# Craftsman 10 HP 30" cut rear engine rider burns oil



## DFHill (Jul 30, 2010)

Last week, I mowed the back yard with my old 10 HP Tecumseh powered Craftsman mower; I checked the oil and it was full prior to mowing. . After mowing I washed it off and it would not crank with the starter. I checked it out today, and no oil showed on the dipstick, the spark plug was oil fouled, and the muffler was full of oil! I took the sparkplug out and cranked it over with the starter. A lot of oil came out the sparkplug hole while cranking.

Would any of you know what has happened to my engine?

Thanks in advance! 

DFHILL


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Was it hot when you washed it off? If so it may have cracked the block.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Welcome DF to the forum. Do you have a compression tester? Might have also warped the jug or head if the engine was hot. Check your compression, would be my advice.


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Sounds like either valve seals or even rings mightve gone bad - ive rinsed alot of my aluminum motors off while hot and never had an issue - being that old of a motor is it cast or aluminum?

You might find it to be cheeper to locate another donor tractor for its motor.


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## DFHill (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm pulling the engine and taking to a friend of mine who has a lawn mower repair shop.

We'll see then.

Thanks for all the input from you guys!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Be sure to let us know what in fact happened will you?


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## DFHill (Jul 30, 2010)

The results of the motor repair;

My buddy inspected the old 10 hp Tecumseh engine. and everything was ok except the exhaust valve, it wasn't sealing too well. He did a valve job on the engine and said that it was good.

I started to put the mower back together, ( thank heaven I have a manual) and found that I had a bad ( locked up) idler pulley on the blade belt. 

A light went on in my mind; I had washed the mower the last time I used it, and started the engine and engaged the blade to dry it out. The mower died when I engaged the blade. I thought it was a bad blade switch so I engaged it, the mower would start to die, and I would disengage it and let the motor recover rpm. This happened four or five times. At this time I thought that I had a bad blade saftey switch. (or a wet blade saftey switch)

I wonder if the motor was sucking oil past the rings when I engaged the blades several times and each time it killed the engine?

I will find out when I get it back together. I am currently awaiting parts; I ordered two new idler bearings and a new inner and outer air filter.

I will report more when I get it back together and try it out.

As you may have guessed, I'm not the world's greatest mechanic, but I do my best.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Glad to hear you have found the problem areas, i mowed last year half the season with 2 bad idlers before i noticed. I noticed the deck rpm wasnt what it should be by it not throwing the grass like it used to. I then checked the deck and found 2 of the idlers where barely able to be turned by hand, sometimes its the most simple out of sight and mind things that are hard to figure out.


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

dangeroustoys56 said:


> Sounds like either valve seals or even rings mightve gone bad - ive rinsed alot of my aluminum motors off while hot and never had an issue - being that old of a motor is it cast or aluminum?
> 
> You might find it to be cheeper to locate another donor tractor for its motor.


Valve seals and rings were the first two things that came to mind. So looks like we have at least 2 votes that are in agreement. 

IMO takes more than bad valve seat to cause the engine to suck oil as described.


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

I have a 12HP teccy OHV motor sitting on the bench that came off one of my craftsmans, the PO plugged off the breather tube into the carb, i opened it back up and after running it around i notice oil literally pouring out of the carb- valve seals are gone or the breather is messed up - i never really bothered to fix it, just put another motor on the tractor.


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