Help! Overfilled oil in petrol lawnmower

lawnmower101

Bought a new petrol lawnmower last week, never had one before.
Today I took it out for first use and filled the petrol tank.
Then started pouring oil into it until I realised I had completely overfilled it.
I have not yet started the engine.
The only way for the oil to come out appears to be the way it went in from the top.
The problem is the manual (which i have now read!) says the lawnmower should only be tipped up once the petrol tank is empty or else there could be a fire or an explosion.

- Have I done damage to the engine at this point or if I get it out will it be ok?
- Do I need to remove the oil asap?
- Do I really have to empty the petrol tank first before tipping it over to empty the oil? If so what are my options, I would have to siphon out the petrol?

Thanks

New Home

You could get one of these manual pumps and use it to remove some of the oil. Or to remove the petrol, if you prefer to tip the lawnmower to remove the oil. Don't use it for both, though.

KildareP

There'll be a drain underneath the cutting deck, over the blade, usually.

No damage unless you started it!

fiacha

How far above the fill line on the dipstick is it ?
Disconnect the spark plug and slowly pull the starter rope a few times. Check the level again. If you still need to remove oil, you can buy a syphon or use a couple feet of garden hose (clean and dry !).

If you are really stuck, use a clean - dry rag to soak up some oil.

There should be a drain plug on the bottom of the engine, but better off syphoning it if you are not comfortable working on the engine.

You haven't done any harm yet.
Once the petrol cap is on properly, you should be able to tip the engine on its side without spilling a load of fuel everywhere. Make sure that the air filter is kept higher than the oil fill hole. This option can get messy fast if you are not careful.


Have a look on Youtube. Loads of videos on petrol lawnmowers coving this kind of thing.

Needles73

Just tip the mower on its side and drain out the filler cap.

lawnmower101

Thanks a lot for the replies, really appreciate it.
It’s a relief to know there won’t be long term damage.
I think there is possibly 500ml overfill to come out.
I’ll let it settle over night and try to get it out tomorrow so.

GreeBo

fiacha wrote: »

Once the petrol cap is on properly, you should be able to tip the engine on its side without spilling a load of fuel everywhere.

Petrol caps allow the tank to breathe so they are not airtight, be careful if you are turning it upside down, fuel will come out.

Vikings

lawnmower101 wrote: »

Thanks a lot for the replies, really appreciate it.
It’s a relief to know there won’t be long term damage.
I think there is possibly 500ml overfill to come out.
I’ll let it settle over night and try to get it out tomorrow so.

If you are in Dublin go to Seahorse Aquariums in Ballymount and buy plastic tube (might be able to pick it up in any DIY but I know for sure you'll find it an an aquarium shop) which is used for cleaning out fish tanks.

Buy 1-2m long and diameter narrow enough to fit in where you fill it. Siphon out the oil using the clean tubing. Put one end in the oil and use your mouth to suck the oil up - stop before it gets to your mouth - then pop your finger over the top of the tube. While keeping your finger on it and holding the vacuum, bring the tube to a container that is lower than the lawnmower and gravity should do the rest and drain as much as you want.

It would help to raise the lawnmower give it a bit of height on a table of you can

colm_mcm

There will be a drain bolt underneath.

The Enbalmer

Vikings wrote:

Buy 1-2m long and diameter narrow enough to fit in where you fill it. Siphon out the oil using the clean tubing. Put one end in the oil and use your mouth to suck the oil up - stop before it gets to your mouth - then pop your finger over the top of the tube. While keeping your finger on it and holding the vacuum, bring the tube to a container that is lower than the lawnmower and gravity should do the rest and drain as much as you want.

Very hard to siphon oil through an aquarium tube..because it's so viscous it doesn't really flow.

New Home

That's why I suggested the pump.

deezell

If you can't find the sump plug, tip the mower first to drain the Petrol into a container, say an empty plastic quality street box or some such. Do this outdoors and carefully. Put this back in your petrol can. Now you can tip to empty the oil.

pablo128

Lads a lot of mowers particularly Honda engines don't have a drain plug. The oil comes out the same way it went in.

You could wrap a load of tissue around the fuel cap and then tip it on its side. Remember, you don't have to get every last drop of oil out as it's fresh and you'll be putting more in.

Newer mowers can and do have sensors which won't allow the mower to start with too much or too little oil.

GreeBo

Siphon the fuel out with a bit of hose and then drain the oil out the same way it went in.

MacDanger

lawnmower101 wrote: »

The problem is the manual (which i have now read!) says the lawnmower should only be tipped up once the petrol tank is empty or else there could be a fire or an explosion.

- Have I done damage to the engine at this point or if I get it out will it be ok?
- Do I need to remove the oil asap?
- Do I really have to empty the petrol tank first before tipping it over to empty the oil? If so what are my options, I would have to siphon out the petrol?

Thanks

The explosion (more likely a fire than an explosion in any event) part would only be applicable if there is a heat source (i.e. if you had the engine running or just turned it off) so it's fine from that point of view to tip it although as others have posted, some petrol may leak out.