Found another oil leak

16 years ago

Well, my vanguard has another oil leak, trickling down the left side of the head on down to the crank. Which was probably the orgin of my crank seal leak, especially after I replaced it and didn't really see anything wrong with the old one. But 20 year old engine with alot of hours on it, didn't hurt nothing to change it and I done some other stuff when I had the engine off.

I studied the engine diagrams and came to the conclusion that the only thing to cause this oil leak was the breather valve gasket right between the two heads. On a horz. engine this would probably never leak that bad cause gravity would force the oil back down to the crank case. But, on a vert. engine some oil is constantly laying at the bottom of the valve.

Well, my theroy was correct, I disassembled the air filter brackets and braces enough to get the breather valve out from behind the carb. without removing the carb.. Sure enough could see where the oil was coming from. I cleaned up the valve and rubber gaskets (was able to reuse them), cleaned the block and valve, used alittle RTV and resealed the breather valve which didn't cost me a dime except my time.

All is well now 20 year old 14 hp vanguard runs like new and don't leak. I am convenced I cannot wear this engine out if I do my part.

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Comments (5)

mownie
16 years ago
***"I am convenced I cannot wear this engine out if I do my part."***
Be careful there RC! You don't want to jinx anything tempting fate like that. (my grandma used to say).
john_wa
16 years ago
Always listen to Grandma!
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rcmoser
Original Author
16 years ago
ALso, I got tired of oil going everywhere on my entry level cub cadet ZTR when changing the oil. the frame stamped steel design and of course they were made for several different brands of engines, I guess who every they got the best deal from.

Anyway, mine has the cheap briggs single els engine and of course the oval factory cut hole don't line up with where the filter is located. So, I had a brain fart and desided to drill a hole so when I loosen the oil filter it would drain through the hole and into a catch can. Well for once my light bulb idea worked, very little oil on the frame to run under the engine and create a mess (and I can't stand messes) Now with my created drain pipping ( cause the drain plug hole also didn't align up with the factory cutout). I can now place a catch can under it and drain the oil and filter without dumping oil every where Like it was suspose to be from the factory.
bluemower
16 years ago
Good for you for solving a oil drain problem.

I don't know the orientation of your engine, so the following information is general.

many of the techs will jack up one side of the mower so the filter is on the low side. A piece of cardboard is folded so it is V shaped. This can be placed under the oil filter to capture oil and allow it to run into a bucket.
rcmoser
Original Author
16 years ago
Won't work on this model of stamped steel frame. the engine is recessed down inside the flat steel frame, plus a valley is stamped into that so the engine is sunk down into this. The oil filter mounts about 1/4" off the frame at the bottom down in to the recess area and the holes are no where near the filter plus it's not stamped out in the recess but up a 1/4", for the oil to drain it has to run around the engine block to the other side to the inch hole provided in the recess for the drain plug which is nowhere near the drain plug. I did come with a kit and hose to run the hose out that hole, but I didn't like that, plus is was near impossible to work the valve and keep the hose on.

when you remove the filter the oil immediately runs right for the engine mount flange on the block, then it proceeds to run around the entire engine block and drip several places underneath the frame.

No room for cardboard, verily enough room for a sheet of paper towel. To solve this I drilled two holes and reamed out a square under the filter, so when I loosen the filter alittle the oil runs through the hole and into a drain pan. There is a big oval shaped hole cut into the frame by the factory, but it don't align up with anything on my model engine. the other side I plumbed it out so it runs through the frame hole about 4" away.

I sure this frame is a standard stamped steel frame used on several models and different sized ZTR's. Which has Briggs, Kolher, Kaw, singles and twins. Mounted in differently, but there is no standard location of the filters or drain plugs on the different manufactured engine blocks. But they stamped if for one engine that I haven't seen yet on different models where the filter aligns up with the hole.

Anyway, most don't even see it as a problem or care, but for a clean nerd like me I can't stand it.