Craftsman mower leaking oil

[tokerlund]

http://s1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/tokerlund/?action=view&current=CIMG0770.jpg

http://s1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/tokerlund/?action=view&current=CIMG0772.jpg

http://s1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/tokerlund/?action=view&current=CIMG0771.jpg

I bought this self-propelled mower off of craigslist yesterday. I now see that it is leaking oil from the horizontal seam where the engine meets the mounting bracket. That or it is leaking somewhere up under the front manifold.

Is this fixable and is it worth it?

 

[scott47429]

are you talking about where the 2 halts of the engine meet the block to the oil pan i call it if so then its probably a gasket that can be replaced fairly easy if you mechanical at all

 

[motoman]

I just had my Intek blow oil around the pan mating surface. This was traced to several pan (sump) fasteners loosening. When this happens oil pours out from the open threaded fastener holes, and from the blown out gasket space causes by the loosened surface seal.

I was able to tighten the sump bolts without removing anything and halt the leaks. I do not know how the gasket can be repaired without dismantling the engine. Apparently the RTV gasket is so thin that the mating surfaces "forgive" the deletion of the gasket when tightened.

If you retighten you should take the time to loosen all (?10?) of the fasteners and then tighten them in the proper sequence as shown in an Intek manual, and to the proper torque (?? 18 ft lbs?? memory). The sump is a delicate piece. I f your tractor is like mine the loose fasteners are waiting for you as BS put the engine close enough to the chassis so they stand on their heads when fully loosened,but do not fall out onto the ground. Did BS know they would loosen due to vibration? Stop press...didn't see your pics..Mine's a 24 HP ride around. Maybe some of this helps.

 

[possum]

I cannot tell much from the picture. Nor do i know what the blob is in the fiirst picture. If that is a Tecumseh eager one it is common for the dipstick tubes to leak. Most of the Tecs I have had all leaked some around the gaskets, enough to make the unit gunky dirty oily if not cleaned up now and then. But most of them that leaked enough to be a problem it was the dipstick tube. Old Bill down the street had three he picked up this spring all covered in oil and dirt on the decks and all of them had dipstick leaks once he got to looking. A little oil around the gaskets seeping is no big problem on an older engine, but alot is.