👉 Watch this video to make sure you DON'T TIP YOUR MOWER OVER WRONG!! ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/l5l5uMugo7nXoqg.html 👉 Check out the SMOKE-SHOW in this video ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/oJZttsuzp7HcirA.html ✅Click here for a common air filter ➜ amzn.to/3iLNFwr ✅Click here for a proper blade balancer ➜ amzn.to/2BmvxUO ✅IF YOU NEED PARTS OR TOOLS, CHECK OUT OUR AMAZON STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon For more videos like this, check out: 👉How to Adjust or Tune the Carburetor on a Leaf Blower ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/douEt7uDmamce7A.html 👉CORRECT WAY To Tune The Carburetor On A Chainsaw ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/f2qIl6yod7vJeLw.html 👉How To Adjust Or Tune The Carburetor On A Weedeater ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/maGc2ravd7Xac8o.html You can connect with Steve here too: ✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ ✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ ✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon ✅Follow Steve on TIKTOK ➜ www.tiktok.com/@stevessmallenginesaloon

@kcrowe8583

Жыл бұрын

When storing engine for extended period of time, would you recommend, engineered fuel, regular fuel with sta-bil or running carburetor completely dry?

@alanross3435

Жыл бұрын

@@kcrowe8583 run the carb dry! April asked me to fill in for Steve today! ☮✌🏻

Hands down Steve has the best small engine site on the web!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

4 ай бұрын

Thank You...

Love your KZread channel! Easily one of the most informative channels for these topics out there! Cheers mates from Australia!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated!

Great info SteveO! Always on top of the issues! Keep ‘em coming . Cheers 🍻 Steve and April Out!

A common hydro-lock situation occurs when the carb float needle does not seat properly, and allows fuel to fill the cylinder/crankcase/etc. A common occurrence in gravity-fed fuel systems on small engines.

@jasonbrindamour903

Жыл бұрын

Happens to my riding mower all the time. I just added a fuel cutoff and a prime bulb.

@sewing1243

Жыл бұрын

If anyone's engine hydro-locks that way, in addition to correcting the issue causing the fuel leaking into the cylinder(s), the oil ought to be changed immediately because it is now most likely now a diluted oil and gasoline mix (and I think I'd squirt some motor oil in the cylinder(s) and turn the engine over a couple times before reinstalling the spark plugs so the rings and cylinder wall have some lubrication before starting the engine).

Steve and April thanks again for your very helpful videos. I went back and watched the vid on tipping over lawnmower and found it very helpful also. April love your smile and laugh. Keep up the helpful content.

Great advice Steve.

I watch all your videos. This has to be my all time favourite. So entertaining. I was laughing all the way through. But at the same time, super informative for me. Learned something again. Thanks Steve and April

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

Hydro Lock can also happen if Ethanol in the fuel has absorbed water, so the water is causing it. The carb bowl, if stored too long with Ethanol gas, can absorb water and the water can prevent the engine from starting. Same with the gas tank. That water can also ruin a metal gas tank and foul up a carb bowl, jets and other internals. Not that you don't know this, but they weren't mentioned. Evapo-Rust ER012 Super Safe can repair a rusted gas tank, if the rust hasn't eaten through. Another great one, Steve and April. I'm enjoying these duo team videos.

Thank you for such a clear explanation of what the cause, symptom and solution is to a hydro locked engine.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

8 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

Great questions April😊

thank you. i was having trouble cranking my little 4 stroke cadet BC490. pulled the plug, cranked it over about 5 times....no oil came out. put the plug back in and it started on the second pull. thanks again for sharing this. now if i could just figure out why i'm getting so much oil coming out the filter/breather. drips pretty steady.

Informative video. Thank you.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome

I've done dumb stuff before too Steve. The only thing I can say about it, is that I was tired and in a hurry. I'm 70 now, but that's how I learned what not to do from my young twenties. 👍💥💥

After watching your video about tipping a lawnmower over I learned the term hydro-locked. I will now go out and attempt to report my lawnmower. Thanks so much for this information. Fantastic videos.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

3 ай бұрын

Glad to help

Thank you so much for the information and teaching skills. Great video sir. 👍😎🇺🇸

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome

Just commented on your other vid about tipping over, b4 i saw this. Glad i had the sence to do just that, pull the cord without the plug in

Hi April and Steve , cheers guys .

Awesome video you guys. Great information! Thanks. 😊

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

2 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

Thank you for your videos. Saved me time and a ton of money. Kudos!😊❤

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

11 ай бұрын

I'm so glad!

Always Like This Awesome Info. April's Small Engine Saloon..Is Awesome.😀😀😀😀😀😀Richard.

Your right steve some people give bad advice just for laugh. Takes all kinds to make the world i guess. Thanks for your expertise.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Right on

That was a hilarious story! Thanks for the entertaining and educational video!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

Thank you for the video 😊

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

You're Welcome...

Good to know steve😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Very good explanation, can you do a video of taking a stihl weed eater apart and correcting the hydro lock

Thanks, guys, for the info. Cheers❤ and story.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

I think I saw that FB group post! Another suggestion I learned is that if you got a hydro locked engine, just take out the spark plug, and use a straw to suck out the liquids, very easy fix.

You two make me laugh out loud. But the info greatly appreciated ✔️👍. From Melbourne AUSTRALIA 👍🤠

a good answer to a question there Steve and April and yep Hydro-locked engine is a dead easy fix and even a good amount of WD.40 can also free it up if it.s locked up from very old 2 stroke or even 4 stroke mixtures if it,s frozen stuck in a place etc.

Hi Steve. You have a great way of teaching. I have a Tecumseh on my lawn mower. What is the proper level of engine oil--do I read the dipstick when it is inserted to the start of the threads or read it after screwing it all the way down and then removing it. The difference is probably 3/4 of an inch. Thanks in advance.

Why am I guessing that it was very, very, very, shortly after that incident with his boss's wife that Steve "decided" he'd better open his own repair shop? That said I love this podcast and as an ex lawnmower/chainsaw/snowblower mechanic I can assure you that the advice you get here is always good!

Thanks for your videos they help me when I'm in a pinch....like now. I thought my engine was hydro locked because the pull rope only comes out abut 1.5 feet. Removed the plug, the pull rope works properly, comes all the way out and cycles the engine, nothing is pushed out of the spark plug hole. Replaced the plug, pull rope only comes out 1.5 feet. Wondering if there's some sludge in the cylinder. Any thoughts? Spark plug is the proper plug for the machine.

Thanks April and Steve :-)

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

You're Welcome...

Nice job Steven 🇺🇲

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Thank You...

Thanks!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Thank You...

Good one brother. I’m drinking shiner.

Be careful - you can damage a hydro-locked engine if it is a twin cylinder unit. If one cylinder is hydro-locked but the other fires normally the power stroke could seriously damage the crank or con rods of the locked cylinder. That's why car engines with multi cyliners will be seriously damged by driving into deep water.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Agreed!

Hi Steve. I'm Fred from Australia. Came across your you tube channel and love it. So much information and ive learnt a lot. I have a 8HP Honda engine on a slasher. Impossible to turn it over and always stored in the shed. It's hydro locked, as i can't pull the cord. So is it most likely fuel leaking into the cylinder? Oil level is fine. So it has to be fuel? In which case, is is the carburettor leaking? How do i fix it? Much appreciated

Great vid

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Thank You...

I believe hydro locked is a short form for hydraulically locked. Hydraulics involved fluids such as oil, gas, and water etc. So, an engine can be hydraulically locked by coming into the compression stroke with liquid above the piston.

I have a small 3hp 2-stroke outboard and laid it on its side once without turning the fuel off and filled up the cylinder with fuel. Did not have my spark plug wrench so had to go through various gyrations and string pulling to get the fuel of the cylinder. After a half hour of messing around I got it to turn over and then fire up

I recently had that happen on a Honda gx 390 had to drain all the oil in crankcase it was filled with fuel also.

Hello brother Steve my question is how can I get my Stihl chainsaw 029 model to start up Easier it takes a long time for the fuel to get to the carb

👍👍👍Thank you

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

You're Welcome...

It's not uncommon to hydro-lock a 2-stroke engine with water. Aussie surf lifesavers use 20hp outboard engines on inflatable rescue boats. Every time they flip, they tend to ingest water and become locked. Easy to fix once the plug's out. We had a few engines going strong which drank seawater regularly!

I believe that the hydro in hydro-locked is referring to water. From water getting into cylinders when a head gasket goes on a water cooled engine or being drawn into the cylinder from driving in deep water, usually resulting in bent con rods. What are the fluids that are likely to lock an engine ? Oil, fuel and water. Hydro - from the ancient Greek word meaning water.

Marine engines can be hydro locked by water from outside the hull backing up through the exhaust. A lot of different scenarios can happen, all of them messy and expensive.

'Somehow' I sank a 1200cc 2 stroker Waverunner while it was running. Pulled the plugs turned the motor the water hit the 12 foot ceiling above and a couple of fish were flapping on the floor. It started then ran it for an hour WOT in the bay to boil out the rest of the water. All is good.

Hi Steve, I have an old snapper power plug (aerator) that I had for over a century and now has seized. I can't pull the starter coil. There were a few oil ports that I hadn't noriced. Can I unseize the machine, and if so, where should I start?

This can also happen if the crankcase is grossly overfilled with oil. This will prevent the piston from going down. One of my neighbor's did that to his push mower. He's not a great handy man !

I hydro locked my stump grinder when it threw a belt and I tilted it back . I took my spark plug out it covered my building with oil

What kind of beer should be used on a hydrolock?

Hydrolock for hydraulic lock, which can happen in other hydraulic systems, too.

We all STIHL know who the real "SmokeShow" is! 😍

Hydro locked for me is when I go out on the course and retrieve a machine that’s been up ended and the oil made its way to top of pistons . 3 cylinder diesel . Don’t try to start you can bend connecting rods . I usually give it a quick click and see it kick back . Take to shop and remove the glow plugs and keep face away from openings because just rolling it over by hand will send the oil 13.5 feet lol probably more ,that’s just how high my ceilings where at the last shop . Small water cooled I’d just pull plug and same roll over by hand .If anti freeze shoots out if your lucky it’s just a head gasket.😂😢😮😅

I bought 5 new 4000psi pressure washers. 2 of them have become hydro-Locked. $250.00 for them to fix. Im 68 years old AND I HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS.

Hydro locked means blocked by a liquid...comes from the Greec language...liquid in greec means "υγρό", prononce hygro

Can a bad head gasket cause hydro lock with antifreeze or would the break in the gasket allow the fluids back out?

I have a echo cs 310 started smoking with 4 min idling. So i shut off. Took chain /bar off. N looks like its frozen. Cant pull string to start. Ive used it maybe 3 times. To cut some twigs. Got it fot x mas. Any tips. Do i return to echo. ???

I've got a hydro locked stihl ms441c

I'm not sure if "hydrolock" is my problem, but I removed and replaced the valve cover on my Honda mower, to fix the "O" ring oil leak problem common on Honda. That is now fixed, but my mower will not run if the spark plug is tightened. The spark plug must be just threaded in slightly for the pull cord to work, and the engine to run. It runs and mows fine, but not with the plug even finger tightened.

Actually, 4 strokes can hydro lock also, especially horizontal v twin engines like used on zero turn mowers. I’ve got a toro zero turn with a 21 hp Kawasaki on it and it will fill the engine with gas over the winter if I don’t turn off the gas valve between the tanks and the carb. So much gas was in the engine it filled the crankcase until it went through the rings in the one cylinder with an open exhaust valve and then filled to muffler with gas too. It hydro locked big time, oil was so diluted there was more gas in the crankcase than oil.

Okay thank you very much I thought my Briggs & Stratton engine it's a 14.5 horsepower was bad but I guess it's the carburetor that did it for me, I did not tip the engine I just don't think I set the pin in right and so it fired up turned on for about a second and then shut back off and then it was starting to hide or lock it wouldn't like turn over anymore, even on a fully charged brand new battery, I thought my engine was toast

April is so pretty!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

I agree!

The first thumbs up!

After you've pulled the plug make sure that you disable the ignition wire. If your cylinder is full of gasoline you may have just created an excellent flamethrower.

@gailkohler9583

9 ай бұрын

I actually did that I pulled the cord and the ignition grounded and the spark caught my lawn mower on fire inside m garage. Fortunately I had a fire extinguisher handy.

I loaned my tiller to my neighbor when he returned i just told him to put it in my shed. I didn't look at it for a few weeks so when i went to start it i saw he had parked it with the cyclinder facing down. Sure enough it was locked when i tried to start it. Simple fix though just pull the plug pull the rope be sure no one is in the way ; )

nice explanation, however you for got the most important. BEER does not compress.🤣

Do you ever respond to questions on the comments?

Hydraulic, hydrostatic, both use hydro as a root. The first hydraulic fluid used was water, thus "hydro".

I’m going through this now flooded by my job in water got in, I see a lot of people say take out spark plugs

I had a v 6 ford that blew a head gasket. It hydra locked on #2 cylinder and bent the rod

Hydro comes from the Greek word water. As to engines I believe it refers to any liquid as you mentioned.

hey can i add electric start to a power washer

Hey Steve and Mrs. April, how are you. This is my question. What’s the difference between regular oil, semi-Synthetic, and full Synthetic, everyone has a different answer.

That story was hilarious I was laughing so hard I couldn't see through my eyes

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Right on

@kevinhans7168

Жыл бұрын

Saw your interview with chickanic and Donnyboy boy that was a great vid

I’ve done that with an upright tiller engine looking to see if I was getting spark. Yep, it ignited and I watched the flames coming out of the cylinder just before it burned a layer of skin of my face. Nothing serious, but definitely a learning situation 😂

@georgedittle1965

Жыл бұрын

10:35

@georgedittle1965

Жыл бұрын

This needs to be addressed more seriously! I experienced a two stroke dirt bike with a full tank of fuel ignite that way as there's no ignition switch. Saved by a handy extinguisher!

How do I get one of those hoodies? When in doubt, pull the plug, spin it over and put it back in. Just don't look down the hole while spinning it!!

AY!

Fluid does compress. You just need SOOO much pressure that you couldnt in practice compress water

This tale reminds me of a Three Stooges Episode when Curly was having a bowl of clam chowder inclusive of the shells and a sassy clam kept squirting Curly in the eyes whenever he moved his head closer to the bowl. 😂

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Right on

Can you cause a hydrolock by using ether?

It is possible to damage your engine when you hydro-lock it... If you're a dummy and keep trying to pull as hard as you can. Usually the rope will just snap, but I've seen the starter locking palls break. On some starters where those are on the flywheel, that can be a pretty big deal.

If you hydrolock an engine would you recommend putting a new spark plug in?

How do you tell if you have a hydro-lock or a compression release problem, I can pull my starter cord about 10” and that’s it, if I pull REAL hard I can pull the cord to start motor but on the verge of snapping the cord. Thank you, Kevin

@gailkohler9583

9 ай бұрын

If you get an answer let me know I have a sthil blower doing as you described

Good stuff, but one slight technical detail. Gases and liquids are both fluids. Gases are compressible and liquids are not.

how about coolant?

How does one get the links you mentioned

@georgescott6967

Жыл бұрын

In the "description" section for the video.

Could hydro lock bend the connecting Rod?😢

I believe that the term "hydrostatic lock" is used because the lock happens because a liquid is the cause; the word hydro usually refers to water, but in this case is a liquid other than water: oil or gas, or actually could be water that penetrated somehow into the engine if the machine was stored outside.

I think your wife is the smoke show. Lol. Not to shabby Steve

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

Жыл бұрын

Thank You...I agree!

Just realized i hydrolocked my brand new top of the line stihl blower by running it on the gas they gave it to me for about 10mins now am out of 800 and with no energy to fight the store that sold it to me on why did it had normal unmixed fuel .

I always call it oil flooded from turnning the engine on the wrong side on 4 cycle that same if it mixed with oil and gas! In fact going to back in the day going briggs update school that is how said it. Hydro - lock is the same thing and other way saiying that it has to much oil or gas and oil on top of the piston.

The trollers are politicians in the small engine business. LoL.

And THAT was your last day working at Walkers saw shop.......

Now hydro locked small engines are easy to repair in the automotive application where the engine is bigger. Hydro locked engine can cause damage due to volume of liquid that in engine due to the weight of liquid

How about a video on why you should have a fuel shut off valve on your riding mower so that when you start the engine you don’t have a garage full of smoke until the engine dies from all of the gas that mixed with your oil like mine did😂

Thank you for your thank you for your urine movies. Very nice I have a question for you. 113 hp Honda engine what is inside the spark plug boot like a small capacitor and one is a four he could help me out. It’s a 13 hp not 113 named Al thank you.

Technically, you can compress water or other liquids, it takes an incredible amount of pressure to attain a small, very small amount of compression. The engine will self-destruct long before that level is reached.

@kenbrown2808

Жыл бұрын

You're not wrong. I've heard of a ball valve being closed under high pressure, and squirting the mechanic in the face when he finally got enough torque on it to open it.