Hello! I'm new to the forum. I have a 20+ year old MTD yard machine with a14.5hp Briggs and Stratton under the hood. I am having trouble with it and could use some help diagnosing the issue.
After running for a minute or two, motor hot, I see a white haze from the exhaust. It sounds fine and runs smooth, but the longer it runs the more smoke (always white) billows out the exhaust. After a few minutes it begins to run rough, then it goes old faithful on me out the intake filter, specifically the tube coming from the crank case. The liquid fountaining out it's dark gray. Not brown like the clean oil, or clear/amber like the gas. It does smell a bit like gas, but I'm not sure what it is. If I had to guess I'd say it is a mix of oil and gas (I realize there are only two options and that's a real stretch of an assumption...).
I could use your wisdom and experience at this point. Where do I start? Is there a common failure that causes what I'm seeing?
By way of introduction, I'm a mechanical engineer with a passion for fixing things. I lack knowledge on this small engines but have years of experience maintaining and repairing my cars over the last two or so decades. I'm confident enough to attempt any repair but cautious enough to enlist expert help when I lack knowledge or experience in the matter at hand, like this mower problem.
Thanks for reading and for any comments!
After running for a minute or two, motor hot, I see a white haze from the exhaust. It sounds fine and runs smooth, but the longer it runs the more smoke (always white) billows out the exhaust. After a few minutes it begins to run rough, then it goes old faithful on me out the intake filter, specifically the tube coming from the crank case. The liquid fountaining out it's dark gray. Not brown like the clean oil, or clear/amber like the gas. It does smell a bit like gas, but I'm not sure what it is. If I had to guess I'd say it is a mix of oil and gas (I realize there are only two options and that's a real stretch of an assumption...).
I could use your wisdom and experience at this point. Where do I start? Is there a common failure that causes what I'm seeing?
By way of introduction, I'm a mechanical engineer with a passion for fixing things. I lack knowledge on this small engines but have years of experience maintaining and repairing my cars over the last two or so decades. I'm confident enough to attempt any repair but cautious enough to enlist expert help when I lack knowledge or experience in the matter at hand, like this mower problem.
Thanks for reading and for any comments!