Non-motoring > Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum Miscellaneous
Thread Author: L'escargot Replies: 23
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 16:18 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
Rather than trust the supplier, I decided to make sure myself that my new Husqvarna LC48VE mower (Briggs and Stratton 675 series engine) had the right quantity of the right oil. I removed the existing oil via the dipstick tube (as per the instructions) with my Pela oil extractor. I then put in the specified quantity of 0.6 litres of new oil and ran the mower. I stopped the engine and waited the specified 1 minute before checking the oil level on the dipstick, but it didn't give a clear reading because of oil clinging to the dipstick tube confusing the issue, so I left it overnight. In the morning the level was about the same height above the maximum mark as the difference between the minimum and maximum marks. I then extracted oil until the level was at the maximum mark after standing overnight. I was amazed to find that I had extracted 0.26 litres of the 0.6 litres I'd put in. Clearly something was wrong. The only thing where I hadn't abided by of the recommendations was leaving it overnight before checking the dipstick.

I now just don't know what to do.

What procedure do you use for renewing your mower oil and for checking the dipstick?
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sat 18 Sep 10 at 16:19
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 16:27 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Zero
I trust it to the supplier.

In all seriousness, how much oil, (in litres) did you extract the first time round. Chances are you left some in (about 0.26 litres?), and when you put in the new 0.6 litres you had too much.

Where was the level on the dipstick before you started this?
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 18 Sep 10 at 16:30
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 16:48 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Ian (Cape Town)
Just remove the filter on the exhaust and rev the co jones off it (apparently I'm not allowed to say billhooks here)
make sure you do this trick when the (downwind) neighbours have their washing out... that way you can gauge how much oil has been burnt off.
Thank me later
Last edited by: Ian (Cape Town) on Sat 18 Sep 10 at 16:50
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 17:21 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Cliff Pope
If it's a Briggs & Stratton engine it doesn't make the slightest difference how much oil you put in it. If you have too much, it will burn off. If you don't have enough, and never change it, the engine will go on running for ever anyway.

The only thing that matters is the metal frame, which will collapse from rust after about 10 years.
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 18:03 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Iffy
Trust the dipstick - what can't speak can't lie.

As others have said, worrying about oil quality in a lawnmower is a relatively modern thing.

We never used to bother changing it, and I don't know anyone that did.

Change it every few years if you must, can't do any harm - and probably won't do much good either. :)

Last edited by: Iffy on Sat 18 Sep 10 at 18:03
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New Sat 18 Sep 10 18:21 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Tooslow
Well it does my shed the world of good when the old stuff is painted onto it :-)

John
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 11:22 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Fullchat
Should the oil be measured dipstick screwed in or out? Might make a difference.
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 11:58 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Old Navy
Or hot or cold oil? Get a life, its a lawnmower, if the oil on my car's dipstick is near the full mark it's good enough for me.
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 12:52 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Cliff Pope
>> Should the oil be measured dipstick screwed in or out? Might make a difference.
>>

There is a long-standing engineering convention that a screw-in dipstick should be read with it resting on the threads, but a press-in dipstick should be read pressed right home.

But as I said, with a lawnmower it makes no difference at all.

What is worth knowing is which way to tip the lawnmower when clearing a blockage from round the blade or the exit chute. One way only dribbles petrol onto the grass, the other lets oil flow into the silencer causing clouds of smoke on restarting.
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 13:01 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Marc
"my new Husqvarna LC48VE"

Quality brand. What influenced your decision?
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 13:15 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Old Navy
Husqvarna also make Flymo, Gardena, and McCulloch equipment, amongst several other brands.
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 17:09 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Mike Hannon
I always carried out the B and S oil change instructions exactly on my Intek OHV 6.0hp and the level has always been about a centimetre over the maximum mark and it has never appeared to make any difference. After 9 hard seasons it doesn't seem to consume any oil at all. The oil doesn't even seem to get dirty, which the oil in my friend's Honda GCV190 certainly does.
Stop worrying.
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New Sun 19 Sep 10 22:42 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - DP
I bought a mower a few yrs ago with a Briggs & Stratton 450 engine and seem to recall that it only took about 3/4 of the volume of oil stated in the handbook to obtain a 'Max' reading on the dipstick. Incidentally, the book says the reading should be taken with the dipstick/cap screwed fully home.
never bothered changing the oil. It's still at the same level as the day I filled it, and still looks clean.
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 08:12 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
>> "my new Husqvarna LC48VE"
>>
>> Quality brand. What influenced your decision?
>>

Electric start, self-propelled, delivered fully assembled, and included taking away my old mower. I couldn't get that from any other make of mower. It was to aid my loss of strength and mobility that has resulted from my recent spine damage and onset of arthritis.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Mon 20 Sep 10 at 08:13
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 09:20 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Tooslow
That looks like a damn big collector on it?

John
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 09:32 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - hawkeye
Emptying the oil with an extractor or tipping it out through the filler hole doesn't completely drain the sump. For that you need to find the 3/8" square drain plug underneath. I have a rolling stable of 3 mowers with B&S engines for my gardening round and IME overfilling doesn't matter a jot, it just burns off. I change the mower oil every 25 hours and fill with Morrisons 20w/50, don't be indulging them with any synth nonsense. I used to check oil levels before I got the machines out of the garage, but rarely do so now.

Clearing blockages; don't tilt the mower on its side, lift at the front.

The first 2 oil changes on all my B&S engined mowers have drained out iridescent with swarf so I would advise changing the oil at least annually for all you amateurs out there :-)

Good mower choice though.
Last edited by: hawkeye on Mon 20 Sep 10 at 09:35
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 10:45 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
>> Emptying the oil with an extractor or tipping it out through the filler hole doesn't
>> completely drain the sump. For that you need to find the 3/8" square drain plug
>> underneath.

If only I could lift 43 kg of mower to get to the drain plug! I think I'd need some sort of hoist to get to it. Husqvarna recommends sucking the oil out via the dipstick tube.

It just seems strange that putting in the specified 0.6 litres of oil results in an overfill of 0.26 litres above the maximum mark on the dipstick. Surely there can't be 0.26 litres lurking somewhere to which the extractor tube can't get, when the total capacity is 0.6 litres?

I still don't know whether it's acceptable to check the dipstick after the mower has stood overnight. It seems to be impossible to get a clear reading shortly after running the mower because oil sticks to the dipstick tube and it gets onto the dipstick while it's being removed and this blurs the reading. What's your opinion on this?
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 11:08 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Tooslow
You could ask H

www.husqvarna.com/uk/homeowner/support/contact-husqvarna/product-questions/

John
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 15:25 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
>> You could ask H
>>
>> www.husqvarna.com/uk/homeowner/support/contact-husqvarna/product-questions/
>>
>> John
>>


Thanks, John, that was just what I needed. I've asked them the question of how much oil I could expect to be able to remove with a suction extractor.
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New Sat 25 Sep 10 07:39 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
>> >> You could ask H
>> >>
>> >> www.husqvarna.com/uk/homeowner/support/contact-husqvarna/product-questions/
>> >>
>> >> John
>> >>
>>
>>
>> Thanks, John, that was just what I needed. I've asked them the question of how
>> much oil I could expect to be able to remove with a suction extractor.
>>

Husqvarna said that you should be able to get almost all of the oil out using a suction extractor, but they covered themselves by adding the rider "subject to the actual extractor and the tecnique used". I finally managed to remove 500 ml, starting from the oil being at the maximum level on the dipstick. Refilling with 500 ml of new oil took the level back to the maximum mark. Since the specified capacity from empty is 600 ml (but with no statement as to what level on the dipstick that would result) I shall just renew the oil quite frequently to be on the safe side. It's a lot easier (although less certain) using a suction extractor than tipping a mower up to get to the drain plug.
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 12:57 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - hawkeye
>>
>> I still don't know whether it's acceptable to check the dipstick after the mower has
>> stood overnight. It seems to be impossible to get a clear reading shortly after running
>> the mower because oil sticks to the dipstick tube and it gets onto the dipstick
>> while it's being removed and this blurs the reading. What's your opinion on this?
>>

There's oil everywhere in the sump after running the mower; the 1min wait is ridiculous. As I said before I used to check oil levels after they had all rested overnight - before I loaded my choice onto the trailer. In 0.6 litres of oil the difference in quantities you might see after a 1min wait or after overnight are tiny.

I'm guessing this was your first oil change; did you see the oil and did it have glittery bits in it?
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New Mon 20 Sep 10 15:04 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - L'escargot
>> I'm guessing this was your first oil change;

It was.

>> did you see the oil and did
>> it have glittery bits in it?
>>

Unfortunately I didn't look at the old oil.
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New Sat 25 Sep 10 09:17 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - madf
Having just discovered this thread, I'm glad:
1. my lawnmower has lasted 30 years as it has no dipstick.
2. I change the oil and fill it up as far as it goes.
3. I am not anally retentive about such issues.
4. It's a quality engine make: Briggs and Stratton.Just like the snail's .


Toodle pip!
:-)
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New Sat 25 Sep 10 09:35 
 Lawnmower oil quantity conundrum - Zero
>> Having just discovered this thread, I'm glad:
>> 1. my lawnmower

is electric.
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