Craftsman with Kohler engine leak

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Jun 5, 2010
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Florida
I'm not versed in small engines at all, and I bought a running riding lawnmower that has worked fine but has developed an oil leak. Seems like it's fairly common and could be an easy fix. I am mechanically inclined, just not sure where to start. I took a picture of the leak and have been surfing YouTube to get a better idea, but I've had good success from input on BITOG.

Feel free to school me on maintenance and what products will keep this thing in tip top shape!
 

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The first step would be to to clean it up and try to pinpoint the leak. I don’t know how well you can access the underside of the machine.
 
The used LT150 I bought has a Kohler. It had 2 leaks when I got it. One was the valve cover, the other was the lower main crankshaft seal. Neither were very hard to fix. As @PimTac suggested clean the oil up first to try and find the source. The air movement off the flywheel will sling the oil leak all over and make diagnosing a dirty unit much harder.

just my $0.02
 
The first step would be to to clean it up and try to pinpoint the leak. I don’t know how well you can access the underside of the machine.

Yes, I did clean the area first. The frustration is I don't see a drip, but obviously a small puddle forms near the left front tire.
 
The used LT150 I bought has a Kohler. It had 2 leaks when I got it. One was the valve cover, the other was the lower main crankshaft seal. Neither were very hard to fix. As @PimTac suggested clean the oil up first to try and find the source. The air movement off the flywheel will sling the oil leak all over and make diagnosing a dirty unit much harder.

just my $0.02
I'd like to just change those out anyway. Mind sharing where you got the parts and if you used a tutorial of some sort?
 
Valve Cover leak is usually noticed on startup with a puff of smoke. Before you do anything, like changing parts, make sure the breather tube is clear and does not have any cracks in it.
 
I'd like to just change those out anyway. Mind sharing where you got the parts and if you used a tutorial of some sort?
My engine is in a John Deere LT150 so I got the crank seal at the dealership. The valve cover used RTV.

I looked on line and didn’t find anything for a JD. Now a Koehler in a Craftsman might be different.

Just my $0.02
 
Need pics of the engine, the hood is closed? What Kohler engine is it? If is a courage it likely has a cracked case.
Those pics very funny. They show nothing of importance to the problem at hand. A picture of oil spotted card board? Really?
 
I find it hard to believe that the case gasket would go bad. Instead I would suspect either loose bolts holding the block together or a warped block or sump.
 
The used LT150 I bought has a Kohler. It had 2 leaks when I got it. One was the valve cover, the other was the lower main crankshaft seal. Neither were very hard to fix. As @PimTac suggested clean the oil up first to try and find the source. The air movement off the flywheel will sling the oil leak all over and make diagnosing a dirty unit much harder.

just my $0.02

Well I changed the valve cover gaskets and although it stopped part of the leak while not running, there is still a significant leak after I ran the mower. I took more pictures, but I didn't see anything noticeably wet under the engine, most of the oil was built up around the lower valve cover area.

The cardboard area was dry for days prior to running the engine, so the leak occurs after running. No noticeable smoke, runs fine.
 

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Well I changed the valve cover gaskets and although it stopped part of the leak while not running, there is still a significant leak after I ran the mower. I took more pictures, but I didn't see anything noticeably wet under the engine, most of the oil was built up around the lower valve cover area.

The cardboard area was dry for days prior to running the engine, so the leak occurs after running. No noticeable smoke, runs fine.
If you are certain those areas were clean get underneath the mower and feel the top of the pulley for the belt drive on the crankshaft. That’s where mine was leaking the most. The valve cover had a small leak but the majority was the crank seal. You will also want to check the oil pan seal. On my Koehler it was RTV. You could have some loose bolts and a bad seal that the crankcase pressure forces oil out. It sucks but the best thing I found was to pull the engine and work on a bench.

Just my $0.02
 
If you are certain those areas were clean get underneath the mower and feel the top of the pulley for the belt drive on the crankshaft. That’s where mine was leaking the most. The valve cover had a small leak but the majority was the crank seal. You will also want to check the oil pan seal. On my Koehler it was RTV. You could have some loose bolts and a bad seal that the crankcase pressure forces oil out. It sucks but the best thing I found was to pull the engine and work on a bench.

Just my $0.02
Well now is the time to pull the engine lol I have a push mower that works great that I can use while I figure out this leak. Plus I dont need to mow as frequent between Nov-Feb.

I got some red high temp RTV as well as Gray and Black. Maybe the red would work best for a small engine?
 
Well now is the time to pull the engine lol I have a push mower that works great that I can use while I figure out this leak. Plus I dont need to mow as frequent between Nov-Feb.

I got some red high temp RTV as well as Gray and Black. Maybe the red would work best for a small engine?
I used the black oil resistant flavor. It works the best IMO in these situations.

Just my $0.02
 
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