Gas in Oil - Murray 22" w/ Tecumseh Engine

[Gizmo8800]

A friend of mine asked me to look at her Murray 22" push mower with a 3.8 hp Tecumseh engine.

She said that she mowed with it and put it back in her garage. The next day there was oil and gas all over the deck and floor. She cleaned most of that up before I saw it, but when I looked at it the gas tank was empty and there was definitely a lot of gas in the oil. It looked like there was also an oil/gas mix in the bottom of the air filter assembly.

First, let me say this. I have just about finished going through and doing a lot of maintenance on my 1992 Toro 32" Wheel Horse with a Briggs 10.5 hp I/C engine that I inherited about a year ago. Compared to that, this mower of hers is a total pos. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Seriously, what a total pos machine and engine.

OK, back to the problem. Am I right in assuming that this is probably a bad float needle seal in the carburetor? I know that that would account for the gas in the oil, but would that also be consistent with gas and oil leaking out onto the deck and floor? I did not see the stuff that leaked out onto the floor, but she told me that it was pretty substantial. Is there anything else that could maybe account for this and that I should look for when I take the carburetor off tomorrow and try to figure out what is going on? Thanks for any help.

 

[Sawdusted]

I would also check the integrity of the fuel Line to see if there are any cracks it leaks.

 

[asand1]

My initial thought is needle stuck open and gas drained into carburetor with intake valve open, or alternately through the pcv if Tecumseh has one.

 

[Tones]

Typically varnish sticking the needle open, but make sure there is not a leak in the float as well. They used to put a fuel petcock on the tank. If there is, you might tell her to get in the habit of using it.

 

[racer12306]

That needle is your ticket. The carb should be simple to take apart and soak in some carb cleaner, then it should be good to go.


Could there be so much gas in the oil that it's actually flowing back out the carb or exhaust to get on the deck and floor?

 

[bubbatime]

The needle and seat are in need of replacement (as well as the gaskets once you get in there).

You want a solid recommendation?

Step one- Change the oil and put a fuel shutoff valve in the fuel line. Cost $3.50. Put the mower up for sale on Craigslist for $50 (with full disclosure that the needle/seat leaks, hence the fuel shutoff valve). If you repair the carburetor you will be $30-$50 into the mower, which doesn't make sense since you said it was a pile of junk.

Step 2- Go find a nice used mower on Craigslist with a Briggs or Honda engine. They can be found in the $50-$100 range.

This is a much better option than wasting your time fixing that junky mower.

 

[Gizmo8800]

I was able to pull the carb, fuel tank, and air filter assembly off tonight. She told me that everything was fine when she put it away, and that she had topped off the fuel tank after mowing. It seems to me that the only way for the fuel tank to drain dry and to get gas in the oil is for the float needle to not close properly, so I am going to replace the needle and seat, the bowl gasket, and the o-ring and gasket on the two ends of the carburetor and put it back together. The parts for that is around $14, and a local mower guy orders parts for me when he places an order (which is once or twice a week) and doesn't charge me any shipping.

I think the oil and gas came out the breather tube. It is plastic and simply slides into the plastic air filter without any kind of sealing or clamping. One plastic piece just slides right into another plastic piece, and there was an oil/gas mix in that tube. While I had the carburetor off I gave it a good cleaning with some carb cleaner I had and also blew out everything with some compressed air. It actually looks like it is in pretty good shape after the cleaning.

Bubba, I talked to her about your idea and that is what we are going to do. She knows her mower is a piece of junk so I am going to see if I can fix hers since it is only $14 but then keep an eye on Craigslist for something better in the 50-100 range and jump on something good I see.

Thanks for all the replies and help. I lived in a condo for a long time and did not have to worry about a yard, but now I have a little over an acre to mow and this place has been a great find. The two mowers I am using are a 1992 32" Toro Wheel Horse rear engine rider and a late 80's Sarlo 22" push mower that is built like a tank and runs and cuts great.