1440 with excessive oil in air cleaner

[brichmond]

While mowing the lawn this weekend it started blowing excessive amounts of blue oil smoke. While examining the air cleaner box I find engine oil running into the carb. The source of the oil is coming from the breather hose. It is actually blowing large drops of oil into the air cleaner. The question is why? I removed the breather and the reed seems to be working? I flushed it with solvent and reinstalled. Cleaned the carb and there is no smoke but oil is still blowing into the air cleaner so smoke again will be inevidable once it get to the carb. Can any one offer a suggested cause and/or remedy for this problem?

PS there is about 8700 hours on the 14HP, v-twin engine.

 

[aaytay]

8700 hours, or is that a typo?!?!??!

My guess would be that you have a broken piston ring that is allowing "compression" into the crankcase. <font size="-2">or a sticking valve...</font>

Either way, if you've gotten 8700 hrs out of that engine (not to mention the tractor!) you're doing something right!

 

[brichmond]

Correction upon closer inspection of the hour meter it's actually 870 hours.

I did a compression check last night at they read 150 psi in both cylinders with engine cold. A local repair guy said do a leak down test. What would that rig look like and what would normal results look like? It there a top end rebuild kit for these motors with rings and gaskets? Info from tag...
Model: 294447
Type:0445-01
1880
Code: 93026311

Thanks for looking

 

[mgonitzke]

Brian R.-

A leakdown tester puts compressed air into the cylinder and you basically see where it leaks out. To use one, you generally remove the spark plug, rotate the crankshaft so that the piston in the cylinder you are checking is at top dead center (TDC) and attach the apparatus to the spark plug hole, pressurize it and see where the air comes out. Air out the breather means bad rings, through the carb means intake valve seating issues, and out the exhaust means exhaust valve seating issues. The amount of air escaping determines how bad the problem is.