The Green Industry's Resource Center

khutch · #1 10-22-2012, 08:42 AM

Burns a bit at start up and throttle up, really smokes when you shut off. I know it has to be repaired but was hoping to get through leaf season by just making sure it has plenty of oil....Got a feeling that is a bad idea to keep going and I will make things worse and run up a bigger repair bill. Seems to runs strong, so not sure if it is only rings.
What advice to you have for an engine that is burning oil?
Am I making things much worse?

piston slapper · #2 10-22-2012, 10:22 AM

The damage is done...If you dont run it out of oil it'll keep running...
How much oil is it using?...You could always charge extra for mosquito control...

BigFish · #3 10-22-2012, 05:38 PM

Just run straight 30wt oil in it till you get it repaired. Just go easy 'till it warms up, on chilly mornings.

ed2hess · #4 10-23-2012, 09:23 PM

I learned my lesson by pushing on with kaw burning oil and evertually broke a rod and engine was damaged. The problem is that it is impossible to tell oil level. So I would get er done. If it isn't leaking oil that is unusual.

RickyDL77 · #5 10-25-2012, 10:52 AM

make sure it isnt comming into the carb through the breather tube. had one do that 5 years ago or so.

piston slapper · #6 10-25-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyDL77

make sure it isnt comming into the carb through the breather tube. had one do that 5 years ago or so.

I had one that the guy put the breather hose into an empty oil jug..
He poured it back into the engine 2 or 3 times a day...
That aluminum bore Briggs was beyond repair...probably had gouged cylinder walls...
I felt sorry for the guy and gave him a handful of used sparkplugs I had changed out...
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khutch · #7 10-29-2012, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyDL77

make sure it isnt comming into the carb through the breather tube. had one do that 5 years ago or so.

How do you test for that? And what damage does that do?

RickyDL77 · #8 10-30-2012, 07:36 AM

take off the air filter so that you can see into the carb. If you see oil puddling then it is pulling/pushing it in. depending on you model's air filter, you might have remove a pipe between the carb plate and the air filter. Damage all depends on how long you allow it to continue. burning oil will leave deposits, they get great enough they will start to chip/flake off, possibly ruining valves, pistons, walls, rings.

ed2hess · #9 11-01-2012, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyDL77

take off the air filter so that you can see into the carb. If you see oil puddling then it is pulling/pushing it in. depending on you model's air filter, you might have remove a pipe between the carb plate and the air filter. Damage all depends on how long you allow it to continue. burning oil will leave deposits, they get great enough they will start to chip/flake off, possibly ruining valves, pistons, walls, rings.

On this model what can be done about oil burning? I always assume it is getting past the rings. I know I can do a leak down test. I had the impression that the cyclinders wear on these units and that makes it useless to try rings and hone? Are they know for other places for leaks besides the one you already pointed out?

piston slapper · #10 11-01-2012, 08:49 PM

Ed...the bores on the Kaw twins hold up pretty good....the rub on these engines has always been the upper bushing in the block wearing out. Leaking head gaskets and bad valve guides can cause heavy oil usage.
Filthy oil and leaky air filters are usually what wipe out the rings...
Dirt in the intake wears out the compression rings...
Filthy oil cruds up the oil wiping rings and makes them stick in the ring lands, overheat and lose their tension.