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I was directed here to introduce myself. I have a Toro 3200 TimeCutter Model 74621 Riding mower. My hubby died and I have put this off for 2 years now but I MUST change the oil. Please do not freak the oil still looks clean. Buying this brute of a mower for my small lawn was total over kill. Long story short hubby wanted me to have a strong mower I would not have to replace or have trouble with since we knew I was going to be alone. My only request was it be a ZTR no steering wheel. Mowing is a 30 minute job from oil check before starting to mow to clean up deck and driving it back to the garden shed once a week for a very short growing season. The oil still looks clean it is just time over time. I do not know if it is a Kohler or a Brigs and Stratton or the Toro motor it is 452?? I remember him talking about it when he ordered it and that was in one ear out the other with smiles because I am clueless.

I am not mechanical. I have watched youtube videos read the manual found the drain hose I think my hubby used as it fits onto the end of the yellow drain thing and it appears oily inside. My first question is I do not see how that yellow drain piece works. No place to insert a screw driver to open a valve. I do not find this explained anywhere. Removing the cap does not let the oil out as I feared so some thing has to turn some how. Until I know how to do it I am not doing it.

Second there is a large range of oils listed in the manual all starting with 5W-20 and 5W-30 with an arrow saying use these viscosity oils in certain temperatures. Again I just do not understand which one I am supposed to use. This chart just confuses me. It gets up to 100 here in the summer. I usually wait until evening to mow because I do not like to be out there in the sun and 100 degrees. And I certainly am not going to be mowing at -20.

So this is why I came to the forum to try to learn this Nearest dealer is 45 miles away and I do have a trailer I can tow it I am not used to towing anything and it is best I just learn to do this myself. If I can learn how to put the chain back on the chain saw I can certainly change the oil in the mower.

Thank you so much to any one that is willing to clue me in on the flavor of oil and how to work that yellow valve. I am old I am a woman and mechanically clueless but I do take direction well.

:welcome:
Sorry to hear of you loss.

Changing the oil on your mower is no more difficult than draining the water from the washing machine.
There are a couple of different systems fitted to those mowers.
If you have a tube with a yellow cap on it held in place by a clip, then unclip it and let it sit flat on the floor of the mower.
The yellow cap will screw off usually a 1/2 turn then allow the oil to dribble out.
Some are spring loaded so you need to push down before turning some are strait screw cap try both ways.
Do it when you have finished mowing so the oil is hot because you want the gunk to be all mixed up with the oil so it gets removed.
You will need some sort of a bowl to catch the hot oil in.
Leave it till it is stone cold then put the cap back on and clip the tube back in position then add the new oil.
You should really replace the filter as well.
It is a small cylinder about 2.5" round & 3" long on the other side of the engine.
It is very difficult to get at and the 3 legged oil filter wrench ( goes on the end of a socket wrench) works best.

As for oil , any lawnmower oil will do the numbers are not important unless you use it to push snow.
Just make sure the can says "for air cooled mower engines ".
When you go to put it in POUR IT VERY SLOWLY the bottom of the tube is very thin so you will end up wearing it if you pour too quick.

You came to the right spot and we will be willing to help you now and down the road. Draining the oil is not hard and after you do it once you’ll think it’s easy. This manual, just click on it, should help you out, along with Bert’s instructions. One thing though, the yellow drain is not spring loaded on that model, just turn 1/4 turn and pull out gently until you start seeing oil coming down the drain tube. If you pull to hard, you’ll have a big mess to clean up. Nothing serious, just a BIG MESS. You should also change to filter. Take a long close look at the engine, it should have the manufacturers name on it. If all you can find is TORO, then you will need to get the filter from a Toro dealer, as they are probably the only ones to carry it. If it says Kohler, or Briggs, you can get that filter from any repair shop. If you have any other questions, please come back and ask before you make a mistake.

https://www.toro.com/getpub/67964

You came to the right spot and we will be willing to help you now and down the road. Draining the oil is not hard and after you do it once you’ll think it’s easy. This manual, just click on it, should help you out, along with Bert’s instructions. One thing though, the yellow drain is not spring loaded on that model, just turn 1/4 turn and pull out gently until you start seeing oil coming down the drain tube. If you pull to hard, you’ll have a big mess to clean up. Nothing serious, just a BIG MESS. You should also change to filter. Take a long close look at the engine, it should have the manufacturers name on it. If all you can find is TORO, then you will need to get the filter from a Toro dealer, as they are probably the only ones to carry it. If it says Kohler, or Briggs, you can get that filter from any repair shop. If you have any other questions, please come back and ask before you make a mistake. Toro and Briggs use 30W oil, while Kohler uses 10W-30.

https://www.toro.com/getpub/67964

And what we both failed to mention is take the dip stick out first to allow air in so the oil flows quicker.

bertsmobile1 said:

:welcome:
Sorry to hear of you loss.

Changing the oil on your mower is no more difficult than draining the water from the washing machine.
There are a couple of different systems fitted to those mowers.
If you have a tube with a yellow cap on it held in place by a clip, then unclip it and let it sit flat on the floor of the mower.
The yellow cap will screw off usually a 1/2 turn then allow the oil to dribble out.
Some are spring loaded so you need to push down before turning some are strait screw cap try both ways.
Do it when you have finished mowing so the oil is hot because you want the gunk to be all mixed up with the oil so it gets removed.
You will need some sort of a bowl to catch the hot oil in.
Leave it till it is stone cold then put the cap back on and clip the tube back in position then add the new oil.
You should really replace the filter as well.
It is a small cylinder about 2.5" round & 3" long on the other side of the engine.
It is very difficult to get at and the 3 legged oil filter wrench ( goes on the end of a socket wrench) works best.

As for oil , any lawnmower oil will do the numbers are not important unless you use it to push snow.
Just make sure the can says "for air cooled mower engines ".
When you go to put it in POUR IT VERY SLOWLY the bottom of the tube is very thin so you will end up wearing it if you pour too quick.

Click to expand...

OH Thank you so much for the confidence. Every little bit helps. There is no hose on it I just found a hose that fits over the yellow cap thing and inside this host is oily looking. So he must have used it for this. Otherwise the iol will just run out all over the deck of the mower. YUCK messy. There is an oil filter on the work bench shelf marked mower. This is the only mower here so I assume it is the right one.I do not know of a three legged filter wrench I have some thing that has a metal strap that I think is for this. I will look for a three legged wrench. He was tidy with his tools so it will be in the tool box drawers some where. I did locate the oil filter on the other side of the engine. So I just mowed a couple of days ago. I will put this off then and use the 30 oil after checking to be sure it is for air cooled. Best start this project in the morning so I am not waiting up for it to cool late into the night and darkness. Or I could put it in the garage I guess to do it.

I have another question. Looking down into the mower with seat raised are rails and places grass catches. Do I use the air compressor to blow out these areas so I can give the mower a good cleaning or maybe the shop vacc instead?? Might not make as much of a mess. And of course not while I am dealing with open oil ports.

Thanks again. Sorry to be such a dufus on this stuff.

bertsmobile1 said:

And what we both failed to mention is take the dip stick out first to allow air in so the oil flows quicker.

Click to expand...

AH Ha sure makes sense on that one. Thanks. Again

I am not sure I have the right oil. From the bottle it says/reads.

Recommended for automobile and light truck gasoline engines specifying APISN and SAE30. So as far as I know autos and light trucks are water cooled. I can take this back next trip to town,22 miles away for this store. Maybe I will just go the extra 22 miles beyond that to get to the real mower shop and get the right stuff and a second oil filter just to be sure the one I have IS the right one. I do not want to blow this machine up by doing some thing stupid. It would be too expensive to replace. And I kind of like it Easy to mow with except the bucking me out of the seat part. I have other errands in the big city I could do to not waste the trip. Love living in the middle of nowhere until I need some thing. HA have not even looked to see if it can be ordered on Amazon with free shipping.

You came to the right spot and we will be willing to help you now and down the road. Draining the oil is not hard and after you do it once you’ll think it’s easy. This manual, just click on it, should help you out, along with Bert’s instructions. One thing though, the yellow drain is not spring loaded on that model, just turn 1/4 turn and pull out gently until you start seeing oil coming down the drain tube. If you pull to hard, you’ll have a big mess to clean up. Nothing serious, just a BIG MESS. You should also change to filter. Take a long close look at the engine, it should have the manufacturers name on it. If all you can find is TORO, then you will need to get the filter from a Toro dealer, as they are probably the only ones to carry it. If it says Kohler, or Briggs, you can get that filter from any repair shop. If you have any other questions, please come back and ask before you make a mistake. Toro and Briggs use 30W oil, while Kohler uses 10W-30.

https://www.toro.com/getpub/67964
OOPS missed this part of your post ^^^^

Yep I have that manual in my hand right now. Well beside me. Need both to try and type.

Good information on not being spring loaded and I can certainly see the mess it would create if it pulled off of there. All over the mower . Wondering why they would put that drain in such an inconvenient spot??? I am certainly no mechanic but it looks bad to me. The fuel filter is in a bag that looked like it was a pack of two and there is a code number on it. And he wrote Mower on it. This clenches it I will go to the guy that does the mowers He mostly does Dixons though. We delt with him when we were cemetery sextons and mowed 10 acres of cemeteries many years ago. How I liaered the joy of the ZTR stick mowers. Nice for trimming in and out of headstones while hubby drove the grasshopper. That thing was like driving a Cadillac, or a tuna boat. LOL Floating over the ground. Fun Except on the side hills. I know of no Toro dealers. I have looked and looked at the engine but I do not know where to look. Do I take off the air cleaner or the fan thing o top. Would it be under there? Looks like a lot to get that off. I will go look again as soon as I get my dinner. I just hate being so stupid on this stuff. We thought we had everything covered before he died. Sigh.

Please give me the serial number of your unit. I can use that to tell you exactly which engine you have, which will make things a lot easier for all of use. The oil you have is the right one for you unit. Don’t worry about being automotive, that’s what I use in the shop every day.

He did not write the serial number in the book. Can you please tell me where it would be on the mower? The only tag I see is an emissions tag. Will the number be on it? Is it stamped in the frame some where? I have been looking for more paper work on this purchase and finding nothing so far.

Model # is 74621

FOUND it! PHEW.Serial #313002152

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

You should be able to find lots of help around here :smile:

I'm going to move this thread over to our Toro section.

Glad you found it. Using that serial number, I come up with a Toro engineered engine for your unit. If you have any more questions please ask us. So far your questions are far more intelligent than many of the self proclaimed garage mechanics. As I always tell my customers, “It cheaper to ask a dumb question, than to pay for a stupid mistake”.

Thank you Rivets, I guess this means I must buy directly from Toro for parts. I hope they ship so I can buy on line. The closest dealer is Boise and that is a 200 mile drive for me round trip and I do not like to go that far. Hoping tomorrow morning will be the oil change. I do need to locate the thing to get the oil filter off and back on I have been doing other projects today so this got put on the back burner. I am mentally preparing to do it though. I feel so much better now with every one helping with how to details.

If I understand you bought this unit from a dealer 200 miles away. You you can purchase the filter online using Toro part number 120-4276. Before you do that, check with the repair shops in your area. If they work on Toro equipment, they should be able to get the filter for you, plus they will be able to help you find an oil filter wrench. If you have a small auto repair shop you deal with they may loan you an oil wrench. It’s worth asking, people in your part of the country really know how to help others out of a bind. Please don’t change the oil until you have the filter in hand. That way you will change the filter after you have drained the oil from the engine. If you try changing the filter with an engine full of oil, you’ll have an even bigger mess to cleanup. Good Luck, and if you have any other questions please ask. I’m going to be busy, but there are others willing to chime in when needed.

Actually he bought the mower from some where far. It was totally his deal and he bought it online. It was shipped to us on a big commercial truck and unloaded on a palate to the snowmobile rack on his truck then we bound it down and let the rack down, it was hydraulic, then slid the palate off.Then he finished putting it together. If I sound fuzzy on some of this it was 2013 and he was on chemo and facing a big surgery and I was going 16 directions at one time trying to keep everything going and him too. So anything not important to me at the time to retain I seem to have lost. I am not ready to blame the fact I am approaching 70. Cripes How did this happen???

If I can order online it is so much easier for me as even the closest mower repair shop is 90 miles round trip. I go to that town to do grocery shopping but already have my freezer full at the moment. He left a filter on the work bench in bubble wrap bag and he wrote mower on it. He labeled the oil bottles and other jugs of stuff for me but the label fell off the Toro one. Just his writing Toro. The Ranger has an oil bottle but no oil filters . See I am hoping if I can do the mower oil change I can also do the Polaris Ranger.

There are no mechanics here. Well one on the corner and if I showed you a photo of his place and how he works on things you would not go there either. It is rather horrifying. My town is 160 people most old like me and retired. But YES lots of farmers that will lend me a tool until I can buy one. I still need to go look for that oil wrench. I was focused on another project I really wanted to finish today. I will not start anything until I am sure I have every thing in hand I need.

Again Thank you so much!

Sunday 8-26 Looks like the oil change is not going to happen for this day.I have looked everywhere for the oil filter wrench. Found the generator and two air compressors I thought were long gone. LOL Lots of other fun stuff. Looked high and low. Most things I need step stool to reach. He was a tall man. I am not tall. Been through 5 tool boxes. How could some thing so obvious be so hard to find. I know the round strap thing I am looking for. The other three legged tool I am clueless. Wait I googled it. I will look again. Do not remember seeing some thing like this but it could be there. He was a mechanic. He loved tools. Doesn't every man? Soon I do need to get to mowing as it looks like it could rain any moment. To be continued.

I FOUND the wrench. Ashamed to say it was sitting right next to the oil filter. DOH on me. Since it did not look like what I was looking for I just over looked it . One of the photos on my google search for the three legged wrench made me take a closer look at this thing. It fits the oil filter perfectly. I did find lots of other cool stuff I will enjoy playing with. I used his tools almost as much as he did. I just did not do mechanical stuff with them. I built things as in fences dog houses cat shelters.



And it also looks like I have the right oil filter.




Now off to mow. I think I will clean up all around on the mower before I get it hot. Going to pull it in under the carport shelter even though I need to move patio table and chairs out of the way a bit. I do not want to get half way into this and it start raining.

Thanks Again Every one.Terrified to do this but onward and upward. Or is it keep cool and carry on??

Editing to say this is almost comical but not quite. Battery is dead on the mower. Trickle charger is on. Now I wait. Still hoping I beat the rain. SMH

Catherine said:

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

You should be able to find lots of help around here :smile:

I'm going to move this thread over to our Toro section.

Click to expand...

Thanks Catherine, I missed this and managed to find the post again. Good now to know where to go looking for it though. I found it through clicking on my user name. Lucky other forums work this way.

OK Another try at getting this done. The trickle charger should have been on long enough to give me a start. I hope to get through this season and winter before buying a new battery. Seems silly to get one now with only a few weeks of mowing left then have to baby it all winter with the trickle charger. Battery on it must be at least three years old. And I am sure this will bring on a whole nother round of questions.

You all are so good to help me with this. Thank you so much!

Chris

Now I see your biggest asset if diligence and patience. Take your time, review the videos and you’ll do fine. If you have more questions give us a shout and we’ll be here to help out.

before you touch the oil filter cut a tray from a milk bottle or some thing that is square shape that will slip under the filter.
There is about a cup ( womans measure ) of oil inside it that will dribble out when you loosen it. :thumbsup:
IF woman designed the engine, the filter would hang down so it does not spill when changed, but us blokes never think about cleaning up. :thumbdown:

OK I mowed and got the hose on to drain and the valve open as far as I dare pull it I only have about one quart drained out so far in 30 minutes or more Engine is still warm. but the oil is not coming down the tube? Do I jack up the front end of the mower to help it drain? Book says park it so right side is slightly lower than the left side. That is crazy as it is draining out of the left side. Is my mower dyslexic or?? I can jack it up that way if some one says yes do so? I can not move it otherwise?

Also when I pull that filter off is oil going to go everywhere it too is close to the deck like the drain. Certainly a woman did not design this. LOL

If any one is home here the help would be greatly appreciated.

At this point I only managed to get about 43 OZ out of this beast and the filter is still very slowly draining I know I checked the oil before I mow even though I knew I was going to change it and it registered full. Supposed to hold 2.1 quarts. I am far from that I am sure I lost some to spillage. About 2 paper towels worth and NO I am mot going to try and wring them out to measure. LOL Do I cover all openings for the night and let it keep maybe draining or put it back together? It is getting dark out there but I can move a light to where I am.

Thanks again.

You can let it drain all night. It won't hurt anything but don't expect to get another 21 ounces out of it unless you've got the engine tilted at an angle that raises the drain point above its normal location preventing proper drainage.
.

Stated oil capacity may or may not be the same as the amount required for an oil change. For instance, I have a TDI VW. If I don't make the effort to get the oil out of the oil filter housing, there will be 8 to 10 ounces of oil left in there.

Best thing to do is let it drip until it quits, then finish up your oil and filter change. Take a note of how much oil was needed to refill the engine. Start the engine and let it warm up. Let it cool, then check the oil again. Top it off if needed. Take note of how many ounces it took. That will tell you what the 'normal' oil change quantity is. But NEVER just drain the oil and replace it with a stated sump capacity unless you already know that won't overfill the engine.

FWIW, a lot of engines can have their oil removed 'from the top,' so to speak by using a vacuum oil extractor, such as the Pella 6000 (that's the one I have). They work REALLY good in some applications, not so good in others. For instance, when I used it on daughter's Acura RSX, it gets every bit of the oil out. When I used it on a 3.0 V6 Ford Ranger, it leaves a quart or more.

cpurvis said:

You can let it drain all night. It won't hurt anything but don't expect to get another 21 ounces out of it unless you've got the engine tilted at an angle that raises the drain point above its normal location preventing proper drainage.
.

Stated oil capacity may or may not be the same as the amount required for an oil change. For instance, I have a TDI VW. If I don't make the effort to get the oil out of the oil filter housing, there will be 8 to 10 ounces of oil left in there.

Best thing to do is let it drip until it quits, then finish up your oil and filter change. Take a note of how much oil was needed to refill the engine. Start the engine and let it warm up. Let it cool, then check the oil again. Top it off if needed. Take note of how many ounces it took. That will tell you what the 'normal' oil change quantity is. But NEVER just drain the oil and replace it with a stated sump capacity unless you already know that won't overfill the engine.

FWIW, a lot of engines can have their oil removed 'from the top,' so to speak by using a vacuum oil extractor, such as the Pella 6000 (that's the one I have). They work REALLY good in some applications, not so good in others. For instance, when I used it on daughter's Acura RSX, it gets every bit of the oil out. When I used it on a 3.0 V6 Ford Ranger, it leaves a quart or more.

Click to expand...

OK Thank you. I am saving this to put in my mower book. Makes good sense to me. I covered the oil filter area with a baggie and just set the oil filler tube cap lightly on top not screwed down. Hose is still on drain spout. I will leave it until morning Then fill it slowly. I will write it all down in the book. I had to do this with the snow plow blade on and off process too. I could not remember from year to year and totally different doing it alone with out some one prompting me. Yep it says it holds 2.1 quarts . And I did not plan on just dumping that amount into it right off as I understand it is really bad to over fill. I did no think of then starting it checking then letting it cool and so on. My one mechanic friend said maybe I was running the oil too low but honestly I checked the oil before I started mowing just out of habit and it registered right on the full mark. Which reminds me I better go pull the key . With my luck some one would try to steal it tonight by starting it and driving off and I assume it would quickly blow up. Not that we have that many thieves here but pretty tempting it just sitting there with key in it. LOL Just remembered they would play hell getting it out the gate as my big gate is kind of hidden. Giggle. By then the dogs would be pitching a fit.

Jacking it did no good and I tried all four corners of it just because I could. Shrug . It is already sitting fairly level. If anything leaning towards the left which is the side the drain hose is located.

Thank you again! Tomorrow is another day.

Don't stress out about getting every last drop out.
If you end up replacing 2/3 to 3/4 it will be fine, particularly if you do it every season, at the end of the season so it sits over winter with clean oil in it.
I have a 1 litre jug with a very long spout that I use for oil changes
One gets dumped strait in then another 1/2 .
From there on it it is an old sauce bottle with a pointy spout till the oil level comes up to the mark.
stops over filling and I am yet to find an engine that takes the exact correct amount.
The same bottles get used to fill chainsaws & push mowers.
Tomato for red SAE 30, BBQ ( brown ) for 10W 40 Mustard ( yellow ) for chain oil

As you have also changed the filter, the it sit for an hours oe so then run it for 5 minutes and recheck the oil as it will have dropped a little filling up the oil filter.
Messy isn't it

bertsmobile1 said:

Don't stress out about getting every last drop out.
If you end up replacing 2/3 to 3/4 it will be fine, particularly if you do it every season, at the end of the season so it sits over winter with clean oil in it.
I have a 1 litre jug with a very long spout that I use for oil changes
One gets dumped strait in then another 1/2 .
From there on it it is an old sauce bottle with a pointy spout till the oil level comes up to the mark.
stops over filling and I am yet to find an engine that takes the exact correct amount.
The same bottles get used to fill chainsaws & push mowers.
Tomato for red SAE 30, BBQ ( brown ) for 10W 40 Mustard ( yellow ) for chain oil

As you have also changed the filter, the it sit for an hours oe so then run it for 5 minutes and recheck the oil as it will have dropped a little filling up the oil filter.
Messy isn't it

Click to expand...

YES it is messy even had to figure how to change the paper towel roll hubby put together for his work bench. HA had to get a stool to reach. It is a home made holder. The way he rolled.

So here is how it is going. Over night just a little bit more drained out. No idea how much probably not much over the guessed total of 43-44 OZ. Some spilled out of the mower end of the drain hose when pulling it foo the spout. A little more out of the oil filter.

I put a bit of oil around the o-ring on the oil filter and hand tightened it. Then put the wrench on it and being there is very little space to turn the wrench I only tightened it 4 more clicks. Each time I pulled the wrench back it would only click once. I hope this means some thing to you guys. I think I listened to or read some where not to over tighten . The I added one quart of oil and I did check the dip stick and it is registering full but that was right after adding the oil. No time to get to the oil filter yet. I am waiting the hour or so as told to do. Then check it. Note how much more oil it needs.

I saved the filter label taped into my mower book I also copied all this information here to a word doc. When done I will print it off and also add it to my mower book. So much better explained by all of you than the book. I am a Missouri born gal. You know the Show Me State. LOL YES I am pretty detail fixated. I was a bookkeeper for over 40 years along with a few other careers but always the bookkeeping cause when some one found out I could do it I was always handed the jobs right up to my last position as City Clerk /Treasures. Woo Hoo. No big deal the city is 160 people. LOL I am not sorry to say I am retired now from that job and will be doing hospice volunteer. I hope no one needs their oil changed.:laughing: I think I would rather build fences. I also washed the foam thing on the air cleaner and blew out the paper part with the air compressor. I have done this part many times.

I am fearful everything is going to blow up when I start the mower. I think I have done everything just as I was told. Please tell me it is not going to blow up.

IT IS NOT GOING TO BLOW UP!!! From what you told us, it will purr like a kitten when you are done. When you start it up, let it run on half throttle for about a minute, then shut it down. Let stand about a minute and recheck you oil level. I’ll bet it’s below the full mark. That is what should happen. Now add oil until you get to the full mark, put everything away and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

shadesofidaho said:

I also washed the foam thing on the air cleaner and blew out the paper part with the air compressor. I have done this part many times.

I am fearful everything is going to blow up when I start the mower. I think I have done everything just as I was told. Please tell me it is not going to blow up.

Click to expand...

It's not going to blow up. Just make sure the filter and drain fitting don't leak.

Re: the air filter. I have been advised by two air filter manufacturers NOT to remove, clean and replace a paper pleated air filter. They claim that the rubber gaskets take a 'set' and you will be very lucky if you can put the filter back exactly as it was. They also said to never use compressed air on one. What I do is install the filter and foam wrapper, then remove the wrapper only and clean it periodically. For my Cub Cadet, that's every ten hours. But the paper filter element goes on and stays on the full year, which usually is about 60 or 70 hours. The book says 100 hours or annually.

Some of these wrappers are oiled, some are not. You'll have to check for your engine. Mine are oiled; I wash them (I have three) in Dawn dishwashing soap and let them air dry. I add the oil just before it goes on the engine.

"IT IS NOT GOING TO BLOW UP!!! From what you told us, it will purr like a kitten when you are done. When you start it up, let it run on half throttle for about a minute, then shut it down. Let stand about a minute and recheck you oil level. I’ll bet it’s below the full mark. That is what should happen. Now add oil until you get to the full mark, put everything away and pat yourself on the back for a job well done."

Aw Thanks!! It has been time more than and I checked it again and still showing full. I put a level across the machine and it is 3/4 inch lower left side to right. as it is sitting in my carport Maybe why dipstick is not reading correctly.

BUT I will go out and start it. I have to go full throttle for it to start but will pull it back to half right away. Be back in a few.

Again Thank you!

cpurvis said:

It's not going to blow up. Just make sure the filter and drain fitting don't leak.

Re: the air filter. I have been advised by two air filter manufacturers NOT to remove, clean and replace a paper pleated air filter. They claim that the rubber gaskets take a 'set' and you will be very lucky if you can put the filter back exactly as it was. They also said to never use compressed air on one. What I do is install the filter and foam wrapper, then remove the wrapper only and clean it periodically. For my Cub Cadet, that's every ten hours. But the paper filter element goes on and stays on the full year, which usually is about 60 or 70 hours. The book says 100 hours or annually.

Some of these wrappers are oiled, some are not. You'll have to check for your engine. Mine are oiled; I wash them (I have three) in Dawn dish washing soap and let them air dry. I add the oil just before it goes on the engine.

Click to expand...

Humm. The book says to blow it out and to not oil the foam part. It also said to use compressed air to blow it out. I imagine it is time to change it but it looks perfectly clean. The foam cover part was a bit dirty the first wash Clean on the second. I do not like dusty mowing so I try to have the lawns well watered but the grass dry when I plan to mow. And I turn the blades off when I have to cross a small dirt area. If I can force myself to do so I will head to town tomorrow and see if I can pick up another filter for it.

So ok I am going to try to start it and shift some oil around.

cpurvis said:

It's not going to blow up. Just make sure the filter and drain fitting don't leak.

Re: the air filter. I have been advised by two air filter manufacturers NOT to remove, clean and replace a paper pleated air filter. They claim that the rubber gaskets take a 'set' and you will be very lucky if you can put the filter back exactly as it was. They also said to never use compressed air on one. What I do is install the filter and foam wrapper, then remove the wrapper only and clean it periodically. For my Cub Cadet, that's every ten hours. But the paper filter element goes on and stays on the full year, which usually is about 60 or 70 hours. The book says 100 hours or annually.

Some of these wrappers are oiled, some are not. You'll have to check for your engine. Mine are oiled; I wash them (I have three) in Dawn dishwashing soap and let them air dry. I add the oil just before it goes on the engine.

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Hair shampoo is much better for washing filters it is a lot better at grease removal and a lot softer on the foam.
They end up smelling prettier too, but if people see you sniffing your air filter they will start to talk.:laughing:

Ok I did as told and I only needed to add another 2 1/4 oz oil. I am going to take it back to the garden shed and check it while it is sitting in there. Also check to see if it is sitting level in the shed. I never thought to check this.

Thank you all so much. PHEW I wish I drank I feel like I want/need a beer. LOL Next project adding grills to my storm doors. Dogs keep knocking the screens out. Getting late maybe not today.

bertsmobile1 said:

Hair shampoo is much better for washing filters it is a lot better at grease removal and a lot softer on the foam.
They end up smelling prettier too, but if people see you sniffing your air filter they will start to talk.:laughing:

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Hahaaha Good one. Around here let them talk. I am already highly speculated on by those with nothing better to do. But then I earned some of it honestly. I am a crazy cat lady and an artist. My front fences are all built of old iron head/foot boards.. Right off they see this place and start scratching their heads. I have three mosaic mannequins in my front windows. Two more to come one day. I am still having fun in life. My favorite shopping mall is the local dump.

After moving the mower to the garden shed I added another 5 OZ of oil. I will check it again before I mow next time. There are no oil leaks that I can see so far. No more slight around the edge of the oil filter. I checked the level of the mower in the shed and it is much more level in there. Note to self. Next time change oil on a flatter surface even though it was leaning towards the drain spout.

Just a quick question, how is everything working? Did it blow up yet, just kidding.

Rivets said:

Just a quick question, how is everything working? Did it blow up yet, just kidding.

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Well........... The very next day I woke to a raging case of shingles. But the mower has done well. I just finished mowing a few minutes ago. No blow up oil still to the full. Mower sounds good and the churned up oil after mowing is so clean I can hardly see it on the stick. I have to turn it to reflect the light. Editing to add no leaks.

Now if only you guys had a Polaris Ranger board here. LOL I need to change the oil on/in it too. I did find a note about that fuel filter , next to the mower filter, with Ranger brand name and part number. Maybe pick it up tomorrow. It is a wix so not sure where he bought it. Online or walmart is my guess. I will google it.

I thank you all so much for this help. It really has been a worry for me. Now next time I will not put it off so long nor will I be worried about it. Hoping I remember it all. But I also have your comments stapled into my mower manual.

Thank you again so much!!