Regular oil changes are one of the most crucial lawnmower maintenance items to ensure that your push mower or lawn tractor lasts as long as possible. Oil should be changed after the first 5 hours of usage on a new mower, then at least once every spring or summer mowing season, or every 50 hours of use, whichever comes first. To change your lawnmower engine oil, follow these instructions.
Preparation
Make sure you have everything you'll need ahead of time. It will be easier for you to do the operation if you do this. The following is a list of everything you will require:
- Owner's Guide
- Fresh oil
- Funnel
- Old newspaper
- A suitable container for the safe dumping of old oil
- Wrench for sockets
- Wrench for pipes or filter wrench
- For riding mowers, use a jack or automotive ramps
After you've gathered everything you'll need, start your mower, whether it is a push mower, riding mower, or zero turn mower, and let it run for a few minutes before getting started. Allowing your engine to warm up and circulate the oil will help remove debris from the internals. Before changing the oil, you should always detach the spark plug wire. You ensure that your mower does not start while you are working on it by disconnecting the spark plug wire. If it makes you feel better, you can completely remove the spark plug.
Drain the engine
If you have a push mower, position it so that the exposed spark plug faces upwards. To get access to the engine's point where the drain plug is situated on riding mowers, use a jack or an automotive ramp. Place the oil pan directly beneath the drain plug and spread newspaper or cardboard underneath the mower. Loosen the drain plug using a socket wrench until the engine oil drains into the oil pan. Continue to drain until you get a single drop that is at least 4 or 5 seconds apart. Remove the old oil from the pan and place it in a suitable container. Set it aside until you can take it to an oil recycling plant to be properly disposed of. Tighten the drain plug on your engine after you're finished.
Change the oil filter
Larger particles of dirt and debris are kept out of the lubricant by oil filters. If debris passes through the filter, your mower's engine will suffer from excessive wear. While the filter may not need to be changed every time you change the oil, it is worth double-checking. For information on how often you should change the filter unique to your piece of equipment, consult your owner's handbook. Once you've found the filter, remove it from its housing using your hands or the pipe/filter wrench. After removing the filter, clean the adapter as well as the seal on the new oil filter. Using a napkin, grease the seal on the new filter with fresh engine lubricant. Using the pipe/filter wrench or your hands, tighten the new filter into place on the adapter.
Refill the engine with fresh oil
Locate and remove the oil fill plug from your engine. To avoid infiltration of your engine, clean the point surrounding the plug. Pour the oil into the crankcase using the funnel after removing the fill plug from the engine. Overfilling the container might cause the engine to cease working. You must replace the fill cap once you have filled the crankcase to the required level. Place the clean dipstick down into the dipstick shaft and remove it to check that the level is right. Finally, replace the dipstick in the shaft and wipe up any fallen liquids on or around the lawnmower. The steps to change the oil of the push mower, riding mower, and zero turn mower are the same.
This is how you can change the oil of your mower by yourself.
