Fixing A Troy-Bilt Mower That's Smokes

Links to products I have in my tool bag.
Air Filter. amzn.to/2T8qgxu
Compression tester. amzn.to/2NMgeze
Spark PLUG TESTER. amzn.to/3jEcZH3
Inline Spark Checker. amzn.to/3bnXjmA
Feeler Gauge set. amzn.to/3rTsZK6
Chemical bottle. amzn.to/3eWcGVs
Above are affiliate links which means we receive a percentage of the revenue made from purchasing products via those links.
Thanks for watching. I was told this more might be heavy on oil, and smoking but it turns out to be much worse than that.

[@Shawnee.Hills.Small.Engine]

That spark plug cracked me up.

[@benrobles752]

Autolite-Cheap WalMart Spark Plug.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thanks for getting it. Some didn't seem to get it.

[@rickyc664]

Your videos are great, you get right to the reason for it, no talking about your animals, the weather or other useless info. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Thanks, will do!

[@matthewwearsch242]

Turned out to be a nice little mower 👍

[@HomeGaragechannel]

You got that right!

[@matthewwearsch242]

@@HomeGaragechannel Also I wanted to reply about the hose fitting clean out on that deck you screw your garden hose on the female fitting turn on the water and start the mower and let it run for a couple minutes when you get done mowing I was amazed by how good that worked

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thanks for letting us know. In my testing it only works well used after each and every mow.

[@davidcoudriet8439]

Nice fix! As much as I miss flatheads, these are fine running engines. The jets get plugged easily, but is a simple fix.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Very true! As long as it's used regularly they seem to to work well

[@arciefan]

@@HomeGaragechannel That's what I been saying for a long time. Start that engine at least once a month (every month) and I've never had a carb issue.

[@hickorystx]

Would check compression, valve lash, oil level as you did and once the smoking ceased, then change the oil. You did pretty well with this one, again!!!😀

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thanks and that's the plan

[@danielcardenas3794]

This video saved me from buying another mower. In process of showing home for sale .🙏🙏 Ty

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Glad I could help

[@WJCTechyman]

Well, this turned out to be a successful project. If you maintain your equipment it will last years, if not decades. I don't think people will realize that switching to battery electric also requires maintenance like keeping vents clean and maintaining blades and the bottom of the machine. Those machines are also more sensitive to dust than internal combustion engines. People don't realize that even their computers should be cleaned at least twice per year like the refrigerator they probably also neglect.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

couldn't have said it better myself!

[@billsmith1770]

a lot of grit in my area , especially in summer when grass dies off . no coating will stand up to this . when i clean the deck after last mowing of the season , i apply paint or oil . i've stopped , or at least slowed rust for a few months .

[@HomeGaragechannel]

yes, if the point is to slow the rusting, I agree a coating works well.

[@toddosterhout9866]

Smart idea on cutting that choke lever! As soon as you started it I said to myself “that’s a choke issue not oil overfilled”

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I think you might be right!

[@toddosterhout9866]

@@HomeGaragechannel hey that Gardenline mower you had fixed before I just found out where it came from. Aldi’s!! lol

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you are correct

[@mjg263]

Very nice repair, good job sir! That’s funny regarding the spark plug - I recently picked up a nice Toro SR4 with the Loncin engine and it was running funny / popping / not restarting easily etc. I went to remove the spark plug and noticed it was partially unthreaded, so I re-gapped it and torqued it in. When I pulled the rope it let out a loud backfire and wouldn’t even sputter after that. Pulled out the plug and the gap was slammed shut. Previous owner installed the wrong plug that was too long, then when the piston hit it he must have re-gapped it then only threaded it in part way and went on using it like that! BTW I after fixing it all up I kept that one, it’s an awesome mower with the blade clutch, manuals, bag and mulch plug. Only three years old and got it for a song 😁

[@HomeGaragechannel]

wow! Glad to see you decided to keep it.

[@riceburner4747]

I'd probably change the oil. You're solving level & cleanliness. Doesn't require alot if oil so....👍

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Great point!

[@stevepelino5986]

Another great informative video. I literally just picked up a craftsman self propelled mower off of the curb this week. It had easily 2 times the required amount of oil in it. Not sure how that happens considering how easy it is to check the dip stick. Either way after cleaning the carb and replacing the air filter and fuel line runs like champ. Thank you for sharing your video.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no problem and thank you for watching

[@liljoeii6091]

I do like you did keep searching for where the oil is leaking thank you for the video

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no problem

[@donb1183]

Great video. My John Deere 14pz could use a good cleaning but I am hesitant to use my power washer on it. You seem to have had no problems even power washing it with the engine cover off!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no problems, just so long as you don't spray directly into the muffler or air filter area, you should be fine

[@Turningwrenches85]

Nice work 👍

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Thanks for the visit

[@Jaze2022]

I think a more important problem with the shorter spark plug is that the combustion volume is larger. So you get less power from each combustion.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you make a good point

[@user-dj7pm2bt3q]

When you first started the lawn mower something did not sound quite right when it was running when you pulled out the spark plug I was surprised that someone could get that wrong of a spark plug and not even compare it to the original one

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I know right!

[@80SWoods]

It’s actually pretty easy to overfill these small engines. I’ve gotten many of them free and they smoked from overfilling. I estimate that it takes a little over half a quart to fill. Somewhere between half and 3/4 of a quart. If you put over 3/4 quart, they sometimes will smoke depending on the model.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you are right about that

[@jdmDC2ftw]

Hey home garage. Long time viewer, but I haven't been interacting much because watching your vids have helped me keep my equipment running well lol. my toro recycler with a briggs motor has been running well but it's not catching the grass, its catching/clumping up in the tunnel. I've clean the inner deck area, sharpen the blade, and cleaned the bag. Can figure why it's not catching the grass.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I see and I think I know what you're talking about. Have wet is the grass when you're cutting it? is there "active" watering for this yard? Also, how much grass are you cutting? If you're cutting 3" or more inches of grass, it might be too much for the blade and deck to handle. Also, how fast are you moving the mower across the yard?

[@jdmDC2ftw]

@HomeGaragechannel the grass is not wet, the grass is roughly about 3ins, and I'm going as fast as the self propeller will go. I'll try to go slower and cut more often.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

going slower might be helpful. Also have you checked to see how much grass build up is under the deck?

[@EzRay11]

Gotta love those easy fixes. Also good idea to trim the choke lever. I’d check and change the oil. I couldn’t in clear conscience sell something that wasn’t in its best possible condition. BTW do you set all machines at .005 regardless of manufacturer? Trying to find the specs on all machines is a pain. Setting them at .005 across the board would be much easier. Cheers

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I feel that same as you do!

[@samuelfellows6923]

Amusing seeing you using a pressure washer on it when the deck has a built-in/self-cleaning water sprayer thing with the hose connector still attached

[@HomeGaragechannel]

the deck washing system is to be used after each and every mow. It doesn't do anything once the build up has hardened over time. I have a great video showing that very issue. After running the mower for well over 10 minutes, all it did was get the underside "wet" no material is dislodged. Thanks for your time.

[@edrodrigues5623]

Good job fixing and one question. Is that adapter all one piece for blade/pully or are they separate?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

on this model it's one piece.

[@clivecarrington8814]

When checking oil levels, do you need to place the dip stick just on top or do you screw it in place. I love your approach to your videos. Thank you very much

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I appreciate it. No, on this Briggs you need to screw the dipstick back in, and then remove it to read the oil level. All the Honda's only have you press the stick in without screwing them in.

[@jeffbit8620]

Do all carburetors have an adjustment screw? My Blackmax weed eater has a barrel carburetor and for the life of me I can’t seem to find the adjustment screws on it.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

most of the older ones have 2 screws, some only the one. The ones that have the "barrel" types of carbs, like on echos, have 2 but they're hidden. And a few of them, have none what so ever. On the barrel types, the only screw is the L screw And it's in the middle of the barrel on top, where the brass part is. use a flash light to help see it. You'll need a tiny flathead to turn it.

[@Dopest_diecast2003]

I figured out what was wrong with the husqvarna 128LD It had Piston scoring that's why it would Not idle And I was only able to get it Running full throttle Like twice But At least i learned something new.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

glad you figured out the problem

[@MikeCooper0829]

what were you using to clean the mower before straying it off? those tires sure cleaned up well after that.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Super Heavy Duty Degreaser from Harbor Freight

[@gpecci2253]

Question: I bought a compression tester from Temu but the readings for two good two stroke blowers was way too low. I think the tester is faulty. I noticed the one you listed on this page was only $13 on Amazon. Do you trust the readings? It doesn't seem to have a Shrader valve attachment. Is one needed for two and four stroke engines?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

The piece that sticks out of the metal part is the relief for the Schrader valve. Sometimes you get a bad one. If so, send it back.

[@user-pg5uq6pn6g]

Hi. thanks for yuor videos. I have one mower just like your.. But my start and stay like that for 5-6 mnts and than shut off byit self.. what do you think can be the problem???.. I am in Ca.thanks

[@HomeGaragechannel]

sure, It's either the fuel cap is bad and not venting like it should, Or the fuel line is collapsed on the inside and slowing the flow of fuel to the carb. Or the carb is the problem

[@stanpeterson8273]

I worked on a mower for a person that had so much oil in it, that the engine was hydro locked. I pulled about a quart and a half of oil out to get to the proper level.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

WOW...that was a lot of oil

[@0852657luis]

The problems started with the sparkplug and thus they tried everything else. I have never seen autolite plugs being used where they didn't cause more problems than the old one.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I see what you're getting at.

[@rockfordlandwehr2999]

Recently I was working on a mower and I had trouble getting it to start on the first pull when cold. It was a Briggs engine like this mower has. I cleaned the carburetor, adjusted the valves to 5 thousandths and changed the oil but it still takes about 5 pulls to start cold. What do you think could be the issue?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

sure, did you confirm that the choke was working like it supposed to? Also, did you make sure the O-ring was on the back of the carb when it was installed? The last one, is, did you do a compression test?

[@rockfordlandwehr2999]

@@HomeGaragechannel I did check the choke and it seemed to be working correctly as it was closed when the engine was cool. I also made sure the o ring was on the carb. I didn't do a compression test though, the engine runs normal after it starts and when hot it re-starts on the first pull

[@HomeGaragechannel]

well 2 out of 3 isn't bad. If the compression is fine, then the carb is the issue.

[@aaax9410]

you do you 👍

[@HomeGaragechannel]

same

[@lewiemcneely9143]

If it's OLD I just run the diesel formula 15/40 and let 'er smoke. Just keep a check on the level and keep it full between changes and YES, I change the oil in smoking stuff too. It didn't ask to not be kept up and I'm sure not holding it against it. Mowed again and 74% left. Still going strong and Happy Mom's Day Yall!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you , I totally agree and the same as well!

[@bubbie3533]

What app are you using to find lawn mowers?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I'm using Craigslist and FB marketplace

[@Delerium22]

Hey HG, what should I do about my TB110 that starts up just fine, but with starting some black smoke comes out for a few seconds and overheats within about 2 hours of using ? Also great video as always !

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thanks. The black smoke is the result of the choke doing its thing. How do you know that it's overheating? Have you checked the oil level?

[@Delerium22]

@@HomeGaragechannel so it will start to overheat after about an hour or two of mowing where it will start to stall and then eventually shut itself down, it will also start to belch out more black smoke during this. Going in front of the exhaust port, you can really feel this when the exhaust is way hotter than it usually is, idk how exactly to describe it tbh. This has also been happening even after the oil was changed

[@jct300m]

With the original "High" oil level the owner had, it may have been hydro locking, causing pull cord to be hard to pull...& got better when it leaked out...Just a thought..Nice Find!!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you might be on to something and thank you!

[@ramadinsookhoo6141]

Hey bro what's up? My guess is that this mower needed a smoke before it worked hard bro😅😅

[@HomeGaragechannel]

LOL!!!

[@Evanx373]

Ill have to try this on my toro. Its getting hard to start and its letting out puffs of smoke when it first starts

[@HomeGaragechannel]

good luck with it

[@Evanx373]

@@HomeGaragechannel turned out fine. Lash tested at 0.15mm which is roughly 5 thou and oddly enough even though I didn't adjust anything it fired right up normally this time so who knows. I just cleaned the carb so that shouldn't be it. Oh well I mowed 3 yards today where it got some use and it fired up perfect every time

[@HomeGaragechannel]

glad to see it working again

[@99camry81]

hay what do you think about running mower with propane

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it's "Iffy". When you try the conversion yourself, you'll understand why I say that. As for using propane vs. gasoline, I don't know if it's any better, cleaner, or if it's any cheaper. This might be a good video idea, Propane vs gasoline.

[@RussellBooth1977]

Check the oil level & probably change it if it's dirty, drain the oil to the correct level meaning that I may as well change the oil. Run the engine to burn off the excess amount of oil & see that it doesn't keep burning oil once it has warmed up, rebuild the engine if it does !

[@HomeGaragechannel]

agreed

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

I'm working on a toro recycler with a crappy Kohler engine (I hate those 😂) and the tall mounted screws along with the bolts holding the engine shroud are all bent and stripped and no matter what I try, i cannot get the cover off. Any advice?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you mean the 3 nuts and studs that holds the recoil and the cover on? Not sure what I would do since I've never had to deal with that situation before. I guess, I'd drill out the stud with a drill bit a hair bigger than the stud. unfortunately this will mean you'll have to replace all the damaged studs and nuts.

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

@HomeGaragechannel yes, thank you! This is my first time having this issue also. I did try that and had no luck. It's driving me crazy because I have no way of getting to the engine until I can get this dang cover off.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

sorry to hear that. There's not much else left to try

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

@@HomeGaragechannel it's ok. That's what I was afraid of

[@mrstanskaggs1]

My mower starts cold and smokes really bad. After it runs I see oil on the deck out of the exhaust. It has little power and will die soon. Is this possibly a broken ring or possible valve gap? It seems valve gap smoke goes away when the engine warms up if I understnad correctly.. I am curious to your thoughts??

[@HomeGaragechannel]

when does the smoking start, immediately at start up or is there some and gets worse before going away? Knowing how quickly the smoke appears after start up would help to figure out where the smoke is coming from.

[@mrstanskaggs1]

@@HomeGaragechannel it is smoking when it starts up but a little. it begins to grow in intensity to the point where it stalls. When this happened. it was running ok, and started to loose power over a 5 minute time while mowing. I removed and cleaned the carb thinking it might have water in the gas. I took the head off and replaced the head gasket in case oil was leaking into the gas pulling into the cylinder. If the valves are too loose (too much clearance), would that starve the gas since the valves would not be opening enough? my thnking was that if the valves were opening too much would make it run richer. I got another head with valves to see if it would help and did not. There is no knocking or bad sounds... how about lapping the valves? critical or not really? I am suspecting leaking around the rings??? Thisis the only part that I cannot see very well. When it stalls out, there seems to be oil on the deck under the outlet from the muffler.

[@mrstanskaggs1]

I just saw another video where there is a reed valve under the flywheel that recirculates crankcase gas back into the carb.. could that case it is the reed valve opens up possibly?

[@ChinookBear]

As good of shape as that mower is, it doesn't look like it has a pile of hours. At least, not enough for those valves to be that far out. I wonder if they were messed with already or not set correctly from the factory.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I know right! it was kind of a mystery

[@pl-hu6gz]

I just rebuilt the carburetor on a troybilt push mower model # 12av566nq211 the videos I watched wasn't clear on the white bracket that goes from top of the carburetor over to the muffler side. It meet another piece that's white plastic. It goes down between exhaust and the motor. It seems to be spring loaded. The part from the carburetor side is supposed to connect with it. I tried to catch how those two pieces connect but it was blocked. I just have what he was saying. That when the long piece is hooked to the other side it does something e With the heat from. Exhaust. I think this is where smoke is coming from. Because I don't know hoe to attach the 2

[@HomeGaragechannel]

the model shown in the video will not help with your project

[@namcao8350]

Hi ,my lawn mover when stop the blade saking please show me how to fix Thanks

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I'm guessing that you're saying that when stop your mower.. the blade is "shaking"? If so have you checked to see if the bolt for the blade is loose? Also have you checked to see if the blade is the correct one for the adaptor?

[@Patrick4959]

I.d check the oil level first and start it up and drain it warm and then re-fill to the correct level and besides that she's apples plus any smoke will clear up after a while including a hot too.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

you are so right

[@Patrick4959]

@@HomeGaragechannel for sure.

[@Justingagne2]

What kind of product to clean were you using i would like to purchase one ?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I use a degreaser from Harbor Freight, and a paint sprayer using water.

[@Justingagne2]

@@HomeGaragechannel is there a specific brand to the spray or is it made and only sold at harbor freight. Because i dont have a harbor freight!

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no, almost any "degreaser" will work fine.

[@paulburns3788]

I will try to fix it

[@HomeGaragechannel]

good choice

[@reyesjose214]

My lawnmower has a exhaust leak coming from muffle after i removed it to remove stuck oil inside it i used brake cleaner to clean inside it I bolted it back like it was n now i have a exhaust leak i dont see no gaskets

[@HomeGaragechannel]

yes it depends on what type of engine you have. Some have gaskets while others have a special mating surface they use to seal. It saves money and time not having a gasket.

[@MazichMusic]

If I was flipping mowers, I'd definitely replace the air filter and spark plug with new parts. At least the next owner will get good use out of the mower

[@HomeGaragechannel]

Good call!

[@Idkx2ummm]

10:38 Question could you also use motor oil to lubricate them?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it's your choice, and yes it'll work, but I would not personally use engine OIL

[@Idkx2ummm]

@@HomeGaragechannel What do you use to lubricate them

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I use, lithium grease right now. It's not as thick as oil.

[@Idkx2ummm]

@@HomeGaragechannel Where can I get lithium grease

[@HomeGaragechannel]

from any autocrats store.

[@80SWoods]

It looks like they installed a spark plug for the old flathead Briggs and Stratton engine.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

yes they did

[@etronix4922]

My new Honda mower smokes black smoke when I restart it after emptying the catcher. Why does it do that?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it's the choke. It's still working even when your engine is hot.

[@etronix4922]

@@HomeGaragechannel is that good or bad?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

it depends, how long is it blowing black smoke out? 2 seconds or 2 minutes?

[@etronix4922]

@@HomeGaragechannel 2 seconds

[@HomeGaragechannel]

then it's fine.

[@noman-hs8ic]

i have a question how do you get rid of water in your gas?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I pour the gasoline into a glass jar and siphon out only the gasoline leaving the water behind. You can also do it the other way. Siphon out the water at the bottom leaving the fuel behind

[@noman-hs8ic]

@@HomeGaragechannel thank you i have a 12 year old murry lawn mower and it has water in the gas i will try it

[@noman-hs8ic]

i still find it funny that my neighbor gave me a free mower

[@noman-hs8ic]

also do you have discord?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

some people have no issue with giving stuff away.

[@ChasityMoore2]

dang you reply to pretty much every comment

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I try if I can. It might take day or 2.

[@A1Hammertime]

From spark plug, too much oil plus filthy oil, & adjust valve clearance. One more they put detergent oil in non-detergent engine .

[@HomeGaragechannel]

thank you!

[@jameskrivitsky9715]

The worst thing for most machinery is...... an uneducated user. If the owner watched a few of your videos, this mower would be in proper use for years. Thanks, and smoking is bad for your health . The mosquitoes can smoke all they want.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

very true

[@TheDronzDr]

Not having the right spark plug, and the vows not being adjusted was the reason I think it was smoking.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

I think you're right

[@diyongregory4691]

Have you ever experienced a 2 stroke runaway?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

no, how does that happen? The extra Air would have to make it thru the carb, to be able to get fuel.

[@noman-hs8ic]

what is the app!!!!!!!! i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it

[@HomeGaragechannel]

sure I use Craigslist and FB marketplace

[@noman-hs8ic]

@@HomeGaragechannel thx (: i do lawn mower and weed eater repairs to it's just I don't do a KZbin channel type thing thank you

[@noman-hs8ic]

i'm 12 btw lol

[@noman-hs8ic]

i have been watching your vids for 6 years now

[@HomeGaragechannel]

that's cool

[@RoldanRR00]

I have seen more mowers overfilled with oil than low. Not everyone has your mechanical ability, but literally anyone can add oil to a mower.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

well said

[@titayudanti8306]

Hi, any business email ?

[@HomeGaragechannel]

[e-mail]

[@christophermarshall5765]

I would check the oil level first. I have seen what happens to a mower engine when a short reach plug is used for a long time. Makes it harder to install the right plug.

[@HomeGaragechannel]

great choice