New to me X304, oil everywhere!

I dropped the mower deck last night and had a good look. It's not the transaxle. I looked around underneath, and am dumbfounded. I can't find anywhere the oil came from. I took the engine shroud off, and the left cylinder is coated in old oil/grass. I took the spark plugs oil, both clean, and the proper color, but wrong gap, so I corrected that. Checked inside the cylinder, everything is well. I did notice a bit of oil sitting on top of the engine, under the ring gear. I want to fire it up, but when I connected a good battery and turned the key, the hour meter doesn't come on, no headlights, nothing. I'm proficient at body work/painting, and wrenching, but I suck at electrical/electronics. So I'm going to start with a different ignition switch, and go from there.
I have to get a compression tester, but it does look like a head gasket's in order for the dirty jug/head.
I'll upload a pic later of the state of the engine later. (I was in the shop until 2:30 this morning, so getting a late start). Still trying to figure out where all this oil came from. It was clean/new looking, no burnt color or smell. The oil in the engine looks dirty and old, so I have no idea.
 
Either valve cover gasket, upper crank seal or someone was lazy adding oil dumping all over the top of the engine. Either no funnel or no junk used plastic soda bottle with the top cutoff.

CLEAN THE COOLING FINS or you can/will trash this engine. All around the block pulling the metal tin shroud that fits around the cylinder/s. Clean as in new engine clean. Clean as in new mower clean. Clean as in hospital clean. Or as Bertsmobileone used to say, there's clean and then there's CLEAN.
 
Check the oil level PRIOR TO EVERY MOW.

NOT OVER FULL - NOT UNDER FULL. Right on the FULL mark. Takes a whole 9 seconds.
 
slomo said:
Either valve cover gasket, upper crank seal or someone was lazy adding oil dumping all over the top of the engine. Either no funnel or no junk used plastic soda bottle with the top cutoff.

CLEAN THE COOLING FINS or you can/will trash this engine. All around the block pulling the metal tin shroud that fits around the cylinder/s. Clean as in new engine clean. Clean as in new mower clean. Clean as in hospital clean. Or as Bertsmobileone used to say, there's clean and then there's CLEAN.
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what happened to Bert?
 
slomo said:
Either valve cover gasket, upper crank seal or someone was lazy adding oil dumping all over the top of the engine. Either no funnel or no junk used plastic soda bottle with the top cutoff.

CLEAN THE COOLING FINS or you can/will trash this engine. All around the block pulling the metal tin shroud that fits around the cylinder/s. Clean as in new engine clean. Clean as in new mower clean. Clean as in hospital clean. Or as Bertsmobileone used to say, there's clean and then there's CLEAN.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help, I appreciate it. So, pulling the tin shroud on both sides, pull the ring gear to get the tin off? Sorry I've not got the pics uploaded yet. We had a major dump of snow, and I've been blowing driveways out. -And blew the snowblower belt lol. (I live in Southwestern Ontario; in the snow belt) I will get them on here tomorrow.
 
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StarTech said:
This service manual doesn't specificity cover the FH491V but it is the model range.

FH451V-FH500V-FH531V-FH541V-FH580V-FH601V-FH641V-FH661V-FH680V-FH721V-Service-Manual.pdf

or you might the FS541V/FS600V

FS481V-FS541V-FS600V-FX481V-FX541V-FX600V-Service-Manual.pdf

Note the breather gasket under the flywheel is a known leak point.
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Wow! Thank you for the info. This will help a lot with other issues. This mower was sitting outside for 2 years. The mice have had a field day with the wires. Yikes!
 
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