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Briggs and Stratton 550 self propelled/Poulon Pro.

I changed the oil and the problem persists. I found this webpage: White Smoke From My Engine which said to clean out or just replace the crankcase breather.

Not being familiar with this, I typed it into google images, but still not sure.

There is a metal tube that is attached to my carb with a elbow shaped piece of rubber on one end - it goes horizontal and attaches into this somewhat rectangular part that is located just behind the exhaust on the opposite side of the engine. Is this it?

Yes... That's the vent tube... :smile:KennyV

and the breather tube goes to the actual breather(that's that little somewhat square shaped piece by the exhaust? Is it best to try and clean the breather and breather tube or better just to install a new breather?

If cleaning works, what would you recommend?

maxcalvada said:

Briggs and Stratton 550 self propelled/Poulon Pro.

I changed the oil and the problem persists. I found this webpage: White Smoke From My Engine which said to clean out or just replace the crankcase breather.

Not being familiar with this, I typed it into google images, but still not sure.

There is a metal tube that is attached to my carb with a elbow shaped piece of rubber on one end - it goes horizontal and attaches into this somewhat rectangular part that is located just behind the exhaust on the opposite side of the engine. Is this it?

Click to expand...

Likely a Head Gasket...

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this just happened to me, and I think posts elsewhere point to something more catastrophic like a head gasket. I've now tried and been disappointed in ALL Overhead Cam small (up to 6.5 hp) engines I've tried from Briggs, Tecumseh, and now HONDA which I assumed was the engine to beat... I had put 2 cycle oil in crankcase (in a hurry, nothing else with me) a mow or two previous, so I MAY have brought this on myself if there is some hot (chemically) solvent in 2 stroke oil that might damage a gasket, but I see SO many posts on oil spewing from Honda carb & exhaust, with gasket as culprit, I think I will give the following advice: AVOID OHC Lawn Mower Engines! As I commented on another post of this sort: (When another person's reply offered the advice that it was the air filter element...)

"I tried removing soaked paper air filter when this happened to me last Saturday; only slight temporary improvement. Solution is to avoid EVERYBODY'S "overhead cam" mower engine and go back to Briggs engines of the "lower cost" type (NON-overhead cam) I mow for a living, I'd thought I finally found another "good" mower engine -this Honda, which did several large yards before blowing out oil from both ends- to add to my list of (1) good engine, (the old Briggs, with foam filter in a clamshell-type housing) (no high filter replacement cost, clean it yourself, and indestructible save carb cleaning needed occasionally) But I've had so much trouble with Briggs OHC engines (they even allowed dirt to be sucked into the carb thru primer button hole for YEARS before addressing problem) and now with the highly esteemed Japanes OHC. I even tried the once-stylish Wisconsin Robin (now Japanese) 2-stroke engine, immediately bent a shaft, and under-powered...Its the old Briggs all the way, sorry only our grandparents could fight a war or design a MOWER ENGINE.

Smoke colors can be deceiving. Black too much fuel, Blue burning oil, White caused by moisture. I would check the fuel first to make sure you don't have water in the tank. Second I would start the engine and let it run for 30 minutes, making sure that it gets and stays at operating temp. This will burn off any moisture which may be in the engine due to winter storage. If you can run the tank dry and then check with fresh fuel, it would be even better.

Rivets said:

Smoke colors can be deceiving. Black too much fuel, Blue burning oil, White caused by moisture. I would check the fuel first to make sure you don't have water in the tank. Second I would start the engine and let it run for 30 minutes, making sure that it gets and stays at operating temp. This will burn off any moisture which may be in the engine due to winter storage. If you can run the tank dry and then check with fresh fuel, it would be even better.

Click to expand...

This. And flush the crankcase out to make sure there's no water in there. No offense to Max up there but blown head gasket sounds really unlikely.

You speak of white smoke, what other symptoms do you have? Low power? Engine knock? Hard starting cold or hot? Depending on the engine and the temperature conditions, I have found that many times (in warmer weather), white smoke is accompanied with low power and that translates to incomplete combustion due to possible low compression.

Rivets said:

Smoke colors can be deceiving. Black too much fuel, Blue burning oil, White caused by moisture. I would check the fuel first to make sure you don't have water in the tank. Second I would start the engine and let it run for 30 minutes, making sure that it gets and stays at operating temp. This will burn off any moisture which may be in the engine due to winter storage. If you can run the tank dry and then check with fresh fuel, it would be even better.

Click to expand...

Ha ha, couldn't help "commenting on a comment" in this string: I love your disclaimer, Rivets, about book learning! I used to score 99's in several areas of the old "Iowa Basic" tests we used to get, and even in top 1/2 percent in "Pre-SAT" test but I got so disgusted with the tests, because I saw there was NO CONNECTION between my scores and any success in the world, though maybe I'm a good "mocking bird" knowing how to knock off all the other birds' songs, I cant stay away from the CATS, its always the pretty mocking birds we see torn up down here, unlike the grackles and bluejays and every other buff bird which doesn't get caught, so that doesn't sound too "smart" to me... Plus I'm dumb as a squirrel who can't recall where he buried his nuts! (acorns, 'scuse me).

Anyway, I feel this "smoke from carb AND exhaust likely IS a head gasket, and asked at a local "outdoor power" store, where they said breather would account for carb oil/smoke, NOT exhaust...(sounds like flu with diarrohea and vomiting to me!) My Honda air cooled (21" push mower) engine may have the same head-gasket induced problem; and white smoke sure persists after oil is spewed into a hot muffler. Sort of like an insect fogger! (if only it would kill insects, not make your customer think you were Jed Clampit) (sp?) Regards, Mr. Rivets! - I'm only seeking out the Briggs engines from my FATHER'S generation for my biz now; seriously, I'm not rich and I'm hard on equipment. Leave the OHC engines to the Mustang and sportscar crowd. (this white smoke not from water o'course, its air cooled). But of course the Environmentalist Crowd may have driven these manufacturers to make OHC engines, for all I know. Maybe the reliable ones from "the day" are not as clean, or something. Though broken gaskets and smoke don't sound "clean."!

lzn197 said:

You speak of white smoke, what other symptoms do you have? Low power? Engine knock? Hard starting cold or hot? Depending on the engine and the temperature conditions, I have found that many times (in warmer weather), white smoke is accompanied with low power and that translates to incomplete combustion due to possible low compression.

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Mine runs and acts fine until this cloud of pure white smoke rolls out,then I'm looking to see if anyone has called the FD lol briggs 19.5 craftsman

ptcoia said:

Mine runs and acts fine until this cloud of pure white smoke rolls out,then I'm looking to see if anyone has called the FD lol briggs 19.5 craftsman

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Did you find what caused your smoking problem? Mine starts and runs fine, but will bellow a huge cloud of smoke when mowing across incline.

Fgrand said:

Did you find what caused your smoking problem? Mine starts and runs fine, but will bellow a huge cloud of smoke when mowing across incline.

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Black , white or blue smoke ?