John's Tech Tips
On Generators..........
If you have a generator that you don't use on a regular basis, you really should start it up and let it run for 15-20 minutes once every month.  This is simply a good idea for both the engine AND the generator.  Starting once a month will help insure that your generator will start when you really need it.  Plug in a light or fan, too, when you test run it.  Then you will know if the generator is putting out power.  When the electricity goes out unexpectedly, you can rest assured that your generator is ready for a workout. 

Tips from the past..........
1.  Ever wonder what the cubic inch displacement is of your lawn mower engine?  We have all heard of a 302 Ford or a 350 Chevy.  These numbers are the cubic inch displacement of the engines.  With Briggs & Stratton, finding your displacement is easy.  Five-digit model numbers use the first digit to tell the cubic inch displacement.  So a model 92502 would be a 9 cubic inch engine.  Six-digit model numbers use the first two digits.  A model 287707 would be a 28 cubic inch engine.  Have fun checking this out with your Briggs & Stratton engines.  Tecumseh isn't quite as easy and only the old K-Series Kohler engines are easy.  Keep watching for how to determine cubic inch displacement on these engines.

2.  Have you ever hit something with your lawn mower that stopped the engine in an instant?  If so, you may have bent the crankshaft as well as the blade.  To check for a bent crankshaft, remove the plug wire and ground it to the head or block.  Also remove the spark plug for easier pulling of the rope.  With the mower on it's side (remember... air filter up when tipping), watch the blade bolt as another person pulls SLOWLY on the rope.  It would be a good idea to remove the blade, too, for safety.  If the blade bolt wobbles back and forth,  the crankshaft is bent.  At this point, you have to consider how much you want to spend on the mower.  Even though some shops will straighten a crankshaft, it really is NOT a good idea.  We will not.  Bending the shaft and then straightening it changes the molecular structure of the crank causing it to be weak.  Imagine mowing along and having the blade fly out from under the mower...could be a very ugly situation.  Your best options are as follows:

1. Replace the crankshaft - do it yourself.  It's not cost effective for you to pay regular shop labor for this.
2. Replace the engine or short block.
3. Replace the lawnmower.

3.  When filling your gas can at the gas station, do not leave it in your pickup on a bed liner.  Static electricity can cause a small spark which will ignite the gasoline and cause severe injury to the person filling the container.  It is just a good idea to fill your gas can on the cement by the pump no matter what.  Spilled gas in your vehicle can cause an unpleasant odor for a long time and be a safety hazard as well.

4.  Hard starting lawn mowers with single cylinder OHV (overhead valve) engines may be caused by valves that are slightly out of adjustment.  If the engine turns a little, then stops, it may not be the battery, but out of adjustment valves.  Single cylinder engines like this have a compression release mechanism that bumps one valve open ever so slightly during cranking.  When the valve clearances are too wide, this won't happen and your starter simply cannot crank the engine over with full compression.  This makes it a good idea to check and adjust valves at least every other season on OHV single cylinder engines.