A Brief Note on Lawn Mower Small Engine Repair in Hopkinton

Trouble getting your lawn mower to start? When professional help seems distant, it is always wise to engage in small engine repair in Hopkinton by yourself. Grab a toolbox, and read on to find out how to fix your engines.

A lawnmower is a long-term investment that requires routine maintenance and care to keep it working at optimal efficiency. However, your lawn mowers can still stall and refuse to start from time to time, even with nominal care. This is common among most lawn mowers, as normal wear and tear can affect the efficiency and functionality in the long run. In some cases, these problems can be fixed with a little DIY knowledge and intuition, hence saving your precious time and money that would otherwise be spent on small engine repairs in Hopkinton. Although repairing your lawn mower seems like a daunting task at first, it’s actually fairly simple once you get the hang of the basic mechanics. 

The golden rule of lawn mower maintenance is to always refer to the operator’s manual when in doubt. The manual is designed to give you a basic idea of the positioning of key components and their basic functions, thus providing you with an overall idea of how the machine operates. If you do not have a manual at hand, you can always download one from the internet, usually for free. Once you are fairly well versed with the manual, you can then move on to trouble shooting your lawnmower engine.

Troubleshooting checklist-

This basic checklist will let you take a systematic approach towards finding and fixing the problems with your lawn mower engine. These common redundancies are the usual culprits that hinder your lawn mower from starting up. Going through this by a process of elimination will help you zero in on the issue at hand.

• Check if the fuel tank is short of gasoline,
• Check if the oil is topped up to optimal levels,
• Check the air filter. Dirty and clogged air filters should be cleaned/ replaced,
• Check the spark plug condition and see if it is fastened properly,
• Check the primer bulb for cracks and other wear issues,
• Make sure that the pull chord is operating freely without much hindrance,
• Make sure that the engine block is free of cracks. This can take some time and efforts on your part for a thorough check.

Although these are seemingly harmless issues, if left unchecked for long, they can rapidly deteriorate your lawn mowers in the long run. Thus, going through this check list after long bouts of lawn mower inactivity is recommended, even if it does not show signs of deterioration. Once you have determined that these are not the issues bothering your machine, you can move on to checking other parameters pertaining to small engine repair in Hopkinton.

Small Engine Repairs Explained

The three primary factors that dictate the functional efficiency of any internal combustion engine are ignition, compression and fuel delivery. 

Ignition systems check

The star of the ignition system is the spark plug, which produces the electrical impulses that ignite the compressed fuel- air mixture within the combustion chamber of the engine. So, how do you check if the spark plug is in good working condition?

• Carefully remove the spark plug from the engine without damaging the ceramic part of the spark plug.
• Reconnect the lead wire to the spark plug and hold the spark plug electrode against a metallic part of the engine that is not painted or covered with dirt.
• Position yourself in a way that you can hold the spark plug in the recommended position and pull the chord, without losing sight of the spark plug electrode.
• Once you are in this position, pull the start chord, and check for a blue electric spark at the gap between the spark plug and the engine. This spark indicates that the spark plug is working fine.
• If you do not find a spark, then you will have to change the spark plug with the same or a similar make and model.

Compression check

The compression mentioned here is one that is developed within the combustion chamber when the piston is at its top most position. When the piston moves, it compresses the air and fuel mixture within the chamber, which is ignited by the spark plug thus resulting in optimal combustion. This combustion will push the piston down, and during this time, a negative pressure is set up within the combustion chamber, which will suck in fresh air and fuel mixture, while expelling the spent gasses. Improper compression will result in sub-standard combustion, which can be detrimental to your engine performance if left unchecked.

You need to use a specialized tool known as the compression gauge to check the compression levels within the engine. This simple equipment should set you back by no more than $30, and it is compatible with all kinds of internal combustion engines that use a standard sized spark plug. The instructions to use a compression gauge are-

• Remove the spark plug carefully, and screw in the gauge duct in its place, ensuring a snug fit.
• Now, pull on the starter chord a few times, as if starting the mower. The gauge will then register the pressure within the engine in psi (pounds per square inch).
• Traditionally, this value should hover at around 80psi, anything below this, and you will have to get your engine fixed by a professional.

Fuel system check

Having enough fuel in the gas tank is just half the work. Fuel passes through a dedicated pathway between the fuel tank and the compression chamber, where it is ignited by the spark plug in order to operate the engine. It is important to inspect the entire fuel delivery network to check for faults and correct them.

• Make sure that the fuel tank has enough fuel, and that the fuel is fresh. Gasoline that is stored for over 6 months begins to deteriorate in quality and needs to be replaced with good quality fuel.
• It is usually a good habit to mix fuel stabilizers with the actual fuel to keep you engine running smoothly.
• Check if the fuel hose is leaking and plug it with appropriate tools if necessary. 
• Check for carburetor blockage, and clear it using appropriate means to keep the fuel flowing at a comfortable rate. 

Checking and fixing any problems associated with these three aspects - fuel, compression and ignition should help you find and fix up to 90% of your starting troubles. However, if you encounter any troubles associated with intricate features such as engine cooling, exhaust valves, etc, you might have to seek professional help from expert small engine repair mechanics in Hopkinton.

For more information visit http://www.metrowestlawnandpower.com

Categories: Small Engine Repair in Hopkinton