Metal In Motion Shop Hours, Location, and Information

Metal In Motion is a small engine repair shop that is based in Lenoir City, TN. We work on riding mowers, push mowers, chainsaws, weed-eaters, and blowers, just to name a few. If you are a resident of Knoxville, Farragut, Lenoir City, or even Maryville TN and you are having trouble with your lawn mower or any of your outdoor power equipment, come on by and let us assist you!

Metal In Motion values your business and we appreciate our past customers. As a way of saying thank you we credit $5 to your account for each new customer who mentions your name when they bring equipment in for repair. Previous customer can then deduct that credit off their next tune-up or repair bill.

Are you a previous customer? Do you have a google account? If so, you can click the link below to sign in and rate what you thought of Metal in Motion’s quality and service. If you leave a review for Metal In Motion, a $5 credit will be deducted off of your next bill. Thanks again and we really do appreciate your support!

*To rate this business click the orange link below. Then click the red “write a review” button on the next page. Once you sign in to your account you will be able to leave a review. RATE METAL IN MOTION

SHOP HOURS

Mon-Fri    8am-5pm

Sat-Sun      Closed

LOCATION

516 Hwy 321 Suite 1, Lenoir City, TN 37771

We are .08 mile fro Hwy 321 and Hwy 11 intersection on the left across from the Inn of Lenoir.

View Larger Map
Phone: 865-816-9223

Email: josh@metalinmotionshop.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/metalinmotion

Or find me in Googlemaps.com

A Small Engine Repair Tip for two-strokes!

Upon receiving my last Husqvarna trimmer, the owner informed me that it wouldn’t run. Of course I hear that a lot in small engine repair! But the reason behind this weed eater problem was one I’ve not encountered in awhile. Typically the cause to this problem usually shows up as a weed eater that stars and idles, but will not accelerate without dying, or even a hard to weed eater. What was the cause? A dirty spark arrestor. What is that? A spark arrestor is a small screen that is placed within the mufflers of most, if not all 2-strokes. Its job is to catch the sparks as they make it past the combustion chamber and down into the muffler. Without this screen there is the potential of catching something on fire, i.e the dry grass that you set your weed eater onto, or any kind of flammables that are lying around you garage.
What causes a spark arrestor to become stopped up? Simple. Any 2-stoke that smokes is at high risk for a plugged spark arrestor. The unburned oil and gas form carbon on the inside of the muffler. This carbon works its way into the tiny holes in the screen, until the point at which the engine cannot breath. Keeping your 2-strokes clean and tuned up can help prevent this. Otherwise, removing the screen and cleaning it with some solvent and a brush is the only solution.

Carburetor Overhaul from a 20hp Briggs and Stratton V-twin

Last weekend I decided to get a neighbors Yard Machine riding mower running. It was a 20hp v-twin Briggs and Stratton. I cranked the engine over and over but it never would start. After a couple of quick diagnostics I came to the conclusion that it must be the carburetor. After asking my neighbor about the mower he said that it had been sitting since last season. Upon taking the carburetor apart this is what I found, just as I had expected.

1- old gas that has gelled to the outside of the metering jet
2- gas that gelled and settled to bottom of the float bowl. Notice the
inside of the bowl is also rusted. If this goes to far, the bowl will have to be replaced.

SOLUTION? A carburetor overhaul!
COST? $60-$120
PREVENTION? Simply add a fuel stabilizer or drain your fuel before storing! It’s that simple!

Scored Connecting Rod From a 14hp Briggs and Stratton

Here is a picture I took of a connecting rod that came out of a Simplicity riding mower with a 14hp Briggs and Stratton. I replaced this connecting rod with a new one because the owner ran the motor too low on oil. Notice how the metal discolors, and becomes rough to the texture. Once the metal begins to overheat, the volatile properties in the oil get used up. As a result, the oil sticks to the engine parts as a tar-like paste. As the metal becomes rough, excess friction is produced between parts. If ran to long, parts can either weld together or break into pieces. This particular rod started coming apart, causing to much slack between it and the between the crank pin, which in turn made a loud knocking noise when the engine ran. In the pictures below, I wanted to give you an idea of the difference in texture and appearance from the one I removed, compared to a new one. Notice how smooth and clean the metal is on the inside of the connecting rod in the bottom picture. Though this picture is of a new rod, a good used one will look similar.

1-oil flow port- this allows the oil to access the crankshaft journal.
2-dark tar-like oil that has stuck in the scratches of the aluminum.
3-rough score marks that have etched the connecting rod end cap

Ignite your knowledge about Spark Plugs!

When it comes to small engine repair, spark plugs can tell you a lot! Something so cheap and yet so essential to a properly running motor. You would never imagine how much a spark plug can tell you about the condition of a running engine. I want to share with you a brief guide to understanding spark plugs. There are more than half a dozen different conditions a spark plug can create. The most common are the following three.

Normal                   Carbon Fouled                  Oil Fouled

(These pictures are the courtesy of Denso Iridium Power)

The first picture is a normal spark plug. Its center electrode is nice and tan. This means the plug is burning the gas properly and the engine rings are in good shape since there is no oil present.

The middle picture has a dry black deposit over the entire bottom. This is due to a rich air-to-fuel mixture which means there is more gas than air going into the engine. The most common causes are a dirty air filter or an improperly adjusted carburetor. If the wrong spark plug is being used, this can also contribute to more black deposit accumulation.

The third picture is oil fouled. Notice it is also black, but it much more oily. As an engine wears out the piston rings lose their seal. When this seal is broken the oil in the crankcase seeps around the piston rings and coats the bottom of the spark plug. This oil is not able to be burned off. Instead it will stop the spark plug from sparking. To fix this will require an engine rebuild.

A picture of how water mixes with gas

This is just a quick picture of how water mixes with the gas. I pulled this out of a Briggs and Stratton gas tank. The layer on top is gas, which can be seen as a yellow color. The bottom layer is water, and is a foggy white color.
Water can get into gas either through the gas cap, or the air filter when equipment goes uncovered in bad weather, or when being washed. So take caution when washing or storing your equipment outside.

How a dirty air filter effects your engine.

Many times we hear about things that must be done to properly maintain our lawn equipment. Change the oil every 25hrs! Check the filter! Winterize your equipment before storing! But do you know why? My goal is not only to fix equipment, but share why this is important, and what effect it has on the engine. Here are 2 reasons why its important to change your air filter at the recommended intervals.

Reason #1 – A dirty air filter will cause a good engine to run bad!

A dirty air filter, such as the one in the picture, will cause the engine to run as if the choke was always on. This choke affect will cause the engine to run rough and puff out blue smoke. Blue smoke means that raw gas is going unburned, and because of this, is passing through the muffler and into the air.

Reason #2- A dirty air filter raises the chances of fouling your spark plugs!

The second reason its important not to run dirty filter is because it can lead to spark plug failure. When an engine is run with a dirty air filter, the extra gas that is drawn into the engine (due to the choke affect) will accumulate on the bottom of the spark plug. This build-up is a black powdery deposit. If it becomes to thick, it can lead to spark plug failure.

It conclusion, regular maintenance keeps money in your pocket. It is that simple!

PS. Don’t wait until your filters look like this to bring them in for a tune-up!!!!

(Air Filter is off of a 5.5hp Intek Briggs and Stratton rototiller)

If you do not feel comfortable doing any of the things listed above, just know that Metal In Motion is there to help. So stop by Lenoir City, and give us a visit! To find us just click here