Engine 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.

buckshot34

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  • / 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.
Was mowing and engine started coughing like low fuel. Engine quit, I switched tanks and tried to restart. No luck. Got off and walked around to fine oil dripping off frame. Entire oil plug fell out. I have zero compression on both cylinders. Anybody ever had this problem or heard about it? I'm looking at a costly repair. :mad:
 

tom3

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  • / 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.
Does the engine have a low oil switch? Can't imagine no compression at all unless the rocker arms fell off. If the rods locked up and broke you would have known that as it got tight and quit with lots of noise.
 

buckshot34

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  • / 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.
Does the engine have a low oil switch? Can't imagine no compression at all unless the rocker arms fell off. If the rods locked up and broke you would have known that as it got tight and quit with lots of noise.
I assume it has a low oil switch since it shut down by itself. I might add that I went and got a bolt that fit the oil plug and filled it with good oil. It ran for a while and I thought I was in good luck but after about 10 mins it just shut down. When I tried to restart it, it just turned over and over with no attempt to fire. I got my compression tester and found no compression on either cylinder. I know that the engine got super hot having lost all the oil. I've had this mower for over 5 years and never a problem until the entire oil drain plug fell out. Thanks for your reply. Must add that I did all this the next day after it completely cooled down.
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.
First thing is to check that all of the pushrods are on their rockers & the rockers are working the valves
If the inlet don't open you don't get any compression.
Once you are sure the valves are working then pour some heavy oil down each plug hole & crank the engine with some rag held tight in the plug holes
Do this for a minute or so the take the rag away crank a few more times then do your compression check
Running out of oil can leave the bores dry and a dry bore will have little compression.
It takes 5/8 of SFA alloy to smeer around a ring grove to stop the rings making a seal against the bore.
OTOH it only take a little more to score the bore top to bottom.

If it were me I would grab a bore-o-scope and have a look inside they cylinders.
After that it would be off with the muffler & carb then with one cylinder on tdc compression shine a strong light down the inlet & the exhaust port while looking for light down the plug hole
Do it on both cylinders.
Any light = burned or hanging valves

Then there is the head gasket.
Overheating caused by low oil causes a touch more expansion in the barrel & head which squeezes the head gasket a touch thinner so when you start up again, it blows out in no time flat so again no compression.

Think that just about covers all bases
 

buckshot34

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  • / 27hp generac engine on Dixie Chopper oil plug fell out.
First thing is to check that all of the pushrods are on their rockers & the rockers are working the valves
If the inlet don't open you don't get any compression.
Once you are sure the valves are working then pour some heavy oil down each plug hole & crank the engine with some rag held tight in the plug holes
Do this for a minute or so the take the rag away crank a few more times then do your compression check
Running out of oil can leave the bores dry and a dry bore will have little compression.
It takes 5/8 of SFA alloy to smeer around a ring grove to stop the rings making a seal against the bore.
OTOH it only take a little more to score the bore top to bottom.

If it were me I would grab a bore-o-scope and have a look inside they cylinders.
After that it would be off with the muffler & carb then with one cylinder on tdc compression shine a strong light down the inlet & the exhaust port while looking for light down the plug hole
Do it on both cylinders.
Any light = burned or hanging valves

Then there is the head gasket.
Overheating caused by low oil causes a touch more expansion in the barrel & head which squeezes the head gasket a touch thinner so when you start up again, it blows out in no time flat so again no compression.

Think that just about covers all bases
Thanks a bunch for your reply. I'll jump on this first thing tomorrow. Great advice.
 
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