Lawnmower oil change question

[Charles Kozierok]

Since there are a lot of smart engine-types here and I'm not..

When I am done mowing for the year, am I better off to change the oil in my lawnmower now, or do it in the spring? On the one hand the oil will be more "fresh" in the spring if it isn't in the mower, but I'm thinking it will be easier to get the gunk out if I do it now.

Anything else I should do before winter?

Thanks.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Personally I do it in the spring. I would definitely run some ethanol treatment/fuel stabilizer through it or it's not going to start in 3-4 months.

 

[JCH13]

Oil is cheap, engines are not. I would put in some oil now with some cleaning additive (like seafoam) and run the engine up to temperature at least once before storing it. In the spring I would run it up to temp again, then change the oil again.

As SA said, fuel stabilizer is a good idea. So would topping up the tank with some higher-octane fuel IMO. In my experience higher octane fuel handles storage a bit better than lower octane fuel, it's less volatile so less of it evaporates.

I would also use a cylinder oil (also called fogger) or some other method to coat the cylinder walls in oil. Could be as easy as putting a TBSP of engine oil in the cylinder through the spark plug hole and hitting the starter once or twice to cycle it around.

Of course this is all probably overkill, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

 

[WilliamM2]

I usually do it in the spring every other year. Oil always looks like brand new when drained. Of course I only mow about once a week (less in the fall) so it only gets 12-15 hours of use a year. I usually put a new blade on at the same time.

Now the snow blower gets fresh oil every year, usually sometime in the summer when I have time, but it gets used much more than the lawn mower, probably 5-7 hours a week average for 12 weeks or so. Both get stabilizer when put away.

Got 20 years out of the last mower and snow blower I bought, and they still started instantly every time. It was other parts that wore out on them, not the engines.

 

[railer]

Just change it in the spring. I wouldn't even bother doing it every year, unless you've got some type of commercial lawn care business.

 

[BUTCH1]

Oil is cheap, engines are not. I would put in some oil now with some cleaning additive (like seafoam) and run the engine up to temperature at least once before storing it. In the spring I would run it up to temp again, then change the oil again.

As SA said, fuel stabilizer is a good idea. So would topping up the tank with some higher-octane fuel IMO. In my experience higher octane fuel handles storage a bit better than lower octane fuel, it's less volatile so less of it evaporates.

I would also use a cylinder oil (also called fogger) or some other method to coat the cylinder walls in oil. Could be as easy as putting a TBSP of engine oil in the cylinder through the spark plug hole and hitting the starter once or twice to cycle it around.

Of course this is all probably overkill, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Yea, I don't think seafoam is needed, if he changes it now it won't sit all winter with dirty, acid contaminated oil in the crankcase. Definitely use a fuel stabilizer, cheap insurance IMO. Higher octane fuel has anti-knock additives enabling it to be used in higher compression, high-output engines, I doubt it will store any better or worse than regular, as long as he uses Sta-bil he will be fine.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Thanks for all the replies.

I use this mower a lot -- it takes about 4 hours to mow my entire lawn.

The oil is black, so I do want to change it. But it sounds like spring might be better from what you are all saying.

As for the fuel, I thought running it dry was the way to go with a mower. No?

 

[railer]

Well if it's actually black, then change it in the spring (and not every two years). Most people tend to change their oil far too often. But black oil is a good indicator that it's about due.
I use sta-bil (seafoam is just as good if not better) in everything (mowers, snowmobiles, snowblowers) and always leave the gas in the machine. that's what it recommends on that bottle. No issues ever.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

I do have Stabil here so I could do that. But the Stabil itself is pretty old. Does it go bad? Do I need some Stabil-Stabil?

 

[JCH13]

Re higher octane fuel: it's just something my Dad and I have noticed, especially with my family's power boat. I'm sure varying storage conditions/locations have an impact on this conclusion.

Thanks for all the replies.

I use this mower a lot -- it takes about 4 hours to mow my entire lawn.

The oil is black, so I do want to change it. But it sounds like spring might be better from what you are all saying.

As for the fuel, I thought running it dry was the way to go with a mower. No?

I would be nervous about rust forming inside of exposed steel fuel system components. If you've got a plastic tank and other components that won't rust it's probably not a big deal. However, the empty volume will still collect moisture that will need to be absorbed by the fuel or cycled out of of the fuel system in the spring.

 

[WilliamM2]

As for the fuel, I thought running it dry was the way to go with a mower. No?

That usually leaves a little fuel in the float bowl, which can varnish. Stabil will keep that from happening.

The reason I don't run mine dry, is that the fuel tank is steel. Keeping it completely filled with fuel will keep it from rusting.

 

[chucky2]

If your fuel tank is plastic, I'd go this route:

1.) After last use, run mower dry. Dump in proper amount of Stabil (ethanol safe Stabil if you've got enthanol in your area), add in small amount of gas (pre-calculated so you knew how much Stabil to use), and run for a few minutes or until hot.

2.) Change oil (and filter if so equipped) while engine is hot.

3.) Run engine until hot, let cool. Add any top up oil to bring to full oil level.

4.) Run engine out of gas, store for winter.

This should get fresh oil into the engine, coating it, with the most amount of anti-rust inhibitors in it, plus, all the crap in the oil will not have time to settle out over the winter. Any gas remaining in the bowl will have Stabil in it, there will be no old/stale gas left in for Spring as you've run it all out. This seems like it'd be the best comp.

Now, if you have a metal tank, I'd make step 1 be you run mower dry, dump in proper amount of Stabil, fill tank full, change oil, run, top up oil, then leave it filled full. Less chance for rust to develop.

Chuck

 

[Bartman39]

As for the oil change it now... Simple reason that most do not understand about used oil which is it builds up acids that eat at surfaces such as bearings and other critical surfaces which are very thin to begin with... Also the longer old used oil sits then it tends to varnish surfaces too so do yourself and your mower a favor and change it then run it for a short time...

As for the rest the post just above "Chuck" has good points to note...

 

[cheezmunky]

Re higher octane fuel: it's just something my Dad and I have noticed, especially with my family's power boat. I'm sure varying storage conditions/locations have an impact on this conclusion.

I believe higher octane fuels store better because they tend to have less ethanol in them. Ethanol attracts water which makes the gas go bad.

 

[LTC8K6]

I too would not let the old oil sit in there over the winter, and would use sta-bil.

I also run the engines until they are up to normal operating temp once or twice during the winter.

I use sta-bil in the fuel all the time anyway. I let one mower sit for over a year at a house I own but don't live in. The fuel tank was dry when I checked on it. I filled the tank, checked the oil, and started it up. Fired off on the third pull and ran fine. I went ahead and changed that oil after I ran the engine for a bit.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Good Lord, people over-think this stuff.

Change it now if it makes you feel better. Wait til spring if that makes you feel better. There's not a dime's worth of difference between the two. Yes, if you really go to the extreme to see if one way is "better", then changing it now is preferred. But long-term, even VERY long-term, it's not going to matter. Nobody in the history of ever has had a mower engine fail because he didn't change the oil in it all winter.

Skip the Sea Foam and all the other snake oils that aren't needed. If your engine is to the point that something like this will help clean it out, then you have been neglecting it, badly.

Forget draining the tank, it'll run fine in the spring. Gas doesn't go bad over the winter. Never has. If you have gas in the tank right now, you can leave that gas in the tank with no additives and in March, it'll run just like it does now.
If you weren't planning on running it until March of 2014, then you might want some additive. And even then, it'd still run just fine with no additive. It'd take a dyno test to show if there was a difference.

It's 2 stroke engines that are better left empty, because of the oil mixed in the gas...it can gum up carburetors if left sitting a long time. Your mower is 4 stroke. No issues. It's better to leave it with gas in it, rather than run it dry and let the carburetor gaskets dry up and shrink....and possibly have running issues when you do start it.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Okay, thanks for the perspective. I'll try to worry less about it.

I always use premium gas in the mower.. I figure it uses so little that a few extra pennies makes sense here.

 

[Pacfanweb]

I believe higher octane fuels store better because they tend to have less ethanol in them. Ethanol attracts water which makes the gas go bad.

Don't think so. 10% ethanol is 10% ethanol. If a station is using an ethanol blend, all their gas should have the same percentage of ethanol. And the storage of it over the winter is nothing to worry about. I do it every year, always have, zero problems, and everyone I know does, too.

Heck, my old Jeep sat over 5 years, and I got it running with the same gas that had been in the tank all that time. It stunk....smelled like old gas, but it ran and didn't hurt a damn thing.

Way, way over-blown is this gas storage thing.

But as I mentioned in my earlier post, if it makes you feel better, it's not going to hurt if you want to put some stabilizer in the tank. It's not needed, but it won't hurt.

 

[thescreensavers]

Well if it's actually black, then change it in the spring (and not every two years). Most people tend to change their oil far too often. But black oil is a good indicator that it's about due.

Color is never an indication of condition. If oil did not get dark it wouldn't be doing its job.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Okay, thanks for the perspective. I'll try to worry less about it.

I always use premium gas in the mower.. I figure it uses so little that a few extra pennies makes sense here.

I use premium in all my lawn 'tools', too.

When I was drag racing all the time, I used to only use racing gas simply because I had it and it was a wonderful smell.

But I have a bigger yard now and racing gas is like 12 bucks a gallon.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Color is never an indication of condition. If oil did not get dark it wouldn't be doing its job.

True, if you have your oil changed this week, it won't be long before it's fairly black, but it's still a long way from needing changed.

 

[sdifox]

many small engine are dying because of ethanol.

 

[Pacfanweb]

many small engine are dying because of ethanol.

But not because of storing them over the winter with ethanol in the gas.

 

[sdifox]

But not because of storing them over the winter with ethanol in the gas.

actually, yeah.

http://www.fairwaylawns.com/blog/bi...-to-Prevent-Ethanol-Damage-To-Your-Lawn-Mower

 

[LTC8K6]

B&S says to drain the fuel for storage of more than 30 days. It also says to oil the cylinder. It also says to change the oil.

It is of course, your engine and your decision as to maintenance.

It's not that hard to read the manuals and follow them.