We have a ten year Rover lawnmower showing its age, and it didn't sound too good, so we decided to give it a makeover. After doing some research online and watching Youtube videos, it was time to have a go! We bought some of the parts from Bunnings, but the rest came from eBay.
The first part was to give everything a general clean and then replaced the air filter, spark plug, muffler and put in new synthetic oil. I had leftover Nulon 5W-30 motor oil, which was compatible with my 450 series Briggs and Stratton mower.
Being ten years old, the paint was peeling off the motor, and you could see the bare metal. So, I decided to give it a respray. It's easier than you think and anyone can do this. First, sand the surface and then clean meticulously and let the surface dry. Cover the mower with garbage bags, and you are now ready to go. For the paint, I used some Dulux Black engine paint from Repco.
A light spray each time and repeat until you are happy with the coverage. The temptation is to spray too much, just walk away, let it dry and then do another light spray. I then covered the motor with a high heat clear coat which you can buy from any auto shop. Let everything dry, remove the garbage bags and just marvel at your new lawnmower. It took me about 4-5 days as I needed to let the paint dry, but all up I would say 6-7 hrs to do the maintenance.
I started up the mower, and it sounded and looked great. My son who does the lawn thought I had bought a new one.
Some other tips: Before you start any maintenance, disconnect the spark plug. Take your time, do it with the kids and have some fun.
Without the fuel tank
Some of the parts were from Bunnings
All parts reassembled and ready to go
