I have an 08 Husq GTH26K54 that has run just fine for 6 years - I do annual oil change, filters etc. All been fine.

Just recently when I mow across my hill - and only when my right side is on the upside of the hill - I get a significant puff of white smoke. It happens after the engine is heated up. It does not happen when I mow with my left side uphill, or when I mow directly up and down the hill. Hill is probably 20 degree incline at the worst point.

I originally thought I'd overfilled the oil - but it is half way up the dip stick mark.

No noticeable loss of oil, I top up anyway, but I am afraid to overfill and exaggerate the problem.

Is this something with just one of the cylinders. Does it sound like something I can disassemble, identify cause and fix myself (seals etc).

Thanks

 

When you fill the crankcase to the full mark on the dipstick with the mower level, is the problem worse?

 

I haven't tried filling it to full recently, but I think yes it is/was the last tie I had it at the full mark.

 

The first thing that comes to mind would be the crankcase breather. I'd pull that off and see if it's plugged.

 

The lowest cylinder is probably getting bathed in oil when the mower is tilted to that side. If so, it's normal and I wouldn't be too concerned. 20 degrees is a good bit.

 

Thanks, any reason why last season it was not an issue, but this season is. I' know I am tilting the engine a fair amount, and once I've had the smoke, it seems to happen again at lower angles. It only happens perhaps 2 times in the 1.5 hour I use it to mow each time, so not a big deal but I'd like to understand the cause and reason it didn't happen before.

I looked at the manual for the crankcase breather, what should I inspect - outer or inner? Either one seems a fair bit of work to access. How much time would you say a DIY'er would take to do this? Should I finally succumb to having it services at the dealer for the first time?

Thanks,

 

It could be that you have higher crankcase pressure now with more time on the engine, or a leaking head gasket, or is there any chance there is gas in the oil? If the oil was only half full, that might be part of the reason. It will have an accelerated rate of wear with the oil that low and have higher crankcase pressure/blowby because of it.