.

You're probably setting the piston at the 'wrong' TDC. There are two--one, at which both valves are completely closed and have clearance between valve stems and rocker; and two; the other TDC in which the exhaust valve is almost closed and the intake valve is just starting to open. #1 is the...

Is it really necessary? I don't think so. My 'cleaning' consists of throwing them away.

That last bullet cannot possibly be correct if comparing synthetic vs. dino oil.

If the fuel line comes out the top of the tank, I suspect the fuel line inside the tank has a hole in it.

I used to think that, too, until they took the zinc out to accomodate catalytic converters. Some oils that meet API ratings don't meet some manufacturers ratings anymore. Mobil Delvac is one.

In your case, since the mower is brand new and you admit you're not good at reading wiring diagrams, taking it back to the dealer and letting them correct the faults seems like a good idea.

Check to see if the valves on RH cylinder are both opening and closing.

If you 'stretched' the spring, that is, it is no long the same length when removed from the mower, it's ruined. Get a new one. A picture of your mower deck/engine relationship would help but I doubt if a new spring is going to keep the deck from hitting the engine pulley.

I would guess there is something wrong with the spindle installation causing pulley alignment/belt tension issues.

That's true. But there are other kinds of mowers that don't.

The foam wrapper can extend air filter element life somewhat. How much depends on your application.

Welcome! Quite a few pretty knowledgeable people on here who can most likely answer your questions.

Try a known good dry spark plug.

F. Lee Bailey is still kicking. (Do lawyers ever die?)

Carburetor needs cleaned. Don't buy a cheapie Chinese replacement from Amazon or eBay; just clean (or have it cleaned).

Get out your voltmeter and start tracing, starting at the battery. Most mowers have PTO, seat, and brake safety switches and the path from battery to starter solenoid will go through them.

As Mark said, troubleshooting is the key. Throwing parts at an electrical problem can get very expensive because most electrical parts are non-returnable. As you found out, replacing a starter that isn't getting 12 volts sent to it is not going to cause 12 volts to show up.

Replace the fuel filter if you haven't already.

Have a welder look at it. You'll probably have to strip it down to the frame but there are not that many parts in a zero turn. If you do the grunt work of stripping it down and putting it back together, it shouldn't be too expensive. Certainly a lot less than a new zero turn. If the frame...

My L3000DT has ag tires. I may get stuck with mowing some ground that has quite a few thorny locust trees. Would R4 tires be more thorn resistant? Would like to hear from those who actually run R4's.

If oil went down the top, it's probably the fan blowing it around. As Scrubcadet 10 said, remove the blower housing and clean off what you can. The hot engine will burn off the rest.

Not like that with the 3100's I have. They recommend an early change, then a 200 hour change, and longer intervals (not annually) after that. I think it's 400 hrs.

Rather than get recommendations from people, why don't you ask dealers to let you demo one on your property until you find one that will do what you want.

I was going to point that out, too. Anytime you see claims being made about '24, 48, or1046 hour "torture" tests', be suspicious. That is the easiest duty an engine can see. It's "surviving" ONE thermal cycle.

Thanks, Star Tech. I forgot to mention that this is the inboard seal of the gearbox that drives the tines. I was thinking about drilling a couple of small holes in the side of the seal, scewing in a couple sheet metal screws and using a slide hammer on it. I had all winter to fix this and...

But not always. I've got a post in the Briggs forum about this very thing. A 300e in which there is no model or type number in any of those three locations

This is what I was going to suggest but Hammermechanicman beat me to it. It ought to at least stunt their growth. In the meantime, completely dig up a few. Fill the hole with good dirt and sow it to grass that grows well in your area and keep it watered. Good, thick grass crowds out a lot of...

What's your technique for removing seals without being able to drive them out from the inside? I've got an old Hahn-Eclipse roto tiller that needs a seal on the side of the case that, if the seal can be removed from the outside, would save a lot of work. Thanks.

Northern Tool used to be known as Northern Hydraulics. That was before they decided to change to an outlet for made in China.

I was given a 3/8" Sparta ratchet and socket set a LONG time ago. I still have it. Back then, Sparta was considered one of the cheaper tool brands on the market. I doubt if you can even buy one of equal or better quality now. Let the mud fly. Back on topic: All oil is good; some is better...

I don't know about gas engines, but it has come to the point that the API classification is no longer enough to guarantee that an oil meets a diesel engine's requirements. Both Ford and Cummins have their own specs and it they're not printed on the oil container, that oil is not to be used in...

300e Briggs and Stratton. I looked all over that thing for the info so I could download an owner's manual. No luck. The Briggs website gives three possible locations: On a plate between the valve cover and air cleaner; above the spark plug; and above the muffler. No luck; no manual.