Pro Tips, News & Events

Valve cover gasket leak symptoms—oil weeping around the cover edge, sludge building up, that distinct burning oil smell, and oil showing up on lower engine surfaces—often start small but get worse over time. This guide covers how to spot an active leak, tell it apart from other upper-engine issues like a loose filler cap or a blocked breather, and figure out when it’s time to stop putting the repair off. We’ll walk through a practical five-step inspection process: clean the area and recheck, pay close attention to corners and bolt holes, trace oil tracks upward, check hot spots, and verify the oil level. Catching it early saves you from oil loss, fire risk, and the cost of replacing oil-soaked hoses and wiring on tractors, excavators, and loaders.

Electrical issues can bring your John Deere equipment to a sudden halt. Knowing the John Deere fuse box diagram is essential for quick diagnostics and repairs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything about the John Deere fuse box, from the locations, the diagrams and how you can troubleshoot problems with it.

Wondering how many glow plugs are in a diesel? Most engines feature one glow plug per cylinder, but some use a single manifold heater. This guide explains the rule, covers different setups, and shows you how to spot failure signs.

Smoking, overheating, and power loss on diesel engines—especially tractors and skid steers that idle a lot—often trace back to carbon buildup. In this guide, we’ll take you through a six-step cleaning process: get the machine ready, open up access, scrape or blast away heavy deposits, run a chemical cleaner through, check the components, and button it back up. We’ll also look at where carbon collects (valves, pistons, EGR, turbo), help you decide when a cleanout is enough and when you need to replace parts instead, and give you some solid habits to keep carbon from piling up again—cut back on idling, use good fuel, and keep up with filter changes. One more thing: on Tier 4 machines, pull those fault codes first. If the DPF is plugged or the turbo is shot, cleaning isn’t going to fix it.

A lawn mower pull cord stuck can be frustrating. Our guide simplifies the fix. Use our symptom chart to diagnose the cause, then follow easy steps to clear a blocked blade, fix hydrolock, or repair the recoil starter.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a lawn tractor that won’t start or replacing a worn-out switch, understanding how your ignition switch works is essential. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about the 5-pole ignition switch diagram, from reading terminal labels and wiring connections to testing and diagnosing common failures.

Knowing your Cub Cadet mower’s year is key for buying the right parts. This guide shows you where to find the serial number on any Cub Cadet and how to decode it to find the exact manufacturing date for repairs and maintenance.

If you’re dealing with rough idle, hard starting, hesitation, or stalling, the usual suspect on a gas engine is unmetered air sneaking in. On a turbo diesel, the same symptoms are more likely an intake or boost leak. In this guide, we’ll go over the common signs, typical causes like cracked hoses and bad gaskets, and how to tell the difference between a vacuum leak and a boost leak. We’ll also cover some hands-on diagnostic steps—look things over visually, listen for air hissing, do a smoke test at 0.5–2 psi, and scan the data for clues. The sooner you catch it, the less you’ll have to deal with worsening performance, higher fuel consumption, and pricey downtime. Keep it simple and check the easy stuff first before jumping to worst-case conclusions.

A mower drive belt is an essential component for a smooth mowing experience. Once it fails, it may damage other components and lead to costly repairs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the Hustler Raptor drive belt diagram and how you can replace your belt on your own. Let’s get started!

This guide explains the Kohler throttle linkage diagram for popular engines like the 7000 Series and Courage 20. We cover how to properly install the linkage, perform a governor adjustment, and fix common problems like engine surging.

When should I cut my grass? That’s a question many mower beginners ask. As the expert says, the best time to mow your grass is late afternoon or early morning. Avoid cutting in the early morning when your grass is wet with dew or mowing grass after rain. A wise solution is to wait until your grass gets as dry as possible. If you have to mow in damp conditions, follow the tips mentioned above to minimize the damage.

When replacing intake and exhaust valves on off-road engines, mechanics typically replace them as a set along with springs, spring seats, stem seals, and locks—components you’ll find in a valve repair kit. This guide covers what intake and exhaust valves do, why the exhaust valve fails sooner under high heat, and which parts share the same wear cycle. Learn to recognize signs like compression loss, blue smoke, and valve train noise, and understand why matched replacement reduces repeat labor. Always verify engine model and valve dimensions before ordering—similar engines can use different stem diameters, spring rates, or seal designs.