Briggs & Stratton generator problems

[cnichols]

Guys - having a few problems with a generator, and was hoping the small engine expertise here might be able to share some brain trust.

The motor on the generator is a 10HP B&S motor. The generator hasn't been run in ~7 years, so before I started it up this weekend during some widespread power outages, I drained the fuel tank and put in fresh gas, drained the oil for fresh oil, and replaced the spark plug.

It actually fired right up within a couple of pulls, but about 10-15 seconds later it belched a ton of white smoke. This got better quickly, so I let it run. It ran fine for about 15-20 minutes, and then started blowing greyish white smoke about once every 15 seconds or so, and I noticed it was puking oil out of the crankcase vent tube.

Research in various threads here tells me that I'm getting a ton of crankcase pressure, so it seems I'm probably replacing rings. But, I also saw a couple of cases where carb problems seemed to produce excessive crankcase pressure. If it was the carb, I'd expect that it'd be really hard to start and it wouldn't run smoothly, and then belch smoke, and then run smoothly again.

Any suggestions before I yank the motor out to pop the top end off? :cry:

[mowerknower]

First things first, if you want help here you need to post you engine model and type number.
Second, how is your oil level. You could have gas in your oil causing the smoking issue. If its a slow leak in your carb it might not make it hard to start. If it is the older style briggs engine that the fuel/air mixture has to travel upwards to get to the intake there is a good chance that your main jet is not seating against the carb. Those carbs are a real pain in the but.
But like I said before, you really need to post numbers so we know what you are dealing with.

[cnichols]

Excellent suggestion... sorry. :(

The engine is model number 19G412, type 1180 E2.

As for the oil level, there is no dipstick - just fill until it spills out the fill tube. So, I suspect the level is ok but if there's another way to verify that, I'm all ears.

Thanks!!

[Bill Kapaun]

Unscrew the fill plug like you normally would when checking the oil. IF you have more "oil" in the crankcase then you started with, it'll let you know!

[topsites]

Yup, I would second that bet that you have too much oil in it, especially that
10hp B & S has a tendency when you drain the old oil it doesn't always drain it
all out, even more so if you drained it cold.

I understand why you would do that, but these engines...

You got to be dang careful with that oil level, fill it up 1 quart first, then slowly
fill up the next one while frequently checking the level, several times anyhow.
Then after you start it, run it for a few seconds and shut it off, let it sit for 4-5 minutes, check it again.

Because half the time it's got too much oil, the other half not enough!

Why I know that, I'm on my 2nd 10hp B & S :p

[Jay19LM]

If conditions are right the crankcase breather tube will freeze up and the crankcase will build up pressure and force oil out wherever it can.

jay