Tecumseh Engine Help


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Old 05-10-01, 06:46 AM
H
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Hi all, hope you can help. To make a long story short, Bought a new house with a big yard. Had no extra money to buy a new mower so bought a used one at an auction. (Ariens RM728 - Engine in back) It runs well and is very dependable but it burns or loses oil like crazy, OR oil and fuel are leaking out of it somehow. I'm not sure what the real problem is though cause the stuff that comes out of the engine near the head is black but with the consistency of gas, not oil.

The engine is a 7 HP tecumseh that is mounted vertically (i.e. the drive shaft is in a vertical position and the piston works back and forth horizontally.)

Initially I thought the head gasket was just bad, but the other day I was mowing and noticed more smoke coming from the engine than the exhaust pipe. I looked closer and noticed that there's a "box" between the Carburator and the crankcase of the engine and under the air filter housing.(the box is not attached to the Carb, it's just physically behind it) The smoke was pouring out of a tube/1/4" hose attached to the "box" Closer inspection revealed a hose nipple on the air box that looked like the place where this hose should be connected but it wasn't. To make things stranger, When I added some oil to the engine (because I have to do that every acre or so) the smoke stopped from the tube. I wonder if all the other junk that leaks out of the engine comes from this tube, and is it some sort of air return to the air box? Also, there's so much gas in the discharge from the tube, (2-3 drops per minute) that I wonder if the carb is off adjustment or if reconnecting this to the airbox will cause more trouble than just continuously adding oil.

To summarize: Whats the "box? Should the tube from the "box" be attached to the airbox? Why the heck was so much exhaust coming out of this hose from the box?


Hope I got at least some of the necessary information across.

Thanks again for any help you can give. I have to keep this thing running for at least another 2 years, otherwise I'll be pushing the whole 2.5 acres. (did that once already and it took about 8 hours in case you're wondering.)
 
  #2  
Old 05-10-01, 09:34 AM
Joe_F
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The hose is likely a crankcase vent tube, and might be clogged causing the backup of oil.

Try steamcleaning the engine to see if that will clean it up so you can run it and see where the oil is leaking from. Then, you'll have an idea how to attack it.

I tend to favor Tecumseh engines over B&S. Must be because I'm a fan of Pontiacs and they are both Indians or something
 
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Old 05-10-01, 10:36 AM
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Hello: hb2u

You mentioned "SMOKE" coming out. What color SMOKE? Black as if the engine is running too rich on gas or blue smoke caused by burning oil? Is it a combination of both?

The box could be the crankcase breather. This part normally has a hose attached to it. The other end of the hose either connects directly to the carb or may connect directly into the air intake venturi. This depends on the type of crankcase breather system installed on the engine and the air polution device installed.

If the breather becomes clogged up or non functioning for some reason, the engine vacuum will draw out too much oil vapors or could draw out some of the liquid oil.

If the carb is gummed up with liquid carbon caused by both too much fuel burning and oil burning, the carb should be disassembled, cleaned out and rebuilt.

 
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Old 05-10-01, 10:39 AM
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Thanks but?

Thanks for the quick reply, but should that vent tube be venting to the airbox? There's a hose nipple that seems like the right spot for the hose?

Other than that I'll be taking the shrouds off the engine and checking that vent to see if it is in fact clogged.

Thanks again for the input.
 
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Old 05-10-01, 10:42 AM
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thanks again

Thanks for the info Tom. I'll play with it soon and try your suggestions about the Carb.

hb2u
 
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Old 05-10-01, 10:56 AM
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Hi: jdub

To clearify: The hose should be connected to both the carb and the breather <BOX> One end to the carb and the other end to the breather box.

The BOX vents TO the the carb. The piston draws in an air fuel mixture thru the carb. The vacuum caused by the air rushing into the engine, thru the carb, will also draw in some of the crankcase vapors passing thru the breather BOX.

Also check the filter inside the breather BOX.

Regards,
Tom

Edited Part:
You never mentioned what color the "SMOKE" was?

[Edited by Tom_Bartco on 05-10-01 at 11:18]
 
 

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