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Well Folks, I'm going to forgo the new posting on this oil spitting out of the fuel pump issue. I had to study it for a bit and think about the last thing that was done on the generator. I had pulled the intake and carburetor for a good cleaning and during reassembly, the breather port inside...

Hello R., Has luck would have, my power went out due to a tripped main breaker in the outside main power box this evening and I figured I was good to start up the 15KW Generac and power the house. After running for a couple of minutes to warm it up. it started weeping oil out of the fuel...

This is a lawnmower forum. Take your political views elsewhere folks.

The early (dark brown bag) MRE's were questionable, and a lot of troops developed digestive issues if they had to eat them for very long during deployments. Some of the newer (light tan bag) MRE's are actually pretty decent and the portion sizes are better. I still have not figured out why...

The P38 is a GI tool that never wears out, but you don't keep them sharp. LOL I still carry my P38 on my key ring. We had MREs when I was in the Air Force back in the mid 80's, but it was still handy to have one around. I still get some funny looks from "green civilians" who have never seen...

This is the world we a living in: Society is being fed so much bad information by the current internet world that no one actually can distinguish the truth from fiction. https://www.metabunk.org/threads/debunked-we-will-bury-you-without-firing-a-shot.942/

Hello H., Many areas of the world have raised their children as government dependents with no real-world experience of having to be independent. I know 4th generation welfare families who think that is their way of getting by aka. "Making a living". I grew up in the 60's out in the rural...

Hello H., I agree to a point, but in our "throw it away" economy people don't want to pay for repairs hardly, especially on portable generators. I had a couple of them surrendered by customers this year, so I fixed them up and sold them.

Hello M., A couple of years ago when I decided to hardwire in my Portable 15KW Generac to my house, I had no complaints from my family when it came time to put it to work in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. Before then, I was using a smaller (bare minimum) 6.5KW portable generator to...

Last year, I also quit letting anyone drop off or pick up equipment except the actual owner.

Hello G., This guy just wants to play the victim like much of our society does these days. It will likely be early next year before I hear anything more from the county court. Meanwhile, the machine will just sit, chained to a farm tractor.

With a cutting torch, a stick welder and some heavy scrap metal anything is possible.

https://www.smart-words.org/jokes/everybody-somebody-anybody-and-nobody.html

Hello E., Single digit weather is no time to be working on anything outside. We are lucky and might only get in the upper 30's (overnight) down here in South Texas by this Sunday.... I was raised in the mountains of Virginia, and I respect the cold weather, but I don't miss it all that much...

Hello E., We specifically need all the information that is stamped into the top of one of the engine rocker/valve covers. If the valve cover has been off, it could have been reinstalled upside down, so the numbers would be on the underside. Can you see the gear on the top of the starter? If...

I use a Thexton 404 most of the time for small engine and automotive.

A blow drier to warm it up, if possible. The nylon Bendix gear gets moody when both worn from use and cold. A little WD-40 might help, but don't use any kind of thick spray lube because that will attract dirt.

Don't use a "Christmas light" style spark tester, use and open air one with the adjustable air gap. With the gap style you should see a consistent bright blue spark and that will verify the coil operation. I know you set the valve lash, but did you verify both valves are opening about the same...

No harm making sure that servicing is done and blades are sharp or washing and making a machine presentable, but I have never believed in shining one up to new showroom condition. An old machine that "looks too good" spells trouble to me. It is not a sign of how well it has been maintained...

I cannot comment on this particular item. Just the same though, I don't think adding more string for lazy people resolves anything.

Did you get this figured out?

I recently sold a nice 12.5 KW Generac generator and a friend with him asked why I did not "shine it up". I simply told them I am selling it has a proven working machine and not for a "display" piece. A little dust is reality. The guy buying it was a well experienced GM dealer technician and...

Hi slomo, High airflow is especially important running under loaded conditions. However, I have to disagree. An engine should not be shut down at full throttle. Rpm should be reduced to reduce the excess heat that has built up while under load. The engine still has more than sufficient air...

Hello CGM, Unless the crank has a very serious groove in it where the seal rides, I would replace the seal with only a new B&S seal. Do not use an aftermarket seal or anything that claims it is the same. You have to read parts ads carefully lately because they use language like: "same as part...

I remember when pet rocks were a strange fad that people actually made money from selling them, especially at the local flea markets. Cabbage patch and garbage pail kids and Tickle Me Elmo were all the rage not that long ago. People have some weird ideas of what they like to claim is "collectable".

When was the last time you replaced the spark plug? Also make sure it the one it calls for. Just because a plug fits does not mean it is a correct one.

A trick that a landscaper showed me years ago was to dunk the cutter head with line in water to keep the line cool and it actually improves line feeding and line cutting strength. Nylon cutter line gets resilient when kept wet. Even old cutting line can be rejuvenated by soaking it in water...

If you mean the brass faced plate that the plungers ride on, yes, I have used 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper with oil on a flat tempered glass tabletop. Most can be saved that way if they are not gouged badly from metal debris.

Hi W., People are slowly starting to realize the sting of the current economy when a new mower can easily cost more than a used vehicle these days. In my area it has not picked up for people repairing used stuff much (yet), they still have plenty of credit cards to max out before they hit the...

Hello L., Thanks for the resolution to this problem. Most of the time we are left hanging and people forget to follow through with a solution and closure.

Hello C., You forgot to provide us with the engine number information. I'll guess it is a Kohler. Toro does not make the engine. Take it back to the selling dealer and have them document everything for record. They will need to perform a compression test and a cylinder leak down test. All...

I have a customer who filed a court claim on me because I refused to warranty repair their broken-down machine. Sounds crazy, but there is a catch. This John Deere Z-920 came to me with a crankcase full of fuel. they had been running that way spitting plumes of smoke out of the exhaust for...

Hello H., It was likely a prior return item that someone returned after they robbed the parts they needed. Some folks take advantage of free return policies.

AI= Absolute Idiot It has become disturbing in a very short time how people think an internet search engine is absolute truth. What happened to due diligence?

You need a new carburetor needle and use only the vacuum pulse pump. An electric pump makes well over 5 PSI pressure which is way too much for the small fuel needle to handle for very long.

I like the last words of the MITY-M ad where is says "store the machine in a garage or building that does not freeze". All these companies are selling you is windshield washer fluid with an adapter on the container. RV pipe anti-freeze is basically the same stuff.

I use distilled water with a little bit of Dawn or simple Green Pro after the carburetor has had all heavy external debris removed. Note: Do not use too much cleaner because it defeats the purpose of ultrasonic action of the machine.

All commercial grade mowers are good mowers unless they have been abused and servicing has been neglected. These mowers are made by SCAG power equipment in Austin TX and not some other 3rd party private label company like many other units are made. I tend to favor Bad Boy mowers as a...

This whole post went off the rails a while back. It is a 17-year-old with no experience and struggling. Yep, many of us have been there. What was the common solution? Go back to square one, get the proper repair manual and study it.

This situation sounds like it is time to hire someone (possibly in the family) to help you with this kind of trimming work. No disrespect, but at 71 years old, there comes a time to realize that you need to consider backing off of regular physical labor. I am a disabled veteran just about 61...

Hi Ozcub, Plenty of Food, Cold Beer and fresh fuel on standby for the generator... Everything else can wait until the conditions get better. I have outages in my area of South Texas at random all throughout the year. I run my 15 KW Generac once a month for an hour regardless, and I keep it...

Fortunately, I am just happy most of my older customers listen to reason when I tell them to only use non-Ethanol fuel in their carbureted equipment, especially generators. For those that prefer to also use Stabil with it, it does not present any problems in my area of South Texas, unless the...

Is anyone servicing generators before cold or bad weather hits? I'm curious because they never seem to be thought about until an emergency arises. Don't people plan ahead anymore?

Hi Scrubcadet10, These kinds of jobs can be challenging, but don't give up. Are there any signs that the governor arm pinch bolt has been messed with? I never like suggesting resetting a basic governor adjustment, but this one is a weird situation. Portable generators are set and governed at...

Hello Scrubcadet10, Being a generator, it does not have a low base idle like a mower engine. At the very lowest, I have seen them at 3400 RPM. The actual target speed for most generators is 3600 RPM which should show 60-61Hz at approximately 120 Volts. I use a Kill A Watt P4400 to read the...

I usually find the pump wear plate face worn or weak plunger springs in the pump pistons. There are times when the hard lines can get debris trapped in them and it chokes the fluid flow if the machine has had neglected servicing. I have actually had to use string fed gun bore brushes to clean...

Hello H., That would equate to "governor top speed" in my understanding. I do not see how loaded or unloaded play into this when the focus is on the basic engine and not the rest of the machine the engine is attached to. Regardless, the whole point of an engine governor is to keep the engine...

Hello H., What is your definition of "TNLS"? That is an abbreviation I am not familiar with

Well, if you can't fix it, rig it.

Hello A., There are times when additional purging is needed on some systems. Air pockets get trapped easily in liquid/hydraulic applications. The heavier the oil/liquid viscosity the higher the chance of air bubbles and air pockets forming. Has for the hacks on You Tube, they rush through the...