Prevent Engine Problems Before they Happen! Practice Preventive Maintenance for your Lawn Mower

Lawn mower maintenance can be categorized into two distinct areas:

Preventing Issues pertaining to the engine

Preventing Issues pertaining to the mower

The following post will explore preventive maintenance measures you can perform to prevent issues related to the engine.

Before we begin, it is imperative that you understand the three ingredients necessary for an engine to fire; we will investigate maintenance measures you can take for each one next.

Spark

Fuel

Compression

Preventive maintenance related to spark:

After 100 hours of service, replace spark plug. Refer to previous post linked here: https://www.maverickmowers.com/post/your-spark-plug-is-telling-you-something-and-it-never-lies for instructions on how to remove and "read" spark plugs. Also refer to this post https://www.maverickmowers.com/post/the-following-insights-will-surely-spark-your-interest to determine that your using the correct spark plug for your unit!

Perform an overall inspection of spark plug wiring, cleanliness is key for wiring as dirt can hide broken wiring, and oil can rot the wiring insulation.

Preventive maintenance related to fuel:

The importance of using fresh gasoline is imperative to keeping your lawn mower running optimally. Our previous post here: https://www.maverickmowers.com/post/want-to-avoid-expensive-repair-calls-for-your-lawn-mower-mind-your-gas outlines reasons why this is critical due to the degradation of gasoline over a short period of time.

It is important to check fuel lines for cracking and leakage, as well as fuel filters for potential blockages, if your unit has one.

Preventive maintenance related to compression:

Compression is essentially the health of the internals of the engine; issues of this kind are not easily detectable or repairable. They are however, easy to prevent with proper care with regards to lubrication, intake air cleanliness and the prevention of engine overheating.

Proper lubrication is critical to the internals of the engine, as it prevents quick wear between moving parts, and has a cooling effect. In general, four cycle engines require an oil change after every 25 hours of use. Can't figure out whether yours is a two or four stroke? Refer to this post for the tips to learn how https://www.maverickmowers.com/post/learn-the-simple-steps-to-start-most-any-small-engine

Its important to not overlook the importance of your machine's air filter. It is designed to prevent unseen particulates from entering the engine and causing often irreversible, and costly damage. Under normal conditions, air filters should be cleaned or replaced after 25 hours of use. This time frame may be decreased depending on more severe operating conditions such as use in overly dusty locations and the cutting of excessively tall grass. Foam style filters can be effectively cleaned and reused, paper filters can be cleaned if slightly dirtied, but are often replaced. For more information on this critical maintenance component refer to this link: How's Your Engine Been Breathing Lately? Air Filters and Engine Maintenance Tips for Lawnmowers to Live By!

This paper style filter should allow light to pass through easily, if not, look to replace!

Preventing overheating is critical to the life of your lawn mowers engine! Small engines are air-cooled and thus rely on the cooling fins on the engine to be clean, in order to dissipate heat. When dirt, and grass build up in these areas, heat is essentially packed in and insulated in areas meant to be kept cool. The result is an engine running with hot spots, that accelerate the engine wear process substantially. The cooling fins on the cylinder head of your lawn mower must be free of grass build up and dirt or other debris, in order to effectively cool the engine. It is advised to remove the engine cover every 50 hours of use, or 25, when used in high grass or dusty conditions, in order to clean these cooling fins, located underneath and on the engine's cylinder head.

Ensure engine is cool before removing the engine cover

Engine cylinder head cooling fins must be clean here as well

By being aware of these simple maintenance measures you can take, you can effectively prolong the life of your mower and avoid costly repairs or worse yet, potential early replacement!

Print and refer to this summary card for the important service intervals for your lawn mower

Never the Norm!