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@chain_wear_chase ·

Is it normal for a mower to smoke blue for a minute after tipping it Maintenance

I tipped the mower onto its side to scrape the deck and clear a blockage. When I restarted it there was a lot of blue smoke for about a minute, then it cleared and it has run normally since. I did not pay attention to which way up I tipped it. Have I done damage, or is this a known thing?

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  • @probe_to_ground · last wk. · 3 replies
    @probe_to_ground ·

    Known thing, no damage, and you have already identified the cause. Tipping a four stroke on the wrong side lets oil run into the cylinder or the air filter, and the engine burns it off on restart. A minute of blue smoke is exactly the expected amount.

    Next time, tip it with the air filter and carburettor side upwards. If you cannot remember which side that is, tip it backwards with the handle down, which is safe on almost every walk behind mower.

    Two things to check now:

    • Look at the air filter. If it is oil soaked it needs replacing, or washing and lightly re-oiling if it is foam. A soaked filter chokes the engine and makes it run rich for the rest of the season.
    • Check the oil level. Some of it went somewhere.
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    • @chain_wear_chase · last wk.
      @chain_wear_chase OP ·

      The filter is definitely damp. That explains why it felt slightly gutless afterwards.

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    • @probe_to_ground · 7d ago
      @probe_to_ground ·

      Replace it and it will feel like a different machine again.

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  • @cast_iron_carl · 7d ago
    @cast_iron_carl ·

    If it had smoked blue for ten minutes and kept going, that would be a different conversation. One minute after a tip is housekeeping.

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  • @weekend_margin · 6d ago · 2 replies
    @weekend_margin ·

    Also pull the plug lead before you put your hands anywhere near the blade, regardless of the smoke question.

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    • @knobandtube_nan · last wk.
      @knobandtube_nan ·

      Every single time. It takes two seconds and the alternative is a hospital.

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  • @rust_bloom_bo · last wk.
    @rust_bloom_bo ·

    Deck scraping is far easier while the clippings are still damp rather than after they set like concrete.

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