Craftsman Lawn Mower Overfilled With Oil

[pbarts]

My one year old Craftsman mower was overfilled with oil (unbeknowst to me) a few days ago, was started, but never got as far as cutting any grass (lazy son, not the mower). I went out to cut the grass this afternoon and had trouble starting it. I checked the gas then checked the oil and found that the oil level went a couple inches up the dipstick where full is about 1/3 inch. Apparently there was so much in it, it was spraying out of the air filter. I drained a bunch out of it and let it set for awhile. I tried it again, and it started momentarily, belching out a huge cloud of white smoke. Tried one more time getting a smaller cloud of smoke before it died.

What is my best option at this point? Does it need to be stripped down or can I salvage it some other way? Any suggestions or recommendations would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Paul B. Texas

****** ****** ******* ============================= ******* ******* ******* ============ ** ** ** ** * ** ( | ** ** ** ** ** ____/ ******* ******* ** ****** ****** **

-------------------------------------

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 342994 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##

[The Daring Dufas]

If it didn't bend the rod or anything else, clean the spark plug and run it until it quits smoking. Put in a new plug and happy grass cutting. You did pull the spark plug and spin the motor to blow out any excess oil didn't you?

TDD

[Ralph Mowery]

I did that to myself on a generator one day. The oil had gotten up in the carburetor and I had to clean it out. You may need to check the spark plug . I poured about a teaspoon of gas in the spark plug hole and the generator would run for about 3 seconds and quit. That was a 10 hp motor.

[Steve Daniels]

On 02 Mar 2009 01:05:42 GMT, against all advice, something compelled pbarts_at_sbcglobal_dot [e-mail] (pbarts), to say:

Clean the spark plug.

[Don Young]

Unless you know otherwise, you should consider that the crankcase oil might have gotten gasoline in it. That happens fairly easily on some small motors and requires the oil to be changed. Try to keep excess oil blown out the spark plug hole or it could cause the piston to hydraulically lock and damage the engine.

Don Young

[mm]

If it was spraying out the air filter, there was oil in the carburetor, and maybe it got into the small passages of the air cleaner. Otoh, it did run some, so I doubt it, but keep the possibility in mind.

If it feels like it used to when you pull the rope, there is probably no engine damage. Take the spark plug wire off the spark plug, remove the plug and crank it long enough to be sure no oil or something will hit you in the eye if you look in the spark plug hole. Good habit to wear glasses. Look in the hole while you or someone pulls the rope. You should see the piston come closer and then farther from the hole.

If it does this, it's probably fine.

Stuff the face of your thumb inthe hole and every two full cycles you should feel the air pushing out past your thumb.

If you can get it to do this, even more likely it's fine.

Put the plug back in but be certain the plug wire is nowhere near the plug. Tie it in place if necessary. You don't want it to start when your hand is on the mufflier, althought I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Pull the rope and every coupld strokes you should be able to see or feel air coming out of the muffler.

[ransley]

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

It probably wasnt overfilled with oil but the float stuck and flooded it with gas, does oil smell like gasolene, Do you shut off gas to the carb with a valve. Drain it all if it smells of gas.

[Stormin Mormon]

You didn't mention if it was a walk behind mower, or a rider. Sounds like you didn't kill the mower. Just need to drain the oil out, and start over. Also unthread the spark plug, and run the start mechanism to blow out any excess oil from the cylinder. Might need a new air filter. Put in the correct volume of new oil, and fire it up. Will likely smoke for a while as the excess oil burns out.

Air cooled engines need a high quality oil. Castrol, Penzoil, something like that. They run hotter than water cooled automobiles.

[gpsman]

Dump out the excess oil, clean the plug and crank it.

If it doesn't start, repeat as necessary. -----

- gpsman

[ransley]

If gas leaked in oil is ruined and will ruin the motor from thin oil. gas will also varnish up everything as it cooks out.

[Phisherman]

I could not believe how this could happen. I guess not everybody checks the oil before starting, it's easy to do. Overfilling is worse then underfilling, you may have a damaged engine.

[ransley]

How can this happen, a friend couldnt start his mower it was locked up, we removed the plug and pulled the cord and gasolene shout out 20 ft. The float stuck and filled the motor wiht gasolene. And alot of equipment doesnt come with a fuel filter or fuel shutof valve anymore.

[gpsman]

:

What would cause gas to leak into the oil?

Pfft. Varnish up what?

If there's any gas in the oil it'll boil out between 100-400=B0F. If it varnishes up anything it will either wear off or burn off.

It's a mower. You can buy a whole damn brand new one for less than $200. -----

- gpsman

[ransley]

te:

If there is gas in it the oil wont lubricate, gas is thinner than water so just use water and have fun.

[Van Chocstraw]

Some people could screw up an anvil.

[Ulysses]

If there is gas in it the oil wont lubricate, gas is thinner than water so just use water and have fun.

I'd like to add to what ramsey said and say to check the carb float to make sure it's shutting off the gas when the bowl if full. I always shut off the fuel and pull the rope until it get harder in order to close the valves. I mainly just do this on Honda engines as they are the only ones so far that I've had fill the crankcase with gasoline.

Definately change the oil unless someone admits to over-filling the crankcase. I would not use Castrol or Pennzoil in anything that I wanted to keep.

[Stormin Mormon]

Oil low on dipstick. Add quart of oil. Everyone knows that.

[Steve Barker]

get the oil at the proper level, clean out the air filter, (replace if it's a paper one and oily) Then replace the spark plug, (sounds like it fouled) and then just run it. It'll be fine.

steve

[dpb]

Steve Barker wrote: ...

...

Unless the problem was as others noted (and probably most likely) the reason for the high apparent oil level as that the carb poured raw gas down the intake. If that's the case, while the above are needed, they won't help until the carb is cleaned/problem fixed.

--

[Steve Barker]

In my normal fashion, i did not read the entire OP. You are correct, if the carb is flooding then that needs to be fixed also.

steve