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I have a 3 year old kholer courage 20hp engine in a Husqvarna lawn tractor. Today, the engine started to push oil out of the crank case breather tube which is right above the carb causing it to stall. I took the air cleaner off and started the engine and the oil coming out of the breather tube went as far as 2 feet from the engine. It is fresh oil and a new oil filter. The oil is clean (not black). Any ideas on what I should try to fix this problem?
Did you check the oil level? Sounds like too much oil in it.
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First things first - how much oil did you put in the engine? What is the current oil level in the engine? If higher than spec, and higher than you put in, does it smell like gasoline, and is it thin???? My educated guess, from YEARS of experience, is the carb float stuck and your crankcase is chock-block full of gasoline.
All 4 are possibilities - but NONE would generally cause oil to shoot
2 feet out of the breather. (because, with oil at the proper level, there is NO oil up there to be blown out).Not a betting man, but if I was I'd put money on a carburetor problem. Particularly on a 3 year old Kohler.
On a poorly maintained 6+ year old Tecumseh or a 10+ year old Briggs, perhaps a piston problem
I'm not familiar with that particular engine, but it triggered a memory from the vintage car world - did this happen before the new filter was put in? Is there any chance that the filter's faulty, the wrong type, not seated correctly etc. and so oil is bypassing it? That could account for a large increase in pressure.
cheers
Jules
How does a carburator cause his problem?
Was the mower tipped on its side or back end or rolled over? This question has be asked. But it isn't a carb problem and Sea Foam won't fix it. :-)
Hank
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As he stated above...
The op claimed he checked the oil level. When the oil gets filled with gas from a stuck float the oil level is high on the stick. So try again, how does a bad carb cause this problem?
Well, OP _could_ have filled it correctly and not actually measured again...
It is a plausible hypothesis worth OP knowing of just in case..
From a Briggs & Stratton Service and Repair manual re 'Breathers';
"It is the breather's function to maintain a vacuum in the crankcase. The breather has a fibre disc valve, which limits the direction of air flow caused by the piston moving back and forth. Air can flow out of the crankcase, but the one way valve blocks the return flow, thus maintaining a vacuum in the crankcase.
A partial vacuum must be maintained in the crankcase to prevent oil from being forced out of the engine, at the piston rings, oil seals, breaker point plunger and gaskets."
Aside from an overfilled crankcase on this Kohler, is the breather system working properly?
That's about the same as a pcv valve on a car. Not all small 4 strokes have those. Some simply have a small breather tube connected to the same air supply as the carb to prevent dirt from beng sucked in. Usually with some sort of metal baffle to trap oil. If this kohler has something like a pvc valve and it's clogged that could be the problem.
Nope - no possible increase in pressure from the filter - and that would NOT blow oil out the breather. Oil pressure is contained in the galleries and bearings and has NO effect on the crankcase, so will not blow oil out the vents.
Very simple. I just replaced a carb to solve this EXACT problem on a
6 year old Tecumseh a couple weeks ago. The carb float would not shut off the fuel, so all the fuel in the tank flowed through the carb, into the cyl, past the rings, and into the crankcase. First time the piston went DOWN, it pushed oil out the breather into the intake.A new needle and seat was installed, and a week later it happened again, so I replaced the carb with another one I had floating around off an engine that I had scrapped due to damage.
No problems since - and the inside of the engine is spotlessly clean after two good soakings in gasoline!!!
Don't bet your pension on it - on either count. As I just posted - I just had one a couple weeks ago - and it wasn't the first one.
I've had quite a few on older cars, tractors, and farm equipment as well over the last 40+ years.
He "checked the oil" - but was his check accurate - and what level did he find??
An extra inch of oil will cause problems on MOST small engines.
In the post that you mention, you said you replaced the carb after replacing the needle valve. So, I guess the Sea Foam didn't work did it?
Hank
replying to clare, Sailor Rick wrote: I have a Kohler 19hp Courage on a toro Z4200 and I am facing a problem with a crack on the housing and oil is leaking out from the top. My son said that it was a crankcase vent problem. Would this have something to do with the breather tube. Please advise me on what I should check. I don't have a gas issue. Motor starts and runs fine BUT after a while the oil is down to empty.
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