Bonehead move with a mower

10 years ago

I have a Craftsman push mower with a Briggs and Stratton 6.5 hp engine. It is about 8 years old and i have never had a single problem with it until today.

Today I got some string caught in my mower blade. I turned it over completely upside down (bonehead move) and that is where my troubles begn. When I turned it back over, The air filter was saturated and the mower would not start. I let it sit for a while, replaced the air filter, cleaned (but did not replace) the spark plug, and got it running again for about 5 minutes before I shut it down. I came back to it about an hour or so later to make sure everything was ok and it wasn't. I had to prime it out 15-20 times (normally 3) to get it to start. The primer bulb seemes to have less resistance when pushed now as well. It would run for about 30 seconds and sputter out, almost like it was running out of gas. The longest I have been able to get it to run for is about 2-3 minutes. There was white smoke coming out of the exhaust, which I expected, but there also seemed to be white smoke coming from other places as well. I pulled the dipstick and there is oil in it, but it smells like gas, so I am rally hoping i did not score a piston.

I think the carberatour might be gummed up but I honestly have no idea what could be going on. Like i said I have had no problems until today, when I mad a total bonehead move.

This post was edited by tdtom on Sat, Aug 17, 13 at 20:23

Comments (6)

tomplum
10 years ago
Maybe it would be a good idea to drain the oil and refill. Then give it another run and see what's up. Works on my VW bus...
andyma_gw
10 years ago
Hey, Tomplum, You dont need to tip the bus over to change the oil !! :)
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1saxman
10 years ago
Next time tip up the other side so the carb is up. In fact, do that now and let it stand for a few minutes. You could dump the oil at this time and let it drain longer than usual, then refill with SAE30HD, or Briggs & Stratton SAE30 - it comes in the correct 20 oz. size. Check air filter again to make sure it isn't re-contaminated and continue starting it and burning off the residual oil in the intake system.
baymee
10 years ago
I don't think you did harm to the motor. Check your spark plug and look for wet deposits, which you shouldn't have. It may take awhile to burn the oil out of the muffler. The primer shouldn't be affected.
tomplum
10 years ago
"Hey, Tomplum, You dont need to tip the bus over to change the oil !! :)" Dang, I thought that what that big pad on the roof was for...
rcmoser
10 years ago
IMO You will probably have to system clean up... Oil has ran into the carb. breather system, muffler, and probably the combustion chamber... takes while to burn all the oil out of the wrong places and sometimes fouls the spark plugs with oil being feed/sucked into the combustion chamber or chambers it twin?

Here's what I do when the system gets contaminated. I drain the oil, pull the spark plug or plugs, air filter, I use carb. cleaner in the spray can. I spray in the carb. the combustion chamber, motor the engine over (after I changed the oil) to clear the combustion chamber...

Clean the air filter or replace if to oily to use, wash the pre-filter or replace it, install the plugs and fire it up. still will probably smoke for little while, but it should run normally due to the oil in the wrong system mostly cleared and not fouling the spark plug or plugs. re-check the oil level and that should do it IMO.