Too Much Oil in a Bad Boy Zero Turn (This Happens)

Most people are aware it’s not good to run an engine low on oil so they check to make sure the crankcase is full before running an engine. However, they are not always aware that adding too much oil can cause problems.

Too much engine oil in a Bad Boy zero-turn mower may cause engine damage due to overheating, seal damage, blown gaskets, or a hydrolocked engine.

It can foul the spark plugs and cause the engine to smoke when excess oil is burned off in a hot engine.

You may get lucky and only have to correct the engine oil level and not incur significant damage. However, if you are not lucky, significant engine work or an engine replacement may be required to get your engine performing well.

Before troubleshooting your engine problem, remove the spark plug wires and wait for the engine to cool. Consult an experienced small engine mechanic for significant engine issues.

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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.

5 Effects of Too Much Engine Oil in a Bad Boy Zero Turn

1. Engine Seal Damage

Pressure builds in the crankcase when too much oil is added. This increased pressure may blow out the seals.

It’s important to address an oil leak due to seal damage right away. If you don’t, you may end up with a blown engine due to running out of oil.

When you run out of oil, the excessive heat of the engine can spin a rod or weld itself to the crankshaft.

This intense heat can also break the rod and send it out to the side of the engine block and the piston can weld itself to the cylinder causing it to seize.

2. Engine May Overheat

The engine manufacturer has an oil requirement that will keep the engine performing at its best. When you place more oil in the engine than recommended, the crankshaft and rod will have to push through the additional oil.

Not only will they not be able to move freely, but the pressure will also build in the crankcase and put the internal engine parts under load.

The valve spring and rocker arm will get hot and the oil might not flow properly which can create more heat. Aluminum, the material most engines are built with, gets very hot intensifying the problem.

The engine can get so hot it can pop out a valve guide or a valve seat from the engine block. If this happens to your engine you will need to have your engine scraped out by an experienced small engine mechanic.

3. Engine May Lock Up

The engine may begin turning over very hard when oil finds its way into the cylinder because of excess oil in the crankcase.

If the oil gets past the rings, due to wear, it could lock up the engine. This is what is known as hydro locked. The combustion chamber, which should only have air and a small amount of fuel in it, now has oil in it.

When compression is added, the piston cannot compress the oil and it becomes hydro locked. There is a good possibility the piston will bend when you go to start the engine.

4. Engine May Not Run Well

Sometimes when there is too much oil in your engine it will run, but not very well. Too much engine oil can get to the spark plug and foul out the plug.

The oil inhibits the spark that is needed to fire the fuel properly.

Another reason why your lawn mower may not run well is that oil can find its way into the valve train. This oil gets burned in the cylinder and you will find yourself in a thick cloud of whitish blue stinky smoke.

In addition to the smoke, when the air filter becomes clogged, the engine may pull air and oil out of the crankcase.

Check out this article for additional reasons a Bad Boy zero turn will begin smoking.

5. Engine May Blow Gaskets

The excessive pressure from overfilling the crankcase may blow gaskets. Replacing gaskets on a Bad Boy twin-cylinder engine is more expensive than repairs on a push mower engine because you will have to remove the engine from the lawn mower resulting in additional labor costs.

In Summary

Adding a little additional oil may not seem like a big deal, but it is actually a huge deal that can result in requiring a significant repair or an engine replacement.

So when doing oil changes or adding oil check twice and only add what is required by your engine manufacturer. Don’t assume a going over the required amount will be okay.

Don’t continue to run your Bad Boy when you notice engine problems. Consult an experienced small engine technician when you experience engine problems that aren’t able to be fixed with a simple oil change or engine repair.

The technician can perform tests on the engine to determine if it is repairable or if it should be replaced.

How to Remove Excess Oil From a Bad Boy Zero Turn

If you overfilled your engine oil, you need to get the oil down to the correct level. The first thing you need to do is remove the spark plug wire for safety. There are several different ways to remove engine oil from your Bad Boy mower.

1. Drain Plug or Valve Port: You need to find the drain plug or valve port on the engine if your lawn mower has one. It may be found on the side of the engine by the dipstick or at the bottom of the oil pan under the lawn mower.
   
   Have your drain pan ready to collect the oil. Remove the plug for a quick second and replace it. Check your oil level.
   
2. Oil Filter: If your engine uses an oil filter, you can drain a little oil by loosening or removing the oil filter to drain a little oil. Have a rag ready to collect the oil.
   
3. Fill Hole: Your mower may not have a drain plug or oil filter. Many small engines on push mowers do not have a drain plug and you have to tip the mower over to drain a little oil out of the fill hole.
   
4. Oil Extractor Pump: An oil evacuator works well to remove oil. An extractor will remove oil through a tube inserted into the engine oil fill hole.
   
5. Turkey Baster: A turkey baster works well for removing small amounts of oil. Just make sure you don’t reuse it for cooking purposes after using it in your engine. These are pretty inexpensive to replace.

How to Not Overfill Engine Oil

Before you change your lawn mower’s engine oil you need to look at your owner’s manual to find your engine oil capacity.

If you don’t have your owner’s manual, you can always use Google or the search engine of your choice to find the crankcase capacity. Most v-twin engines will take approximately 2 quarts.

The best way not to overfill your engine oil is to know your crankcase capacity and initially add in about 1/2 quart less than required. Then add a little bit at a time and check the oil level on your oil gauge or dipstick. Keep checking the oil until you hit your mark.

Will Too Much Oil Prevent Your Mower from Starting?

Too much engine oil can prevent your Bad Boy engine from running. The oil pan on the small engines used on lawn mowers is small.

There is not much room for error with such a small space. If you put too much oil in an engine your engine can hydrolock.

Hydrolocking is when oil gets up into the cylinder and past the piston. The oil then fills up the combustion chamber not allowing the piston to move to the top of the combustion chamber.

The piston is designed to compress air and not oil or water. When you pull on the rope or start the engine with an electric starter the oil will not compress and it won’t let the piston move. This is referred to as being hydro locked.

Too much oil can also foul out the spark plug and not allow the engine to run. Another damage too much oil can do to an engine is oil getting into the carburetor through the valve train causing the engine not to run.

This oil can pass through the carburetor and into the air filter which will also cause your engine not to run.