Engine related technical query - lots of white smoke!

cortinaman Part of things Posts: 910	Engine related technical query - lots of white smoke!cortinaman @cortinaman
	Oct 12, 2020 16:17:50 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I guess this might be a good place to ask this question as its not totally car related! I have a tractor mower - probably 20 years old, which I bought off the previous owners of our house when we moved in. It has been religiously serviced every year and in pretty good nick. This summer, it has taken to leaking petrol into the exhaust. Then it decided not to start (starter clicks, but no turning of the engine). Battery fully charged, it would still not turn over, but a bit of rocking in gear got it to turn over. Plenty of white smoke from the exhaust, and I start cutting the grass - about two minutes later, a big cloud of white smoke and the engine cuts out and won't restart. It went off to the garden machinery repair place locally, and they tell me its hydraulic locked because of petrol leaking into the engine, but they couldn't find the fault, "but it looks ok now"! So I've had it back, and after a month or so, this weekend it fails in exactly the same way! It is a four stroke engine, and it sounds to me like a seal has gone in the carb, or maybe the float is sticking - any thoughts on what it could be? cheers folks Cortinaman
	Last Edit: Oct 12, 2020 16:18:14 GMT by cortinaman Old Fords never die they just go sideways

	Reply Quote

dodgerover Posted hell of a lot "These days turned out nothing like I had planned" Posts: 5,877	Engine related technical query - lots of white smoke!dodgerover @dodgerover
	Oct 12, 2020 17:46:07 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Do you have a fuel tap on the tank or is it a vacuum tap?
	Mk2 lwb transit work van retrorides.proboards.com/thread/159214/new-work-1985-transit-update Dodge 50 (247CUi) powered Range Rover (resting), WANTED Aussie Valiant

	Reply Quote

vitesseefi South West Posts: 2,241	Engine related technical query - lots of white smoke!vitesseefi @vitesseefi
	Oct 12, 2020 18:08:50 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Sticking needle valve or a hole in the float. Though flooding usually causes black smoke. Common issue with garden machinery as it tends to get left to sit with fuel in which then goes nasty. Strip and clean of the carb with particular attention to the needle valve should do it. I’d also suggest swilling out the tank with clean fuel, blowing the pipe through and fitting a new filter. Also worth changing the oil as it’s probably been diluted with fuel. Nick
	1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend) 1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing) 1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)

	Reply Quote

cortinaman Part of things Posts: 910	Engine related technical query - lots of white smoke!cortinaman @cortinaman
	Oct 13, 2020 6:52:43 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Oct 12, 2020 17:46:07 GMT dodgerover said: Do you have a fuel tap on the tank or is it a vacuum tap? I'm not sure to be honest - I've never turned off a fuel tap (I might have a look see if I can find one). Sticking needle valve or a hole in the float. Though flooding usually causes black smoke. Common issue with garden machinery as it tends to get left to sit with fuel in which then goes nasty. Strip and clean of the carb with particular attention to the needle valve should do it. I’d also suggest swilling out the tank with clean fuel, blowing the pipe through and fitting a new filter. Also worth changing the oil as it’s probably been diluted with fuel. Nick Thanks Nick - the fuel tank look clean (its plastic and I can see into it), but you have confirmed my thinking that it is the carb - I'll have an investigate. cheers Cortinaman
	Old Fords never die they just go sideways

	Reply Quote