The Dangers of Putting Too Much Oil in Your Cub Cadet Lawnmower!
While most people know it’s undesirable to let the oil get too low, they may not realize it’s also a poor idea to put too much oil in the crankcase.
Injecting an excessive amount of motor oil into a Cub Cadet lawn mower can lead to hydrolocking, overheating, damaged seals, blown gaskets, and other costly engine malfunctions.
If you’re lucky, the only damage will be the need to adjust the engine oil level. On the other hand, if you aren’t so fortunate, you may have to replace your engine or put in a lot of labor to get it running smoothly again.
Take the engine apart and let it cool down before you start looking for the source of the problem by removing the spark plug wires.
Table of Contents
5 Side Effects of Using Too Much Engine Oil in Your Cub Cadet Lawnmower
A Cub Cadet mower’s engine has a blown engine seal.
The seals could be blown if too much oil is added to the crankcase and pressure builds up. Failure to detect leaking seals in a timely manner can result in a blown engine from lack of oil.
Overheating can cause a rod to spin or even solder the engine to the crankshaft if oil pressure is too low.
Extreme heat can also crack the connecting rod, sending the piece flying out of the engine. A welded piston might cause a cylinder to seize up.
The Cub Cadet Lawnmower Engine Could Possibly Overheat
The crankshaft and connecting rod will not rotate smoothly if they are forced to go through more oil than is suggested by the engine manufacturer.
As a result, the crankcase pressure rises, putting stress on the engine’s internal components.
The rocker arm and valve spring will heat up. If the oil isn’t able to flow freely, it can get hotter. Most engines are constructed from aluminum, which is a material that heats up considerably when operating a vehicle.
As the engine heats up, the valve guide or valve seat can be forced out of the engine block. An skilled small engine mechanic will need to scrape out your engine if this happens to you.
The Cub Cadet Mower’s Engine Could Freeze Up
If oil gets into the cylinder, it might be exceedingly difficult to turn the engine over. Due to wear, oil may seep through the rings and cause the engine to seize. Hydrolock describes this situation.
Instead of just air and a little bit of fuel, oil has made its way into the combustion chamber.
After repeated compressions, the oil in the piston becomes too thick to compress and the piston becomes hydrolocked. Attempting to ignite the engine could result in piston bending.
Cub Cadet Lawnmower’s Engine Might Not Perform As Expected And Produce Smoke.
Inadequately, if at all, an engine can function with an excessive amount of oil. An excessive amount of engine oil can reach the spark plug and contaminate it.
Because of the oil, the spark that ignites the fuel is diminished.
Oil getting into the valve train is another potential source of lawnmower malfunction. When this oil is burned in the cylinder, it produces noxious, bluish white smoke.
When the air filter gets blocked, the engine can pull air and oil out of the crankcase, causing the vehicle to smoke.
Your Cub Cadet Lawnmower’s Engine Gaskets May Blow!
Overfilling the engine with oil causes the same issues in twin-cylinder engines as it does in four-cylinder engines. The gaskets could be blown if you overfill it because of the extreme heat.
Due to the time and effort required to disassemble the twin-cylinder engine from the lawn mower and replace the gaskets, the repair cost is higher than that of a push mower engine.
Final Thoughts
Adding a little extra oil here and there might not seem like a big issue, but it might end up costing you a lot of money and even a new engine if you’re not careful.
If you want to keep your engine running smoothly, make sure you change the oil and add only the amount recommended by the manufacturer. You can’t presume that exceeding the minimum is acceptable.
In the event that you observe engine problems in your Cub Cadet, you should not continue operating it. If you’re having engine trouble that can’t be repaired with an oil change or other minor repair, it’s time to call in a pro.
The engine can be tested by the technician to see if it can be fixed or if it has to be replaced.
Fixing a Cub Cadet Lawnmower That Has Too Much Oil
If you accidentally filled your engine oil too high, you’ll need to drain some of it. When working on a spark plug, it’s always a good idea to disconnect the wire leading to the plug first. Your Cub Cadet mower’s engine oil can be drained in a number of ways.
- The lawn mower’s engine should have a drain plug or valve port, which must be located. It might be in the bottom of the oil pan under the lawnmower, or it could be on the sides of the engine by the dipstick.
Make sure you have a catch basin handy to catch the oil. Take the plug out for a second, then put it back in. You might want to double-check the oil level.
- If your engine has an oil filter, loosening or removing the filter will allow you to drain some oil. To catch the oil, have a rag handy.
- There may not be a drain stopper or oil filter on your lawnmower, so make sure you have access to a fill hole. Oftentimes, the little engines found in push mowers don’t have a drain stopper, so you’ll have to tip the mower over and pour some oil out of the fill hole.
- A pump designed specifically for extracting oil is called an oil evacuator. A tube is put into the engine oil fill hole, and oil is drawn out through the tube.
- One tool that can be useful for draining off excess oil is a turkey baster. If you use it in your car’s engine, throw it away and don’t put it back in the stove. These can be replaced at minimal cost.
The Dangers of Putting Too Much Oil in Your Cub Cadet Lawnmower
Before you go and change the oil in your lawnmower’s engine, you should consult the manual to see how much oil it takes to fill the engine.
Crankcase capacity information is readily available online and can be obtained without the use of an owner’s manual.
For the vast majority of push mower engines, three-quarters of a quart is the standard oil capacity. The average capacity of a v-twin engine is 2 quarts.
Three quarts of oil are required for the bigger commercial engine found in lawn mowers, known as a big block. These larger engines typically have at least 34 horse power.
Knowing your engine’s crankcase capacity and adding no more than half a quart of oil at a time will prevent you from spilling oil all over your driveway. Keep an eye on the oil levels till you get there.
If you’re filling up 1/2 of a quart at a time, don’t add too much at once; instead, add a little at a time as needed and monitor the oil level using the dipstick.
Do you need to add more oil to a Cub Cadet Mower before you try to start it?
A clogged oil filter can prevent your Cub Cadet from starting. Small engines like those used in lawn mowers have a tiny oil pan.
With such a restricted area, making a mistake is difficult. An engine can hydrolock if too much oil is poured into it.
Hydrolocking occurs when oil rises above the piston in the cylinder. When the combustion chamber is full with oil, the piston can’t rise all the way to the top.
Because of its construction, the piston can only compress air, not fluids like oil or water. The piston cannot move because the oil does not compress when you pull on the rope or use a starter. Being hydrolocked describes this condition.
It’s possible that clogging the spark plug with too much oil might prevent the engine from starting. The engine may fail to start because oil has made its way into the carburetor via the valve train.
If this oil gets into the air filter, it will prevent the engine from starting.
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