Hello, I am the torque wrench lady. See posts below to see how smart I am.
When I changed the blade on the lawn mower, I first emptied the oil tank and the gas tank. I must not have gotten rid of all the oil, because some of it leaked. Once I started the lawn mower again, there was smoke and oil coming out of the muffler? Is this "normal"? Should I be concerned?
Thanks.
Claudia
Claudia, on the off chance that you aren't a troll, is it the kind of lawnmower that uses gas and oil mixed together? If yes, that could explain it.
Rick
You're havin' one *hell8 of a time with this lawnmower, aren't you? (I just "answered" your torque wrench post)
Quick answer (without actually being able to see it) is that it should burn off eventually. Time needed will of course depend on how much you got in the wrong places. Some will write and tell you to take it to a shop, or tear it apart and clean it. (sigh) If you feel you must...but you can just deal with the smoke for a couple of minutes, hours, mowings. Unless you've managed to totally muck up the fuel system (it won't run period) then you can count on the oil to burn away eventually.
HTH.
| > When I changed the blade on the lawn mower, I first emptied the oil tank and | > the gas tank. I must not have gotten rid of all the oil, because some of it | > leaked. Once I started the lawn mower again, there was smoke and oil coming | > out of the muffler? Is this "normal"? Should I be concerned? | >
| Claudia, on the off chance that you aren't a troll, is it the kind of | lawnmower that uses gas and oil mixed together? If yes, that could | explain it. | | Rick
No Rick, I am not a troll. I am just a somewhat disoriented woman that is not familiar with these things. The lawn mower that I have is not the kind that uses gas and oil mixed together. There are two distinct fills, one for oil, and one for gasoline. The problem that I attemped to describe earlier is one in which an unusual amount of white smoke is coming out of the muffler. Also oil (I think) sprays out of it. I turned everything off and came here to ask questions.
Thanks.
Claudia.
| > When I changed the blade on the lawn mower, I first emptied the | > oil tank and the gas tank. I must not have gotten rid of all | > the oil, because some of it leaked. Once I started the lawn | > mower again, there was smoke and oil coming out of the muffler? | > Is this "normal"? Should I be concerned? | >
| > Thanks. | | You're havin' one *hell8 of a time with this lawnmower, aren't | you? (I just "answered" your torque wrench post)
Yes, I am having some "difficulties." Where is a man when I need one! And thanks for the post on the torque wrench.
| | Quick answer (without actually being able to see it) is that it | should burn off eventually. Time needed will of course depend on | how much you got in the wrong places. Some will write and tell | you to take it to a shop, or tear it apart and clean it. (sigh) | If you feel you must...but you can just deal with the smoke for | a couple of minutes, hours, mowings. Unless you've managed to | totally muck up the fuel system (it won't run period) then you | can count on the oil to burn away eventually.
I can live with the smoke for a while, and it does run by the way. But out of curiosity, what is it that caused this to happen? I suppose it would help to read something on 2-cycle engines, but if you could keep it to layman's terms it would be better. Thanks.
Claudia.
I don't know what you did to drain it. Personally, I've never bothered to look for an oil drain plug on a lawnmower engine, don't even know if they exist. I rig up a chair and/or couple of concrete blocks so I can keep themower deck level when I flip it. I flip it fast, prop it up and let it drain. I can only assume you did it somewhat the same way? If so, it's just a matter of some oil going elsewhere before it can make its way out of the hole. If you tried to drain it in a more conventional/(correct?) way, I have no clue as to how the oil made it to the bad spots.
empty the oil and gas. You should always tip it so the carburetor is on the upper side or some oil can end up in the intake manifold. This will cause some smoke until it burns off. I'm assuming of course, that you are working with a 4 cycle engine and that the oil tank you referred to, was the engine's crankcase. It wouldn't probably be necessary to empty the oil and gas when changing a blade, as long as you have tight caps for the oil and gas and , as I said you keep the carburetor on the top side.
| > When I changed the blade on the lawn mower, I first emptied the oil tank | and | > the gas tank. I must not have gotten rid of all the oil, because some of | it | > leaked. Once I started the lawn mower again, there was smoke and oil | coming | > out of the muffler? Is this "normal"? Should I be concerned? | >
| > Thanks. | >
| > Claudia | >
| > I assume you tipped the lawnmower up on it's side to change the blade and | empty the oil and gas. You should always tip it so the carburetor is on the | upper side or some oil can end up in the intake manifold. This will cause | some smoke until it burns off. I'm assuming of course, that you are working | with a 4 cycle engine and that the oil tank you referred to, was the | engine's crankcase. It wouldn't probably be necessary to empty the oil and | gas when changing a blade, as long as you have tight caps for the oil and | gas and , as I said you keep the carburetor on the top side. |
Tom,
Yes, I tipped the lawnmower as you described. I don't know where the carburetor is, but it must not have been on the top. Question: Even though the cap is tight, how/why does some oil end up in the intake manifold when tipping the lawnmower the wrong way? Just curious.
Thanks.
Claudia
You turned it over or turned it on it's side, correct? Oil then leaks into the engine. And yes it's normal after you tip the mower over. When you change the blade or change oil, put it on blocks (at least a foot high) so it stays upright and you can reach under to get at the nuts.
If you tilt a 4 stroke lawnmower the wrong way over, it will smoke at next start. No damage done. To avoid that, tilt only forwards.
Soren
If you turn it on its side, the oil normally in the bottom of the engine can run through the rings or along the valve stems into the cylinder, gas is also likely to run into the intake. So when you start the engine it has a liquid gas and oil in the cylinder. If you have too much it won't start until you get the excess out. If you tip the lawn mower, lift up on the front wheels and tip it backward, never to the side to get at the nuts.
I hope your are disconnecting the spark plug wire, before you start wrenching on the blade nut.
Its normal as the oil circulates when you tip it, it will burn off.
Probably you spilled some oil into the exhaust when you tipped it on its side to change the blade. Oil could seep past worn piston rings and into the cylinder, then run out through an open exhaust valve and into the muffler.
The only thing that concerns me is if you OVER FILLED the oil when you re-filled it. If that the case it will spit oil
| >
| The only thing that concerns me is if you OVER FILLED the oil when you | re-filled it. If that the case it will spit oil
A little update. I let the engine huff and puff for a few minutes. There was LOTS of white smoke and some oil coming out of the exhaust. But thereafter it ran like a charm.
Thanks to all for your help.
And yes, I tightened the bolt for the blade to the right setting, and it clicked!
Claudia
There is a passage (tube) from the motor oil area to the air intake. If you tip a mower, sometimes oil gets into the air intake. And then the oil burns with the gasoline.
If you have a mower that has one hole for oil, and another for gas, just use the same oil you put in your car. (10-W30). That kind of oil is full of detergents, and isn't made to burn.
Two cycle oil is made to burn, and doesn't have the detergents.
Five galon buckets work nicely.
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