Fixing A Husqvarna Mower That Won't Start When Cold

[@MrGattor33]

I would love to see you tear that thing down just to find out what exactly happened. Great video once again. Thank you for this!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Thank you Sir and that's the plan.

[@MrGattor33]

@@HomeGaragechannel Outstanding can't wait to see that video! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@keithkneeland6849]

@@HomeGaragechannelI’m thinking headgasket too, really interested to see what let go, cause that’s a LOT of blow by all of a sudden! 😳

[@brianandrews7099]

Looking forward to the disassembly video for this mower. Besides discovering exactly what happened to it, I have no experience working on this model of engine, so I will enjoy the opportunity to see how it’s manufactured and put together.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you and I'm pretty sure it'll surprise you as to what happened to it.

[@covishen]

I'm finding myself in agreement that it's the head gasket that's blown. I've seen some funny things happen on my Briggs and Stratton engines from that.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you and I'm leaning towards the head gasket too.

[@Ozzie86852]

I've been waiting for you to work on Kohler engines for a while. I bought a Toro with a Kohler XT675 a couple years ago. Earlier this year I finally got to work on it. I adjusted the valves since they were way out of tolerance. After that, the engine turned on and ran very strong. Until the same thing started to happen with the engine, oil coming out of the vent tube. I removed the flywheel, and the cover where the valley is. I cleaned up a small hole that you can barely see, a plastic round cover that goes by the spring. After all that, oil still keeps going through the vent tube. At times, the engine sounds like it's losing power, but revs back to life. I really want to see you fix these problem that most all Kohler engines have. Great video as always!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you for watching and yes this seems to be quite the problem for me, because I have 3 of them that's doing the same thing. I'm leaning towards the head gasket but I'm afraid it's worse than that.

[@keithkneeland6849]

@@HomeGaragechannel3 Kohler’s doing this? Between this and the case gaskets on them I’ve seen you’ve had to replace I’m thinking these aren’t the best built engines(??). Maybe a decent design let down by bad gaskets(??)

[@Meethos01]

I have done the same to my mower. I have had the mower since new(quite old now) and this year it started having the same issue; oil blowing into the carburetor causing the engine to pour white smoke out at different intervals. The auto-choke doesn't work but the mower cranks in 1 to 2 pulls(adjusted the valves). I don't have a compression tester or cylinder leak down tester to check the engine. Look forward to the tear down.

[@jesterr7133]

I did install used OEM parts on a clone the other day. I got one of my old projects going. It had a clone carb with only a few hours on it, but the needle and seat failed and filled the engine with gas. I have broken down a ton of Nikki carbs over the years and I always save anything that is good, so I just threw a used OEM needle and seat assembly in the clone carb, and it is running perfectly now.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's a great choice to make.

[@TheDronzDr]

I believe the breather reed is bad. That’s located under the fly wheel plate. That’s just my opinion. If that is all it is, I would fix it. If not I would part it out. Good luck my friend 😊

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you And I plan on checking it in the next video along with pressure testing the engine.

[@jeffreycox4171]

Before pulling the engine apart, I would definitely check that the drain hole in the PCV valve under the flywheel was not blocked.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Yep, was going to check that as well. thank you!

[@kevinstrupp3183]

Need to inspect the breather check valve assembly next. The engine starts, and sounds good!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I'll spoil it for you, I did check it later on, and everything was in order. The spring, seat and filter were all in good working order. I too was hoping it was going to be that easy .

[@kevinstrupp3183]

@@HomeGaragechannel Then the head gasket is blown leaking into pushrod chamber.

[@BRIGGSMASTER63]

One thing that I have found on small push mower engines is the use of multi viscosity oil causing this situation I started one of my projects and didn't have any 30 weight oil so I could test run the motor so I used 10W-30 and it did exactly what your mower did, my solution was to drain that oil and refill it with straight 30 weight and it seemed to correct the problem. Not sure if that's what's wrong with yours but it might be worth a shot.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

really? Not sure how that works, but I'll give it a try.

[@pit4955]

The biggest problem troubleshooting used lawn equipment we really don’t know how they were marinated. Internal engine wear due to low oil, too much oil or no oil. Just seen a video where someone purchased a lawnmower on clearance from a big box store $375 mower for $80 customer return it said it wouldn’t start. That was exactly correct, seems the customer never put oil in the mower and engine seized. the new owner actually open the engine up and quickly seen a ton of broken parts, but it surely was shining on the outside 😂 Some days we need to take the good with the bad and we actually get more experienced, wiser, and smarter . Great vid thx for sharing 👍

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you and you got that right

[@lewiemcneely9143]

If it was MINE I'd slow the engine speed back down and run the 15/40 oil in it and see how it did. THEN if it was still slobbering oil I'd tear it down to see what's what. Happy weekend, Pal!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's a good idea. I might as well check the head bolts while I'm at it too.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@HomeGaragechannel While you're there......

[@bobn8865]

As you know the breather hose is connect to the valve chamber where the valve spring is. If the crankcase is not overfilled then take the breather cover off and run the motor. Check and see if there is oil coming out at the bottom where the valve shaft goes into the crankcase. If oil is coming out liberally, there may be a worn valve guides. Also possible gas has leaked from the old carb into the oil thinning it.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you the information

[@RussellBooth1977]

I can bet that the cylinder head gasket is blown,if it's a Kohler engine then the part number in 1484115S for the gasket. I have heard that they're no longer available brand new but you might be able to get them as a new old stock or an aftermarket part !

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's a shame

[@abc_123_handle]

Would love a video about the PCV 😃

[@HomeGaragechannel]

planning on it

[@Thelawnmower278]

Husqvarna mowers with a Honda engine can be very dependable and feel like a commercial machine in your hands.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I totally agree

[@mikehittner1424]

Excellent content.....AGAIN!!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you!

[@stevepelino5986]

If I had some extra time I’d probably tear it down to see where the issue is. It’s definitely a head scratcher. Could be the head gasket possibly. Not a huge fan of the Kohler mower engines. But looking forward to the next video. Thank you for sharing.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no problem and yes, I'm hoping to tearing it down and find out why it's doing it too.

[@jwayne777]

😢 I'm sorry to see that happen. My guess is the carburetor butterfly that was missing from the original carb got sucked into the combustion chamber and wedged in the valve rings. The other guess is the compression release located underneath the flywheel has failed allowing pressure and oil to come out of the breather hose.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

interesting ideas

[@thyubernoob]

I gotta know!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I wish I knew

[@NickGiann-k8t]

Sorry can i ask you if on a chainsaw between the ignition coil and the flywheel has no gap can cause no sparks and the chainsaw will not start

[@HomeGaragechannel]

yes

[@NickGiann-k8t]

Mr. Home garage can you answer to my questions, I tried to fix an ol alpina /castore chainsaw model A70 or castore C70 with stucked ignition coil on the flywheel, I cannot set gap between them and of course i have no spark with new spark p, the broblem is that there is no gap between flywheel and coil, but with no gap the chainsaw has electrism but weak and cannot make sparks so ???

[@HomeGaragechannel]

sure try replacing the coil and use a business card to set the gap. As far as trying to break the bolts free, that's up to you on how.

[@jesterr7133]

Do you know anywhere to get clamps that will fit a fuel line with a 7/16th outer diameter? I bought some quarter inch fuel line at the parts store the other day, and I didn't notice the outer diameter until after I got it home. I don't have any clamps that are small enough, and I can't find any. It makes this line pretty much worthless for anything but testing.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

unfortunately no.

[@christophermarshall5765]

Do a compression test. My thoughts are that with the amount of blow by I saw, it has stuck rings. I lost count the number of times I’ve seen this happen with engines. To me, it’s not a lost cause yet. I would take it apart, and check the rings. Head gasket failure isn’t as dramatic as stuck oil rings are. Another way to check for blown head gasket is to crank the engine with the plug lead off. If it has a head gasket issue, you’ll hear the combustion gases escaping from between the head and cylinder. Do this with the valve cover off. You’ll soon know then.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it's interesting that the ring would get stuck while the engine is running. Wouldn't it make sense for it to be stuck from the get go and it blow oil the moment it started running?

[@christophermarshall5765]

@@HomeGaragechannelpiston rings get stuck from sludge buildup in the oil. Usually caused by infrequent oil changes, or poor quality oil. I look at 4 stroke engines as single cylinder versions of car engines. Poor quality oil, along with infrequent oil changes will cause the rings to become stuck. This usually takes place over time, though in a mower engine it can happen faster, because there’s only a single piston. Usually, the oil control ring is first to be gummed up with carbon. There is other causes for rings to be stuck. This one is overheating of the engine. A compression test will tell the story. Do the compression test with the valve cover off. This way you will know if it is a head gasket issue or ring problem.

[@macknumber9]

I've had nothing but bad luck with aftermarket carbs...they run fine but they all always leak.... I don't know if the float is getting stuck or there is an issue with the needle not sealing

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you for sharing that.

[@jesterr7133]

I know it may not be worth it from a time and money perspective, but I would love to find out what is wrong with one. I have never encountered anything like this before. I would love to find out what it is. I've also never run across one of these engines before, so I would love to learn more about them.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I hope to find out during the off season.

[@matthewwearsch242]

Compression gauge?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you think it's excessive blow by then?

[@RoldanRR00]

These are the kind of problems that separate the average DIYer from the pros.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you got that right

[@MUUKOW3]

Replace the head gasket ,then order the primer carb and filter and ditch the artichoke, that system is janky as it gets,luckily parts are cheap and working on it is simple. That will sell for an easy 175 200 you could still make a little.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

nice and thank you for the advice

[@WaynesAdventure]

It would be nice to see you tear it down and fix it.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

yes Sir, that's the plan

[@macknumber9]

You would probably get a million views if you could do a video on why aftermarket carbs leak. I would love to save the $ and buy aftermarket but they ALWAYS leak on me and I now only buy OEM

[@HomeGaragechannel]

It's interesting because I very rarely have an aftermarket carb leak on me.

[@jesterr7133]

You wanna talk about one that didn't go according to plan? A friend of mine brought me an old Snapper Ninja push mower with a GCV160. It had been sitting for a few years in the weather with no air box cover. I got it running and got everything freed up in about an hour. All that was left was to change the oil. I was using a fluid pump to pump out the oil, and the tip from the fluid pump came off inside the engine, so I had to completely tear the engine down. The blade adapter was seized and I couldn't get it off, so I had to get the piece out while only being able to open the engine about an inch. Two years later, I still have it and I cannot get it to run correctly. I have replaced the entire fuel system, and it will only run fully choked or at full throttle. I am sick of looking at this mower, but I cannot figure out what the issue is. It doesn't make sense. I loaned my friend one of my riding mowers out of embarrassment. I really need to sell that riding mower, so I gotta figure this thing out at some point.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

man that was some bad luck

[@jaimepadilla9548]

I want to see what the cause is and how to fix it. I have never seen that happen before

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I know right, hopefully I can get to it soon

[@markdevine929]

Take the engine apart . Was there too much oil added?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's the plan and no the oil was right at full

[@scottjohnson5449]

just for knowledge only i would do a tear down to find the faults, then use the hole mower for parts since its not worth that much in good running order. thats just me.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I totally agree

[@RPSGT426]

Hope it wasn't a crack in the cylinder. Some mower engines are made of white metal.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

interesting idea

[@robertmailhos8159]

A repair job that doesn't work out 😮😠🤬 that is so true that it happens when you least expect it 😮

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you are absolutely right about that

[@robertmailhos8159]

@@HomeGaragechannel I've been there did that on many repairs

[@cptyler150]

It's OVERLOAD with oil. Dump it out and put it the CORRECT AMOUNT. Someone did not pay attention.....Use some break clean to clean out the carb area clean deck then adjust the idle screw mixture by removing that brass plug

[@HomeGaragechannel]

If you recall I checked the oil earlier in the video, and I was was the one who put oil in it in the last video.

[@Fender178]

I would at least take apart the engine to see what is going on. To me It sounds like a gasket issue.

[@keithkneeland6849]

My money is on headgasket. Interested to see myself!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

agreed

[@HomeGaragechannel]

My money is on the gasket too.

[@curiosity2314]

Being it is so unusual I would have to take it apart to see what happened.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

agreed

[@phildelgiudice3448]

Amateur homeowner here. Assume the risk reward isn’t going to equate to spending more time on this one? Pros like you gotta monetize these things. Gremlins aren’t worth chasing unless there’s an end result? You’d scrap this mower if it’s a straight dollars and cents analysis?? Keep up the great content!!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I like the way you put that. I still going dig into it, because I need to find the culprit, Thank you!

[@gearhead366]

A stuck piston ring is a possibility.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

interesting, so it got stuck after a couple of minutes of running then?

[@gearhead366]

@@HomeGaragechannel I would think that it could take a couple of minutes for the blowby to create the oil cloud that came out the vent. I'm not an expert, but if I were tearing it down, that's something I'd check. Not sure I'd consider it worthwhile to tear down, but if you DO tear it down, I'd check the rings.

[@liljoeii6091]

Flywheel nut kept coming on loose I will tighten it up next time I knew it was loose again the second time I tighten it up I was cutting grass and the motor starts knocking I haven't opened it up yet I want to see what happens the flywheels got a crack and I know how that happened anyways thank you for the video

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Sorry to hear that

[@jesterr7133]

I only buy OEM carbs anymore for Honda engines, since they are virtually the same price as the clone. I don't see how these OEM companies can charge 7 or 8 times the price for a carb. I would rather just buy 7 or 8 clone carbs. Even if one or two are junk, I still save money and have extras laying around when I need them.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you're doing it right!

[@shelldwell331]

My guess is this mower was used commercially for quite a few hundred hours, even the tires have some wear. Maybe its a planned obsolescence design that isn't tolerant of worn rings or guides?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

now that's an idea. Never thought of that

[@timtweet8149]

Probably due to no oil, both piston rings and head gasket were damaged and caused the oil to blow out into the combustion chamber.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it's quite possible

[@angelicaconiguliaro3179]

Well that's not good, because it's a Kohler I'd just use it for parts and return the carburetor. Like you said it's not worth much, I'd put another engine on it and sell it!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

very good choice!

[@0852657luis]

Due to the fact that its a kohler engine, it might be worth finding out what happened internally.

[@RexenPrime]

Its a Kohler engine, not a Honda.

[@0852657luis]

@@RexenPrime oh damn, my bad.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you for clarifying

[@jesterr7133]

What an annoyingly complicated carb setup. That's why I'm a Briggs guy.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I hear that

[@beingsneaky]

WOW that looks bad.. lol.. i would take it apart just to see what had happened?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you and that's the plan

[@Delerium22]

This is why you don’t buy something from a company that it has no business in

[@HomeGaragechannel]

agreed

[@mjg263]

Blown head gasket

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's my guess too.