Recent content by Skippydiesel

IF the carburettor has had stale/smelly discoloured fuel in it, it's likely one or more jets are partially or totally blocked. In my experince all the "mechanics in a can" will not unblock a carburettor in this condition. You will need to remove the carburettor, dismantle it , as much as is...

Same thing happened to my neighbours B&S 23 hp twin (only one piston). In process of acquiring a new engine.

I love grease & oil - nothing better than hearing that slight popping sound, as the fresh grease pushes out a smiggion of old BUT this is, for the most part, limited to bushes/bearing that have a grease nipple fitted. Where no nipple fitted, best to leave clean & dry. If you insist on...

Ah! so you do the self tapping, before installing the engine - good plan. Thanks for the tip on not using the old self tappers - thats exactly what I would have tried to do.

More likely you have a warn bearing. Grab the tip of the blade an vigorously move it up/down - there should be very little, if any, movement. If you have movement, its either new bearings or a new spindle with bearing included.

All good comments. Will assess accessibility, when new engine arrives. My thanks

Interesting! I have done way less than you. The few I have done B&S, Kawasaki were my own machines and done with suitable HT nuts/ bolts & washers. This machine belongs to my neighbour/customer, so sort of thinking to go with the OM way of attaching the engine ie threaded holes. What do you...

Have you done a new engine install?

Delivery of new engine iminent! I understand the new engine crankcase mounting holes will not be threaded. There is some suggestion that the mounting bolts will cut their own thread. Is using the existing bolts the best way to cut threads into the mounting holes??? Never done this before - Best...

After you have replaced the leaking fuel hose/line. Try pressurising the fuel tank - compressed air obviously the best but failing that, some vaccume cleanser have the faciliy to blow air (never suck you might just cause an explosion), a small leaf blower, of all else fails, a "blow job"o_O

Even a clean air filter will restrict air flow. When a carburettor is adjusted/tuned, it is with the air filter on place . If the carburettor is tuned, without the air filter in place, the air:fuel ratio will be rich when it is in place. If it is too rich the engine will stop. If your...

It is good practice for all engines should be warmed up & cooled down. Warm up before asking the engine to do hard work - I usually run at high idle for a few minutes before working an air cooled engine (longer for a liquid cooled) engine. This gets all those separate bits of metal to expand...

It certainly looks a bit like scale BUT could be residue from your coolant concentrate. Double check you are using the correct coolant, for this Kubota's cooling system. In all my years of playing with engines big & small, I have never had a situation where regular flushing of the cooling...

I love old equipment - such satisfaction in bringing it back to good working order. If your tractor is that old, you might want to consider having the fuel injection system (pump & injectors) reconditioned. You could also remove the fuel tank and have it (steam) cleaned. I would also consider...

Known as a "coulter" - there are disk and knife variants. The disks can have smooth, rippled or scalloped cutting edges. In most if not all cases, the disk is free to swing/follow the line of least resistance. The coulter can be adjusted for depth, offset and clearance to the plough leading...

The plough owes its origin to a stick being steadied by one person & drawn, through the ground, by another person or animal (horse/steer/buffalo). The Chinese are the likely inventors of the mouldboard plough. The Europeans had metal mouldboard ploughs well before the USA There are many...

If cranking speed is slow/laboured (even with a new starter) try improving the (-) ground /earth return by using a jump cable between (-) battery ground/earth and anywhere you can get a good connection on the engine. !2 Volt systems are notorious for developing (corrosion/loose connection) a...

I agree with Star Tech and would add: Wet grass will develop a strong very corrosive liquid as it decays. The liquid loves alloys (blade spindles, etc) and will turn it into a crumbling mess, very quickly -$$$$ to replace. Its is slower to damage unpainted steel but the effect, in the end, is...

12 Volt automotive systems are notorious for developing poor ground/earth. Remove & clean all earth connections. Make sure they are all tight. With my own equipment, I always run a dedicated (-) earth/ground return cable/wire, from battery (-) to engine ie I do not rely on the chassis earth...

If you are changing your coolant every 12 months you should not have to flush the system EVER!, as long as you use the same coolant ie only flush when changing coolant brand/type. I would recomend replacing coolant every 2-4 years depending on the hours the machine is doing per year. Water Scale...

If no longer available, try modifying a fan off an electric motor. Be sure, fan blade pitch / air flow is correct for your application

Clean Filter Check for exhaust obstruction

Always do your own mix. It's easy and the only way to have control over the quality of the oil & fuel used and the ratio applied.

Interesting - This mower is second hand, is aesthetically in good order and since my customer has had it been serviced, minimal/nil chaff in the cylinder fins, does not use oil and was running just fine until dropping the con rod.

I do not agree, that ethanol destroys steel tanks - what destroys steel tanks is water that is allowed to collect at the bottom of the tank that the operator/owner of the equipment fails to remove on a regular basis. Ethanol blends may attract more water than straight petrol however condensation...

That's great my friend, however I would suggest that you drain the tank sump and any in line water traps, at least once per year.

Still waiting for the Brains Trust to speculate on how a piston/con rod ends up separating from the crankshaft.

I have never used ethanol blended fuel, so some of my commentary is speculative. Agree with purchasing any fuel from a high volume/turn over supplier. Also only purchasing sufficient fuel for your relativly short term needs (whatever they may be) Storage of petrol: Most, if not all, petrol...

Speculation: I understand that synthetic oils have better temperature resistance to breakdown. I do not know if this applies to all synthetic oils but know of one engine maker, who has addressed high temperatures, in one of their models by specifying that a synthetic oil (meeting very specific...

I am a bit surprised that there has been no speculation, as to the cause of one piston no longer being attached to the crankshaft of this engine???????

In small engines there is no significant difference between the burn/ power developed, of a high or low octane fuel (subject to the low octane fuel not being below that recommended by the engine maker). It would take sophisticated engine testing equipment, well outside most home/small business...

No High octane fuels, will not cause "knocking" in small engines. They will have little if any effect, good or bad however your expenditure will increase for no benefit.

Well it works for me. Just have to plan ahead and have your waste oil pan in the right position when you tip the mower/pump/compressor/generator. Depending on the location of the fill point, it may be helpful to have some blocks to steady the machine on, or a handy wall to lean the handle...

Like you Tony I am no expert on fuel standards or performance. I am with ILENGINI on this matter. I can not speak for USA fuels however here in Australia we commonly have 91,95 & 98 RON (Research Octane Number). I don't use ethanol blends so won't comment on them. 91 RON is used in small...

Many small petrol engines, on things like mowers, usually require choke to be applied by moving the throttle lever past the max rpm position - this is the main reason why they go to WOT at start. There is another factor - the governor moves to WOT when the engine is stopped. The governor will...

Listen to this guy - he knows what he is talking about. I do my small motors by tilting them (usually close to 90 degrees) so the old hot oil flows out of the fill port. Works for all small engines that I have come across. No need to purchase any fancy gadgets to add further clutter to my...

Just had a conversation with my local B & S agent; He said that ever since CV19, supply of engines/parts (across several brand's) from the USA has been awful. Doesn't know why.