- A motorcycle can take you to work or on weekend adventures. Rototillers help to manage your soil in flowerbeds and gardens, and riding lawnmowers and push mowers along with weed trimmers assist in the upkeep of your property. Chainsaws aid in cutting limbs and tress down, and snow blowers are a necessity in the northern states. All of these items have one thing in common: a small gas engine.
- A gasoline engine has fuel to operate and needs a clean exhaust system in order to supply the correct air exchange to run. Spark plugs are needed for the combustion in the engine when activating the starter or ignition. Small gas engines are air-cooled or fan cooled so that they do not overheat. Engines need lubrication to keep parts from binding and causing friction inside.
- Small, two-cycle engines in chainsaws and weed trimmers require the use of mixed fuel and oil to operate. This provides lubrication to all internal components. Small, four-cycle gas engines also require oil, but it is in a separate tank from the gas. Gasoline exits from the fuel tank through a fuel line and travels into the carburetor where it mixes with air for use in the engine. The exhaust system includes an air filter for the escaping fumes and air. The air filter must be clean in order to keep the air to gas ratio at a correct level so that a small engine can operate. If you have the problem of starting an appliance and then it dies quickly, check the fuel filter and the air filter to see if they need cleaning or replacing.
- Small engines that include a battery have an ignition coil, which causes a spark to light the fuel and air mixture to allow the engine to fire at the spark plugs. This is known as combustion. If there is more than one spark plug then the current flows to a distributor, which allows current to run to each spark plug through individual spark plug wires in a sequence as an alternating current. This allows each spark plug to fire independently of each other.
- An engine must remain cool in order to operate without overheating. Friction and combustion in a small engine produce heat. Lubrication reduces friction by the use of oil so that the moving components do not rub against each other. Excessive friction will cause undue wear on an engine and reduce its lifetime considerably. It is best to change oil filters at least once a year in all appliances to maintain clean oil without a high viscosity or thickness. Thick oil is a result of overuse, and it does not properly lubricate parts. Lubrication and airflow helps to keep your small gas engines cool and improves their life span.
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