We’ll, it’s 330am and I’m finally sitting down with a cold beer beside the wood stove in the garage. I think I’ve watched your vid about 3x now. Have a 1999 John Deere Sabre 15.538 gear. Came with the house we bought this fall. Mower sat for about 4 years, last owner said they couldn’t get it running. It was going to be my winter project, so I drained the oil. It was all fuel. Put in about 2 gallons of oil flushing the gas out over the last week and a half. Bloody float was stuck and gravity did the rest. New fuel filter and installed an inline fuel shut off. As I was making my way to the carb I realized it was hydrolocked. I had no idea I could move the piston from underneath. That was a life saver! Broke everything down. Cleaned the carb. New oil. New fuel. Once I broke it loose she fired up first try. I am mechanically illiterate, can’t tell you how much I appreciate the video. Made for easy going. Cheers
I have exactly the same issue on an 06 craftsman :) stuck float gravity filling the engine, and no fuel cut off :).... will add one like you have. Hi from England This vid was a fun watch :) bit concerned he was going to set the mower alight there for a while :)
I’ll bet excess fuel locked piston and then stuck. All the gas and oil was coming out of intake side, if I viewed it correctly. Good diagnosis, enjoyed your step by step procedure.
This is the same as my ranch king, A new tappet cover, A valve lash, And an oil change and it was running again. I don't bother with the tires, I just put tubes in them for four dollars apiece. the deck is the biggest problem. rebuild the chute bar, New spindles, ect another forty dollars. And a new kevlar deck belt, 21 dollars. It's not a lot of money if you own the thing, But for resale, Your taking a chance, Since the carbs on these tend to leak into the crank case. So i installed a shut off valve.
I like seeing where people’s “repair it” price points are when it comes to these types on mowers. I just got educated myself on a JD SX85 rider where I paid $50 for the mower that had been sitting in a field for the last 7 years or so. To get it to usable condition had to put over $300 into it ($125 of that $300 was a new seat), the rest was the little things like a new battery and ignition switch, 4 tubes, and 2x idler pulleys. I “might” be able to get $300 back if I sold it like it is, but would like to mow with it a couple of times for fun😊
@@ASliceofWoodWorkshop the best finds are “free pick up” mowers that someone has given up on repairing due to something simple like a sheared flywheel key or bad solenoid type repair but rest of tractor like tires, seat, etc are still in decent shape:-)
Not everyone wont a zero turn, got two customers who buy all the older mowers I fix up and they make good money mowing, plus there not in dept and pay better Like one said, I’m not that fast but in a day I paid for the riding mower 😊😊
I have one like that. It's always the needle and seat that get contaminated and leak. Those small red inline filters are junk, nothing more than a screen. I always put a real inline fuel filter and check that the needle doesn't leak, carb off, and have no more problems.
That cap is in the oil. drain the oil and find it. It could be the reason it frozen up it could be in the filter if there is one. Once you located the problem I would have then checked the push rod they usually get bent when the cap comes off or is the reason the cap came off. Then you got a small chunk of metal running loose in your engine I would locate or make every attempt to locate before firing it up. If someone changed the oil before you that piece was likely lost then. Or it’s stopping the engine from turning when the engine began moving again there may be some damage and I should inspect around gears and things where it might have gotten crushed or shredded for stress cracks. If you agree then I’ve learned quite a bit and you given me just enough so I feel like I’ve rapped my head around it and figured it out myself which makes it usable knowledge that’s what every teacher wants to be able to give their student. Sometimes less information is more, sometimes. So good job I’ll watch you again keep making videos. If you had a little info on where to find the online spec sheet and where to order parts for everything your working on would be invaluable cause you never no when someone is facing the same problem or maybe posting the information itself on your site to be downloaded instead of giving away where you found it just that it can now be found along with your video might be something worth doing just a thought. Thanks for the video I’ll be waiting to see your next one.
My Kawasaki twin Deere 920M locked up. I bought it after it sat like 4 years , and they had hijacked all sorts of parts off it. I'm restoring the beast. After working with the service manual and parts mower, for weeks , I was excited this weekend when FINALLY the engine turned over. It cranked a few seconds, then I shut it off, and put everything back together, thinking I was good to go. It cranked smoothly and quietly. But now, the new starter just clicks, instead of cranking. Battery is fully charged. Oil level is full. Fuel tank was empty when it cranked, but I added up to 1/8 full after to try to start it. I like your idea of trying the bottom pulley. I disassembled the top shroud , and that nut was frozen clockwise, and loosened counter. No joy there. My plan was to pull the plugs, and see if I can crank it then. They made it hard to get to the valve-cover without removing the rear fender, and being built like a tank, that doesn't look easy. That's sorta a last resort. You are extraordinarily knowledgeable- Suggestions?
All one will have to do with the tires is to clean and slick up the tires with soap and or green slime and those rear tires will stay up. I hope you drained the oil out to get the gas contaminated oil changed and do something with that stupid float needle and cut the gas line to put a shut off valve and clamps on the line, it is obviously not keeping the gas out of the engine. Someone will get a good deal for 200, because with correcting the carb, tires and sharpening the blades not much money to get a good working mower but needs a battery. A small cheap battery is all it needs, not one of those super expensive batteries. Someone will be able to mow a large tract with a 44" mower on a rider. Not as good as a twin blade mower but very decent for the right guy. He just won't be able to hire out mowing because it doesn't have twin blades. Good work there feller. Saved another good mower.
Interesting and informative video. I subscribed to watch you make stuff with wood and now I hang around and watch you fix mowers :-). If you haven't sold/parted it out yet, get some inner tubes for the tires. My old rider, probably 30 years old at the time, had a tire that wouldn't hold air. I took the wheel to a lawn mower repair shop and he recommended I just put an inner tube in since the tire was still good overall. Saved me a ton of money and I used that mower for a few more years until the transmission crapped out and it wouldn't shift into drive anymore.
Thanks or subbing. The channel has changed and thanks for sticking by. I would do tubes, but these tires are in bad shape. 1 has a hole in the side of it.
Great video. I have the same engine and it doesn't spin. So I tried to do what you did. I found the pully bolt under the engine and used a socket wrench on the bolt trying to spin the engine free. But the bolt on the pully only unscrewed from the pully. No movement on the engine side. Any thoughts??
That means you got a bad needle and seat and a seeping past the needle when it sets and it has hydrolocked and motor from the amount of gas that's why you put a shut off valve in the line and replace the needle
I'd remove the emotion tube. An your main jet.,or jets.& The auto enrichment choke solenoid to. You might even need to change the engine/ motor oil in it to. Due to gas mixed with the motor oil.
I have a briggs in a Husqvarna had to a dealer when under warranty three times cylinder was always full of fuel they fixed nothing! just the bill to me, but the carb was bad so I replaced also put a fuel shut off in line, no more problems then eng locked up pulled plug no fuel tested battery its good will crank with no plug but will not spin with plug in? oil is good it has been changed any ideas? Art
Hey. Mine locked up by changing the trans belt. I turned the mower on its side to change belt. Flyvwheel was spinning freely. Got the belt on, now it won't spin. Any suggestions
@@thomas25082Basically I was following a video where the guy turned the mower on the side to change the belt. I did the same thing to change mines, and it wouldn't start. Took the spark plug out, let the oil and gas drain out, and it started. Haven't had a problem since.
I have a small engine shop and every cover is removed and engine pressure washed It’s like removing fuel tank and flushing it out Why make it run and burn up the engine 😊😊😊
LONG STORY SHORT...My Riding mower was hydro locked. IT just clicked!! It didn't have a shut off valve. So the gas leaked from gas tank by gravity and capillaries action. Gas leaked thru the needle valve to cylinder and down 8nto crank case. I had about a 1/4 cup in cylinder and 1gallon in crank case. Where it only uses 1.5 !!! New plug and popped right off. Unfortunately i bought a new batter and starter to fix the click.
You can add 16 oz can cream or Milnot pour it down air strem. Then shoot the air back in then rotate the tire in about 10 minutes the tire will hold air. You can laugh all you want thinking can mail not will not work for sealer. But it really will. I have been using mil not in can for the last 28 years on all our stuff including our tractors it will hold air for a long time
1925 and like up on The late model stuff it's the same head same head gasket are you running to your deal is a little bit of difference file size is different on the bigger engines
Why not stick some inner tubes into the tires? I didnt see anything wrong with the tires, (wires exposed, dryrot, etc.) Inner tubes would run less then 10 bucks each.
Is the vanguard engine that's the best Briggs & Stratton ever made other than Arrowhead very first overhead valve the vanguard engine was that's what lawn mower racers use because all the internals are double heavy duty
Put tubes in if they have no huge cracks last the life of the mower because new tires for some reason don't last for s*** as far as time who's the last forever cuz the tire skins how does the weather I've had tubes set for 10 years and still have air in them
please watch others videos on small motors.. my god.. it wasnt the lil piece .. and its full of fuel in the crankcase. omg .. lord help me i need warm weather
I have an Agway mower just like this that recently overheated and now it seems like the engine is locked up. If that happens is it done for? I'm not mechanically inclined at all.
@@matt6923 I've seen some things online that say to spray wd-40 inside and letting it sit for a while and keep lubing it, then try to see if it'll break free, but I havn't tried that on mine yet, I am gonna now though👍🏻
We’ll, it’s 330am and I’m finally sitting down with a cold beer beside the wood stove in the garage. I think I’ve watched your vid about 3x now. Have a 1999 John Deere Sabre 15.538 gear. Came with the house we bought this fall. Mower sat for about 4 years, last owner said they couldn’t get it running. It was going to be my winter project, so I drained the oil. It was all fuel. Put in about 2 gallons of oil flushing the gas out over the last week and a half. Bloody float was stuck and gravity did the rest. New fuel filter and installed an inline fuel shut off. As I was making my way to the carb I realized it was hydrolocked. I had no idea I could move the piston from underneath. That was a life saver!
Broke everything down. Cleaned the carb. New oil. New fuel. Once I broke it loose she fired up first try. I am mechanically illiterate, can’t tell you how much I appreciate the video. Made for easy going. Cheers
I have exactly the same issue on an 06 craftsman :) stuck float gravity filling the engine, and no fuel cut off :).... will add one like you have. Hi from England
This vid was a fun watch :) bit concerned he was going to set the mower alight there for a while :)
I appreciate you taking the time to add this video. Very helpful and the audio/camera angles are excellent!
I’ll bet excess fuel locked piston and then stuck. All the gas and oil was coming out of intake side, if I viewed it correctly. Good diagnosis, enjoyed your step by step procedure.
I had same issue, my engine was seized and I went to loose the bottom pulley and fixed the issue, thanks for video
This is the same as my ranch king, A new tappet cover, A valve lash, And an oil change and it was running again. I don't bother with the tires, I just put tubes in them for four dollars apiece. the deck is the biggest problem. rebuild the chute bar, New spindles, ect another forty dollars. And a new kevlar deck belt, 21 dollars. It's not a lot of money if you own the thing, But for resale, Your taking a chance, Since the carbs on these tend to leak into the crank case. So i installed a shut off valve.
I like seeing where people’s “repair it” price points are when it comes to these types on mowers. I just got educated myself on a JD SX85 rider where I paid $50 for the mower that had been sitting in a field for the last 7 years or so. To get it to usable condition had to put over $300 into it ($125 of that $300 was a new seat), the rest was the little things like a new battery and ignition switch, 4 tubes, and 2x idler pulleys. I “might” be able to get $300 back if I sold it like it is, but would like to mow with it a couple of times for fun😊
After you do this a while you end up getting spare parts or find packages of certain items to make repairs cheaper.
@@ASliceofWoodWorkshop the best finds are “free pick up” mowers that someone has given up on repairing due to something simple like a sheared flywheel key or bad solenoid type repair but rest of tractor like tires, seat, etc are still in decent shape:-)
You are correct and its almost that time of the year for those freebies
Not everyone wont a zero turn, got two customers who buy all the older mowers I fix up and they make good money mowing, plus there not in dept and pay better
Like one said, I’m not that fast but in a day I paid for the riding mower 😊😊
Time for a class in small engine repairs
I have one like that. It's always the needle and seat that get contaminated and leak. Those small red inline filters are junk, nothing more than a screen. I always put a real inline fuel filter and check that the needle doesn't leak, carb off, and have no more problems.
That cap is in the oil. drain the oil and find it. It could be the reason it frozen up it could be in the filter if there is one. Once you located the problem I would have then checked the push rod they usually get bent when the cap comes off or is the reason the cap came off. Then you got a small chunk of metal running loose in your engine I would locate or make every attempt to locate before firing it up. If someone changed the oil before you that piece was likely lost then. Or it’s stopping the engine from turning when the engine began moving again there may be some damage and I should inspect around gears and things where it might have gotten crushed or shredded for stress cracks. If you agree then I’ve learned quite a bit and you given me just enough so I feel like I’ve rapped my head around it and figured it out myself which makes it usable knowledge that’s what every teacher wants to be able to give their student. Sometimes less information is more, sometimes. So good job I’ll watch you again keep making videos. If you had a little info on where to find the online spec sheet and where to order parts for everything your working on would be invaluable cause you never no when someone is facing the same problem or maybe posting the information itself on your site to be downloaded instead of giving away where you found it just that it can now be found along with your video might be something worth doing just a thought. Thanks for the video I’ll be waiting to see your next one.
My Kawasaki twin Deere 920M locked up. I bought it after it sat like 4 years , and they had hijacked all sorts of parts off it. I'm restoring the beast. After working with the service manual and parts mower, for weeks , I was excited this weekend when FINALLY the engine turned over. It cranked a few seconds, then I shut it off, and put everything back together, thinking I was good to go. It cranked smoothly and quietly. But now, the new starter just clicks, instead of cranking. Battery is fully charged. Oil level is full. Fuel tank was empty when it cranked, but I added up to 1/8 full after to try to start it.
I like your idea of trying the bottom pulley. I disassembled the top shroud , and that nut was frozen clockwise, and loosened counter. No joy there.
My plan was to pull the plugs, and see if I can crank it then. They made it hard to get to the valve-cover without removing the rear fender, and being built like a tank, that doesn't look easy. That's sorta a last resort.
You are extraordinarily knowledgeable- Suggestions?
All one will have to do with the tires is to clean and slick up the tires with soap and or green slime and those rear tires will stay up. I hope you drained the oil out to get the gas contaminated oil changed and do something with that stupid float needle and cut the gas line to put a shut off valve and clamps on the line, it is obviously not keeping the gas out of the engine. Someone will get a good deal for 200, because with correcting the carb, tires and sharpening the blades not much money to get a good working mower but needs a battery. A small cheap battery is all it needs, not one of those super expensive batteries. Someone will be able to mow a large tract with a 44" mower on a rider. Not as good as a twin blade mower but very decent for the right guy. He just won't be able to hire out mowing because it doesn't have twin blades. Good work there feller. Saved another good mower.
Put tubes in the tires. You can get a new battery for $30 That is a $1000 mower new, so running and mowing should be worth $300 to $500
Interesting and informative video. I subscribed to watch you make stuff with wood and now I hang around and watch you fix mowers :-).
If you haven't sold/parted it out yet, get some inner tubes for the tires. My old rider, probably 30 years old at the time, had a tire that wouldn't hold air. I took the wheel to a lawn mower repair shop and he recommended I just put an inner tube in since the tire was still good overall. Saved me a ton of money and I used that mower for a few more years until the transmission crapped out and it wouldn't shift into drive anymore.
Thanks or subbing. The channel has changed and thanks for sticking by. I would do tubes, but these tires are in bad shape. 1 has a hole in the side of it.
eh i just take the valve stem out and pump that slime shit in there it works good
First time I seen a Lowe's lawnmower.
Take of the cylinder head and use wet and dry sand paper fine grade then oil up the bore crank her up , Bob's your uncle!
Dry piston making the scraping noise, I usually spray lube oil in the spark plug hole before cranking after sitting for half a year or more
The problem is the carburettor is flooding the cylinder when not in use
Very good work ,thanks for your input.👍
It's the carburetor needing cleaned really good is your issues with the gasy smelling oil problem.
And I also the same cap on any overhead valve Briggs & Stratton head that you might have a laying around
take the spark plug out so it can push the gas or water out of the cylinder
Great video. I have the same engine and it doesn't spin. So I tried to do what you did. I found the pully bolt under the engine and used a socket wrench on the bolt trying to spin the engine free. But the bolt on the pully only unscrewed from the pully. No movement on the engine side. Any thoughts??
There is a key in between the pulley and engine shaft that may have sheared off
@@ASliceofWoodWorkshop thanks for your help! I will check for that missing piece.
@@rom1net i have same problem did that ever work
If the bolt came loose, turn the engine the other way. So that you are tightening the bolt.
Still need a valve adjustment. That'll fix your slow-cranking. Exhaust valve too tight
With the sides blocked it’s surprising how hot the engine gets.
Looks great but runs hot 🥵
What about the fuel/or oil that was spitting out? What did that end up being?
It's usually always the Carburetor. It's either the float getting stuck or the needle inside the carb it's self.........................
You have to sit down on the seat to turn over
Not if the parking brake is on
That means you got a bad needle and seat and a seeping past the needle when it sets and it has hydrolocked and motor from the amount of gas that's why you put a shut off valve in the line and replace the needle
I'd remove the emotion tube. An your main jet.,or jets.& The auto enrichment choke solenoid to. You might even need to change the engine/ motor oil in it to. Due to gas mixed with the motor oil.
I have a briggs in a Husqvarna had to a dealer when under warranty three times cylinder was always full of fuel they fixed nothing! just the bill to me, but the carb was bad so I replaced also put a fuel shut off in line, no more problems then eng locked up pulled plug no fuel tested battery its good will crank with no plug but will not spin with plug in? oil is good it has been changed any ideas?
Art
can you tell if the valves are opening? Can you rotate at all in either direction?
Tubes are cheaper than tires...it works for me.
Good job
AWSOME men very nice watching it
Hey. Mine locked up by changing the trans belt. I turned the mower on its side to change belt. Flyvwheel was spinning freely. Got the belt on, now it won't spin. Any suggestions
Remove the belt and see if it spins without the belt. If it spins then something may be wrong where the belt connects
Take spark plug out full of shit
@@thomas25082Basically I was following a video where the guy turned the mower on the side to change the belt. I did the same thing to change mines, and it wouldn't start. Took the spark plug out, let the oil and gas drain out, and it started. Haven't had a problem since.
Briggs engine that's built especially with no ring razor visible marks in a cylinder
Oil diluted with too much gas! I never saw such liquid expelled!!
Amen brother 😊
Bow wow that should be for sale very easily at 6:00
Why not remove engine cover to check for mouse nest.
I have a small engine shop and every cover is removed and engine pressure washed
It’s like removing fuel tank and flushing it out
Why make it run and burn up the engine 😊😊😊
LONG STORY SHORT...My Riding mower was hydro locked. IT just clicked!!
It didn't have a shut off valve. So the gas leaked from gas tank by gravity and capillaries action. Gas leaked thru the needle valve to cylinder and down 8nto crank case.
I had about a 1/4 cup in cylinder and 1gallon in crank case.
Where it only uses 1.5 !!!
New plug and popped right off.
Unfortunately i bought a new batter and starter to fix the click.
You can add 16 oz can cream or Milnot pour it down air strem. Then shoot the air back in then rotate the tire in about 10 minutes the tire will hold air. You can laugh all you want thinking can mail not will not work for sealer. But it really will. I have been using mil not in can for the last 28 years on all our stuff including our tractors it will hold air for a long time
Sweet video dude!
Thanks man.
@@ASliceofWoodWorkshop yes sir I like your channel. When those flames shot out I was like there went the hair on ya leg!
How do i turn it without the pully coming off
Get you some tubes for the rear a lot cheaper than tores
Tires
Tyres!
good video tim
Thanks Gene.
I would try tubes for the tires should be cheaper
Try with plug out
1925 and like up on The late model stuff it's the same head same head gasket are you running to your deal is a little bit of difference file size is different on the bigger engines
Why not stick some inner tubes into the tires? I didnt see anything wrong with the tires, (wires exposed, dryrot, etc.) Inner tubes would run less then 10 bucks each.
Thats always a good option.
I ran my ride on and seized up can I save it
Have to check if anything is broken.
He got a bad carb all the gas leaked into the crank case got to drain all that oil
Slim those tires man it'll seal them up.
You should get the lash cap, and change the oil.
Oil was changed and I am getting that cap. I just wanted to see if it would actually run. Thanks for checking it out.
@@ASliceofWoodWorkshop whats a lash cap?
@spydo staxxe it is a cap that goes on the valve stem
Is the vanguard engine that's the best Briggs & Stratton ever made other than Arrowhead very first overhead valve the vanguard engine was that's what lawn mower racers use because all the internals are double heavy duty
On that motor is a wearable carburetor it replacing the needle doesn't work 15.00 carburetor online
P because they probably thought the engine was blowed up
My friend bought a mower for $200 guy didn’t say engine seized and blocked him when he asked why it was seized
Thats the worst. Hate that happened to you.
Check the coil duhhh
Then you'll only be in it A new battery instead of new tires that way. That's on the super cheap fix.
Put tubes in if they have no huge cracks last the life of the mower because new tires for some reason don't last for s*** as far as time who's the last forever cuz the tire skins how does the weather I've had tubes set for 10 years and still have air in them
I haven't watched the video but starter stuck while turning it with your wrench you should had worked it back and forth will release starter
FILL THEM TIRES WITH SLIME AND SEND IT.
please watch others videos on small motors.. my god.. it wasnt the lil piece .. and its full of fuel in the crankcase. omg .. lord help me i need warm weather
Yup stuck float filled the crank case and had it hydro locked but he did have to adjust the valves
Hydro locking
Take the plug out
Would be cheaper to just put tubes in the wheels
If the tires are dry rotted tubes won't last very long. Been there done that 😊
So much wrong with this video
It overheated and locked up
I have an Agway mower just like this that recently overheated and now it seems like the engine is locked up. If that happens is it done for? I'm not mechanically inclined at all.
@@matt6923 I've seen some things online that say to spray wd-40 inside and letting it sit for a while and keep lubing it, then try to see if it'll break free, but I havn't tried that on mine yet, I am gonna now though👍🏻
@matt6923 Marvel mystery oil as well
What am I watching? How can he be so wrong?
Please explain?