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Oil leaks on Craftsman Lawn Tractor

13 years ago

Hi there,

I have done a few searches in this forum but couldn't come up with anything specific for the problem that I am having so here it goes:

I have a Craftsman model 917.273634 tractor in which I have noticed ALOT of oil being lost out of the fuel pump and the oil cap (where the oil is poured in), this happens when I engage the blades. You can actually see oil dripping out of the fuel pump (from the gold colored part of the pump) a few seconds after I engage the blades. After mowing for about 1/2 hour or so, there is a puddle of oil below the fuel filter and the oil cap which tels me that oil has been leaking and oil spattered on the interior of the hood cover in those locations.

I did take some photos, but I couldn't figure out how to load them into this message.

Hopefully this is enough information for you to go on. If you want me to post the picks or forward them to you, then please let me kno how to.

Thanks!

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Comments (8)

mownie
13 years ago
Most likely suspect here is a leaking head gasket. How this works is the head gasket leaks compression/combustion gases into the crankcase, causing excessive pressure which then tries to escape however it can.
The oil leak at the fuel pump breather means that oil has been forced past, or through, the pump diaphragm.
This is a somewhat common failure on the 28 & 31 series (yours is a 31P777).

Here is a link that might be useful: Post 'em pitchers
jchin34
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the quick reply Mownie! Is the head gasket something fairly easy to replace for a do-it-yourselfer or should I seek professional help for this?
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Well I posted a long reply but it didn't show up! I'll try again. As I said in first post, your compression is good. I think you have two problems. The oil in your air intake suggests to me that you have a blow head gasket but would not think the compression would be that high, assuming your gage is accurate. Blown head gasket is common on these and typically is between the cylinder and the push rod gallery on the underside, block side, of the gasket. My guess is that the noise you describe is from worn out bearings in the counter balance ass'y and/or worn eccentrics on the crankshaft that the counter balance ass'y runs on. These are part of the crankshaft and are not replaceable. Likewise, the bearings in the counter balance ass'y are not replaceable and the cost of both is prohibitive. This is usually caused by not changing oil often enough. Walt Conner
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The Kohler Courage owners manual provides guidance on checking the oil quantity. There are specific instructions to rest the dip stick on the oil filler tube. The dip stick should not be screwed into the filler tube. This should be accomplished before each use. Check your owner's manual and read for yourself. Engines manufactured by Tecumseh and B&S provide different instructions. Based on your comments that you ran the engine - then added a full quart of oil and it was still low, I suspect the engine was serviced and operated at the factory. After a test run, the oil was drained and the engine shipped to the mower manufacturer. There is usually 5- 7 ounces of oil remaining in the crankcase. You probably ran the engine 5 hours on the residual oil. You might also check the engine drain plug to ensure the oil has not leaked out. Your engine is probably ruined. If Sears told you it was full of oil, take it back and ask for another mower. Then make sure you check the oil level each use.
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Sometimes a "recall" isn't really a federally mandated recall at all. Some recalls really amount to the OEM getting hit with a bunch of failures during the warranty period of the machine (read that as "premature failure) where the OEM has to belly up to the bar and pay for those failures. Once the OEM has enough proof of defective whateveritis they bought from the lowest bidding vendor for those whatevertheyare, the OEM will call the vendor to the office and demand the supplier of the thingiestheyare to stand behind their defective product. Often, the vendor and the OEM will agree on coverage of a specific "lot number or production run" of the components and handle the problem by either contacting the consumers who bought products with the affected component to offer a replacement even if the part has not failed yet. Or they may say that if the part has failed, it will be replaced. If your tractor fuel tank had begun leaking 8 years ago, you would have stood a better chance of getting a free tank replacement. Realistically speaking, a plastic fuel tank that begins leaking 9 years after DOM would/could arguably have failed due to reasons other than "defective workmanship or materials", at least that's what the lawyers would say.
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jchin34
Original Author
13 years ago
Mownie, I also checked the B&S diagram for the model you gave me. It doesn't specifically mention "Head Gasket" anywhere, but it does mention "Gasket - Cylinder Head" (part #796584). Is that what I should be getting?
Thanks again!
mownie
13 years ago
That is the part and the correct part number.
With a Briggs service manual, a person with some automotive or outdoor power experience will not find head gasket replacement too daunting a task.
It is required that a proper torque wrench be used to tighten the head bolts correctly and uniformly.
It will also be necessary to adjust the valves after replacing the head gasket, this requires the proper feeler gauges and you must follow a specific procedure when adjusting the valves.
You alone must decide whether you have the skills and tools to do the job.
E-mail me and I'll send you some literature, if you like.
jchin34
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks again Mownie! Email sent..
Riff12
11 years ago
I have read so many of these posts I am getting dizy.

Aug of 2011 I decided to have the head gasket change to stop the oil leakage from the NEW Fuel Punp Had it all set to go to the shop before going on vacation. Things got screwed up and the hired grass cutter did not cut the grass when i was gone.
So now I had to use my all cleaned up engine to mow the grass sevelal times.
I noticede that I was no longer loosing oil from the fuel pump. HELLO!! Since that time, 12 months ago, I maintain the oil level at the bottom line and have not lost any oil for the last 12 months. I think you are OVER filling when using the top mark. Cheap fix try it befor spending money.
mownie
11 years ago
Well, if you are using the top mark, but not fully seating the dipstick completely to the locking position when you do your dip test........you could in fact be overfilling the engine.
But if you are following Briggs' instructions and are fully seating the dipstick when you check the oil.........you are not overfilling the engine.
bill_kapaun
11 years ago
You can almost always tell when a NEW poster has signed up. 2 year old threads start getting answers/comments.

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