With a loud thud, the engine quits and you feel your heart sink into your gut. You just drove through that deep puddle, water got sucked into the air intake, and now the cylinders are full of liquid. It is…
Who has not felt that pit in their stomach after seeing a thick cloud of white smoke pour out of their tailpipe? It looks scary, it smells weird, and it usually happens when you are already running late. I have…
Since I bought my first truck, I learned that diesels are tough beasts. They work hard, they pull heavy loads, and they last forever if you treat them right. But these engines are picky about how you feed and maintain…
You might think a new truck is ready to haul a trailer the second you drive it off the lot. That is a dangerous mistake. Diesel engines need a specific break-in period to seat the rings and clear out tiny…
As we all know, diesel engines hate air in the fuel lines. It stops them from starting or causes them to sputter and die. I remember the first time this happened to me, I sat on the side of the…
When I first fixed a neighbor’s lawnmower, I never thought it would become a way to make extra cash. It started with just a dirty spark plug and some gummed-up fuel. I realized that most people just toss perfectly good…
Each time I look at a messy pile of wires under a hood, I feel that familiar itch to just cut them all and start fresh. Most people fear electrical work because one wrong move leads to a short circuit…
Whether you have an old lawnmower or a project bike in the garage, a stuck engine is a nightmare. You pull the cord, the kickstart is solid as a rock, and you start to worry about the cost of a…
Some days you walk out to the garage, pull the cord on your mower, and nothing happens. It is the worst feeling when you have chores to do. I have been there plenty of times with my old equipment. You…
The first time my mower backfired, I thought the world was ending. It made a loud pop, spat out smoke, and refused to restart. I spent hours cursing at the spark plug, but the issue was buried deep inside the…