small engine question [Archive]

Don Quixote

05-07-12, 10:23 AM

What would make a 2-year-old briggs and stratton lawnmower engine put out dense blue smoke for about 10 minutes and then stop smoking? This was not just a little smoke, but fog the neighborhood kind of smoke. At first I thought maybe one of my kids mixed up some chainsaw gas in the regular gas can, but I drained the gas and it looked clear, and I refilled it with new gas and it still smoked badly. So finally I said screw it and cut the grass anyway and after 10 minutes the exhaust cleared up. The engine runs fine and I can't imagine that piston rings would be shot after light use for 2 years. Any ideas OC experts?

Andrew Longman

05-07-12, 10:39 AM

opinionated ow

05-07-12, 10:45 AM

Tough as nails the old Briggs. Dad's been running his 30 year old model on 2 stroke go kart fuel for the last 20 years and it runs fantastic.

dando

05-07-12, 11:46 AM

Overfilling the oil can cause it to blow past the rings and/or valve guide seals.

Was this the first time you used it this year? The rings might not have been seating well I suppose if it was sitting all winter. They actually need to twist a bit to form a good seal and gunk in the ring slot can keep that from happening. Its just a guess, but it might have taken a few minutes of running to cook it off..

B&S are in my experience pretty tough to kill with a bullet, though they were much better about 30 years ago.

That's my guess as well...especially since it cleared up after running a bit. Sounds like DQ is like my neighbors and the lawn mower comes out about once every couple of months. :gomer: :saywhat: :irked: I've just been through a similar situation with my Weed Eater, and I'm adjusting the carb, idle throttle to get it to run properly. When I first got it running after adjusting the carb, it had blue exhaust for a few that went away after running 5-10 minutes. I've managed to get it to run decently initially, but it's still not @ full power and dies intermittently after using it for 10-15 minutes. I can usually get it to start again on full or half choke, but it conks out again after a few more minutes of use. :irked:

-Kevin

Andrew Longman

05-07-12, 12:38 PM

Kevin -- 2 cycle weed wacker?

2 cycles are a whole different deal. I hate them. Even when they are tuned right, warmed up, running well -- they run like crap.

Just yesterday I was trying to get a three-year old whacker started. I never did get it started last year. Didn't have much success yesterday either and finally pulled out a B&S push mower that I don't remember the last year I used it (maybe seven?). I checked the oil, put gas in it and it started on the first pull.

Then I was able to hit the spots Trevor misses with the lawn tractor. What I couldn't get with the mower I finished up with Round Up -- a trick my neighbor uses. The wife says, "won't that kill the grass?" I say that is exactly the point and unless she can get the whacker working, that's what I will be doing. :irked:

Napoleon

05-07-12, 01:15 PM

Funny, I managed to seize up a B&S in my mower yesterday. Am I POed about it. BTW it had been blowing a lot of smoke at start up.

Just yesterday I was trying to get a three-year old whacker started. I never did get it started last year. Didn't have much success yesterday either

Do you ever try using starter fluid?

Elmo T

05-07-12, 02:45 PM

2 cycles are a whole different deal. I hate them. Even when they are tuned right, warmed up, running well -- they run like crap.

This.:saywhat:

I am ready to invest in a couple very long extension cords and go electric.

I've seen some of the cordless too - not sure about those.

KLang

05-07-12, 04:14 PM

They are not cheap but I finally switched to Stihl for my small engine needs. Weedwacker, edger and chain saw all start on the first or second pull. I have an Echo blower that also has been very dependable.

Wheel-Nut

05-07-12, 04:32 PM

I had this happen one time after cleaning and oiling the air cleaner filter in a mower.

Too much oil in the foam filter and it smoked like the county mosquito truck.

I second Echo for all two stroke engines. With all the yard crews in this area a quick survey will reveal Echo or Stihl equipment on the trucks.

dando

05-07-12, 04:33 PM

Kevin -- 2 cycle weed wacker?

2 cycles are a whole different deal. I hate them. Even when they are tuned right, warmed up, running well -- they run like crap.

Yup. When I gave up on it after last it would barely idle. Adjusting the carb got it running, but it's still having issues. I put some carb cleaner magic potion in it, so hopefully that helps clean the carb out. The problem with the 2-cycle engines is the oil and gas get burner @ once, to the carb tends to get gummed up over time. Mine ran great out of the box, but after four years, it's been through the wringer a bit. I have a feeling I need to replace few bits like the fuel lines, filter, etc. :irked:

-Kevin

Andrew Longman

05-07-12, 04:36 PM

Do you ever try using starter fluid?oh yeah. Esp on my 2 cycle snow blower i got for free from my dad.

dando

05-07-12, 04:43 PM

I've seen some of the cordless too - not sure about those.

They are decent for quick trims, but probably not for edging along the sidewalk (we're on a corner, so we have a lot of that to trim). The light weight is nice, tho. I researched them pretty well when I considered tossing the current Weed Eater, but there just doesn't seem to be a good solution with enough power or long enough charge. I actually bought a cordless B&D hedge trimmer and it works well...for the 30 minutes or so that the charge lasts.

-Kevin

WickerBill

05-08-12, 08:36 AM

So Longman, do you have a 4 cycle trimmer you'd recommend?

DagoFast

05-08-12, 09:30 AM

dando

05-08-12, 09:50 AM

Don't any of you guys use a product like Stabil to keep your gas or gas/oil mixtures from going bad over the winter and gumming up your carbs? The holes in the starting circuit and idle jets on a small gas engine are teeny tiny and are easily plugged.

Yup. Big old' can of it in the garage, plus the 2-cycle oil mix is treated with Stabil these days. Problem is that there are a lot of plastic/rubber crap in the works these days that simply degrades over time. I take good care of my outdoor power equipment with oil changes, replacing the air filter, new plugs, running them out of gas end of season, Stabil, etc., but they still develop issues over time. Knock on wood my B&S Craftsman mower has been rock solid, as has my Craftsman 2-cycle blower/vac. This is my second Weed Eater, and I'm not alone with the issues I've experienced/experiencing. The problem I have now started mid-season last year, so it's not a stale fuel issue.

-Kevin

Napoleon

05-08-12, 10:38 AM

Don't any of you guys use a product like Stabil

Yes

cameraman

05-08-12, 01:02 PM

Don't any of you guys use a product like Stabil

Nah, it makes the extension cord all sticky.

TravelGal

05-08-12, 09:42 PM

This.:saywhat:

I am ready to invest in a couple very long extension cords and go electric.

I've seen some of the cordless too - not sure about those.

TravelGuy only used electric (until the hiring of a service became the better part of valor). The problem with the extension cords is that you're always either hauling them around and over the mower when you change direction or they go under the mower and you guys are smart enough to know what comes next after THAT happens. :mad:

Andrew Longman

05-09-12, 01:45 AM

So Longman, do you have a 4 cycle trimmer you'd recommend?Not at the moment. I am first going to try out one of my three kids with hand clippers like I used for the job when I was a kid.

(I was paid a penny a minute, and that would be cheaper that trashing/replacing the POS whacker I just bought three years ago)

Short of that I will just kill all the friggin' grass with Round Up and deal with the wife

Wish me luck. :gomer:

Andrew Longman

05-09-12, 01:50 AM

Yup. Big old' can of it in the garage,...Not here.

But only because Ethanol now in gas turns into pretty nasty stuff pretty quick. I don't keep a lot of gas around to keep it pretty fresh.

And (Elmo you'd be pretty proud of me) our garages are under the house and one doubles as our furnace room. I sleep better knowing I have the smallest possible fire bombs under my sleeping kids.

emjaya

05-09-12, 07:20 AM

So Longman, do you have a 4 cycle trimmer you'd recommend?

I'm not Longman, but have you looked at Makita?

I've hearing good things about them on this side of the Pacific.

chop456

05-09-12, 07:50 AM

And I've had a Toro for 15 years that I bought as a closeout. I've never drained the gas in the fall, cleaned it, changed the air filter or spark plug, and never measure the oil with any greater accuracy than "Meh - that's about right". It usually starts on the 5th or 6th pull in the Spring.

NismoZ

05-09-12, 09:00 AM

YES! My Toro is going on yr. 16 and only NOW blowing smoke on startup, and choosing to just stop for no apparent reason...and this only AFTER finally breaking down and getting the "Spring Tuneup Special" coupon and having it worked on! :irked: Ol' Dad was a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy, but...What do any of you know about the effect of ethanol on small engines? Can't avoid it in the People's Republic where I live. Some say it puts broad smiles on mower repair shop owners faces.:irked:Again!

dando

05-09-12, 09:32 AM

Not here.

But only because Ethanol now in gas turns into pretty nasty stuff pretty quick. I don't keep a lot of gas around to keep it pretty fresh.

And (Elmo you'd be pretty proud of me) our garages are under the house and one doubles as our furnace room. I sleep better knowing I have the smallest possible fire bombs under my sleeping kids.

But what good does that do you when it's couch/dumpster burning season? :gomer:

-Kevin

dando

05-09-12, 09:37 AM

Toro for residential use has been largely badged since the 1990's, FYI.

-Kevin

Don Quixote

05-09-12, 10:12 AM

But what good does that do you when it's couch/dumpster burning season? :gomer:

-KevinIn Jersey they burn sofas, not couches. :D

dando

05-09-12, 10:24 AM

In Jersey they burn sofas, not couches. :D

Oh dear...here we go with the soda vs. pop discussion. Time for a new thread... :gomer: ;)

BTW, did you check to make sure the kiddies didn't stash some medical jane in the mower? You may have solved the glaucoma issues for the entire 'hood. :D

-Kevin

Don Quixote

05-09-12, 10:45 AM

I think Andrew's hypothesis about the rings not seating properly until the gunk was burned off is the one I am going with. It may be awhile before I cut the grass again :gomer: but I will report to the class when I do.

Andrew Longman

05-09-12, 11:23 AM

In Jersey they burn sofas, not couches. :DI live in western hunterdon county. Here we don't burn sofas. Put them to the curb and some hillbilly will cross the river in the middle of the night and take it back to PA. Most furniture in endlessly passed around that way. :D

dando

05-09-12, 11:25 AM

It may be awhile before I cut the grass again :gomer: but I will report to the class when I do.

Well that explains our neighbor then...going on 6 weeks and no mow. :saywhat: ~4" of rain the past 2-3 weeks and lawn fertilized last week (it's so tall the notice they placed in the yard last week for the lawn fertilization notification can barely be seen a week later). :mad: When did you move in? :gomer: :shakehead

-Kevin

Don Quixote

05-09-12, 11:38 AM

Well that explains our neighbor then...going on 6 weeks and no mow. :saywhat: ~4" of rain the past 2-3 weeks and lawn fertilized last week (it's so tall the notice they placed in the yard last week for the lawn fertilization notification can barely be seen a week later). :mad: When did you move in? :gomer: :shakehead

-KevinWe are in a historic drought. State-wide the snowpack is about 25 percent of average. Most of the Snotell monitoring stations are reading zero. That's a long winded way of saying my grass ain't growing. If I moved in next to you, you would know it right away from the junk cars, loud keggers, and huge above-ground swimming pool in the front yard.

chop456

05-09-12, 12:02 PM

What do any of you know about the effect of ethanol on small engines? Can't avoid it in the People's Republic where I live.

Next time you go toodling around Lake Geneva, take a gas can. :gomer: I believe Walworth county is Ethanol-free.

Don Quixote

05-09-12, 12:18 PM

I live in western hunterdon county. Here we don't burn sofas. Put them to the curb and some hillbilly will cross the river in the middle of the night and take it back to PA. Most furniture in endlessly passed around that way. :DBut what do you do with davenports?

chop456

05-09-12, 01:39 PM

But what do you do with davenports?

Holy crap, you're clueless.

Those go between the bureau and the chesterfield. :gomer:

:hillbillygrandparents:

dando

05-09-12, 01:53 PM

We are in a historic drought. State-wide the snowpack is about 25 percent of average. Most of the Snotell monitoring stations are reading zero. That's a long winded way of saying my grass ain't growing. If I moved in next to you, you would know it right away from the junk cars, loud keggers, and huge above-ground swimming pool in the front yard.

I think you forgot the mobile meth lab....

b/w y'all, the folks in Texas, the folks in the NE and the folks in the SE, this summer is setting up to be a ring of fire with all of the extreme drought conditions already. :eek:

-Kevin

Don Quixote

05-09-12, 01:56 PM

Holy crap, you're clueless.

Those go between the bureau and the chesterfield. :gomer:

:hillbillygrandparents:Snob. We didn't have a chesterfield. We had a chifferobe.

cameraman

05-09-12, 04:13 PM

I think you forgot the mobile meth lab....

b/w y'all, the folks in Texas, the folks in the NE and the folks in the SE, this summer is setting up to be a ring of fire with all of the extreme drought conditions already. :eek:

-Kevin

The red flags are flying in southern Utah. It's has all the hallmarks of being really ugly around here. It is the beginning of May and the soil moisture is that of the beginning of July...

KLang

05-09-12, 04:24 PM

I think you forgot the mobile meth lab....

b/w y'all, the folks in Texas, the folks in the NE and the folks in the SE, this summer is setting up to be a ring of fire with all of the extreme drought conditions already. :eek:

-Kevin

We had in the first quarter this year as much rain as we had all of last year. Seems to be drying up again though.

cameraman

05-20-12, 11:18 AM

This.:saywhat:

I am ready to invest in a couple very long extension cords and go electric.

I've seen some of the cordless too - not sure about those.

The cordless ones work fine if you can finish the job in ~20 minutes. But don't forget to plug it in as mine has a 9-hour recharge:saywhat:

three guesses what I did last week:rolleyes:

05-22-12, 02:04 PM

If I moved in next to you, you would know it right away from the junk cars, loud keggers, and huge above-ground swimming pool in the front yard.

Which one's the engine pullin tree?

Don Quixote

05-22-12, 02:29 PM

Which one's the engine pullin tree?

Only one? What if you needs to pull more'n one engine at a time?

Al Czervik

05-22-12, 04:15 PM

Only one? What if you needs to pull more'n one engine at a time?

You need more than one tree if'n ya got double overhead cams.

At least that's what some English mechanic told me.

Indy

05-22-12, 08:53 PM

Gamerpussies.

SteveH

05-23-12, 12:12 AM

I came to discuss racing and this is what I found.

cameraman

05-23-12, 12:39 AM

Happens when good racing is as rare as hen's teeth.

Ziggy

05-23-12, 07:22 AM

Briggs engines are famous for developing flaws of the surface on the inside diameter of the exhaust valve guide. If it persists, remove the valve and polish it with lapping compound. (both guide and valve stem)

When it sticks you will for sure know it :laugh: