Tag: leaking oil in lawn mower

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

My Lawn Mower Leaks Oil And I Cannot Tell Where it is Coming From

Just how in the world can you tell if you have an oil leak on a lawn mower that is now covered in dirt and dust?

When oil leaks out of your lawn mower, dust and dirt quickly adhere to that oil and make it very hard to detect the exact location of the leak. The first thing you must do is to power wash the engine to remove the dirt and debris. You must take special care to ensure that you don’t get water into vital areas such as the carburetor, fuel injection or air filter area.

Now you can run the engine and search for the leaking oil but you must take care if this is a push or self-propelled engine as the blade will be turning.

Another way to look for an engine leak is to apply some dye to the engine oil and then use a black light to find it. The dye is illuminated by the black light and makes finding leaks easier.

If you are still struggling to find an oil leak in your lawn mower engine or need the leak repaired, check out our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

My Push Lawn Mower Leaks Oil

 

An oil leak can be a serious problem for your push lawn mower. If too much oil leaks from the engine, it could damage the crankshaft and connecting rod. To avoid that damage, let’s look at a few areas to see if we can determine where the leak is coming from.

If the oil is on the deck in the front of the engine, chances are it is coming from a valve cover gasket or the head gasket. It could also be seeping from the crankcase gasket.

If the oil is coming from the side of the engine, it could be the crankcase breather is leaking or the crankcase gasket is seeping.

If the oil is leaking down from the top of the engine, the seal or bearing surface is worn out at the top of the crankshaft.

If the oil is leaking from the bottom of the engine, the seal or bearing surface is worn out at the bottom of the crankshaft.

In each of these cases, the leak can usually be repaired. If the leak is on the top of the engine, it might not be possible to repair it if the crankcase is worn and oil is leaking by it.

On older Tecumseh engines, the crankcase breather is on the top of the engine and that can be replaced to stop the leak.

Visit our locations page to find a push mower mechanic in your area.

Finding and stopping the oil leak on your push mower is the only way to save your valuable engine.