Now the mower will not crank!

[lbrac]

Tons more is not better? But it's the American way.. way over the top!
Happy mowing and be safe!

If a little is good, then more is better. It's the American way. Applies to many things, like sealant, grease, oil level, premixing oil and gas, sharpening a mower blade, tire pressure, tightening a bolt, etc. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

 

[Auto Doc's]

By design, engine running centrifugal force and a small spring retract the cam compression release mechanism.

 

[slomo]

OK, all this about what kind of gasket maker to use is more confusing to me than helpful.

I told you what I use. It is non hardening. As in EASY to remove NEXT TIME. Saves the next guy from cussing his brains out.

I pulled off the gasket cover and had no trouble removing the Permatex gasket material

Totally stunned and believe your story. Normally when I see RTV, there are tools laying all over the place trying to remove a small valve cover for example.

So my question is – why should this NOT be used on a riding lawnmower, single cylinder engine valve cover?

You can, use red. It will work. Issue is there are more specific formulas of RTV glob to use in an oil sealing environment.

 

[TLloyd]

Tons more is not better? But it's the American way.. way over the top!
Happy mowing and be safe!

 

[TLloyd]

Thank you for your advice. I can get the mower to crank and run. Sometimes it just is difficult to start and acts like what I see in other peoples YouTube videos on mowers that need the valve lash adjusted. That’s going to be my nex

I told you what I use. It is non hardening. As in EASY to remove NEXT TIME. Saves the next guy from cussing his brains out.

Totally stunned and believe your story. Normally when I see RTV, there are tools laying all over the place trying to remove a small valve cover for example.

You can, use red. It will work. Issue is there are more specific formulas of RTV glob to use in an oil sealing environment.

I didn't have trouble removing the red. However - I admit my mistake, I was supposed to use the gray. I changed auto valve covers and reasoned it could be easy to use too much! To me it was easy to see on a mower, excess would cause internal problems!

 

[slomo]

If I get a new to me used mower, pull say a valve cover off spotting an RTV glob party, I KNOW the entire mower will have to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. What else is fouled up??

RTV works no doubt. Just commenting on there are better tools now out there for the job. More specific sealants that are easier on the next guy. I've had to order new valve covers for Honda pushers several times. So much RTV piled on I couldn't remove it with a 5 n 1 tool or putty knife. Had to resort to caveman tools. That Hondabond is good stuff.

 

[TLloyd]

Thank you for your advice. I can get the mower to crank and run. Sometimes it just is difficult to start and acts like what I see in other peoples YouTube videos on mowers that need the valve lash adjusted. That’s going to be my nex

I told you what I use. It is non hardening. As in EASY to remove NEXT TIME. Saves the next guy from cussing his brains out.

Totally stunned and believe your story. Normally when I see RTV, there are tools laying all over the place trying to remove a small valve cover for example.

You can, use red. It will work. Issue is there are more specific formulas of RTV glob to use in an oil sealing environment.

I didn't have trouble removing the red. However - I admit my mistake, I was supposed to use the gray. I changed auto valve covers and reasoned it could be easy to use too much! To me it was easy to see on a mower, excess

I've adjusted the valves on a few of these. No pro mind you, but the release is just a small rise on the cam that holds the exhaust valve open a little to release some compression just before top dead center while cranking. Thats why the close tolerance on the exhaust valve adjustment is so critical. If the adjustment is too loose by just a few thousandths the exhaust valve closes completely retaining the high compression and the starter may not turn it over. The compression release is there so the starter can turn the engine over faster, or the pull rope is easier to turn. There is no release mechanism. I can't remember the adjustment, but as I recall it is something like.04 on the exhaust valve and .06 on the intake valve. If you adjust the exhaust to .06, the slack is so much the small cam just doesn't open the exhaust valve for the cranking compression release. When the engine is running the small release doesn't matter. I defer to the top guns, am I wrong???

It was compression release problem.
Thanks to everyone for your time and suggestions!

 

[TLloyd]

If I get a new to me used mower, pull say a valve cover off spotting an RTV glob party, I KNOW the entire mower will have to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. What else is fouled up??

RTV works no doubt. Just commenting on there are better tools now out there for the job. More specific sealants that are easier on the next guy. I've had to order new valve covers for Honda pushers several times. So much RTV piled on I couldn't remove it with a 5 n 1 tool or putty knife. Had to resort to caveman tools. That Hondabond is good stuff.

Yep, must admit I was wrong. Red worked and was easy to get off - BUT - I should have used the gray!

 

[TLloyd]

I'm all eyes. Please elaborate.

I use this. Non hardening sealant designed for oil, gas, grease, aviation and automotive. Made for valve cover gaskets and oil pans.

Does not require a jack hammer to remove a valve cover later LOL.

The number 1 version has a faster setting up time.

View attachment 71901

I had no problem with red. Came off easy. HOWEVER - I admit I should have used the grey, or rather light grey.

 

[TLloyd]

Please think, of the next guy, that has to remove that cover. Use the OEM paper/rubber gasket if at all possible. Or a sealant that doesn't fully harden.

RTV is amateur hour in my book. Red is the wrong color type for oil anyway. Your mower, use what you like.

The red was easy to remove when I re-adjusted the valves. Evidently the compression release was going bad. It went all bad and wouldn't crank. Paid a small engine repairman to fix it. I used it 7 hours in first mow of the season. I'm happy.