Export thread

Hi everybody! I have an oil leak and I'm not sure where it is coming from. When I add oil, it takes an hour or so and I'm back to the 'add' level on the dipstick. There is a little bit underneath the crank case/on top of the mower deck. Do you think it is coming from the breather gasket, the round disk?

Could be,
One question to clear it up is it leaking out while running only, or leaks when not in use? thing to do is CLEAN everything free of grime and grass that will make it easier to pinpoint.

I will degrease it tomorrow. It leaks when it is not running.

Judging from the baked on oil & grime on top of that engine I would be suspecting the top oil seal.

bertsmobile1 said:

Judging from the baked on oil & grime on top of that engine I would be suspecting the top oil seal.

Click to expand...

This Tecumseh sump leak sump gasket seems pretty common as i have come accross a few of these along with (just the other day) a craftsman with the same motor and problem. If i read the SN's right, the gasket seems to blow at 9 years.

Is the top seal the round pc/part of the breather?

The top seal is underneath the flywheel.

Top seal is on the crankshaft under the flywheel, bottom seal is on the crankshaft where it exits the bottom of the engine.

If I hear you right that it leaks when *NOT* running, that pretty much isolates it to just the suff below the oil level - bottom seal, case gasket, PTO shaft gasket (if it has one) etc.

tadawson said:

Top seal is on the crankshaft under the flywheel, bottom seal is on the crankshaft where it exits the bottom of the engine.

If I hear you right that it leaks when *NOT* running, that pretty much isolates it to just the suff below the oil level - bottom seal, case gasket, PTO shaft gasket (if it has one) etc.

Click to expand...

Not really.
If the top of the engine has puddles of oil on it these will make their way down the to the bottom of the engine when not in use.
You would be right if the engine was fully degreased and you inspected the engine as soon as it stops.

Everyone is going to think I’m nuts, but I don’t see an oil leak. I see an engine which needs a good cleaning. Most of what I see is grass and dirt. I see nothing shiny indicating oil. I would give that unit a good bath, dry it with air, assemble, run for 30 minutes, remove the shroud and look for oil on a clean not dirty surface.

After degreasing, I could see the sump gasket is ripped. Before I even took the case off.

What should I torque the bolts to when I put the cover back on?

bertsmobile1 said:

Not really.
If the top of the engine has puddles of oil on it these will make their way down the to the bottom of the engine when not in use.
You would be right if the engine was fully degreased and you inspected the engine as soon as it stops.

Click to expand...

I have seen motors with the leak at the sump resulting in sucking in air and blowing it out every where else because there is more air inside than normal if the seal was working.
Maybe, maybe not this time.

Just saying.

cylinder bolts?

gosh I'm sorry! I thought it listed the cover bolts. My bad!