Glossary
Small Engine Mechanic Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential small engine mechanic terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key small engine mechanic vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in small engine mechanic training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Carburetor
- A device that mixes fuel and air.
- Choke
- A valve that enriches the fuel mixture for cold starting.
- Compression test
- A test that checks engine sealing.
- Deck
- The housing around a mower’s blades.
- Ethanol fuel issues
- Problems caused by ethanol absorbing water and gumming fuel systems.
- Flywheel key
- A small key that sets ignition timing; it can shear when a blade hits something.
- Four-stroke engine
- An engine with intake, compression, power and exhaust strokes.
- Fuel stabilizer
- An additive that keeps fuel fresh in storage.
- Governor
- A system that controls engine speed under load.
- Hydrostatic transmission
- A fluid-driven transmission used in many riding mowers.
- Ignition coil
- A part that creates the high voltage for the spark plug.
- Recoil starter
- The pull-rope starting mechanism.
- Spark arrestor
- A screen that prevents sparks from leaving the exhaust.
- Two-stroke engine
- An engine that completes a power cycle in two strokes, often using mixed fuel.
- Valve lash
- The clearance between valves and rockers.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Small Engine Mechanic practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Small Engine Mechanic training.
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