This page is designed to help the do-it yourselfer with minor lawn mower service and repairs. If you have topics you'd like to see covered on this page, send me an e-mail and we'll do what we can to accomodate you.

Remember: I can provide the information, but you must provide the willingness to  approach each task with safety in mind. Don't smoke when servicing your mower - gas fumes can be deadly. Never attempt to service your mower with the spark plug wire connected to the spark plug. Never bypass or disconnect any safety device on your machine - they're there for a purpose.

HOW TO DO A TUNE UP

Most mowers that are still in service today have a capacitive discharge, or electronic ignition system, which does away with the old points style ignition. The usual tune up will consist of little more than changing the spark plug, but you do want to make sure you're using the plug the manufacturer calls for. If you have a good ignition coil, and the coil legs and flywheel magnets are free of excessive rust, and the coil isn't grounded, this should be sufficient to provide a spark to the plug. Carrying your tune up to a higher level could consist of cleaning the legs of the coil and the flywheel magnet. Excessive build up of dirt or rust in this area can cause a weak spark, or "kill" the spark altogether.

 The first step to completing this task is to remove the outer engine covers (probably plastic) then removing the engines blower housing to access the flywheel and coil. If you decide to clean the ends of the coil legs and the flywheel magnet, lightly sanding these areas with a piece of fine sandpaper should put them back in serviceable condition. The distance between the legs of the coil and the flywheel is known as the air gap and should be set at .010. This is best accomplished by loosening the two mounting bolts of the coil, then placing a business card between the face of the flywheel and the legs of the coil. Once this has been done, rotate the flywheel magnet to a point where it aligns with the legs of the coil, then allow the coil to be drawn to the magnet on the flywheel. The business card will maintain a distance of .010 between the coil and flywheel while you retighten the coil mounting bolts.

Once you've finished cleaning the coil legs and flywheel magnets, it's time to reinstall the blower housing assembly (be careful not to pinch your coil wire) and the outer engine covers. Make sure all bolts are securely tightened and nothing has found it's way inside the flywheel area. Reconnect the coil wire to the spark plug, pump your primer or place the throttle control in the choke position, then pull the starter rope. 

Aaaahhh!!! The sweet sound of a purring engine.     Now - get busy.

Still have questions? Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.

E-mail me at:

     ron@randssmallengine.com