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By Parkland Press in Mechanics on 28th Jan 2012 11:30
The heat is on for mowers over summer - literally. An increased level of usage and hot summer days places extra demand on your trusty mower.
As you put your mower through its paces this summer machine maintenance will be highlighted and for those who haven't followed proper maintenance procedures (and less than half don't!) it will be a costly time. Make sure you read these maintenance tips.
Hot Tips
1. Read the manual!
Manufacturers of engines and equipment manufactures like Toro work together to continuously improve products, add new features and upgrade existing technology. It's up to you to know how to properly maintain your machine. Read the owner's manual cover-to-cover and familiarise yourself with your engine drive.
Toro makes remembering routine maintenance easier. The schedules are printed on the air filter cover and inside the engine compartment or under the seat. If you lose your owner's manual, you can download owner manuals for free online at www.toro.com.
2. Oil is the lifeblood of your engine - get the right oil 
Oil is necessary to lubricate the internal components of the engine, dissipate heat and prevent corrosion. Running your engine with low oil will damage the engine and eventually result in a catastrophic failure.
Motor oil is available in a variety of brands, grades and viscosity. Use a multi-viscosity, SAE SJ grade or better oil. Always use the correct oil specified by the engine manufacturer which will provide adequate protection in most environments.
3. Perform regular oil changes
Engines that are air cooled work harder as they try to cool themselves with warm air - this shortens the life of the motor oil because it is slowly losing its lubrication properties. Friction then increases, creating microscopic metallic particles that enter the oil stream causing grinding within moving parts and leading to premature wear. In extreme cases, the oil completely loses its lubrication properties and the engine seizes. It really pays to stick to recommended oil changes to maintain optimum performance.
4. Maintain the correct oil level 
Whenever you change your motor oil make sure you put in the correct amount - do not over or under fill. If you over fill the engine it can reduce power. The excess oil gets forced through the breather system, vented out the crankcase and pushed into the carburettor. As a result, the exhaust system belches smoke and the output is reduced due to lack of fuel.
In addition, too much oil may lead to fuel pump failure. The fuel pump works off the crankcase vacuum. If oil gets in the backside of the pump diaphragm, it prevents the pump from moving and it won't transfer fuel. If you notice oil seeping out of the fuel pump breather, immediately bring the oil level down and replace the fuel pump.
Under filling your engine can lead to catastrophic engine failure. Without proper lubrication, the connecting rods on the main bearing journal on the crankshaft will seize. The probable outcome is snapping a rod or even putting a rod through a crankcase. Further, damage caused by insufficient oil is considered owner neglect and is not covered by warranty.
The other danger with under filling the oil is the fact that oil cools the engine. Without proper cooling, the oil degrades even faster. It boils off the light ends, leading to lack of oil performance and catastrophic failure. Unlike modern electronic fuel injected automobile engines, twin cylinder carburetted engines commonly found in mowers consume oil - about 0.5 oz. per hour (note that the engine will burn a little more oil during its first 50 hours of use while the rings seat in). Toro recommends checking the oil level on its engines every 8 hours, so make it part of your routine to check the oil every time you refuel or at the start of every day.
To correctly check the oil level on you mower follow the instructions in your operator's manual.
5. Check the oil filter
As the oil filter removes metallic particles and other contaminants from the oil, if you don't regularly change the filter it eventually becomes clogged with impurities that restrict oil flow. Toro's oil filter features a bypass that, in extreme cases, allows dirty oil to pass through so the engine is not starved of lubrication. However, dirty oil causes premature wear on the engine's bearing surfaces. Bottom line, change the oil filter.
To ensure proper performance, always use genuine Toro oil filters. Unapproved oil filters could have the incorrect amoun
t of filtration media, or filtration media of the wrong size, which in extreme cases may lead to engine damage (which is why using unapproved filters voids the engine warranty).
6. Make sure the fuel is decent
Always use clean, fresh fuel. When stale fuel is burned, it creates varnish that gums up the carburettor. Problems caused by stale fuel use aren't covered under warranty.
7. Replace the fuel filter
The fuel removes contaminants from the fuel before it reaches the carburettor chamber. The fuel filter sh
ould be replaced at recommended hours or any time that you suspect that you've filled up the tank with a bad batch of fuel. If the filter gets too dirty, it will restrict the amount of fuel that travels to the carburettor, which results in a "lean" air/fuel ratio. The lean ratio will inevitably reduce power of the engine.
As with the oil filter and air filter, Toro Genuine Parts guarantee that you're using a filter designed for optimum performance with your engine drive.
8. Replace the air filter
The drier conditions that come with summer mean more dust and foreign particles fly through the air causing the air filter to block up faster and increase fuel consumption as the engine labours. Most engines use a pre-cleaner in addition to the main filter which removes larger particles from the intake air. The main cleaner removes finer particles before they reach the carburettor.
At the very minimum, replace the air filter every 200 hours, or more frequently if you use your mower in extremely dirty and dusty environments. An extremely dirty air filter prevents the proper amount of air from reaching the carburettor. As a result, the engine runs "rich" (too much fuel and not enough air) which fouls the spark plugs and reduces engine output. If you place a heavy load on an engine drive with a clogged filter, you might not get all the power you need to mow at maximum efficiency. Further, you'll see a slower acceleration from idle rpm to run speed rpm. When you need immediate power, you won't get it if you have a dirty air filter; there's simply not enough air to ignite all the fuel present.
While changing your air filter regularly seems like common sense, air filter problems are a leading cause of warranty claims. In fact, if a filter becomes too clogged, it creates a huge vacuum draw that pulls dirt into the system through any crack available. Dirt can get pulled into the fuel system, work it
s way into the cylinder and erode the cylinder walls (this is known in the engine repair business as "dusting an engine").
9. Keep the fan and cooling fins clean
Air cooled engines rely on a fan to bring in fresh, cooler air to dissipate excess engine heat. Often, the fan and the cooling fins become clogged with dust and other contaminants. To keep your machine running cool use compressed air to blow out the fan and the cooling fins every 50 hours. It's a good idea to get into the habit of cleaning out the cooling system every time you change the oil. If the fan cannot adequately cool the motor, the unit will overheat and eventually shut down.
10. Replace the spark plugs
Spark plugs produce an electric arc that ignites the compressed fuel and air within the cylinder. To ensure that the spark plugs continue to provide reliable ignition, replace the spark plugs as recommended in the operator's manual.
The distance between the spark plug's electrode and tang plays a vital role in reliability. Refer to your engine owner's manual to determine the optimum gap. You can measure the spark plug gap with a gauge available at automotive parts stores. If the gap is too small, it might not create a large enough "flame front" for proper ignition. An excessive gap strains the ignition system because the arc will have to work harder to jump from the electrode to the spark plug tang. You also want to make sure that the electrode is perfectly perpendicular to the tang. If it is bent, replace the spark plug.
By examining the condition of the spark plugs, you can also determine if your machine is running too rich or too lean. A spark plug covered with a white coating indicates that the engine is running too lean, which could mean you have a clogged or dirty fuel filter. Conversely, a spark plug covered with soot means that the engine is running too rich and you should check or clean the air filter. To clean a dirty spark plug, remove the soowith a wire brush.
11. Grease bearings regularly
Dry weather is harder on bearings so grease them regularly. As the dust and other particles fly around the mower they work their way into the bearings, working with a grease to create think paste which can grind the bearings down. Grease regularly, it's a 20 minute job that will save a lot of headaches.
12. Check the radiator for grass blocks
All that grass and other flying particles can become blocks in radiator - check it regularly.
13. Do it!
All of the items and actions discussed can be carried out by anyone with minimum mechanical inclination. The hardest part about routine maintenance is actually making it routine. By getting into the habit of checking these items, your engine drive will run reliably and deliver optimum performance for thousands of hours. As a final note, remember that many people eventually sell their old engine drive when they upgrade to Toro's latest product. If you can show good engine maintenance records, your engine drive will command a higher resale price.
14. Book your service now and save on expensive repairs later
Save yourself money and time - book your service with us, we'll sort you out swiftly at your convenience. Call 0800 807 333 or email sales@parkland.co.nz today.
Parkland is the exclusive New Zealand agent for a range of internationally proven brands like Toro, TyCrop, Traxmaster, Pope, Otterbine, Motorola and Irrinet. We work proudly with a broad range customers including New Zealand's world ranking golf courses and sportsfields, local government, landscapers and even the DIY enthusiast. For more information on what's happening at Parkland go to www.parkland.co.nz
Read more articles in Mechanics, by Parkland Press or from January 2012.
