I picked a newer looking Craftsman mower off the curb yesterday. It spins and I was able to get it to run after pulling and cleaning up the plug. The only thing I can see wrong is the po must have put a whole qt of oil in it, because when it runs it starts blowing oil out the large tube that goes to the back of the air box. I'm planning on taking enough oil out to get it to the full mark, but was wondering if anything else could cause the oil dumping problem TIA.,,
Mower puking oil.,,
- Thread starter BigCahuna
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Dump ALL of the oil out via the fill hole and then put the required amount of new oil in. It calls for SAE30 or synthetic 5W30 from the factory, FYI.
You will probably find it to be fine and in perfect working order. Previous owner not too bright apparently.
You can use the dipstick to see if it is grossly overfilled.
You will probably find it to be fine and in perfect working order. Previous owner not too bright apparently.
You can use the dipstick to see if it is grossly overfilled.
I helped a buddy pick up a motorcycle with the same affliction. SV650, $900. It was ugly, and it would only run on one cylinder. PO advertised it as having a blown head gasket.
When I looked at it, I could not see the oil level in the site glass. My buddy was chomping at the bit to take the heads off. I told him.....Humor me, and drain oil out until you can see the level in the site glass. 3 quarts later @#%#$#, it ran just fine. (This bike doesn't hold much more than 3 quarts in the first place.......Someone just kept adding oil, until it wouldn't run right.)
It took a bit for the front plug to clear itself completely, but he ran it for over 60k miles, without any major work.
When I looked at it, I could not see the oil level in the site glass. My buddy was chomping at the bit to take the heads off. I told him.....Humor me, and drain oil out until you can see the level in the site glass. 3 quarts later @#%#$#, it ran just fine. (This bike doesn't hold much more than 3 quarts in the first place.......Someone just kept adding oil, until it wouldn't run right.)
It took a bit for the front plug to clear itself completely, but he ran it for over 60k miles, without any major work.
There are times when following instructions really helps.
A mechanic that works on cars for several used car dealers told me that in tuning these engines, setting everything by the book to factory spec's with OEM parts has "fixed" almost every vehicle he sees, that was running poorly or not at all.
A mechanic that works on cars for several used car dealers told me that in tuning these engines, setting everything by the book to factory spec's with OEM parts has "fixed" almost every vehicle he sees, that was running poorly or not at all.
That tube is the crankcase breather, only way oil comes out in large amounts is from massive blow-by past the rings or if it's way over filled with oil.
I think you've diagnosed it correctly in being over filled.
I think you've diagnosed it correctly in being over filled.
I look into my crystal ball and predict that you picked up a Craftsman self propelled mower with a 6.75 HP Tecumseh engine on it. That was just a few years before their (Tecumseh's) company took a dump.
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Check the air cleaner element for oil. It may have been tipped wrong. Carb down. The fact that you got the motor running, says to me that the rings/piston/cylinder assembly is good. It should take about 20 oz oil.You scored dude. I haven't paid for a mower in 25 yrs. That is not to say that I haven't spent money on them. But mostly if the motor is intact, it is just a dirty carb.
Well here's the end result update. I tipped it over and removed about a pint of oil, still wouldn't run on it's own. So I took the carb off and cleaned it. This is the first plastic carb I've ever seen or worked on. Got it all back together, flushed out the gas tank, and it fired up one the first pull. Now the bad, it has a bent shaft. It shook like a drunken hula girl in a earthquake.It's a shame because it's not that old and in pretty good condition beside the extreme shaking. Oh well, I guess I'll strip off the parts for a future curb find.,,,
Sounds like a good candidate for a repower, time to start looking for a motor.
straighten it with a 3 pound sledge. The other option is landfill so you have nothing to lose.
With my luck, If I did get the shaft straight by using the Hammer method, I'd develop an oil leak to replace the other problem. I think it's gonna be a parts donor mower.,,,
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