It’s important to prep your lawn mower for the winter. At the end of mowing season, take your time tending to your mower. It will make starting and using the machine much easier next spring if it is well prepared for storage during the cold season. Follow this how to guide on winterization and fuel system cleaning to get your machine set for winter.
Safety Precautions – Before performing any repair or maintenance on your Toro walk behind lawn mower:
- Shut off the lawn mower engine
- Allow the engine to become cool to the touch
- Disconnect the spark plug wire to prevent accidental starting
Tools you’ll need:
- Briggs & Stratton Part #271716
- Flathead screwdriver
- Ratchet
- 8 mm socket
- 13 mm socket
- Extension
- Set of fuel line clamps
- Set of pliers
- Float bowl nut
- Extra set of rags to accommodate working with fuel (The fuel is flammable. Do not smoke or have any type of open flame near the fuel or the vapors of the fuel)
- Drain pan
Here’s what to do:
Take air filter off with the flat head screwdriver, and then take the fastener off the air filter itself. Pull the air filter cover down and out of the way and remove the air filter. Use your ratchet and 8 mm socket to take the air filter base off in order to access the fuel line.
There are two bolts on the carburetor to hold the air filter base on and one more bolt that holds the base to the engine. Connect the ratchet and 8 mm socket, and remove all three bolts. Access the fuel line and drain the fuel into the drain pan. To take the fuel lines off, use the fuel clamps. Clamp down on the fuel line to stop any fuel from flowing out. There is a fuel line clamp on the fuel line where it meets the carburetor. Take that clamp off with the pliers and put the hose into the drain pan.
Once you remove the fuel line you may get some fuel on the deck itself. Use your extra rags to clean the deck, then take the fuel hose clamps off and drain the fuel into the drain pan, removing any fuel that’s in the tank and allowing for proper storage during the winter. Once the fuel is drained, put the drain pan aside and make sure there’s nothing left in the tank. Take the float bowl nut off the bottom of the float bowl, allowing any fuel that’s in the carburetor to drain out so it doesn’t create a varnish when it’s sitting over the winter.
Hold the float bowl on – if you let the float bowl fall you’ll have to replace the gasket and reset your flow. Hold onto the bowl and release the nut to relieve any fuel that’s inside. Use your 13 mm socket and ratchet to remove the float bowl nut and allow any fuel that’s inside it to drain. Take the float bowl gasket and reinstall it or replace it with a new one. Install the new washer gasket on the float bowl nut, and reinstall the nut. Get the nut finger tight and use the 13 mm socket to make it snug.
Now it’s time to put your machine back together. Reinstall the fuel line. Use your pliers to reinstall the fuel clamp where the fuel line meets the carburetor. Put the air filter cover back on – when you reinstall the air filter base note that there is a breather hose on the bottom of the base. When putting the air filter base back on make sure the breather hose gets reinstalled. If not, it will suck dirt into the engine, causing failure to your engine.
Reinstall the three bolts back in the air filter base. Put the bolts in finger tight – if you use the ratchet you run the risk of stripping it out. Use the 8 mm socket to make the bolts snug – because the bolts are going into an aluminum base you don’t want to over tighten them. Once they’re snug, give them a quarter turn to make sure they’re tight. Reinstall the air filter – when reinstalling this there are three little tabs at the bottom. Put the tabs in first and bring the air filter base up to cover up to the base.
Now your Toro lawn mower is set for winter. In the springtime, make sure any fuel you put into the machine is not from last fall – fuel any older than 30 days does expire. Dispose of fuel properly and get fresh fuel for the spring – at least 89 octane of higher.
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Why Weingartz?
Weingartz, family owned and operated, began in 1945 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.
Weingartz also sells parts for all outdoor power equipment at https://weingartz.com/parts-lookup.
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5436 Jackson Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 239-8200
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