Tony
Staff member
The phrase for today is... Sun-Of-A-Bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We were going to mow today since we didn't get to it before the storm yesterday. I was going to do it this morning, but still way too wet. So we went and picked up some free wire for tomato cages, new bolt cutters, new can crusher and a new fry press. Got back, yard was dry, decided to use said fry cutter and have some burgers and fries. And they were good.
Finally get to mowing, and I tell the wife that I wanted her to pull the lawn aerator around with her and try to get some more oxygen into the soil. So as I'm trying to find the pin that somehow came up missing to hook the trailer to the mower, she tries to start it. It hits compression and just stops. It's never done this. She does it some more, same thing. I go over there and try it, same thing.
It was then that we saw fuel spilling out of the air cleaner, I went to check the oil and loosened the fill, but decided to take the air filter off. It was soaked in gas. So I reached over and went to start it and it blew gas, and a lot of it, out of the oil fill pipe.
So now, I don't know if it was run last weekend with gas in the oil. If it was, the bearings and cylinder walls are shot. This sucks, we JUST had a service done on this thing three weeks ago tomorrow.
so I go back to the ole green monster, my old 1995 craftsman tractor that we had to choke the hell out of to keep it running. Now, it won't even start. Oh, did I mention this is the motor with the jacked up battery wires because someone stole (yanked forcefully) the battery at our old house? Yup, that was the reason we moved lol. Damn crackheads.
So with a jumper box hooked up, I kept cranking on it. Nothing. Put some gas in the carb, fired right up then died when it ran out. I screwed with this thing for about 4 hours trying to rule out every possible issue. Pulled the carb off and cleaned the old gummed up gas out of it (it's been sitting for over two years). Did that about 3 times. Pulled the plug, getting spark. Pulled the FRONT COVER to check the valves, it was fine. So one last ditch effort, I pulled the carb off again and went into the garage.
I forced about 120psi through this thing and every passage was clean. took it back out and was putting it on the carb and installing the electric cut off when I saw one small hole that I hadn't cleaned. Son-Of-A-Bitch!!! Stuck a wire through that bitch, blew it out with brake cleaner, forced 120psi through it again, installed it on the green monster, choked it, cranked it and it fired right up. Took the choke off, running like it was supposed to, but a little loud.
Checked the oil (shutup, I know) and she had NONE in it lol. Put what I had left of a 20-50 bottle into it, still just barely touching the stick. Oh well, it's running.
Get on it and pull the PTO to engage the blades, nothing.
. Not having many patience left, I just started slamming this thing back and forth and it caught and kicked the blades on tossing out a crap load of dirt. Damn gophers. Go to slide the hydromatic trans in forward, nothing. reverse, nothing.
I push it forward and check the belt. Well worn, but should be working. Check the rear end, pulley is turning fine. belt is turning fine. After picking up the ass end about 3' in the air and dropping it (to knock something loose lmao) my grandmother comes over and says "what about that pin in the back, should that be pulled out that far?". HELL NO!!!
Pushed it back in, and we are driving. The green monster is alive once again. Kick in the PTO, and we are mowing!
Question is, how long will this last? What kind of damage was done to our new(ish) mowers engine? We just don't know. But, We will be getting a much bigger and better solution to this coming about mid week. This is going to be awesome!!! But these mowers are really PISSING ME OFF!!! ugh. Can I have a day off please...
So that's how my last day of the weekend went. How was your weekend?
We were going to mow today since we didn't get to it before the storm yesterday. I was going to do it this morning, but still way too wet. So we went and picked up some free wire for tomato cages, new bolt cutters, new can crusher and a new fry press. Got back, yard was dry, decided to use said fry cutter and have some burgers and fries. And they were good.
Finally get to mowing, and I tell the wife that I wanted her to pull the lawn aerator around with her and try to get some more oxygen into the soil. So as I'm trying to find the pin that somehow came up missing to hook the trailer to the mower, she tries to start it. It hits compression and just stops. It's never done this. She does it some more, same thing. I go over there and try it, same thing.
It was then that we saw fuel spilling out of the air cleaner, I went to check the oil and loosened the fill, but decided to take the air filter off. It was soaked in gas. So I reached over and went to start it and it blew gas, and a lot of it, out of the oil fill pipe.
So now, I don't know if it was run last weekend with gas in the oil. If it was, the bearings and cylinder walls are shot. This sucks, we JUST had a service done on this thing three weeks ago tomorrow.
so I go back to the ole green monster, my old 1995 craftsman tractor that we had to choke the hell out of to keep it running. Now, it won't even start. Oh, did I mention this is the motor with the jacked up battery wires because someone stole (yanked forcefully) the battery at our old house? Yup, that was the reason we moved lol. Damn crackheads.
So with a jumper box hooked up, I kept cranking on it. Nothing. Put some gas in the carb, fired right up then died when it ran out. I screwed with this thing for about 4 hours trying to rule out every possible issue. Pulled the carb off and cleaned the old gummed up gas out of it (it's been sitting for over two years). Did that about 3 times. Pulled the plug, getting spark. Pulled the FRONT COVER to check the valves, it was fine. So one last ditch effort, I pulled the carb off again and went into the garage.
I forced about 120psi through this thing and every passage was clean. took it back out and was putting it on the carb and installing the electric cut off when I saw one small hole that I hadn't cleaned. Son-Of-A-Bitch!!! Stuck a wire through that bitch, blew it out with brake cleaner, forced 120psi through it again, installed it on the green monster, choked it, cranked it and it fired right up. Took the choke off, running like it was supposed to, but a little loud.
Checked the oil (shutup, I know) and she had NONE in it lol. Put what I had left of a 20-50 bottle into it, still just barely touching the stick. Oh well, it's running.
Get on it and pull the PTO to engage the blades, nothing.
. Not having many patience left, I just started slamming this thing back and forth and it caught and kicked the blades on tossing out a crap load of dirt. Damn gophers. Go to slide the hydromatic trans in forward, nothing. reverse, nothing. I push it forward and check the belt. Well worn, but should be working. Check the rear end, pulley is turning fine. belt is turning fine. After picking up the ass end about 3' in the air and dropping it (to knock something loose lmao) my grandmother comes over and says "what about that pin in the back, should that be pulled out that far?". HELL NO!!!
Pushed it back in, and we are driving. The green monster is alive once again. Kick in the PTO, and we are mowing!
Question is, how long will this last? What kind of damage was done to our new(ish) mowers engine? We just don't know. But, We will be getting a much bigger and better solution to this coming about mid week. This is going to be awesome!!! But these mowers are really PISSING ME OFF!!! ugh. Can I have a day off please...
So that's how my last day of the weekend went. How was your weekend?
hope the other mower is ok.