Riding lawnmower engine blown???

VortecJeep

VortecJeep

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Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Location
Concord, NC
Troy-Bilt Pony, bought new in 2005, with a 17.5 HP Briggs & Stratton. Wouldn't turn over yesterday, so I charged the battery a few hours (battery was bought new last summer). Today, when I cranked it it put out some smoke, but quickly cleared up. I didn't even make 1 lap around the yard, and it started sputtering, spit some smoke out and died. I cranked it again and it spit out enough smoke to cover the entire front yard! I don't see any oil dripping out. Oil level is fine. Did the engine blow? I know nothing about small engines.
 
Was the smoke black, or blue. Blue smoke is oil, black means it's running rich. Sometimes the needle and seat sticks/leaks in the carb and fuel builds up on top of the piston making it hard to turn over, and when it does all that fuel makes lots of black smoke. I have an old Sears mower that I have a fuel valve in the line to cut off the fuel supply when it sits because of this problem.
 
ponykilr said:
Was the smoke black, or blue. Blue smoke is oil, black means it's running rich. Sometimes the needle and seat sticks/leaks in the carb and fuel builds up on top of the piston making it hard to turn over, and when it does all that fuel makes lots of black smoke. I have an old Sears mower that I have a fuel valve in the line to cut off the fuel supply when it sits because of this problem.
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honestly I couldn't tell the color of the smoke, I was wearing sunglasses facing the sun when it happened. Maybe I'll try cranking it again to determine color, what do I have to lose?! But if it was too much fuel, why would it have waited until I got nearly around the yard one time before it started sputtering?
 
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