I don't know about Honda but Briggs or Tecumseh should never be turned
upside down unless the oil has been removed first. Oil will migrate from the
base to the top of the engine and cause severe smoking etc. After you have
changed the oil and have the thing started, keep it running and the smoking
should subside.
"Steve B" wrote in message
...
Well, I pulled the Honda 5.5hp self propelled lawnmower out of a storage
unit after sitting for more than a year.

Yeah, I know. Don't start.

The thing started, but blew oil and gas out the exhaust in big volumes.

So, I did the smart thing, and shut it off.

I then turned it over and drained the bad gas. I refilled with fresh, and
checked the oil level, which was good.

I refired it, and it ran, but smoked quite a bit. I had to run it with
the choke on to keep it running. I mowed a small area, and the whole
time, it ran better and better with less smoke. I stopped a couple of
times to check the oil level, which was always good.

What was all that stuff that blew out at first?

I'm going to change oil, and drain and refill the tank once again before
doing any mowing. For a moment there, I thought it had blown a ring.

Anyone have one of these act like this? I hope to use it on a regular
enough basis now that it won't sit long enough for the gas to go bad.

Steve