# Smoking engine



## steve154 (Jul 26, 2006)

I have a 3 year old Craftsman lawn tractor that has a Briggs and Stratton 18.5hp Intek plus engine. One of the first times we mowed this year a very thick cloud of white smoke came out of the exhaust. It was so thick that my wife and the tractor were completely obscured. It started and ran fine a few minutes later. It takes me about an hour to mow my lawn and everytime we use it it will blow out some white smoke when we are just about done. The volume of the smoke is not as heavy as the first time it did it but, it does it every time. What in the heck is going on?

Thanks


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

Sounds like maybe a blown head gasket.... (blows in the thin part and overpressurizes the crankcase) but the symptoms kinda don't go along with that. What does the oil smell like? doesn't smell heavy with gas does it?


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## steve154 (Jul 26, 2006)

The oil is clean and smells normal.


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## tom tilson (May 1, 2006)

Sounds as though the oil level is overfull, or the crankcase breather check valve may be at fault. Check your owners manual and see if the dip stick is just wiped and stuck back in the tube, or that it should be screwed in and then removed to check the level. DO NOT OVERFILL. Most Briggs levels are checked by screwing the dip stick back in but not all models. The wrong method could make a big difference in the oil level.


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## tom tilson (May 1, 2006)

I have the Briggs manual if you need to know where the crankcase pulsing vacuum element is located send me your model# [email protected]


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## 9212 (Aug 22, 2006)

maybe you just have to much oil? white smoke usually means oil, whats it smell like?


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## certifiedtech (Jun 30, 2006)

If it just blows out a puff of smoke intermediately and not continuously you have have oil leak. It could be a loose dip stick or oil drain plug, a crankshaft seal, sump gasket or as mentioned earlier overfilled.


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## paulwest (Aug 11, 2004)

First thing to do is change the oil--DO NOT use a synthetic or a synthetic blend thise will cause oil consumption to increase by two times. Check the crankcase breather check valve. A real bad valve guid or guid's and a worn clynder may be at fault if you did not change the oil like you should have. PAUL'S LAWN SERVICE P.S. Never wash a hot or worm mower this will warp the clynder and cause smoking.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

paulwest said:


> First thing to do is change the oil--DO NOT use a synthetic or a synthetic blend thise will cause oil consumption to increase by two times. Check the crankcase breather check valve. A real bad valve guid or guid's and a worn clynder may be at fault if you did not change the oil like you should have. PAUL'S LAWN SERVICE P.S. Never wash a hot or worm mower this will warp the clynder and cause smoking.


Gonna have to disagree about the synthetic... because the 4 engines that I run it in run perfectly fine... and so do thousands of others that use it, run fine..... Now conventional multi weight? yeah you'll get consumption from it shearing.


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## kbalona (Apr 27, 2006)

I agree with you bugman. Same experiance here.


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