As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
So for the past few years I have been stuck mowing the relatives lawn with their Troy Bilt Bronco.
I can assure you that the wicked uncle never changed oil in this thing from the purchase date and I have not either. I have tried to be good to this mower, bu the fact is that the son in law went Montana College Boy nuts in trying to mow his way through a forest. Then there was the kid, Big Hoss, who wanted to plant some corn, so he used the mower blades to dig in the dirt to till the soil.
Somewhere in this the mower deck got sprung.
I was pissed about this, as I had just sharpened the blades and got this thing running, to have it literally beat to hell, but I changed the blades as they were done and did my best to straighten it out again.
These Troy Bilts have a Kohler 17 horsepower engine and I could not figure out how to change oil in the damn thing as there is not a drain plug. So I just added oil and figured it was good enough.
This year though I went through videos on gaytube and finally found where the oil plug was and how to change oil.
It is on the left side of the engine, is yello with a black cap and it is all plastic. More good news in it is not long enough so oil drains onto the engine deck. More good news in you pull the cap off, then uncrew the yellow plug so many turns, but too many turns and it comes out, but just enough, like three turns, you pull on it, and out comes the oil.
I put an old plastic jug over the hole and that would ok as it was a gallon jug.
Uncle did not have an oil filter wrench, and the guy on gaytube said to use and adjustable pliers...........Uncle had not that either, so in frustration I got a 2 foot long pipe wrench on it and off it came. It was the original filter, so I know that mower has not had any oil except the topping off the oil I put in it.
So I started rummaging around as I did not want to buy a filter.........oh Troy says you can pump the oil out of the engine which is stupid asa it would leave the dirt in the engine, or you can pull the plug, and put on a plastic hose. There was no hose, as why would you keep that anymore than the manual, so it was the gallon plastic jug.
So I found in the garage 3 filters, all different, all Quaker State which looked like they would work. The first was too small, the second was a perfect size match but would not turn on, and the third turned on and lined up with the oil seal, so on it went. I have no idea if this was the right fulter, but it went on and in my world that is as good as it gets.
Kohler says to fill the oil filter up, so I did, then juggled that thing onto the mount, and Kohler said only turn the filter 2/3rds after engaging the rubber seat..........yeah they should tell their technicians that, as I had that big pipe wrench on it, as that mother was on more than 2/3rds.
So I dumped in I really do not know how much oil........it was the rest of the quart that went into the filter and then about a half quart, and it maybe too full, maybe not when I check it again, but I started it up and there was not any oil flying around.
I'm going to look if I can wash these filters out and reuse them as what the hell do I care about a mower that everyone has tried to destroy.
It was like when Uncle was saying that it mowed better when it was dry. Yeah and I was not waiting around all day until 4 pm to mow his lawn for 3 hours, and not get paid. That old bastard was tight as a drum in not coming up with the money for work done.
Anyway that is the revelation for these mowers in how to change oil. It is stupid and I doubt I will be changing oil again unless it is given to me, as the thing runs ok, but it always sounds like it wants to fall apart when I turn it off. I already put a battery into it, and was not refunded, so I do have part ownership in this thing.
Oh and the oil was black as coal and stunk of gas, so it was past time for an oil change. I think I ran it 3 years ago, and he had it before that and he mowed everything to the bone, so I figure that oil had 500 hours on it as he mowed like an old woman and mowed half the county. Kohlers says 50 hours to oil change and I will bet you that he never changed oil in the break in cycle as Troy says you should.
So mowers mow ok and do better when you have people not trying to destroy the damn things.
I have to go shower now as my hands stink of oil used gassy oil and I want that shit gone from my skin.
Nuff Said
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