What Occurs When There Is an Excessive Amount of Oil in a Craftsman Mower
You are aware that not having enough engine oil may be harmful to an engine, but you might not be aware that having too much oil can also be harmful to an engine.
When there is an excessive amount of engine oil in a Craftsman lawn mower, the engine may get hydrolocked, which may result in damage to the seals, blown gaskets, and overheating.
It is possible that the problem you are experiencing with your mower might be fixed by adjusting the amount of engine oil in the engine. On the other hand, using an excessive amount of oil may lead to more major problems, some of which may need the assistance of an expert small engine repair.
Continue reading and I will explain what happens inside a Craftsman engine when there is an excessive amount of oil. Before undertaking any repairs, the spark plug wires should always be removed. Be sure to act in accordance with the safety instructions outlined in the handbook.
Table of Contents
5 Consequences of Using Excessive Amounts of Engine Oil in a Craftsman Lawnmower
1. The Engine of a Craftsman Lawnmower Can Become Too Hot
When there is too much engine oil, the crankshaft and rod have to push through the extra oil, which causes the crankcase pressure to rise, which puts additional strain on the engine’s components.
Both the rocker arm and the valve spring will get warm. Since the oil is unable to flow freely, there will be an increase in temperature. This issue is made much worse by the fact that the majority of engines are constructed out of aluminum, which generates even more heat.
As the engine gets to be a certain temperature, a valve guide or a valve seat may become loose from the engine block and fall out. If this occurs to your engine, you will need to have it scraped out by an expert small engine repair. This may be done at your own expense.
2. Problems with the Engine Seal on a Craftsman Lawn Mower Engine
When too much oil is utilized, the resulting increase in pressure has the potential to blow out the seals. After then, the engine’s oil will begin to flow out.
In the event that you do not detect blown seals in a timely manner, you may wind up with a blown engine as a result of not having enough oil. If there is not enough oil in the engine, the temperature will rise to a point where the engine will either spin a rod or fuse itself to the crankshaft.
This high level of heat may also cause the connecting rod to snap, sending it flying to the other side of the engine block. It’s possible for the piston to weld itself to the cylinder, which would then cause the cylinder to freeze up.
3. A Craftsman Lawnmower’s Engine May Freeze Up Sometimes
When there is an excessive amount of oil in the cylinder, the engine will have a difficult time turning over. Because of the wear on the rings, it is possible that the engine may become inoperable if the oil gets past them. This phenomenon is referred to as being hydrolocked.
Oil is present in the combustion chamber, which is not as it should be since it should only contain air and a trace quantity of fuel.
When the piston is unable to compress the oil when the pressure is increased, the system gets hydrolocked. As you try to start the engine, there is a strong chance that the piston may bend, which will prevent the engine from starting.
4. The engine of a Craftsman lawn mower may not run very well and could smoke.
Occasionally an excessive amount of oil might creep up to the spark plug, which can cause the plug to get fouled. The oil prevents the spark from occurring, which is essential for the fuel to be ignited correctly. It has the potential to reduce the power of your Craftsman mower and make it operate roughly.
It’s possible that oil got into the valve train of your lawn mower, which is another reason why it could not operate very well. When this oil is burnt in the cylinder, you will notice that you are surrounded by a dense cloud of odorous smoke that is white blue in color.
When the air filter gets clogged, the engine may suck air and oil out of the crankcase in addition to producing smoke. If smoke is coming from your Craftsman mower, you should check out the information in this page.
5. There Is a Risk That the Craftsman Lawn Mower’s Engine Would Blow Gaskets
The engine issues that arise with a Craftsman push mower, riding mower, or zero-turn mower are, for the most part, identical. The extreme heat generated by overfilling the oil reservoir might cause the gaskets to rupture.
Due to the need of removing the engine from the lawn mower in order to replace the gaskets, the cost of repairing a twin-cylinder engine is higher than the cost of repairing an engine for a push mower. This is because extra work is required.
In Summary
Adding a little more oil may not seem like a big problem, but in reality, it is a tremendous matter that can result in the need for expensive repairs or even the replacement of the engine.
Thus, while changing the oil or adding oil, be sure to check it again and only add the amount that is necessary by the manufacturer of your engine. Do not make the assumption that exceeding the necessary quantity would be tolerated.
While using your Craftsman after noticing engine difficulties, you should not continue to use it. If you are having difficulties with your engine that cannot be resolved by changing the oil or doing other simple repairs, you should get in touch with an expert small engine mechanic.
The mechanic will put the engine through a series of tests in order to evaluate whether or not it can be fixed or if it should be replaced.
The Process of Draining Extra Oil From a Craftsman Lawnmower
In the event that you overfilled the engine oil, you will need to bring it back down to the appropriate amount. To ensure your own personal safety, the first step is to disconnect the wire connected to the spark plug.
There are a few distinct approaches you may use in order to drain the motor oil from your Craftsman mower.
- Find the Drain Plug or Valve Port: If your lawn mower has an engine, you will need to locate the drain plug or valve port on the engine. It is possible to locate it either on the side of the engine next to the dipstick or at the bottom of the oil pan located below the lawn mower.
Prepare the drain pan you want to use to collect the oil. After removing it for a brief period of time, reinstall the plug. Make sure the oil level is correct.
- Oil Filter: If your engine has an oil filter, you may drain a little oil by removing or just loosening the oil filter in order to drain a little oil. This is only necessary if your engine employs an oil filter. Prepare a cloth to soak up the oil and keep it nearby.
- Fill Hole: There is a possibility that your mower does not have a drain plug or an oil filter. Since many of the smaller engines used on push mowers lack a drain cap, you will need to tip the mower over in order to pour a little oil out of the fill hole.
- Oil Extractor Pump: When it comes to oil removal, an oil evacuator does a good job. Oil will be extracted using an extractor, which consists of a tube that is placed into the engine’s oil fill hole.
- Turkey Baster: If you just need to remove a tiny bit of oil, a turkey baster should do the trick. Once you have used it in your vehicle’s engine, you should not put it back into circulation for use in the kitchen. The cost to replace one of them is not too high.
How to Ensure That Your Craftsman Lawnmower Does Not Have Too Much Oil
You need to consult the owner’s handbook of your lawn mower in order to determine the amount of engine oil that should be changed before you begin.
If you do not have the owner’s handbook for your vehicle, you can always use Google or another search engine of your choosing to determine the capacity of the crankcase.
The motor oil requirement for most push mowers’ tiny engines is around three quarters of a pint. Typically, a V-twin engine will need close to two quarts of fuel.
When it comes to engine oil, a bigger lawn mower industrial engine, sometimes known as a “big block,” may hold up to three quarts. These bigger engines are typically rated at around 34 horsepower or above.
If you are concerned about overfilling your engine with oil, it is preferable to determine the capacity of your crankcase and then add no more than a half quart of oil at a time. Always make sure to check the oil till you reach your goal.
If you are adding the oil half a quart at a time, as you come near to having it full, simply add a small amount at a time and check the oil level using the dipstick or the oil gauge.
Can Adding an Excessive Amount of Oil to a Craftsman Lawn Mower Keep It from Starting?
It’s possible that your Craftsman engine won’t start if you use too much engine oil. The oil pan on the smaller engines that are often used in lawn mowers is typically rather compact.
Because there is just so much area, there isn’t much wiggle room for mistakes. When an engine has an excessive amount of oil added to it, the engine might hydrolock.
The condition known as hydrolocking occurs when oil gets past the piston and into the cylinder at the same time. When this happens, the combustion chamber becomes filled with oil, which prevents the piston from moving all the way to the top of the chamber.
Air, and not liquids like oil or water, is what the piston is meant to compress. The oil will not compress, and because of this, it will not allow the piston to move when you pull on the rope or start the engine with a starter. The condition that results from this is known as being hydrolocked.
An excessive amount of oil might also clog the spark plug, which would prevent the engine from starting. When there is too much oil in an engine, it may cause additional problems, such as oil flowing into the carburetor via the valve train, which prevents the engine from starting.
It’s possible for this oil to make its way past the carburetor and into the air filter, both of which would prevent your engine from starting.
Do you still have issues with the Craftsman lawn mower you purchased?
The lawnmower of your dreams is one that never breaks down or causes you any trouble at all. On the other hand, they do not exist. If you have a lawn mower for a long enough period of time, you will inevitably run into issues.
Problems with starting, smoking, dying, vibrating, and cutting are the most often encountered of these issues.
If you are unclear of how to properly do diagnostics and repairs on your Craftsman lawn mower, it is preferable to have a professional make the repairs instead of attempting to do them yourself.
By doing this, you will reduce the risk of injuring yourself or causing more damage to the mower. It is likely that the dealership for Craftsman lawn mowers in your area or a lawn mower repair business in your area would be able to assist you in finding a solution to your issue.
