briggs engine smokes

[panteramatt]

I have a 15hp briggs engine in my craftsman lt1000 mower and for the past years it has been smoking. Well its getting worse, eating oil and fouling sparkplugs. Does it need rings? Also backfires when shutting it down.

[Restrorob]

If it's eating oil it most likely needs to be shortblocked or replaced due to other worn parts (crank/bearings, Rod/piston etc.).....

[panteramatt]

So I cant just throw some rings in it and be good?

[unkownfl]

Hone and rering it should get plenty of life out. If you have it apart and have time take the crank rods to the machine shop and have them go over it. Should be less thee 150 for everything. If there is a big lip on the top of the cylinder you may have to bore and buy a piston or just a sleeve.

[betmr]

Gotta check 'er out, could just be valve seals, could be rings, could be scored cylinder walls, could be....lots of things, from the simple, to the extreme. How well was it maintained ? How old is it, How long has it sat without oil going through it. When you put it away, did you coat the cylinder walls with oil ? Rust inside those lungs can scratch up a lot of stuff, when next you start it.

And please, can we get some Model Years in these inquiries, the age of a machine goes a long way in diagnosis.

[panteramatt]

I bought it used and Im not sure if its even the original motor. Ran great for 2 years and after pulling it out after winter last year started smokind a little hear and there and eats oil. Took the head off and the cylinder looks perfect.I always maintain my stuff too.

[unkownfl]

Compression test with oil on the rings will tell you. You need to do a leak down as well. I doubt valve seals would consume that much oil as it is not like a car, and has a vertical crank the valve seals don't look like they would leak that much if any even if they were bad. You could also take the dip stick out while it runs and see how much air is blowing by the rings.

[topsites]

Have you tried simply running a thicker grade oil?

To fix the backfire problem, I simply turn my engine down to idle,
then turn off the fuel at the valve, and walk away.
They run on for about a minute or so.

But no backfire, and as a bonus, no more fuel leaking inside the engine either.