38racing wrote:Still smoked at startup and did another cutting. Again it never stopped. There is some smoke out breather but I expect that given age and it doesn't vent back into carb.
Common with plugged air cleaners, it'll suck in air through the breather, meaning it'll be sucking in oil mist from breather...
I did just notice some oil at head to block area on one side. Since I now have a decent leakdown tester I will do one. Is there any chance a leaky head gasket with hiss on the test. I'm expecting some hiss from the dipstick for sure.
Almost certainly you will get some leakage via head gasket - Those were VERY common issues with abused engines that allowed to overheat (is the flywheel rotating screen clear? cooling fins and ducts gunked up? both very common causes of this issue) - aluminum head and cast iron block, yep you are gonna see the thermal expansion crush the gasket beyond any recovery limits, and as it cools down and shrinks the aluminum cools faster and causes gasket layer separation.. So, cooling and maintenance are very important on these engines.. Possible you may *almost* eliminate the oil burning with a good maintenance and cooling system cleaning, new head gasket, properly torqued, and get on the owner's butt about making sure the rotating screen (critically important) being kept clear - if the rotating screen gets plugged up with grass or debris, there's no cooling air coming in so engine will be re-circulating hot air that is drawn in from engine block area. (It is also important to check the equipment's shrouds and baffles to allow sufficient air flow to get to rotating screen from somewhere that isn't drawing it in through hot components like a hydro drive unit's cooling air flow, or in along a hot muffler shroud, etc) On tear down you'll very likely find a somewhat egged (out of round) bore, worn rings and likely a chunk of top of piston (right along the edge that borders valve area) eaten away by carbon build-up.. also quite common on those K-series that have been neglected.. But chances are you'd solve a large portion of the oil burning with some basic maintenance and a new head gasket.
How poor are they who have not patience. What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? - Iago (Othello Act II, Scene 3)