Thanks for the follow up guys. I am a little anal-retentive with oil changes, "cheapest insurance you can buy" as my grandpa says. Most of my equipment I run HD-30 oil in, and I've actually employed the fuel injector cleaner tip before. I picked up a wisconsin-robin engined commerical snapper from the side of the road. Worked great for a couple of years, then the 20+ year old engine started to really lose compression. Just bit the bullet and bought a Husqvarna 7021R with the 160cc Honda, very nice. Thanks again guys, and any more advice / ideas / tips you care to offer up I'll take 'em!

Charles, Yeah, I understand that the 4Mix is indeed a totally new engine. And after reading your last post, I can see where it is an OHV enging just from the shrouds. And I would never turn over an engine full of fluid. I've seen photos of hydrolocked engine damage and it is NOT pretty! I was mererly inquiring if it were maybe possible to put in a tiny bit of fluid and give it a gentle pull or two. Certainly nowhere near enough fluid to fill the combustion chamber when the piston is at TDC. Then, after decoking, the plug is removed and all fluid is expelled from giving the starter a good yank or two. I have done this on a 2stroke snowthrower that I "degunked" years ago. But then Charles, while not impossible, it would be harder to hydrolock a 2stroke as most of the excess water would be blown out the exhaust port during the upswing of the cylinder. But once again, I did not fill the entire chamber with gumout. I poured in a little bit while the cylinder was at TDC. And the excess went out the exhaust port during cranking with the wire off. If anything, restarting the engine with ether when I was all finished was probably the most dangerous thing I did. ;-) As for the old engine, I posted it so that other readers of this thread that may not understand what I mean by a flathead engine can see for themselves. Most lawn mower engines, and I am guessing other 4stroke trimmer engines, are of the flathead design. A very simple design to work on unless you need to replace a valve. Yeah, I understand my engines. :) While I have never done a full rebuild of an automotive engine, I have helped with head gasket replacements and cam changes on SB Chevy engines. Surely if one can do that, anything I may need to do to my 4mix in the future would be a simple task. Yeah, I know I may seem pessimistic at times, Charles. But keep in mind I am a DIY person with regards to small engines. I have the tools and would only need to buy feeler gauges to work on the 4mix. As it is only new with 3 hours use, I know decoking is a long ways off. However, since this is an engine totally new to me, I may ask questions that may seem redundant. But they are for the purpose of gathering information. As you said earlier, maybe somebody has already done a decoke and valve adjust. And I can easily apply their experiences for my own use. While my Stihl dealer is a first class operation and is Gold Level certified, if I can do the maintenance/adjustment work myself, that is more money in my pocket. After all, if my car needs a brake job or, say a tie rod end, I do the work myself. So therefore I would do the decoke/adjust myself. That gives me more money for future accessories! :-D Don

Good job Scott! Yeah, linseed oil leaves much to be desired! It takes forever to dry, and mildew really favors this stuff. To my knowledge, there's no "natural" stain that can stand up to foot traffic, rain, freezing, & harsh sun. Ain't gonna happen. Start with a clean sanded deck. Choose a quality stain from Sikkens, Cabot, Superdeck, or Penofin. You'll still have to re-stain every 2-4 yrs. though to stay AHEAD of damage. Faron

I was actually reading an article the other day saying that no wood finish has actually been officially FDA approved as food safe. However they're all generally considered safe lacking evidence to the contrary. Anyway, here's what Flexner says about the food-safety of driers (and presumably this applies to mineral spirits as well). "Salad-bowl finish is simply a wiping varnish. The implication in the name is that it is safe for contact with food and for small children who might chew on the finished wood. It is safe of course, once it has cured, but so are all the other available varnishes and wiping varnishes. The safety concern is the metallic driers used to speed the drying of the finish. Lead was once used and it isnÂt safe. But lead isnÂt used anymore. It takes several driers to replace the lead, and there are only a few driers available. So all varnishes use essentially the same driers. There is no difference in the safety factor of any of these driers. All are safe. ItÂs amazing to me how the food-safe myth continues to be repeated in woodworking circles. (And more amazing still that salad-bowl finish is considered safe while the other wiping varnishes arenÂt!) Food safety is a non-issue. All finishes currently available to woodworkers are safe to eat off of or chew on once the finish has fully cured. Curing occurs faster the thinner the film and the warmer the surrounding air. Press your nose up against the hardened finish and take a whiff. If you can smell anything, the finish isnÂt cured. Give it some more time." Here is a link that might be useful: Flexner article on varnishes