mechanical help needed

[NateinAtl]

A customer gave me a 1999 MTD walk behind w/ Briggs and Strat 6.5 hp 6.0 intek. They didn't change the oil and it "blew" after about 15 cuts on thick bermuda. It looks to be in perfect shape other than the engine smokes HEAVILY after you start it. What can I do to salvage this, and how much will I have to spend? This will be a great pack up trim mower. Thanks in advance

[Eric ELM]

If your handy, pull it apart. It sounds like a oil ring broke in it. I can't see where mowing 15 times without chanaging oil would make it smoke for any other reason unless it was out of oil. If it's just a broken ring, replace it. If the motor is shot, it would probably cost almost as much to replace the motor as it would to buy a new mower.

[guntruck]

I agree with Eric, ring replacement is a rather easy task to tackle. If you can dismantle the motor and check the rings, if its smoking heavy white smoke all of a sudden its a real good chance its the rings.

[Jason Pallas]

Before you tear the engine down to check the rings, do yourself a favor and check the air filter, if the intake is bad or if oil has saturated it (by way of the the oil blow-by tube), you'll also get a bad smoke problem.