Daughters lawn mower & other troubles.

[trail twister]

Last week my daughter is up to her neck with troubles. First her lawn mower would not start and she had let the lawn get way ahead of where she should have. But in her defence she is working from home now and doing nearly double the hours that she did when she was going into the office. Then she drove to a park on the north side of her town for a date. When it was time to leave her car would not start.

Ally yes she has called me Ally since grade school for some reason and I have never minded. Help me, I am nearly a days drive to get to her home so I tell her to have the CRV Honda towed to the dealer or a repair shop she may know of.

That done tackle the mower. I filled it full of gas last fall so don't under stand what is wrong, she said ? Well what kind of gas did you fill it full of I asked. From the quick stop near by. Was it REC gas non ethnoal? don't think so.

OK use a turkey baster and get all that gas out of the tank go to a auto parts store and buy a can of VP fuel fix Medic in a can. Pour it in the mower prime it and may be pull it over and let it set 24 hours.

24 hours later she tells me the mower still won't start so I tell her to see if the shop where she bought her snow blower had a person that does house calls.
Next morning she said she went back out that evening and the mower started. Guess it took a bit longer than 24 hours more like 36 hours but at least it did start with out a huge cost. Not sure what the turkey baster she bought cost to remove the old gas nor what the medic in a can cost there but was way cheaper than a house call or a pick up fix and return would have.

I do think I now have it impressed in her mind not to just buy gas for her small engine stuff. Only buy REC gas or some type of canned stuff for storage.

Al

 

[oneeye]

Always use new gas and never old gas in the lawn mower. I've seen people store their gas in the garage for Winter and then try to use it in the Summer only to find their mower didn't start and had to go to the shop. It's just bad gas, always drain your gas at the end of the mow season and buy new gas and only a little at a time. Gas goes bad over time and will ruin your carburetor .

 

[Peace perfect peace]

I was'nt going to get involved with this one but (she who must be obeyed "the wife" read your problems and told me to help)
So lets explain a few bits and pieces to you,
The advice given by oneeye is spot on and i'd like to take it from here,
The fuel you tried to use is'nt for soft headed valves and thats why you need an oil assisted fuel, if your mower had started with the wrong fuel in it you would have burnt the valve head to bits and then you'd have a big rebuild of the engine cost,
You can buy normal petrol and add your own oil for two stroke engines (google two stroke oil mix fuel and you'll get verious info ref this mixing its simple and cost less than buying pre mixed fuel)
But even using the correct mixed fuel as you've been told wont last,
The fuel mix becomes weak and wont ignight via the spark and all the air filter/fuel filter just get clogged up and as has been said the carbs are then damaged,
I myself empty the fuel tank when the season is over and via the start of the season ive given the mower a full service ie new oil and oil filter
new air filter or at least air clean the one you've got in the machine'
Now I myself change the sparking plug 'but ive a two acre lawn and its cut twice a week for all the summer) so i feel the mower earns a new sparking plug, So if new plug is tobe fitted check the plug gap setting?
spray WD40 on the HT lead covering (stops damp getting to the wire's) clean all the area's around the wheels and grease the moving parts,
oil the cables via the higher ends leading down the machine (use a thin oil for this so it can run down the protective coverings)

The belt or belts Inspect for wear/ damage and order and fit a new belt now befor the season starts /clean all the under sections of the deck and check tyres for wear/damage/ and correct pressure (but when the day arrives to use the machine check tyre pressure again)
grease all the stearing grease points and check the air hole in the fuel cap is clear (if clocked can cause problems)
Remove the battery and have it checked to see its topped up correctly and keep it on a drip charge until needed

Refit battery and grease contact leads and check the leads are a good tight fit?

Now when the big day comes and your ready to use the dry stored machine and your re-fueling shake the can that has the fuel in it so your getting a good fuel/oil mix
Refuel
Try to start the machine but keep in mind this first start may be delayed a little due to the fuel getting primed through the carb,
So give a few turns of the ignition and you should get a little sign lifes still in the engine and then it'll start, put the choke in a little at a time,
Remember just like you waking up from a deep sleep so's the engine, it needs a minute or two to wake up!!!!!!

I look after all the verious garden machines i have and dont have much problems, but if you just think you'll leave your lawn mower sitting in the shed for months and it'll go on without any servicing !!!!!!!!!!!
YOUR VERY WRONG
Good gardening to you and your daughter,

 

[trail twister]

Daughter is colleage educated so an common scence she had was removed and replaced with a lot of inpertant crap.

But her Ally know how to help long distance so she is back on the happy road of lawn mowing.

Al

 

[Peace perfect peace]

Ive just about nearly choked myself laughing at your remarks ref removal of common scence,

I remember the first 10 minutes i stood in front of the C.S.M the day i joined the army (aged 17yrs) he walked up and down the line of the new arrivals and then turned and put his face within an inch of mine and said ,
Tell me something son, When you arrived in this world did the mid wife chuck the rights bit's away ???

Are you the result of a bad night of sex ?????

Thanks Al for the remarks, They're just A1
it's made my day.

 

[trail twister]

Stupid Army DI's really were brain dead, no if and or buts about it.
Only thing they knew was getting up in the morning to the sound of a trumpet, eatting food sloped on a tray much like a hog is slopped. then intimadateing young kids who (for the most part) only want to do the required duty and get on to more productive work in their life.

I met the old DI's who retired and had to take jobs working in factorys and other places because they didn't have a pot to P in or a window to empty it out of and did not live near the old base for the goverments bennies.



Al

 

[Peace perfect peace]

You know AI one of the really daft things i remember being told to do was during a really hot summer in Germany,
We we're housed in an old german building that had strong links to the SS during the was and the security was still very stiff,

We we're all got out of our beds at 2am one morning and told breakfast was going to be at 4am and everyone would be booked into the cookhouse and everyone would eat breakfast and No fainting (Breakfast was the one meal paid for by HM QUEEN) the rest of your meals your paid for via your keep funds taken out of your wages, the idea of this first meal of the day was if on parade you fainted while standing to attention and they found you'd not taken the Queens breakfast you'd be charged and delt with via your commanding officer.

We we're then told later this day a member of the royal household was to visit and inspect the guard of the day (12 men on the front entrance gates)
We were screamed at to clean this clean that and even shake trees so the loose leaves fell off and then removed, white lines that covered the kerb stones "again painted" windows cleaned even plastic flowers put in the window box's outside the officers mess window area, it was to hot for anything to survive,
But now the insult to insult any man trained to kill was about to be ordered,
Now spray the grass area around the security gate area Green,
We dont want princes Ann to see dead grass do we??????

HM Arrived that afternoon about 4pm I wa

 

[trail twister]

You were?

Al

 

[Peace perfect peace]

Sorry Al the PC went down and i didnt know if this was going out or not but i'll finish it off,
Yes she arrived and i was number six in the line up and i just knew she'd stop and say the same things she said the last time she came face to face,

HM. And how long have you served ?

11 yrs Mam,

Oh and do you enjoy enjoy your work ????

As if i was going to say No i hate wasting time painting grass.

"Al" Im ashamed i replied very much so Mam, (And i paid the price for saying that all my mates kept taking the urine for months after that saying at every chance they got And do you enjoy your work And all would join in "Yes Mam"

"H.M Good "carry on doing a good job.

She was then taken to the officers mess for drinks and then off to the real reason she was visiting "Munster" The horse trials,
She had arrived via royal flight and this has to be paid for,