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Harvey wins this round: my submerged lawnmower

Scorch

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Harvey came and my JD zero turn 757 lawnmower that was submerged in 4ft water for 8 days. I got it back to the house today and drained the engine oil, filled the crankcase with fresh oil and drained it again, then changed the filter and added the normal amount of oil. I siphoned all the gas/water from the fuel tank, and bled the fuel line. I removed the spark plugs and siphoned what water I could from the cylinders, and sprayed WD-40 in. I will drain the hydraulic oil and change the filter, and replace the fuel filter and air filter element. Last, I will replace the battery. I'll crank it over until I have displaced any residual water from the combustion chambers, then put the plugs back in and add fresh fuel.

Anything I am missing? Wish me luck!
 
Do it all again. Hand crank with a socket wrench on the flywheel before using the starter

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Harvey came and my JD zero turn 757 lawnmower that was submerged in 4ft water for 8 days. I got it back to the house today and drained the engine oil, filled the crankcase with fresh oil and drained it again, then changed the filter and added the normal amount of oil. I siphoned all the gas/water from the fuel tank, and bled the fuel line. I removed the spark plugs and siphoned what water I could from the cylinders, and sprayed WD-40 in. I will drain the hydraulic oil and change the filter, and replace the fuel filter and air filter element. Last, I will replace the battery. I'll crank it over until I have displaced any residual water from the combustion chambers, then put the plugs back in and add fresh fuel.

Anything I am missing? Wish me luck!

I would have a fan blowing on engine full time to make sure electrics are dry, and change oil again after a short run period. Spray everything with coat of WD40 especially carburetor and electric and cables. I bet you win round two. Keep us posted and just do it.
 
I submerged a dirt bike in a water crossing once. I changed the oil approx. 12 times before it stopped looking milky.
 
Take the plug out before starting. You really don't want to hydrolock it. Crank it and watch the water shoot out.

EDIT: I reread your post and you are good on this!

If you can tilt it, turn it on the exhaust side and let that water out.

I just went through this with Harvey on a Honda commercial push mower. I had it popping to start but I had to leave it before it was running. Trick I picked up from a local shop was to use carb cleaner to purge the fuel line to the carb.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Oh, and don't burn up the starter motor. None are capable of sustained cranking. 10 seconds bursts, no more than 3 before 30 minutes to cool.
 
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:tab I have never tried it, but I have been told that you can use kerosene or diesel to flush the oil system multiple times to get it clean before you start putting oil back in the system. This is MUCH cheaper than using oil, even if you use some kind of cheap oil. I was told to install new filter, put in the diesel or kerosene, make sure the spark plug is removed, then crank the engine to get everything circulating through all the little lines and ports. Jumper cables and/or a spare battery might be needed depending on how much cranking and flushing it takes. Once you think the system is mostly clean, do the last flush with oil and then top off with fresh oil.

:tab Diesel is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb water until it becomes saturated. Of course, once you do this, you will not want to use the diesel in any motors. But it would probably still work for lighting a back yard bonfire or something similar.
 
get two 12 volt batteries[ assuming its a 12 volt system] and wire them to starter independent of remaining electrics. with a TRUSTED friend, one runs controls, the other manually connects starter to 24 volt battery[two 12's in series]. short time run on old/used starter. good luck
 
get two 12 volt batteries[ assuming its a 12 volt system] and wire them to starter independent of remaining electrics. with a TRUSTED friend, one runs controls, the other manually connects starter to 24 volt battery[two 12's in series]. short time run on old/used starter. good luck

Put 24 VDC to a 12VDC starter to do what turn motor faster, wouldn't it be bad for starter? Just curious
 
One step closer--turned the motor over by hand and watched the oily water squirt from the spark plug holes. I was hoping to fire it up but ended by draining the hydraulic oil (which oddly enough is just motor oil). There is no drain plug for this, just the filter, and it's draining slooowly... may take all night, so I will check to see if it is done tomorrow.
 
I am hoping you dont have to rebuild the carb but its a real possibility.
 
:tab I have never tried it, but I have been told that you can use kerosene or diesel to flush the oil system multiple times to get it clean before you start putting oil back in the system. This is MUCH cheaper than using oil, even if you use some kind of cheap oil. I was told to install new filter, put in the diesel or kerosene, make sure the spark plug is removed, then crank the engine to get everything circulating through all the little lines and ports. Jumper cables and/or a spare battery might be needed depending on how much cranking and flushing it takes. Once you think the system is mostly clean, do the last flush with oil and then top off with fresh oil.

:tab Diesel is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb water until it becomes saturated. Of course, once you do this, you will not want to use the diesel in any motors. But it would probably still work for lighting a back yard bonfire or something similar.

That's what some boat mechanics do with flooded sailboat engines.
 
BTW: depending on how long the starter was run, for too long it would ruin the starter. That is why I recommended an old USED starter
 
Old used Kawasaki starters are not that easy to come by unlike Briggs.
Diesel is not hygroscopic in the slightest. That's why diesel powered vehicles all have water separator drains.
You use diesel in a engine because it acts like a solvent and cleans out sludge and goo very well.
 
Old used Kawasaki starters are not that easy to come by unlike Briggs.
Diesel is not hygroscopic in the slightest. That's why diesel powered vehicles all have water separator drains.
You use diesel in a engine because it acts like a solvent and cleans out sludge and goo very well.

Hygroscopic. I love that word! I always say "hydroscopic" though, even though I know it's not correct. It just sounds right. :doh:

Well, got off work and yep, all the oil drained out through the filter fitting, crazy that is drains so slowly. Anyway, put the new filter on and added two gallons of cheap O'Reilly motor oil to the reservoir for the initial run.

I looked over the carb to see if I could drain the bowl but it appears to be connected to the engine by magic, I can't see an easy way to remove it, so I sprayed some carb cleaner through the air inlet and said a prayer. Replaced the fuel filter then connected the new battery and turned the key... nothing.

:trust: Oh right, it has an interlock with the parking brake, so I moved the brake handle to the Park position, turned the key and it spun nicely, throwing out a fine mist from the plug holes. Yes! I screwed the plug back in and with my Papa hitting the carb with well timed spurts of starter fluid, it fired up and chugged to life. After a few minutes the engine smoothed out real nice like, so I threw the handles forward and away we went. I made some technical maneuvers, mostly right and left and circle, to give the hydraulics a whirl, then engaged the PTO. The engine slowed way down, almost died, but managed to keep going, the blades spun without mishap.

I let the engine run for another 10 minutes, then put her up. I'll get the new air filter when it comes in, run it again and then change oil and hydraulic oil again, and grease the hail out of it. Yay!
 
:tab I have never tried it, but I have been told that you can use kerosene or diesel to flush the oil system multiple times to get it clean before you start putting oil back in the system. This is MUCH cheaper than using oil, even if you use some kind of cheap oil. I was told to install new filter, put in the diesel or kerosene, make sure the spark plug is removed, then crank the engine to get everything circulating through all the little lines and ports. Jumper cables and/or a spare battery might be needed depending on how much cranking and flushing it takes. Once you think the system is mostly clean, do the last flush with oil and then top off with fresh oil.

:tab Diesel is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb water until it becomes saturated. Of course, once you do this, you will not want to use the diesel in any motors. But it would probably still work for lighting a back yard bonfire or something similar.

all correct, the only down side is, what to do with the now contaminated diesel .

and understand the diesel is really only going to absorb moisture.. That water film, that drop of watter hiding behind a boss in the engine.

the flushing of water with diesel is more using the diesel to "move" or "flush" IOW carry the water with it on the way out.... so yes 5 gal of diesel, and the motor over a large plastic tub, and repeatedly "flushing" the motor with that diesel to move the water out and absorb some along the way works pretty well.
 
I submerged a dirt bike in a water crossing once. I changed the oil approx. 12 times before it stopped looking milky.
I was there that day. Then 3 years later ended up buying that bike from you but forgot about the submarine ride in Peach Creek. Lol

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My bigger concern would be the hydrostatic transmission. If that is vented, as my Kubota is, water may have worked its way in there as well. I'd drain and have a look at the contents. You can always pour it back in if it's clean.
 
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