Push Mower Engine Blowout - Is it toast?

[stratfordone]

Hi folks - well, I don't know much about small engines, but my
assumption is that my engine just blew and is a goner - but would like
some backup on my plan to move on to buy a new one:

Its a 6HP Briggs & Stratton, Craftsman push mower. Today while mowing,
clanking got loud and heard a crack...mower stopped...looked down...a
piece of the side of the engine casing(?) had cracked off and
something protruding from inside is now poking out. Blackish oil
splashed around the area. There is now a hole in the side of the
casing and you can see in to the motor, gears, etc. Some background:
yesterday the mower locked up. I assumed it was a fuel issue so
drained fuel from tank and carburator, cleaned out carb, reassembled
carb, added fresh fuel, added some oil. Mower started right up after
this. My assumption now looking back is that I don't know that my oil
level was high enough. I only added a little yesterday and had planned
to add more today and check levels. I'm starting to think I added
enough yesterday to get the mower running long enough to burn through
the oil I added, but then probably overheated it enough to blow the
engine?

Regardless, this is a $250ish mower - am I right in assuming an engine
replacement isn't worth the effort (for a consumer to hire out) and I
should just plan to buy a new mower?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Oren]

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:55:16 -0700 (PDT), stratfordone
<stratf...@gmail.com> wrote:

>clanking got loud and heard a crack...mower stopped...looked down...a
>piece of the side of the engine casing(?) had cracked off and
>something protruding from inside is now poking out. Blackish oil
>splashed around the area. There is now a hole in the side of the
>casing and you can see in to the motor, gears, etc.

... Grasshopper, you threw a rod...

Worse than toast.

[hr(bob) hofmann@att.net]

There is(was) markings on the oil dipstick to indicate high/low oil
levels. If you added "some/a little" oil, but didn't check the
dipstick, that makes you a dipstick.

Let this be a lesson. Buy a new machine, but recycle the old one, the
metal is recyclable!

[Joe]

On 4/29/2012 5:55 PM, stratfordone wrote:
> Hi folks - well, I don't know much about small engines, but my
> assumption is that my engine just blew and is a goner - but would like
> some backup on my plan to move on to buy a new one:
>

> Its a 6HP Briggs& Stratton, Craftsman push mower. Today while mowing,

> clanking got loud and heard a crack...mower stopped...looked down...a
> piece of the side of the engine casing(?) had cracked off and
> something protruding from inside is now poking out. Blackish oil
> splashed around the area. There is now a hole in the side of the
> casing and you can see in to the motor, gears, etc. Some background:
> yesterday the mower locked up. I assumed it was a fuel issue so
> drained fuel from tank and carburator, cleaned out carb, reassembled
> carb, added fresh fuel, added some oil. Mower started right up after
> this. My assumption now looking back is that I don't know that my oil
> level was high enough. I only added a little yesterday and had planned
> to add more today and check levels. I'm starting to think I added
> enough yesterday to get the mower running long enough to burn through
> the oil I added, but then probably overheated it enough to blow the
> engine?
>
> Regardless, this is a $250ish mower - am I right in assuming an engine
> replacement isn't worth the effort (for a consumer to hire out) and I
> should just plan to buy a new mower?
>
> Any thoughts are appreciated.

Nah, they aint worth fixing. By the time you put a new plug, oil change
and fuck around sharpening and balancing the blade, you're better off to
buy a new $100 special from McLowes Depot.

Sometimes you can get them even cheaper if you buy them at end of season.

[Stormin Mormon]

Sounds like the engine siezed up, and threw a piston rod. I'd want to take
it to one or two repair shops, near you. See what they say in person. It's
very possible one of the shops will have a used mower with a rotted out
deck, and can use the other motor to get your machine going again.

Also ask them to show you how to check the oil level, typically there is a
dipstick. On a 6 HP engine, the complete oil capacity is typically about 20
ounces. So, with no oil showing on the dipstick, add three or four ounces,
and check again, until the oil shows.

I'm sad to read of this. Checking oil is a simple thing, but the results are
expensive.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"stratfordone" <stratf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9990ebc9-fe04-4d73...@z17g2000yqf.googlegroups.com...

[Stormin Mormon]

I figured someone would step in to be a little harsh on the OP.

Seriously to OP, check around and maybe a repair shop has a similiar engine
taken from a mower with a rotted out deck. Or, an engine that's close
enough.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"hr(bob) hof...@att.net" <hrho...@att.net> wrote in message
news:002eddb3-9e5d-4b7d-

[Robert Neville]

stratfordone <stratf...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Regardless, this is a $250ish mower - am I right in assuming an engine
>replacement isn't worth the effort (for a consumer to hire out) and I
>should just plan to buy a new mower?

Most of the time it's just easier to buy a new mower, but if you are really
attached to the mower, you can look at the engines that Harbor Freight sells.
You may find one that matches up with your mower housing. The bolt pattern and
shaft design are the key things to look at.

[SG]

maybe $2-300 --- no way, no where you can get a new mower for $100,
most of the best sales are happening now also

[bob haller]

2 years ago I bought a brand new weedeater push mower at K mart. It
had been used just once the buyer returned it for a power driven one.

Its worked great and was a steal at only 85 bucks.

Take the old mower to the scrap yard shredder scrap is about 10 to 12
bucks per hundred.......

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

I get mine free on the curb. Usually a couple every spring and fall
in my neighbourhood. I fix them up and sell/give them to friends who
need mowers and keep a spare around in case my 30 year old beast
quits. I re-engined it with a chinese "kit engine" (honda clone) last
year. Usually the problem with the "curbside specials" is water in the
gas, sometimes a broken starter rope or bad wheels. I keep the wheels
off those with serious problems to replace the bad wheels on decent
mowers.

[Bob F]

I'd just go find a freebie mower with a similar engine if I wanted to save it.
You have to find one with the same size and length crankshaft with the same
blade mounting hole. I've swapped engines several times to get quality mowers
working again.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi,
I got a just like new old Toro rear bagger for 30.00 at a garage sale.
The old owner was moving into a home so everything had to be disposed of.
I have John Deere mower already but just because it was so good price
I got it and later I gave it to SIL. It is still working good.

[Fake ID]

I keep hearing about this free stuff but have never seen it. In
particular, I'd like to find one of the people throwing out recent
vintage computers once they've become bogged down with malware.
But there's a good reason my mower says Snapper on the deck and Yard
Machines on the motor.
Costco decided to carry a Snapper mower this year. From above it
resembles the YM with a plastic nose and butt. A look underneath
reveals that on the S both axles are well supported by sheet metal while
the YM is just pastic bolted onto the deck.

m

[Ed Pawlowski]

"Fake ID" <no-...@sonic.net> wrote in message

> Costco decided to carry a Snapper mower this year. From above it
> resembles the YM with a plastic nose and butt. A look underneath
> reveals that on the S both axles are well supported by sheet metal while
> the YM is just pastic bolted onto the deck.
>
> m

If you want to know why Costco carries them and Wal Mart does not, read this
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

Then read this
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

[Fake ID]

In article <tdOdnaooaMa64gPS...@giganews.com>,

I'm familiar with the content of both articles.
The first one in particular resonates because when I bought the Snapper
mower late December 2001 the dicounted price was no doubt a consequence
of the events detailed in that article. Especially now, $250 doesn't
buy a mower that can take over a decade of engine busting pounding.

m

[Jules Richardson]

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:18:51 +0000, Fake ID wrote:
> I keep hearing about this free stuff but have never seen it. In
> particular, I'd like to find one of the people throwing out recent
> vintage computers once they've become bogged down with malware.

You and I must have different definitions of 'vintage'. The sorts of
systems that I class as vintage are at least 25 years old, and malware
isn't an issue :-)

It very much depends on where you live; I used to be in an area where
there were quite a few high-tech companies, and computers of all
descriptions (from "vintage" to year-old PCs) were being tossed out
daily. Now I live in the middle of nowhere and I've found four machines
in four years of asking around (and one of those was 200 miles away)

> Costco decided to carry a Snapper mower this year. From above it
> resembles the YM with a plastic nose and butt. A look underneath
> reveals that on the S both axles are well supported by sheet metal while
> the YM is just pastic bolted onto the deck.

Yeah, there's a lot of crap out there these days :-(

cheers

Jules

[denni...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, April 29, 2012 5:55:16 PM UTC-4, stratfordone wrote:
> Hi folks - well, I don't know much about small engines, but my
> assumption is that my engine just blew and is a goner

With a big chunk missing, oil all over the place, and things poking out...

YA THINK maybe there's no fix to it?

Hindsight being 20/20 and all maybe you should've done a little more when it started giving you problems the first time around. Like, actually checking the oil level rather than just randomly "adding some."

> Regardless, this is a $250ish mower - am I right in assuming an engine
> replacement isn't worth the effort (for a consumer to hire out) and I
> should just plan to buy a new mower?

If you were to replace the engine yourself, you could probably do it for about $150 or so with a Harbor Freight engine... For you, I'd recommend just junking this mower and buying a new one. Paying someone to replace this motor will definitely run you well over $300, more than the mower is worth.

FYI, this mower probably blew up due to your own negligence and ignorance. If you want the next one to last longer, you would do yourself a huge service to learn the basics about small engine maintenance.

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

I HAVE welded the chunk back into the case of an engine in that
condition, and popped in a new rod and piston after disolving the
aluminum off the crank from the siezure - but That was 40 years ago in
Africa. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that - - -

[Jules Richardson]

On Tue, 01 May 2012 12:09:20 -0400, clare wrote:
>>FYI, this mower probably blew up due to your own negligence and
>>ignorance. If you want the next one to last longer, you would do
>>yourself a huge service to learn the basics about small engine
>>maintenance.
> I HAVE welded the chunk back into the case of an engine in that
> condition, and popped in a new rod and piston after disolving the
> aluminum off the crank from the siezure - but That was 40 years ago in
> Africa. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that - - -

Yeah, I had the same thought. JB weld might be all that's needed to fix
the crankcase, a new rod seems to be $22 online, so the unknowns are
whether the crank is saveable* and what other damage there might be...

* or if a local repair place has a pull from an engine (they seem to be
around the $50 mark via ebay, but I often find ebay prices to be on the
high side).

I've no idea how mechanically-inclined the OP is; if it were me I'd at
least pull it all apart and assess the extent of the damage before making
a call.

cheers

Jules

[M.A. Stewart]

Was the crankcase cast iron or alloy?

What did you use to dissolve the aluminium off of the crank journal?

He should inquire about the cost of a 'short block'.

[RonB]

On May 1, 7:39 am, Jules Richardson

<jules.richardsonnews...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Yeah, there's a lot of crap out there these days :-(
>
> cheers
>
> Jules

They are all crap without oil.

RonB

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

On 1 May 2012 20:14:11 GMT, cf...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (M.A. Stewart)
wrote:

Alloy block and lye, if I remeber correctly. Disolved the aluminum off
and didn't touch the steel. I uses the zinc alloy "scratch rods" and a
torch to weld the case. Don't think JB would stand up too well in that
application, but then again I've never tried it.

[Jules Richardson]

Ha :) Only when they're running (briefly)...

I think some of the B&S engines had some Magic in the crankcase which
would stop them from running if they were low on oil, but I don't know
how common that feature is - probably not very if it added to the cost
(and it probably wasn't infallible anyway)

cheers

Jules

[M.A. Stewart]

I repaired a 3 HP(?) B&S horizontal crank motor that had a
cracking motor mount flange, which was leaking oil. It was an
alloy motor mounted on a Wacker compactor. Man did that
thing vibrate. The part that the motor mounted to was very
rigid. It wasn't perfectly flat, which caused a strain around
the flange. I stripped the motor down to the bare block. All
the parts inside were perfect. I put all the parts in zip-lock
bags to store. I cleaned the crack comprehensively inside and
out. I took the block to a specialist welding company that
did aluminium welding. They welded the crack inside and out.
They did a nice job for a reasonable price. Using plastic brushes,
I scrubbed the block out in a pail of hot soapy water, flushed the
block with a water hose, air dried it with compressed air, and then
WD-40ed the machined surfaces. I put the bare block on the
mounting surface of the Wacker. It didn't sit flat. I could rock it
back and forth slightly. I measured a couple thou or so gap
around the flange that had been cracking. I went out and bought
some brass shimming sheets and fitted a shim underneath the
motor to remove the rock. I reassembled the motor, mounted it
on the Wacker with the brass shim, it ran as good as new. It never
re-cracked. It was a good little motor that worked very hard
as a rental tool.

[micky]

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:55:16 -0700 (PDT), stratfordone
<stratf...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not a very successful lawn mower repair guy, but I think I saw
something, maybe even before the net, with lots of new engines for 50
or 100 dollars, closer to 50, but years ago. The only problem would
be being sure it would fit. They are very much alike, even the bolt
holes, but maybe there are differnces. Of course you have the numbers
from your current engine so maybe that's all you need.

Wait a second. This is a push mower? If it costs 250, it must have
special features???

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

On Sat, 12 May 2012 04:29:08 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

Like mabee half decent quality? Sure you can buy mowers for $149, but
who wants to use one of them? The deck cracks in 3 years or the wheels
fall off - and the handle is nasty right out of the box. For twice the
price you get one that is more or less a pleasure to use, and it will
last 10 to 20 years.

[tange...@toyotamail.com]

On Sat, 12 May 2012 04:29:08 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>

wrote:

>>Hi folks - well, I don't know much about small engines, but my
>>assumption is that my engine just blew and is a goner - but would like
>>some backup on my plan to move on to buy a new one:
>>
>>Its a 6HP Briggs & Stratton, Craftsman push mower. Today while mowing,
>>clanking got loud and heard a crack...mower stopped...looked down...a
>>piece of the side of the engine casing(?) had cracked off and
>>something protruding from inside is now poking out. Blackish oil
>>splashed around the area. There is now a hole in the side of the
>>casing and you can see in to the motor, gears, etc. Some background:
>>y

Lots of duct tape. Plug that hole, then start it back up and mow on....