Substantial oil leak from under head and intake port, not sure what the deal is

kippstakes

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  • / Substantial oil leak from under head and intake port, not sure what the deal is
I inherited a Craftsman mower and have been trying to repair it. It does not start. I added oil (the stick read low) and very soon noticed a puddle had formed under the motor on my garage floor. On closer inspection, the front of the motor under and behind the head is soaked, however, the head gasket appears to be intact- the leak seems to originate farther back on the engine, toward the crank.
Also, my intake port is soaked in oil and when I pull the plug after cranking, it is wet with oil also. The odd thing is that I am getting 60psi compression, which isn't too bad from what I've read. I could be wrong, at 6.25 hp it is a larger engine than I'm used to. I also did a leakdown on the valves and they both seem to move freely and seal well. I was thinking bad rings, but if the compression is solid how could that be?
About the only thing I can think of is that the mounting flange gasket might be shot, but why would that cause leakage into the cylinder, or keep the mower from starting?
Very odd.

Any ideas?
Thanks!
 
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Rivets

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  • / Substantial oil leak from under head and intake port, not sure what the deal is
Tecumseh built over a dozen different models for lawn mowers. We need to know you model and spec numbers. Know your engine will give us a better idea of what is wrong. 60 psi is low, but with compression release, you may not be getting an accurate reading.
 
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