# Wheres the Model # at?



## hopper16 (Jul 17, 2005)

I was just givin a Murry 18hp com/indst. riding mower, I am guessing its a early 90's model. The sticker on the back where the model # should be is worn away and cannot be read, is there another place to look for the # on the frame or something? Also when I drained the oil it had gas in it, what kind of problems can i expect from this.....seals shot or something, or should I just put fresh oil in it?


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

ok, you most likely got a apposed twin 18 horse I/C engine.....i/c being industrial commercial. and the oil having gas in it, means maybe problems, yes because if it was run like that and unexpectingly crapped out....well... the model number of the mower may help a small engine shop determine, but if its an apposed twin I/C, if they have any sense about them they should know what your talking about, they are good engines. look for a stamped model, code, and type number on the shroud somewhere on the engine, unless it only had a sticker with them on it. but gas in the oil isn't bad, per say, unless it was run like that and had problems after. also i'd go ahead and rebuild the carb if its been setting out for a while.


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## hopper16 (Jul 17, 2005)

not sure what the running condition was when it crapped out. It was my parents and my "not the sharpest knife in the drawer" step-brother must have had problems with it and kept trying to start it until it was flooded or something, the starter was shot too. I found a few wires cut and spliced????? and a wire disconected from the coil, so hard tellin whats going on. I am in taking the motor right off tomorrow and go through the wires and stuff. And i see the flywheel magnets are real rusty too.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well, the wiring problems may be from him or somebody trying to bypass the kill switches. hense he took the kill wire from the coil, meaning he had to manualy kill the engine. the flywheel magnets being rusty really wouldn't affect it much, but you could go ahead and wire brush em clean, gap that mag with a dollar bill till the bill drags but still comes out


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## hopper16 (Jul 17, 2005)

cool, thanx for the info Bugman. I have went to the Murry web site about the model # problem but waiting for a reply. I would think they stamp the # in the frame somewhere. I found another issue also, was the gas cap/gauge lens was broke so rain water got in the tank, took it off and trying to get the water out.
So what u r saying is that the small wire on the magneto is a kill switch? Once i find the model # I will be able to clear alot of things up with a repair manual.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well, murray does stamp em, unless the plate was removed, or got broken off somehow, or they used a sticker. but i think it should be a metal plate stamped with the numbers, and date riveted on.


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## hopper16 (Jul 17, 2005)

they use a sticker about like renewal stickers for car plates. I can clearly see someone peeled it off to make it hard for the next guy......it worked. Murry is very hard to get ahold of, must be a busy guy...lol, well ya have any ideas let me know.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well....its a murray, so they will be hard to get to since they have let go of many workers. i don't know if or when they will do out of buisness.


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## hopper16 (Jul 17, 2005)

in that case, maybe i can use this forum to get help. I guess my biggest thing is the wires that he cut/spliced made no sense. all i have is the 5 or 6 wires that come from the key, which are all there it looks like. second the volt meter is gone and not sure what wire ran that, most of the kill switches are disconnected, headlights are there, no wires though. right now everything is disconnected from the motor ( 2-wire plug on motor), can i get spark with nothing connected to the engine? or do i need to jump that connector?


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

you can get spark from it, with no wires hooked to the coil, but of course you'll have to pop the plug wire/s off to kill it, also make sure that kill wire doesn't touch the engine or it will ground. best bet is find another murray and either use that harness or follow the way it goes to make it simpler if you want to get the wiring back in order, sounds like he was trying to remove all the kill wires and ultimately screwed up somewhere and forgot where they went.


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