Craftsman riding mower using oil


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Old 09-24-16, 06:05 PM
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Craftsman riding mower using oil

I have a craftsman riding mower with a 21 hp briggs platinum engine. it is burning about 5 oz. of oil every 20 minutes or so. it runs fine. oil looks like it has a black carbon in it. any ideas?
 
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Old 09-24-16, 06:48 PM
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This happened all of a sudden?
 
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Old 09-24-16, 06:49 PM
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Black carbon in the oil is indicative of blow by from worn rings or a scored cylinder wall.
 
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Old 09-25-16, 04:43 AM
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yes it happened all of a sudden....never used to use any....I've been using it ..wamted to get through the season before getting it fixed
 
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Old 09-25-16, 05:09 AM
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yes it did while I was using the dethatcher
 
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Old 09-25-16, 07:00 AM
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I just had a similar scare earlier this Summer when an older B&S Engine started smoking and burning oil. I started looking into honing the cylinder and getting some oversized rings for a Winter Project.

But then a Friend of mine suggested that I re-adjust the carburetor and see if leaning out the air-fuel mixture might help AND checking the cooling fins to make sure I hadn't loaded them up with grass clippings/debris and caused the engine to run hotter.

I re-adjusted the carburetor from scratch and vacuumed out the engine shroud and all cooling fins (including those in the flywheel) and what do you know . . . . no more smoke or excessive oil consumption!

The engine had probably been running too rich or too hot . . . . or probably both.

So now I've got a vacancy among my Winter Projects.
 
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Old 09-25-16, 03:48 PM
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Yes it did cheese while I was dethaching
 
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Old 09-25-16, 04:07 PM
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When was the last time the oil and filter was changed?

Any signs of a leak? Look around the base of the engine, if a twin the sump gasket is suspect. Either way could also be a head gasket...
 
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Old 09-25-16, 04:20 PM
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Change all of the time. ..trying to get through the season
 
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Old 09-25-16, 04:25 PM
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So all the time is every day? Every time you use it? While using it? While you sleep?
 
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Old 09-25-16, 07:18 PM
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I bought it new from Sears....oIL and filter changed annually. ...why harassing me?
 
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Old 09-26-16, 10:57 AM
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Drain the oil out of it into a clean pan and use a little gasoline to rinse out the engine. Then carefully go through the oil to see if there are any metal pieces (filings). That would tell us if it may have internal damage.
 
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Old 09-26-16, 11:31 AM
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Since it started suddenly, I would suspect a blown head gasket. Does it billow smoke at times, then clear up, then smoke again, etc...?
 
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Old 09-26-16, 03:17 PM
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Yes it does....while cutting it will ocassionally blow a good size cloud
 
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Old 09-26-16, 04:05 PM
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I bought it new from Sears....oIL and filter changed annually. ...why harassing me?
I meant no disrespect just a light hearted wise acre reply on my part.
However, you gave an even more vague reply to a specific question, than you gave info on your equipment.

Before you Post, read this short note

Welcome to Doityourself.com. We love to help people fix their equipment. Before you seek our advice, however, there are a few things you need to provide. We need:

WHAT IS THE EQUIPMENT (Riding mower, push mower, generator, etc...)

NAME BRAND OF YOUR EQUIPMENT ...and model of the equipment if the problem is with the equipment, not the engine

NAME BRAND OF YOUR ENGINE ...if your problem involves the engine

WHAT MODEL NUMBER IS YOUR ENGINE... and list the hp if you want, if the problem involves the engine

CLEAR DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IT IS DOING, WHAT IT DID PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM, AND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO TROUBLESHOOT IT SO FAR.

If you don't provide this info, we will still attempt to help you , normally by first asking you to provide the info. Help us help you. You can imagine how many people don't give us a clue as to what we are trying to diagnose. It gets frustrating. We can't answer in detail when we have no detail.

Okay, now go to the board, click the "Post new thread" button, and give us a holler! There are a lot of good folks here that love to help and enjoy the challenge. Many of us are shop owners or supervisors, and do this for a living, and a lot of us are hobbyists, but the cumulative knowledge here probably equals or surpasses that of any other site and we'd like the chance to prove it!

See you on the forum!

As I posted earlier, and cheese has also posted on, I agree sounds like a possible head gasket.
 
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Old 09-26-16, 07:26 PM
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Thank you.....I appreciate the info
 
 

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