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Snake Oil?

Geo-TH,In

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
My terramite has been sitting for a few months in an unheated pole barn. It has a 20 hp kohler command, hydraulic lifters, 2000 hours. I use 10w30 oil. It was a warm day. It fired up hitting on one cylinder.
I felt like either a lifter was sticking or a valve wasn't closing properly. After a few seconds it started hitting on both cylinders.
Short of looking at plugs to see which cylinder may have a problem, what is the best snake oil for hydraulic lifters?
Any snake oil for sticking valves or removing rust off the valve stem or valve?

I have some Lucas diesel or gas treatment. Will that help?
Also have Howes and sea foam.

I plan to add snake oil to fuel and oil, park it outside and let it run full speed for awhile. Hope I don't have to remove the head.
 
(quoted from post at 08:21:43 12/21/21) My terramite has been sitting for a few months in an unheated pole barn. It has a 20 hp kohler command, hydraulic lifters, 2000 hours. I use 10w30 oil. It was a warm day. It fired up hitting on one cylinder.
I felt like either a lifter was sticking or a valve wasn't closing properly. After a few seconds it started hitting on both cylinders.
Short of looking at plugs to see which cylinder may have a problem, what is the best snake oil for hydraulic lifters?
Any snake oil for sticking valves or removing rust off the valve stem or valve?

I have some Lucas diesel or gas treatment. Will that help?
Also have Howes and sea foam.

I plan to add snake oil to fuel and oil, park it outside and let it run full speed for awhile. Hope I don't have to remove the head.
Click to expand...

I DOUBT it's a hydraulic lifter issue, unlikely one would "pump up" while the machine was sitting idle, and if sticky/not extending you would have a valve "tick" but probably NOT a miss.

As I recall, Kohler is very specific as to what oil they want in those engines, personally I use Mobil1 synthetic in all my small engines with GREAT results (less (no) stuck valve/bent pushrod issues).

I would start with the most basic thing and take a look at (and likely replace) the sparkplugs.
 
I have successfully used Sea Foam to clean up sticking valves, lifters and rods. I have seen the replies on the forum calling it snake oil, but, call it what you want, it has worked for me.
 
I'll check plugs first. I have used an IR heat gun to determine which cylinder isn't firing.

This miss fire only lasted a few seconds. A lot of black smoke too. Ran fine after the hiccup.

Think I'll fill it with synthetic oil, seafoam and run it hard. Check plugs too.
 
Not sure if they make it anymore but I had good luck with Rislone in those situations. Another one is Marvel Mystery Oil or something like that ?? There are times when snake oil may actually help ... Someone may Google it and let you know whats best lol ???

John T
 

At least one plugs fired till the combustion process leaned out. All my V-twins sputter after a long set except the one on NG its always starts on all cylinders.
 
HoBo
How can one cylinder be too rich when both
cylinders use same single barrel carb with
fixed jets?
That's what's troubling. One was firing
and the other clearly wasn't and black
smoke. You would have thought it was a
diesel. Black smoke clearly rich until
both cylinders fired.
 
I have added Marvel Mystery Oil to my small engine fuel to inhibit valve sticking. I don't actually know that it works.

You might also consider 'fogging oil', available at boat shops. You spray it done the carburetor before you store an engine.
 
I have gone through a couple of quarts of MMM over the years and really didn't find any plusses. I picked up on Sea foam on outboard forums and started using that in the pint liquid or pint aerosol, about 15 years ago and now is part of my lubrication lineup...having proven itself worthy.
 
I had a flat head 6 that was noisey and ran poorly. I used what
I had which was STP. I had the engine at a high idle and
poured a glop of STP in the carb. It almost choked it off and
made a lot of smoke but it quieted down and smoothed out
 

cvphoto111618.png
 
I use a laser heat gun almost every day for something. Checking cast iron skillet temp for blackened NY steaks is just one. Bearings on NH Baler is another.
 
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