Hey Everyone,
(disclaimer: my mechanic knowledge is very limited - please excuse any stupid remarks or questions)
Pretext:
I've got a home assembled kart with a a Tecumseh OHM90 9hp. The engine always ran great until this past winter. It was a cold day - about 20 f - so I reversed the cover over the carburetor as the manual says to do so the engine would suck in warm air. Anyway, assuming I had taken proper precautions, I fired up the engine. It was running pretty rough and almost stalled a few times but figured it just needed to warm up. I hopped in, drove about 100 feet, and suddenly the started to die and a huge cloud of white smoke poured out of the exhaust. Moments later it died completely and would not restart. I figured I had blown and engine and gave up on it.
Some months later, in the spring, I decided to try to start the engine again. To my surprise, it started, but ran very rough, producing excess black-gray smoke, and seemed like it might stall if I gave it too much gas.
Problem:
I soon realized upon checking the oil levels that the oil (SAE 30) smelled strongly of gas. I drained the oil (which came out completely black) and replaced it with fresh SAE30, because I had heard gas can leak past the pistons into the oil during cold weather operation. I started up the engine and it continued to run rough and produce excess dark gray smoke. I checked the oil again and it again smelled like gas.
From my limited knowledge and research, I've read that either the float seat/needle is sticking or my rings are blown. If the rings are blown, I'm in trouble, but if the needle is sticking it's a much less severe problem.
Summary:
Engine died, produced a big cloud of white smoke while running it with SAE30 in >20 f weather.
Engine now starts, but gas is getting into oil. The oil is black, as is the spark plug head. The spark plug smells like gas when I take it out.
Any help would be appreciated!
(disclaimer: my mechanic knowledge is very limited - please excuse any stupid remarks or questions)
Pretext:
I've got a home assembled kart with a a Tecumseh OHM90 9hp. The engine always ran great until this past winter. It was a cold day - about 20 f - so I reversed the cover over the carburetor as the manual says to do so the engine would suck in warm air. Anyway, assuming I had taken proper precautions, I fired up the engine. It was running pretty rough and almost stalled a few times but figured it just needed to warm up. I hopped in, drove about 100 feet, and suddenly the started to die and a huge cloud of white smoke poured out of the exhaust. Moments later it died completely and would not restart. I figured I had blown and engine and gave up on it.
Some months later, in the spring, I decided to try to start the engine again. To my surprise, it started, but ran very rough, producing excess black-gray smoke, and seemed like it might stall if I gave it too much gas.
Problem:
I soon realized upon checking the oil levels that the oil (SAE 30) smelled strongly of gas. I drained the oil (which came out completely black) and replaced it with fresh SAE30, because I had heard gas can leak past the pistons into the oil during cold weather operation. I started up the engine and it continued to run rough and produce excess dark gray smoke. I checked the oil again and it again smelled like gas.
From my limited knowledge and research, I've read that either the float seat/needle is sticking or my rings are blown. If the rings are blown, I'm in trouble, but if the needle is sticking it's a much less severe problem.
Summary:
Engine died, produced a big cloud of white smoke while running it with SAE30 in >20 f weather.
Engine now starts, but gas is getting into oil. The oil is black, as is the spark plug head. The spark plug smells like gas when I take it out.
Any help would be appreciated!
The reasoning here is that your problem is caused by bad gaskets more notably a needle/seat which is not doing its job.
