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Ran oil out on riding mower - mar10 07-24-2006
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Posted by Eric in North TX on July 24, 2006, 8:11 pm

I don't know how mechanically capable you are, but many times small
engines just don't have the power to really chew themselves up. It
isn't like a V-8 where you have seven others pounding on the stopped
one. I'd try; put thin oil in the crank case, atf would do, then fill
it with penetrating oil through the spark plug holes & let it sit for a
couple of days (leave the spark plugs out). Then try turning it back
and forth with a wrench a little at a time. If you begin to gain a
little, stay with it till you get full revolutions. Once it begins to
turn easier spin it with the starter till it turns easily by hand with
the plug still out, drain the crankcase change the filter and refill
with your regular oil, replace the spark plugs. If you are lucky it
should start and run now, if you are really lucky it won't knock or
smoke.


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Posted by Steve Barker LT on July 25, 2006, 12:35 am
You run a kohler out of oil, and it probably broke at least one of the rods
in half.

--
Steve Barker


>
> I don't know how mechanically capable you are, but many times small
> engines just don't have the power to really chew themselves up. It
> isn't like a V-8 where you have seven others pounding on the stopped
> one. I'd try; put thin oil in the crank case, atf would do, then fill
> it with penetrating oil through the spark plug holes & let it sit for a
> couple of days (leave the spark plugs out). Then try turning it back
> and forth with a wrench a little at a time. If you begin to gain a
> little, stay with it till you get full revolutions. Once it begins to
> turn easier spin it with the starter till it turns easily by hand with
> the plug still out, drain the crankcase change the filter and refill
> with your regular oil, replace the spark plugs. If you are lucky it
> should start and run now, if you are really lucky it won't knock or
> smoke.
>



Posted by on July 24, 2006, 8:33 pm

mar10 wrote:
> Have a 3 year old Craftsman 25hp Kohler engine riding mower. My dad
> ran it dry on oil - didn't notice that the oil filter came loose
> and ran it without oil till it died (unfortunately he has vision
> problems and was unable to notice this)
>
> Anyways- Sears has diagnosed that the engine seized and wants $2200
> to fix - for $100 more I can get a brand new mower.
>
> Has anyone run into this or have thoughts as to if this could be done
> more reasonably by a small engine repair guy? Or do I bite the bullet
> and buy new?
>
> Thanks

dang.... sorry for you and your dad......

I had the dip stick pop out on two craftman mowers of mine...one a push
mower and the other my rider....didnt lose all the oil though but I
lost quite a bit in both......and neither were hurt by the
experience...... the push mower died because of just being old and
abused...10 or 11 years old.... of course my old monkey wards 3.5 hp
POS mower is abused on a weekly basic but is still kicking it after 25
years.....~:> rough yard...some places I have to jam the old monkey
wards under brush etc.... and lots of hilly uneven spaces...mower is on
a 30 degree incline sideways during most of its use...and I use it as
my trim mower....25 years....one of monkey wards bottom dollar
mowers....that says a lot. When that mower finally dies Im still gonna
keep it. 26 actually...bought it in 80 ..used it that summer.

getting all misty eyed...sorry.......~:>

I'd probably just get the new mower.....and I'd try to do a check on it
every so often for your dad so this doesnt occur again. Maybe you could
sell the old mower and possibly make at least a few bucks for some
gasoline.


Posted by dpb on July 24, 2006, 9:29 pm

mar10 wrote:
> Have a 3 year old Craftsman 25hp Kohler engine riding mower. My dad
> ran it dry on oil - didn't notice that the oil filter came loose
> and ran it without oil till it died (unfortunately he has vision
> problems and was unable to notice this)
>
> Anyways- Sears has diagnosed that the engine seized and wants $2200
> to fix - for $100 more I can get a brand new mower.
>
> Has anyone run into this or have thoughts as to if this could be done
> more reasonably by a small engine repair guy? Or do I bite the bullet
> and buy new?

I'd think a small engine repair shop _might_ do it for less, but will
Sears stand behind their work? I think you could probably by a
complete replacement engine for roughly $1500 and be a little ahead.

However, before I leapt into either of those scenarios, I would try
Eric's suggestion--I was going to suggest it would be worth seeing what
you could do to "unseize" it before investing a bunch as you're really
not going to be any worse off than you already are and if it doesn't
run or knocks badly or blows/burns a lot of oil you're not going to
want to spend the money on it anyway--a new one would be far better
investment. Don't know how good the mower itself is, I was never
particularly enamored of the Sears stuff I have seen, but by the time
they're putting in 25 hp engines, maybe they've built the platform up
to it. If so, and is only three years old, then the new engine if look
hard and find a decent deal might be worth it--sorta' gets to be a
judgement call on whether you'd like a whole new, shiny beastie or save
a few hundred bucks, maybe...

Anyway, bummer!!! :(


Posted by Tony Hwang on July 24, 2006, 10:01 pm
mar10 wrote:
> Have a 3 year old Craftsman 25hp Kohler engine riding mower. My dad
> ran it dry on oil - didn't notice that the oil filter came loose
> and ran it without oil till it died (unfortunately he has vision
> problems and was unable to notice this)
>
> Anyways- Sears has diagnosed that the engine seized and wants $2200
> to fix - for $100 more I can get a brand new mower.
>
> Has anyone run into this or have thoughts as to if this could be done
> more reasonably by a small engine repair guy? Or do I bite the bullet
> and buy new?
>
> Thanks
>
Hi,
Sorry to hear that. The engine is toast.

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