is this a 2-stroke of 4-stroke engine?

[carter]

is this a 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine?

http://www.theoempartsstore.com/product.php?productid=23002&cat=0&page=1 its pretty much in the title, Its on my mower and I'm doing some work, I already cleaned out the carb and have an air-filter on the way, before I buy oil I want to know if it is 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

4-stroke.

Have you used this mower before?

 

[carter]

its been my job to use it for about 6 years now, its just lately its really started running weak, so I'm giving it a tune up. so far its out of oil and I think about half of it is in the air filter I have now, so getting more oil and a new airfilter, I wirebrushed the sparkplug until I can find a replacement, and I blew out the carb with compressed air. also this carb is weird, its doesn't have a float bowl or anything, its just got this little straw thing that goes down into the gas tank.

and I was almost 100% that it was 4 stroke, but my dad says he thought it was two, i think I might stop listening to him for small engine things because most of the time it seems like I actually know more about it than him, and I don't know much

 

[Doc Sprocket]

You'll forgive me for asking- but how do you use a piece of equipment for 6 years without knowing whether it's a two-stroke or a four? I am assuming that you have checked/added oil in the past? That you've added fuel in the past? I've never seen an oil-injected two-stroke mower so you would have had to mix oil in with the fuel before pouring in the tank if it was a two-stroke. Since there isa crankcase that is now empty, is this the first time in 6 years it's been checked??? Did the machine come with a manual?

Keeping a long story short, here's the distinction-

A four-stroke engine has a supply of oil in the crankcase that lubricates everything. Fuel is just straight gasoline.

A two-stroke engine uses the crankcase to compress the air-fuel mixture, and feeds it into the cylinder. Thus, the case cannot be full of oil. There are two common solutions to this. 1)Oil is mixed with the gasoline before filling the tank, and as it goes thru the engine to the cylinder, thix mixture lubricates everything. Or 2)There is a completely separate oil tank that feeds an injection system to inject the oil, so you do not have to mix oil and gas, and you feed it straight gas.

 

[carter]

its the first time I've checked the oil, I don't know about my dad, it doesn't take two-stroke mix, but I wasn't sure if there was some form of injected two stroke or not. and I've never maintenanced it, so now I'm doing a bit of an tune-up seeing as it was constantly starving and would just about die and shoot out black smoke constantly, the carb was absolutely filthy and the air filter is like a sponge, but full of oil now because of years of neglect. hopefully by the time I'm done it'll be running like new, or at least run reliably.
and again, I'm 14 so its not actually my mower, maintenance is on my dad, not me, the only reason I'm doing it now is because I get payed for mowing and mom throws a fit when I mow the front yard with the tractor

and it was my grandma's old mower when we got it so I'd assume the thing is nearly as old as I am.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I understand. Well, you're in the right place to get educated on this stuff! Good on ya for trying to learn!

 

[carter]

well I'm trying to get into industrial/mechanical engineering, but some engine mechanics might be something to fall back on if that doesn't work out for me.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Never turn down the opportunity to learn.

 

[carter]

never do, so far my summer has been spent making a guitar and playing one I already own, servicing my go kart, tractor, and mower, designing a cart frame, so all in all, been doing alot of learning overall.

I'm already getting good at this riggery thing too, the kill-switch handle thing broke off of it, so I stuck the throttle open and put a switch on the electric kill so now it can be turned off with the flip of a switch

 

[matman55]

its a 2 stroke
could you take a 4 stroke engine and lay it down like that?
it could have that oil injection stuff but ya never know.
just puttin my 0.5 cents in.but if im wrong please correct me.

btw carter what kinda guitar are you buildin? being a luithier myself it sparked my curiosity.

 

[carter]

its a custom design, made from plywood until I can afford a nice black walnut blank, I I'm planning on winding my own pickups by working out a reed switch counter of sorts, depending on how bright-dark they are will decide if I get 250k or 500k pots and I'm thinking of putting in something like a built-in footswitch too seeing as all a footswitch is is a toggle or a momentary contact. the neck I'm just gonna buy from warmoth and then I should be set.

and 4 stroke engines come in horizontal and vertical orientations so, technically no unless its vertical orientation.

 

[landuse]

its a 2 stroke
could you take a 4 stroke engine and lay it down like that?
it could have that oil injection stuff but ya never know.
just puttin my 0.5 cents in.but if im wrong please correct me.

btw carter what kinda guitar are you buildin? being a luithier myself it sparked my curiosity.

There is no ways that the engine is a 2 stroke. If you look at the specs, it takes 20oz of oil. Where are you going to put all that oil in a 2 stroke.

Look at the carb. It is a pulse jet carb that sits on the tank. I have never seen that in 2 strokes, only in Briggs 4 strokes.

It is a vertical engine, so it is supposed to have the shaft pointing down. 99% of mowers are like that.

I would change the spark plug, clean the filter and rebuild the carb (or at least give it a clean). You might need a new carb diaphragm if it is so old

 

[matman55]

its a custom design, made from plywood until I can afford a nice black walnut blank, I I'm planning on winding my own pickups by working out a reed switch counter of sorts, depending on how bright-dark they are will decide if I get 250k or 500k pots and I'm thinking of putting in something like a built-in footswitch too seeing as all a footswitch is is a toggle or a momentary contact. the neck I'm just gonna buy from warmoth and then I should be set.

and 4 stroke engines come in horizontal and vertical orientations so, technically no unless its vertical orientation.

cool,ide definetly dich that plycrap and go for walnut or mahajony, i built a double neck guitar with 3 way switches and 250k pots and stained it and put ona polyacrilic .i wouldnt use 250k pots again,500k is the way to go.and are you gettin the guitar a proper set up when your all done? i didnt do this with mine and it played like a wal-mart guitar without it

 

[Doc Sprocket]

.i wouldnt use 250k pots again,500k is the way to go.

Depends what kind of tone you're building for. After a lot of research, I ordered 1M pots for the guitar I'm building for my buddy. He's into some seriously heavy s**t.

are you gettin the guitar a proper set up when your all done? i didnt do this with mine and it played like a wal-mart guitar without it

Are you kidding? You need to do a set-up if you so much as change string gauges!

I used to do all the guitar tech stuff for the band, including the basses. Man- I HATE doing setups on Floyd Rose and Kahler-equipped guitars! Worth all the effort, though. I could pick up any one of my guitars by the whammy bar, shake the crap out of it, and stay in perfect tune.

I know we've gone a bit off topic here, but changing strings about every 2 weeks on 5 guitars (just mine, the rest of the band could change their own flippin' strings!) will drive you insane eventually.

 

[matman55]

Depends what kind of tone you're building for. After a lot of research, I ordered 1M pots for the guitar I'm building for my buddy. He's into some seriously heavy s**t.



Are you kidding? You need to do a set-up if you so much as change string gauges!

I used to to all the guitar tech stuff for the band, including the basses. Man- I HATE doing setups on Floyd Rose and Kahler-equipped guitars! Worth all the effort, though. I could pick up any one of my guitars by the whammy bar, shake the crap out of it, and stay in perfect tune.

I know we've gone a bit off topic here, but changing strings about every 2 weeks on 5 guitars (just mine, the rest of the band could change their own flippin' strings!) will drive you insane eventually.

I never wanted to get a wamay bar for my guitar,to me its just a device for thowing my strings outa tune.

and i feel your pain on the string change,ive got 5 guitars that all needa string change and im really dreeding that for two reasons
1.im not going to buy cheapo string so all in all it;ll cost upwards of 150 for good martain,ddario strings
2.i have to decide weither to blow it all on strings,a 4gen ipod touch,or a new mab.


edit-lets get back on topic!