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Sears Craftsman Snow Blower - 10 HP Tecumseh Motor - pre 2004

6K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Mike C.  
#1 ·
I have a 10 hp Tecumseh motor on my Sears snowblower model C950-52530-6 Dual Stage that I bought new about 1991.

It gets regular tune up service + oil changes + spark plug change + belt changes yearly.

This past December 2016 when I cranked it up for the first time and started running the motor I noticed oil spewing out of the black rubber hose connected onto the breather element cover (located behind / beneath metal carburator cover).

I replaced (all new Sears parts) the breather filter + breather element (with 9 small holes at one end) + gaskets but the oil still comes out of the black hose - not as much but still does. Worried that I may seize motor during prolonged snow clearing use. Motor starts up okay and runs okay but the loss of oil has me wondering what is wrong?

Ben from Barrie Ontario Canada
 
#3 ·
Couple obvious things to check. Was it ever left outside in the rain? Is the sparkplug snug? What's the oil level in the crank? Does it smell like gas? Could be as simple as water in the crank or more likely fuel from a poor needle seat or failed float (fuel filled). "Siezed" would be a completely different set of symptoms/problems
 
#4 ·
There is a hole in the bottom surface of the breather that lets oil drain back into the crankcase. If that is clogged, it will blow oil through the tube. As JT suggested, the crankcase could be overfilled. Otherwise, it's blow by pressure from a worn out engine. You can try using a thicker weight oil to slow down the blow by if that's the case.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Small engine crankcases operate under a small vacuum which helps keep the oil in the engine.Leaking seals,gaskets,O-rings can cause the loss of this vacuum and make the breather pass oil.

Some breathers can also accidently be installed upside down putting the drains at the top.

What does the oil on the stick look like?Does it look normal,or does it have a milky appearance?