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My 6 year old 115 never used a drop of oil until last week. Now I can't mow 2 acres without stopping half way through to refill with oil. It's not leaking out. It's puffing smoke. I'm guessing I must have a bad ring but the machine isn't very old. Any other ideas before I take it in for expensive engine work?

Thanks,

Dave

Check if the crank case breather is plugged.
how old/clean is the air filter?

dave59 said:

My 6 year old 115 never used a drop of oil until last week. Now I can't mow 2 acres without stopping half way through to refill with oil. It's not leaking out. It's puffing smoke. I'm guessing I must have a bad ring but the machine isn't very old. Any other ideas before I take it in for expensive engine work?

Thanks,

Dave

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Check the dipstick. If white smoke comes out, it likely indicates a head gasket is blown.

Thanks for the replies guys! The air cleaner is new. I can't locate a breather. No white smoke.
Guess I'll have to take it to a repair shop.

Dave

dave59 said:

Thanks for the replies guys! The air cleaner is new. I can't locate a breather. No white smoke.
Guess I'll have to take it to a repair shop.

Dave

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You mentioned it's puffing smoke in your first post ? Now no smoke? Or the smoke's not white?

And when you have to add oil during mowing, you do NOT have a little white smoke coming out of the dipstick hole?

You don't tell us what kind of engine with numbers. Is the muffler tube turning a shiny black indicating burning oil? Is there any oil on the frame? How does the oil smell, if it is being burned, it should smell very rancid. When you check the oil level after refilling and running, what color is the oil? You are our eyes and ears on this one, otherwise we can only take a stab in the dark.

If I am correct, that should be a single cylindr Briggs. If

Sorry, wrong button. If it is, more than likely the head gasket is blown between the cylinder and the push rod galley. They are quite common for that problem.

R/O the head gasket as I said and I that's the case, repair is a synch.

xp14629 said:

Sorry, wrong button. If it is, more than likely the head gasket is blown between the cylinder and the push rod galley. They are quite common for that problem.

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Thanks, my 5yr old john deere with 19.5 hp motor
had same oil consumption problem. Just pulled the head and the gasket
was blown between the cylinder and push rod galley just like you said.
Cylinder walls were still in very good shape. Simple fix. Thanks again