How to Drain the Lawnmower Engine Oil

1. Preparation and setup
2. Tools and materials
3. Removing old oil
4. Tank filling

Lawn maintenance starts with a well-maintained lawn mower, which means that there are certain tasks that must be constantly performed to keep the machine in perfect working condition. One of the most important aspects of owning a lawn mower is knowing how to change the oil.

Preparation and setup

The location of the mower is important when preparing this machine for an oil change. Because of the likelihood of leakage, it is better not to do such work on the grass or next to flower beds, as oil droplets can adversely affect plant life. Choose a hard, flat surface, such as a roadway or sidewalk, and be sure to use plastic wrap so that oil droplets and stains remain on this protective film.

A good rule of thumb before changing grease is to start the mower for one or two minutes to warm up the engine a bit. Then you will have much less trouble removing the old grease. It is also useful to take precautions when working with the mower after turning it on, as the likelihood of burns to the engine will increase, for example. Work gloves are recommended to reduce the risk of personal injury.

And finally, you can disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug itself and take it away to avoid accidentally starting the engine. And also make sure that the pump (pump) is turned off. The final step in your preparation should also include cleaning the area around the oil filler hole., to prevent foreign particles or dirt from entering the oil tank.

Tools and materials

You may need tool kit:

• oil container;
• clean, dry rags, napkins or towels;
• socket wrench with corresponding socket;
• empty plastic containers (household with lids);
• machine oil;
• set of wrenches;
• trumpet;
• syringe for pumping;
• siphon.

Removing old oil

Removing old grease is one of the most important steps in the process. You can use three methods to make sure that you remove a large amount of old oil.

• Use a siphon. Insert one end of the tube into the dipstick hole to measure the oil level until it reaches the bottom of the oil reservoir. Place the other end of the siphon in a structurally sturdy container that you will specifically use for this and future grease changes. Finally, place wooden blocks or other durable material under the wheels of the mower on the opposite side of the fill hole. It is easier to remove almost all of the oil in a tilted mower.

• Remove the oil plug. Depending on the type of gas mower, you can remove the oil plug to drain the old grease. Refer to the user manual to locate your drain plug and make sure you have the right size socket wrench to operate. After installing the wrench on the plug, remove it. When the oil drains completely, you can replace the plug.

• Use a special tool such as a syringe to pump out and fill the oil tank. This is very convenient when the tank opening is too narrow, and it is inconvenient or impossible to fill new oil from the bottle. The syringe can easily pass through the hole to pump out old used oil.

• Tilt method. If you don’t have access to the oil tank, you can drain it by tilting the mower to the side. When tilting the mower, install the filler cap on the container that you use to collect the used oil. After proper positioning, remove the filler cap and let the oil drain completely. Using this method, you must know exactly what fuel level the mower is. It is also important to note where the air filter is located so as not to contaminate it with drain oil.

Video: How to Drain the Lawnmower Engine Oil

Tank filling

Now that the old oil has been removed, it’s time to fill the tank with fresh grease. Refer to the lawnmower manual again to find out what type of oil is suitable for your machine and how much oil to fill.

Fill the oil tank. Allow the oil to stand for at least two minutes, and then check the level with a dipstick to ensure that it is filled correctly.

After the oil tank is filled to the proper level, you will need to re-secure the spark plug wire. Do not turn on the mower immediately; let the machine stand for several minutes before starting work.

Next, watch a video on how to change oil in a 4-stroke engine mower.

Greetings, dear readers of my car blog! I hope you do not forget to change the oil in a timely manner, thereby demonstrating the proper level of care for the engine of your car. over, it does not matter if it is an expensive SUV or a representative of the domestic automobile industry. Oil acts not only as a lubricating layer for rubbing parts, but also as a cleaning agent, as well as the working part of a number of engine components and mechanisms. Thanks to it, the motor is cleaned from dust particles of unburned fuel. Therefore, in today’s material we will analyze how oil is drained from the engine, and what we need for this.

What is needed to drain and replace

The best place for this procedure is a garage equipped with a viewing hole or, at worst, an overpass. If there are no such opportunities, you can do without a hole, the main thing is to choose a clean and dry place with a curb or elevation that will allow you to slightly raise the car. In the worst case, you can jack the car, but do not forget to put it on the handbrake.

Now I will show you what happens if this is not done

Before installing the jack, it will be useful to look under the car to determine where the drain plug is, and which of the front wheels must be raised to drain or pump out the used engine lubricant. Now you need to worry about finding the right packaging for removing used grease. To drain the excess, any old basin, enameled or plastic, is suitable. It is also necessary to prepare a 5-6 liter container from under mineral water, into which you can pour oil for its subsequent disposal.

How to drain the oil

What is the best way to replace oil that has become dirty and has lost most of its characteristics? To do this, start the engine and let it warm up for a while. At high temperatures, the lubricant liquefies, and therefore it will be easier to remove it from the engine. As soon as the engine runs, it is stopped, and the hot oil can only be drained or pumped out in any suitable way. But most often, motorists unscrew the drain tap or neck and let it drain into a vessel prepared in advance for these purposes.

However, completely removing the old grease will not work. Experts say that even after draining, up to 20% of deposits can be stored in the system, which are concentrated in the cavities and channels, as well as on the walls of the power unit. When combined with a new lubricant, these residues immediately impair its performance. To drain excess old oil, the engine is allowed to work in a “dry” mode, as a result of which it can independently knock out some more accumulated deposits. However, this procedure should not last longer than 1 minute so as not to damage the rings and the piston group.

Why flushing when replacing

It is best to use flushing oil specially designed for cleaning the motor. It looks like this: as soon as you have removed, as far as possible, the old grease, fill in the flushing oil and let the engine run for about 20 minutes with it. Having determined how much oil remains in the system, remove it and only then fill up with a completely new one. In this way, the presence of deposits and metal particles inside the engine can be minimized.

However, the use of so-called “long washes” is considered more effective. These are special means on which a car must travel up to 200 kilometers. According to the results of the research, such products qualitatively remove old deposits without destroying, at the same time, the useful characteristics of fresh oil. It is especially recommended to use this procedure in cases where you had to drive a long time with old grease, that is, there was actually a mileage run. The same applies to the situation if earlier mineral oil was poured into the car, and then the owner decided to transfer it to synthetic.

No other oil change tool is required. However, you need to know the exact volume of the lubrication system. Since most modern engines of passenger cars are capable of accommodating from 3.5 to 5 liters, it is better to clarify these data in the operating instructions prepared by the manufacturer. Therefore, observe the pressure indicator, and also make a few control measurements with a dipstick after replacement.

Friends, I hope that after reading this material, you will have enough theoretical skills on how to drain used oil from an engine. It remains only to consolidate this with practical experience. Meet me on the pages of new materials and review articles. Read my blog and see you soon!