The season to take care of your gas-powered small-engine
yard and lawn equipment is the fall. Prepping the machines for winter storage
means they'll start more easily and run smoother in the spring.
But what happens when you've neglected those winterizing steps? Is your
only recourse a spring tune-up?
"Pretty much," says Jeff Woolard, a small-engine mechanic at Centereach
True Value Hardware. "That's just about everybody's problem. They forgot about
their mower or another piece of equipment in the fall. That's what keeps the
repair business going."
Woolard is in his 27th year of fixing mowers, line trimmers, edgers,
chainsaws and snow throwers. "If I could get it into everybody's head to
maintain their equipment, we'd probably be out of work," he says.
That wouldn't sit well with store owner Gary Hagen. One reason for his
shop's surge in business this time of year is small-engine repair. And the
biggest reason small engines won't start is a gummy carburetor.
Hagen says gas left in the fuel tank over the winter deteriorates, causing
a stickiness in the engine's mechanism that mixes fuel and air. Part of a
common tune-up package is cleaning the sticky carburetor.
One sure sign that a small engine has a carburetor problem is failure to
start. "Or the engine starts and runs and then stops after about 30 seconds,"
Woolard says.
Cleaning the carburetor generally is a professional job. It involves some
precise adjustments of the device that properly mixes fuel and air so the
engine can run smoothly. Some carburetors are factory- set; others, depending
on design, allow mechanics to adjust high speed, idle speed and idle mixture.
Can an experienced do-it-yourselfer clean and adjust a small-engine carburetor?
Of course. But with more technology being applied to machines each season,
it's a job best left to an experienced mechanic.
The other steps of a tune-up - changing the spark plug, motor oil and air
filter, sharpening the blade and general cleaning - can be done each fall by
the machine owner. Information on these steps is in the owner's manual. In
addition, the machine's fuel tank and lines should be properly drained.
If these steps are taken each fall, a pro tune-up could be needed every two
or three years.
Woolard says a mower tune-up runs from $59.95; tune-ups for smaller
machines, including chainsaws, starts at $35. "Right now, I'd expect people to
have to wait three to four days for service," Woolard says.
And while the mower or other piece of yard equipment is in the shop this
spring, take some time to prepare the snow thrower for summer storage, Woolard
suggests.
Remember the dance? Taking care of the snow thrower is nearly the same as
the mower. Refer to the owner's manual, drain the fuel tank, change the oil....
OILING UP
Lubricating the spark plug before storing a small-engine machine will help it
start faster in the spring. After changing the motor oil, squirt a few dabs of
clean oil into the cylinder that holds the spark plug. Install the new plug.
With the spark-plug wire removed, slowly pull the starter cord - or push the
electric starter button a few times - to spread the oil over the internal
surfaces of the cylinder and piston.
When a tune-up is necessary
Here's what to do if your mower won't start:
Change the spark plug and adjust the new one to the right gap. For most
lawnmowers, the gap is between .02 and .03 inches. Check the owner's manual.
Remove old gas and fill the fuel tank with fresh gasoline.
Change the oil.
