Just as a motor vehicle must undergo regular maintenance and upkeep, so must your Toro walk behind lawn mower. A little maintenance goes a long way, but regular maintenance extends the life of your lawn mower. Regular maintenance is key to keeping your machine running quietly and efficiently. A Briggs and Stratton do-it-yourself maintenance kit is a handy, inexpensive kit to make the job extra convenient. Here’s how to install a Briggs and Stratton maintenance kit using Briggs & Stratton Part #5140B.
Before performing any repair or maintenance on a walk behind lawn mower, follow these safety precautions: shut off the lawn mower engine, allow the engine to become cool to the touch, and disconnect the spark plug wire to prevent accidental starting.
Change the spark plug
To carry out this task, you’ll need these tools: 13/16 spark plug socket, spark plug gapper, and Briggs and Stratton maintenance kit. This maintenance kit includes an air filter, spark plug, oil, and Briggs & Stratton stabilizer, which is specially made for ethanol protectant. This is especially important for today’s fuel with the ethanol they have does a number on the carburetors that they use in today’s machines. We recommend using the Briggs & Stratton ethanol protectant stabilizer. You can purchase along with the maintenance kit at any Weingartz location.
To install a Briggs & Stratton maintenance kit using Briggs & Stratton Part #5140B, disconnect the ignition wire, remove the spark plug and discard it. Check the spark plug gap before installing the new spark plug from the Briggs and Stratton maintenance kit. Briggs & Stratton recommends between .28 and .30 for a gap in this measurement.
When installing the new spark plug, thread it in by hand instead of with the ratchet. If you try to install it with the ratchet you will cross thread the head. Install the spark plug finger tight and tighten it down with the ratchet. Once it’s snug, give it a quarter turn to fully tighten down the spark plug. Reinstall the ignition wire and you’re done changing the spark plug on your lawn mower.
Replace the air filter
To replace the air filter on your Toro walk behind lawn mower you will only need a flathead screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to take the fastener off the front of the air filter cover. Pull the cover down and out of the way, and remove the old air filter. Inside the cover, there’s a foam pre cleaner that you should take out and clean with soap and water. If you need to clean the air filter do not use compressed air because you will rip the paper filter. If you need to clean the air filter out, simply tap it out and remove any bigger dirt or debris.
Once you’ve clean your pre filter with soap and water replace it along with the new air filter provided in the Briggs and Stratton maintenance kit. When installing the pre filter, there are two sides – there’s foam on one side and a grate on the other side. Put the grated side towards the outside of the air filter cover, away from the engine. Install that first. Make sure you clean the outside of the air filter cover and also anything on the inside of the filter to prevent it from getting sucked in the engine when you start your mower.
Insert the new air filter. When you do so, there’s a sealed side and an air filter side. The sealed side should face the engine and the plated air filter side should face away from the engine because that’s what’s going to catch all your dirt. Install the air filter, move the cover up and tighten it down with the flathead screwdriver. Once snug, you’ve successfully replaced the air filter on your lawn mower.
Change the oil
To change the oil on this Toro walk behind lawn mower, you don’t need any tools. It’s best to run the machine for 10 or 15 minutes to let the oil get warm. Once the oil is warm, shut your mower down and disconnect the spark plug wire.
Tip the mower on its side, but make sure the air filter side is up, which will put the dipstick side down. Remove the dipstick and tip the machine over a drain pan to catch all the old oil. Once the oil has drained into the oil pan, flip the mower back on its wheels and properly dispose of the used oil. To dispose of the oil, you can take it to a local auto parts store or Weingartz. We accept used oil for a small environmental charge.
Use the SAE 30 oil supplied in the tune-up kit from Briggs and Stratton. The kit comes with an 18 ounce bottle of oil that will properly fill your mower. Once the bottle is empty, clean the dipstick to make sure there’s no dirt or debris on it when you insert it in the mower’s engine. Lightly seat the dipstick, pull it back out and check the oil. The oil should be at the very top of the second dot on the dipstick. Reconnect the spark plug wire you’re done.
Again, regular maintenance is vital to longevity of your lawn mower. While installing a Brigss & Stratton maintenance kit is a seemingly simple task, if you are uncomfortable repairing the mower yourself, bring it to us and we’ll perform the maintenance is no time.
You May Also Enjoy These Articles:
How to Replace a Toro Lawn Mower Wheel
How to Replace a Toro Lawn Mower Blade
Buyer’s Guide to Walk Behind Lawn Mowers
Does Lawn Mower Gasoline Expire?
Why Weingartz?
Weingartz, family owned and operated, began in 1965 as a farm supply store for local Michigan families. In the 1970s, we began to focus exclusively on outdoor power equipment. Over time, we morphed into the “power equipment superstore” that now defines all of our locations. The staff and experts at Weingartz work diligently to provide the best service possible and give honest and helpful advice to each and every customer.
Our inventory of Toro lawn mower parts is one of the widest in the industry, which allows us to offer quick response times and provide real images of many Toro parts to help you confidently make your selections. You can easily find replacement parts for your all your Toro equipment on our website or in our stores.
We ship all in-stock Toro lawn mower parts ordered by 4:00 p.m. EST the same day! Search Weingartz for diagrams, our Toro lawn mower parts catalog, and quick reference guides. We hope that you find our site useful and our customer service friendly and responsive to your Toro lawn mower parts needs. If there is anything we can do to enhance your experience or provide additional Toro parts support, please contact us and let us know. We appreciate any feedback and use it to continuously improve our business practices and the quality of our customer service.
Weingartz also sells parts for outdoor power equipment at https://weingartz.com/parts-lookup.
Weingartz
39050 Grand River Ave.
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
(248) 471-3050
info@weingartz.com
Connect With Us!
https://www.facebook.com/WeingartzLawnToSnow
https://www.twitter.com/Weingartz
http://pinterest.com/MrWeingartz
Learn More About Brand Specific Lawn Mowers
Sign up for our electronic monthly newsletter for discounts and money-saving tips.
