Maintenance

Installing an Exhaust Fan in Your Workspace

January 11, 2017 by Ash 24 Comments

I’ve had garage ventilation on my mind for some time now. Between Eileen and I always doing projects in the garage, we produce a lot of fumes from painting and staining.

Cutting wood in there also throws a lot of sawdust into the air. Even when I work on the mower and other small engines in there, the smell of gasoline lingers.

On nice days when it’s not raining, we leave the garage door open and sometimes even put a fan to help exhaust the air.

However, this was not the ideal solution.

Many painting and staining projects would sit in the garage overnight filling the air with fumes, just to be aired out when the sun came up and we could open the garage doors.

Aside from the noxious odors sitting in the garage the next morning, it would also delay the completion of these projects.

A better solution had to be devised.

To add to the pressure, I recently acquired a snow blower for the upcoming winter snow storms, and that was bound to leave the garage filled with gasoline odors after usage.

So I put my thinking cap on and wandered around the garage looking for ideas.

I knew I wanted to set up some type of fan that would exhaust the air, so I was looking for areas in the garage that would be an ideal location.

In my previous home, I used to run a lot of computer equipment in the garage that would produce a lot of heat. I had researched garage venting options back then and settled on a small fan and vent that could be installed directly in the garage door (via a small hole that you cut).

This solved my problem of exhausting the heat, but had an unfortunate side effect. During the winter, the vent would let all the cold air in and drop the garage temperature below the freezing point, wreaking havoc on my paints and other liquids that were not meant to be frozen.

The garage door exhaust option left a bad taste in my mouth ever since, and I was determined not to pursue that direction again. Also, to properly exhaust the size of my current garage, I would need a much larger fan and hole to make the job worthwhile.

Making a Plan for Garage Exhaust

I finally settled on a plan. I would find an ideal venting location in the garage, and cut a large square hole in the wall (roughly 14”x14” in between the wall studs).

Then I would install self-closing shutter vents on both the interior and exterior of the wall. Finally, on the inside, I would install a powerful exhaust fan to ventilate the garage. The double shutter vents were going to be key in helping to keep the cold air outside during the winter.

I did a lot of research on exhaust fans and decided on one with built-in shutters. I purchased a 14” diameter fan capable of 800 CFM.

No wiring was needed with this particular model because it just plugs into an outlet. I already had a wireless switch ready for it too, so I could activate it from the other side of the garage. For the exterior wall, I went a 14” aluminum shutter vent.

With the hardware identified, I looked for an ideal location for the vent. The best location would have been above one of the garage doors, but for aesthetics, I didn’t want the vent to be visible from the street.

So I went with a wall that faced the rear of the house. It would be practically invisible but still serve its purpose.

Here’s the location I chose inside:

Here’s where the vent would exhaust outside:

Cutting & Sealing the Hole

Above, you’ll the first layer I went through was the drywall. Then I had 2 layers of insulating foam.

Next was the white vinyl siding. I left this intact for now while I awaited shipment of the exterior vent.

The cutout got a little rough at some of the edges, but it was not a big deal. The fan would cover all the edges, and hide any irregularities in my cut.

Next, I had to seal the top and bottom edges of the hole.

This was a necessary step to prevent the fan from venting air into the wall. I simply cut two pieces of 2x4s, inserted them in the top and bottom, and attached to the wall studs using some pocket hole screws (with the help of my Kreg Pocket Hole jig).

I put temporary hooks into the 2x4s to make it easier to maneuver them.

Here’s one of the 2x4s ready to be inserted:

Here’s a picture of the bottom of the hole, sealed in with the 2×4:

Next I inserted the fan to make sure it fit properly:

A few days later, the exterior shutter vent arrived and I resumed work on the project.

Constructing a J Channel Frame

Cutting a hole through the wall meant that I had to be careful to make the exterior side water proof. I couldn’t just cut a hole in the siding, insert the vent, and call it a day.

To keep water from penetrating the siding, I needed to use J channel. This would allow me to create a frame around the vent that would overlap the siding and shield the rough cut edges from water.

Here is a picture showing 4 pieces of J channel cut to make the vent frame:

This was actually my first time working with J channel, so I had to do some research online to see how to make the cuts on the ends (important to prevent water from seeping in).

I followed some great instructions on FamilyHandyMan.com (under the section “Install J-channel around the window”).

Here’s a picture showing the assembled J channel pieces wrapping around the vent:

Preparing the Siding

Now came the fun task of working with the siding.

To properly install the exterior vent, I needed access to the wall underneath the siding, which meant removing several pieces of siding. This was a learning process as I went along (I did all my research, so I was confident in the task at hand).

With the help of a siding removal tool, I was able to easily detach some siding, and pull it away from the wall.

With enough of the siding out of the way, I was able to continue work on the hole.

To help with the waterproofing, I used some flashing tape (left over from my shed project) to seal in the edges of the hole.

Here’s a picture showing the flashing tape in action:

In the event that water did make its way through the siding, the flashing tape would ensure that the water couldn’t seep behind the exposed edges of the foam insulation.

Installing the Vent

Next, I inserted the shutter vent and nailed it in the wall studs. Here’s a picture showing some progress:

With the vent in place, I attached the J channel frame, overlapping the rough cut edges of the vinyl siding.

Here’s a close-up showing the finished outside wall with J channel:

Looks very professional, doesn’t it? It should be very water tight too.

Here’s a picture showing the vent from the inside:

Installing the Exhaust Fan

I was nearing the end of the project. I inserted the fan in the hole and was getting ready to screw it into the studs.

Then, I decided to check the vents on the fan to make sure they opened and closed properly.

They opened fine. Unfortunately, they had trouble closing.

They would stick on the way down and not close all the way. This was bothersome because a partially open vent meant cold drafts coming in.

After some fiddling, I discovered that the hole I cut was too snug of a fit for the fan frame.

It was distorting the frame ever so slightly to cause the shutters to not close properly. If I pulled the fan about 2 inches out from the wall, the shutters worked fine.

So the solution was simple.

Making a Framed Wooden Spacer

I would built a 2×4 wooden frame between the wall and the fan, to give the exhaust fan enough distance from the hole for the shutters to operate properly.

I literally spent only 10 minutes on this task – I chopped some 2x4s to length with the miter saw.

Then I attached them to each other with pocket hole screws to form a frame.

Finally, I used some lag bolts (countersunk with a forstner bit) to attach the frame to the wall studs.

Here’s a picture of the frame (the pocket holes are hidden on the other side):

At last, the exhaust fan could be bolted to the wall.

I pressed the fan against the 2×4 frame and made sure the shutters opened and closed freely. Then I attached the fan to the 2x4s with some heavy duty screws.

My garage vent was now completed. I stood back, admired my handiwork and then fired up the exhaust fan with my wireless switch.

As the fan speed increased to full, both the inside and outside shutters opened to exhaust the garage. The fan was not that loud either (it was barely audible outside the garage).

Here’s a picture of the mounted exhaust fan (powered on) from the inside:

Here’s a picture of the outside showing the vents open with the fan on:

I’m very excited about our new garage exhaust fan. I already used it this past weekend with great success.

We had a mild snow shower (about 4 inches), and so I broke out the snowblower to try it out.

As predicted, when I finished clearing out the snow from the driveway, and put away the snowblower in the garage, the still warm engine started to stink up the garage.

I engaged the new exhaust fan for a few hours, and the garage was back to normal.

I can’t wait to see what the fan does when the garage is full of sawdust in the air.

Total cost of this project was around $150 and was collectively about a day’s worth of work.

How to Fix Up Your Old Snowblower

December 17, 2016 by Ash 2 Comments

Having spent most of my life in warmer climates, I was 15 years old when I first saw snow.

I was captivated by it. I loved being out in the snow, playing snow sports, and even shoveling. To this day, I still love snow.

I’ve always wanted a snowblower, but we’ve never had a strong need.

After moving into our new house with a massive driveway, the snow last winter was too much. After a major storm, my neighbor lent me his snowblower, and I was enthralled.

It was so much fun to use, and even though I enjoy a good shoveling workout, it freed up a lot of time to play with my son in the snow.

So I was determined to get my own snowblower for next winter.

Purchasing an Old Snowblower

I started my snowblower search early fall. My goal was to find a good machine without spending a lot – even if it meant fixing an old snowblower.

I already had a lot of experience maintaining my mower – a 20-year old Craftsman riding lawn mower.

From simple engine oil changes to fuel pump replacements to carburetor rebuilds, I have the old riding lawn mower running like new.

So, I decided to look for a used snowblower.

Due to my experience with the Craftsman brand, I know that their replacement parts are plentiful and cheap online.

They also provide manuals and parts diagrams for almost every model equipment they make (just enter the model number on SearsPartsDirect.com).

I found an amazing deal – $125 for a Craftsman 5HP two stage snowblower with an electric start. Comparable ones were selling used for around $275.

For such a low price, I knew the old craftsman snowblower wasn’t going to be in perfect condition, so I kept my expectations low.

Inspecting the Used Snowblower

Upon my inspection, the snowblower was missing the pull cord for manual startup, and the carburetor would leak fuel every now and then.

It was also missing the control knob for the choke.

The guy selling it said the old craftsman snowblower would start making surging sounds after some time, until you fiddled with the carburetor fuel release screws.

He started it up though and it ran great.

I checked out all the forward/reverse gears. I inspected the impeller to make sure it was in good shape. The auger had no structural damage.

I was excited. For around $40 more in parts, I could get this old snowblower in top shape.

I happily accepted the offer of $125 and loaded the used craftsman into my SUV, with plans on fixing up the old snowblower.

I had brought along a pair of ramps I made a few weeks ago with two 2×8 wood planks and ramp supports.

This helped me load the used snowblower in the back of the car.

I did have to take out a few screws to fold the push handle in half to fit properly though.

I also wrapped the carburetor in a plastic bag to catch any fuel that was leaking (didn’t need the car smelling like gas for days).

Here’s a picture of my used snowblower before fixing it up:

Ordering Snowblower Replacement Parts

When I got home, I grabbed the snowblower model number off the back and went online to order some parts:

Based on my assessment of the machine, I put through an order for the following parts:

Carburetor
Pull starter rope and handle
Knob for choke
Spark plug

The price for the snowblower parts came up around $40 as I predicted. I considered rebuilding the carburetor (the leaking was probably from a deteriorated rubber seal), but new carburetors for this model were so cheap (around $15).

I actually just replaced my neighbor’s snowblower carburetor with the exact same one a few weeks ago too.

Fixing an Old Snow Blower

All my parts for the craftsman snowblower came about a week later and I went to work restoring the machine to tip-top shape. Below is a walk-through of what I did. Hopefully these craftsman snowblower maintenance tips can help you too.

Disconnecting the Craftsman Carburetor

I located the craftsman snowblower carburetor housing:

Then, I removed the housing to expose the snowblower carburetor:

I disconnected the yellow priming hose seen above (used to pump air from the priming bulb into the carburetor to force fuel out for a cold start), followed by the main fuel hose below:

It was important to clamp off the main fuel hose or fuel would immediately pour out once disconnected.

I used a vice grip, taking care not to squeeze so tightly that the hose would get damaged.

Fuel hoses are sometimes tough to disconnect, so I used special curved nose pliers to grip the hose and twist:

I had a plastic cup underneath the hose while disconnecting it, in case my vice grip clamp didn’t do a good job.

A word to the wise however – don’t use cheap plastic cups to hold gasoline. I didn’t think it was a big deal because I used a plastic cup the other day to catch some excess gas from my neighbor’s snowblower carburetor.

However, this time, a few minutes after collecting some gas, I noticed a small puddle on the garage floor.

Apparently the gasoline had eaten through my plastic cup!

I looked it up online, and discovered that some plastic cups are not friendly to gasoline. Most likely my plastic cup this time was made from a corn based product, which would be dissolved by the gasoline.

Next, I unhooked a metal link wire connecting the throttle control lever to the carburetor, and attempted to remove two bolts holding the carburetor to the engine block.

Removing the Snowblower Carburetor

The bolts were on extremely tight and I could not remove with a screw driver. The screw heads actually started stripping.

So, I brought out my impact drill and it did the job with ease:

Here’s a picture of the removed craftsman carburetor:

The removed piece actually consisted of more than just the core carburetor, so I had to strip it down to extract the carburetor (seen in the center of the picture below):

The piece on the right is called the intake pipe and connects the carburetor to the engine block.

Unfortunately, when I pulled it off the snowblower engine, a gasket in between the two ripped from old age.

My new carburetor didn’t come with this gasket (since it’s not technically part of the carburetor), so I had to order a replacement.

This meant I had to wait a few days to actually fire up the machine with the new carburetor. I could still proceed with the installation though, and just insert the gasket when it arrived.

Here’s a picture showing where the gasket would go on the snowblower:

To install the new carburetor, I just reversed the steps above with the new piece. I loosely connected it back to the engine block, awaiting the gasket for completion.

Spark Plug and Starter Cord

Next I replaced the snowblower spark plug:

After, I proceeded to fix the snowblower pull cord for starting it up. The original rope most likely broke from old age.

Here’s where the fix was to be done:

Here’s a picture showing the new pull starter rope and handle to be installed:

And, here’s the snowblower pull cord housing removed showing the old frayed rope:

I simply removed old pull cord and threaded in the new pull started cord, coiling it around the starter. Here’s a picture showing the repaired starter rope:

The snowblower pull cord remained secured to the starter and handle with knots on both ends.

To keep the knots from undoing, I used a lighter to melt the end of the polyester rope slightly (also a necessary step when cutting polyester rope to keep the ends from fraying):

When the intake pipe gasket arrived in the mail a few days later, I resumed work on the snow blower. I installed the gasket and secured the carburetor tightly to the engine block.

The craftsman snowblower was ready to be fired up. I rolled it outside and hooked up an extension cord for the electric start.The engine started up right away with the new carburetor and there were no more leaks. I also tested the snowblower’s pull starter with the new rope. The engine started up just as easily as the electric start.

Snowblower Engine Oil

Next I was going to change the snowblower engine oil. I let the engine run for a few minutes to warm up the engine oil (warm oil flows more freely when draining it).

Then I shut it off and proceeded with the oil change.

After remove the oil dip stick, I used a small funnel with a hose and an oil storage reservoir and drained the warm oil:

After all the snowblower’s engine oil was drained, I closed back the drain port and began filling 5W-30 motor oil into the dipstick hole:

While filling the engine oil, I took breaks regularly to check the level with the dipstick.

I learned the hard way that when you overfill the snowblower engine with oil that it’s going to come out of the engine one way or another, and not in a nice way.

Final Craftsman Snowblower Maintenance Tips

The craftsman snowblower revamp was nearly done. I replaced the missing choke knob. Also, the carburetor housing was vibrating excessively due so some missing screws, producing a lot of noise with the engine running. I dug through my garage screw collection until I found a fit.

Finally, as my final step in fixing up the old craftsman snow blower, I applied some non-stick ice and snow coating to the auger blades and impeller chute. This prepared the snow blower for the upcoming winter season.

This would greatly help prevent the snowblower chute from clogging up during use, and allow the augers to cut through the snow like butter.

Here’s the snowblower non stick spray:

In total, I spent around $165 on purchasing and fixing an old snow blower ($125 to purchase and $40 in parts) and put in less than 3 hours of work to get it in prime condition.

I’m eagerly looking forward to this upcoming winter and the next major snowstorm so I can use my new but used craftsman snowblower that’s running great.

How to Fix Up an Old Lawn Mower

April 24, 2016 by Ash 12 Comments

As the days warmed up and the grass started growing again, it wasn’t too long afterward when it was time to awaken my riding mower from its slumber. When a nice sunny day came, I went out back to the shed, hopped on the mower and turned the key.

Nothing happened. I turned the key again, and again. It was just making a whirring sound. I couldn’t even try applying the choke because the engine was not even trying to turn over.

After trying a few more times, I was dismayed.

I knew I would have some trouble starting up the mower after the winter break, but not like this. It was clear that today was not the day for mowing. It was time to do some investigation and perform some mower maintenance.

I bought the used riding mower on Craigslist last summer. I got a great deal because it was 20 years old and was showing a lot of cosmetic wear. However, the previous owner kept up with the maintenance, and it ran pretty well for its age.

I was also not too of how to fix a riding lawn mower because I had confidence in my repair skills (having brought some old push mowers back to life at my previous home with some replacement parts).

How to Fix an Old Riding Lawn Mower

To prep for my maintenance project, I tracked down the mower manual online, located the consumer replaceable parts and ordered them online.

Then I put together Ash’s grand maintenance plan for reviving your riding mower, as outlined below.

1. Spark plugs and battery
2. Oil filter and oil change
3. Air filter and precleaner
4. Fuel filter
5. Clean out mower deck
6. Replace mower drive belt
7. Lubricate
8. Check tire pressure

Here’s a picture of the left and right side of my mower engine, with some of the areas above outlined:

1. Spark Plugs and Battery

The first thing I did was check for activity in the spark plugs.

Using a special spark plug socket, I pulled one of them out, still connected to the battery, and turned the key. There was no spark. I tried another spark plug that I knew was working (from my push mower), and still no spark.

This led me to believe the battery was low on juice. I had a 12 volt car battery charger, so I was going to try recharging it. It made sense that the battery would be low as the mower had not been run for a few months.

Before I recharged, I wanted to rule out a bad battery (incapable of being recharged). I tested the battery with a volt meter and got 12.4 volts which was actually normal. Any lower readings (especially in the 11 volt range) would have suggested a bad battery.

So I hooked up the battery to the recharger, setting it to 10 amps with an automatic shutdown on full charge. An hour later, the recharger said the battery was ready. I hooked it back up to the mower and tried starting the engine. Still no luck.

So Eileen picked up a new mower battery for me at Lowes (they seemed to have a better selection than Home Depot). I got a 275amp battery (suggested for mowers up to 21hp) making sure that the positive terminal was on the same side as the old battery (or else the wire hook ups would not reach). Here’s a picture of the new battery installed:

Here’s a picture of the exposed spark plug (which I was able to remove using a special socket):

We did bring in my old battery to Lowes for recycling. They give you a small discount (which covered a core charge fee for a new battery purchase).

We also picked up two new spark plugs. I installed the new battery and spark plugs and tried starting the engine…

Success!

The starter motor did not hesitate at all. The flywheel immediately began spinning, trying to start the engine. It did take a few tries to get the engine running, but eventually got it going. That leads me to the next maintenance steps.

2. Oil Filter & Oil Change

Now it was time to change the oil and oil filter.

I located the oil drain plug and setup a funnel and plastic container to collect the old oil. I then removed the oil dipstick from above, loosened the drain plug and out came the oil – pouring out slowly.

When the oil stopped coming, I screwed back in the plug and went to work on the filter. I put a rag under the existing filter to catch any oil that would spill. I twisted the filter and pulled it out of the mower.

Good thing I had the rag in place because a lot of oil came out of the filter. I grabbed the new oil filter, put a little oil on the gasket and screwed it into the mower.

Now it was time to pour in new oil. I poured nearly two quarts of 5W30 oil (picked up at the nearby gas station) down the oil dipstick hole, pausing every now and then to take a measurement with the dipstick to make sure I didn’t overfill.

Here’s a picture of the new oil filter and drain plug:

3. Air Filter and Pre-cleaner

Next up was the air filter and pre-cleaner.

It’s important to have a steady flow of filtered air entering your engine. Disruptions to this flow can lead to lack of power, excessive fuel consumption or problems starting up.

You can normally clean out the old filter, but I had no idea how long the existing one was in there. Therefore, I disposed of the old one and replaced with a new one.

Accessing the filter was easy. I just removed a wing nut and the metal housing. The air filter itself is just a cylinder with wire mesh and a paper filter.

The pre-cleaner is a piece of sponge wrapped around the filter. I unpacked the new pre-cleaner, and following the installation instructions. I moistened it with some motor oil and wrapped it around the new filter. Then, I replaced the old one on the mower engine.

Here’s a picture of the new air filter and pre-cleaner installed (without the metal housing so you can see it):

4. Fuel Filter

Now for the fuel filter. It’s recommended that you change the fuel filter on your mower once every season.

There can be lots of impurities in your gas tank (think about all the times you opened the tank lid for a refueling with grass still settling from the blades), so a season of mowing can clog up your filter.

Using the mower manual, I located the filter on the engine. If you’re having trouble finding yours, just follow the fuel line from the gas tank to the engine. The fuel filter is along that line.

To remove the filter, I first clamped the fuel line in between the filter and the tank. I didn’t want fuel dumping out of the tank once I removed the filter. I also put a container beneath the filter to catch any excess gas stuck in the line and filter.

Then I removed the hose clamps holding the filter in place and pulled off the fuel line. Luckily no fuel leaked out. The tank must have been nearly empty. I then attached the new filter, making sure the arrow indicating direction of fuel pointed towards the engine.

With the fuel lines clamped back onto the filter, I removed the temporary clamp pinching the line and installation was complete.

Here’s a picture of the new fuel filter installed:

At this point, the engine was now ready for the upcoming season. I turned the ignition key and the engine fired up without hesitation.

I didn’t even have to apply the choke. Then, I let the engine idle for 10 minutes to make sure it ran okay and didn’t have any fuel or oil leaks. After, I took it for a test drive, and it drove like a champ.

5. Clean out mower belt

Now onto the mower deck, which was giving me some trouble. While mowing the front lawn, I noticed a lot of squealing noises coming from the belts in the deck. Also, the collection bags were barely filling with grass. It got so bad that I actually had to disconnect the automatic bagger because the tubes were getting clogged with grass.

I switched to side discharge for the grass, which meant I spent a lot of time raking up the grass when done. Finally, a few times the engine actually died with the blades engaged.

After inspecting the mower deck, I concluded that the three problems I had stemmed from a worn mower belt and debris wedging against the belts. The debris particularly was causing a lot of friction with the belt and putting strain on the mower, causing the engine to stall out sometimes.

This also impacted the bagger because the blades could not spin at full speed and expel the grass fast enough. The belt also had clear evidence of being worn down. There were lots of cracks, and I was surprised the belt hadn’t broke already.

Removing and Cleaning the Mower Deck

To address my mower deck issues, I first removed the deck from the mower. It was not that difficult.

Following directions in the manual, I located and removed some retainer springs holding the deck pinned into the mower chassis. Then I slid the deck out from under the mower.

Here is a picture of the deck removed from the mower.

Technically I didn’t have to remove the mower deck to replace the belt. However the debris was really hard to reach and was easier to remove this way. I also wanted to take the opportunity to inspect the blades and underneath the deck.

Once I opened the deck, I removed all the debris with ease. There was a lot of it too, from packed dirt to wads of dried leaves. I could see why the belts were making so much noise. I’m sure it was a fire hazard too, with friction from the belts heating up the dried leaves and possibly igniting them.

Soon the deck was looking very clean. I flipped it over and inspected underneath. It wasn’t too bad under there. I just used a flat screwdriver to scrape off some grass patches that have been building up over time.

Sharpening the Mower Blades

When I checked out the blades, they were extremely dull. The sharp part was actually round and smooth. All this time mowing the lawn, I could have just whacked the grass with a baseball bat.

So I removed the 3 blades with a socket spanner, clamped each one in place and sharpened with my Dremel and a grinding stone bit.

After I sharpened both ends of the blade, I stuck a bolt in the blade to see if it was properly balanced. If either side of the blade dipped, it meant the blade was imbalanced and would cause a lot of vibration when spinning. Luckily, I did the job evenly when sharpening and the blades were balanced well.

Here is a picture of a blade clamped down right after I finished sharpening it (see how the sharpened part gleams):

Here I am reattaching the sharpened blades (I made sure to wear gloves so I didn’t cut myself):

Here’s a close-up of the mower deck showing some of the debris that I had to remove (it was a lot worse before):

6. Replacing the belt

Now to address the worn out belt. I took a picture of the belt route with my phone and then removed it. I installed the new belt matching the route from my picture.

Mower deck maintenance was now complete. I slid it back under the mower and reattached the retainer springs to secure it to the chassis. I started up the motor and engaged the blades. Nothing happened. Oh no, what happened? The blades did not spin.

I looked underneath the mower and discovered the belt had too much slack. I compared the new belt to the old one and saw that the new one was slightly bigger. Unfortunately, this model mower did not allow you to adjust the tension in the belts, so the new belt was unusable for me.

I ordered the correct part number online, but it was a third party belt. I should have spent the extra money for a factory replacement instead. Disappointed, I put back in the old belt, so I could at least use the mower and ordered a factory belt in the meantime. I’d install it in a few days when it arrives.

Let that be a lesson, be wary of third party replacements especially when the price looks too good to pass up.

7. Lubricant

I had almost completed my maintenance plan. Then, I applied all-purpose grease to a few key areas on the mower.

I used the mower manual to identify these areas, and applied grease where needed. A few areas also required silicone lubricant, which I was lucky enough to have a spray can of (I use it to keep my foosball table rods spinning like new).

I broke in the new lubricated parts with a drive around the yard, making sure to turn the steering wheel a lot. The neighbors must have worried what state I was in zigzagging the mower across the yard!

8. Tire Pressure

The final step was to check the tire pressure. I grabbed a pressure gauge from my car’s glove compartment box and compared the mower tire pressure to recommended specs in the manual.

They were a little low, so I used a bicycle pump to bring them back up to the correct PSI. Low tire pressure will cause excess drag when driving, and consume more fuel, so it’s important to keep your tires properly inflated.

Finally, the mower was in proper working condition for the new season. I documented what parts I replaced along with the date. This way I would remember for next season the parts I replaced.

Not everything in my maintenance plan needs to be done every season. I just wanted to hit all my bases this one time, since I had no way of knowing what the previous owner did.

If you are in a similar position, wondering how to fix your old riding lawn mower, then go through the above checklist. It’s been tried and proven.

Look out tall grass, I’m ready for you this season!