127 oil film on motor

[Doc Brown]

Hi All.

I hope everyone is well. I have an issue with my 127 as it has been really hard to start lately and I noticed an oily film all over the outside of the block. When I do get it started it runs and idles like it's brand new but it smokes like a steamer when first starting it.

I pulled the plug and installed a new autolite with the correct gap. The old plug wasn't just wet with gas but had a pretty oily sludge around the electrode pocket. The new plug didn't help with the really hard starts but once it's running you would never know there is any issue whatsoever. It seems pretty apparent that oil is getting into the cylinder past the rings
I'm not sure if its the oil rings or a valve? I'm guessing its not a valve but I'm not sure. I had the head off before I put it back together after I bought it and the cylinder looked really good and didn't show much in terms of scoring or wear.

I filed the points just for kicks but I can't see how points and timing would have anything to do with oil in the cylinder and oil film on the outside of the engine.?

Anything I should check or look at? It's a Kohler k301.

[ironman]

There could be one, or many things in play causing your woes, but pertaining to the oil film and smoke after startup, one of the easiest things to check out would be the crankcase breather.
It is supposed to maintain a slightly negative crankcase pressure, but if it's clogged, damaged, installed incorrectly, etc. that can cause positive crankcase pressure and force oil up past the rings.

[Doc Brown]

Thanks a lot Ironman for the info. I didn't even think to check the breather. I have a mission and will report back findings.

[jbrewer]

The breather has to be one of the most often forgotten features of a Kohler engine!

[Doc Brown]

Partial update for anyone interested.

The plate that has "top" marked on it with the weep hole at the bottom was installed upside down by whomever had it before me. I have a gasket set coming tomorrow and will report back how things go.

The air cleaner had a decent amount of oil in it and was pretty dirty and it was new probably 4 hours of operation ago. Oil was definitely going places it shouldn't and blowing everywhere externally as well. I may have to take the carb apart to clean the junk out of it.

[West Valley G]

Thanks for the update. Amazing that people are interested enough to
take things apart but not enough to put top at the top. You would think
the vent pointing up would have been a clue.
For what it is worth, even all put back together correctly I have had
those breathers leak at the gaskets slightly. I have taken to putting a THIN
layer of sealer at the gasket contacts. I am talking 1/10 of paper thin.
This has helped alot.

Ken

[finsruskw]

Problem area for sure as the cover plate is easily distorted by overtightening of the nut on the fastening stud.
Nearly every Cub I have dealt with has this issue.
It is kind of a PITA to deal with 2 gaskets and multiple parts when reassembling it.

That as well as other areas like the governor shaft bushing and point pushrod leaking slight amounts of oil is what leads to the mess in general being blown around by the flywheel fan blades.

[Doc Brown]

Before I put everything back together I wanted to adjust the valves if needed and the manual says to check them cold at TDC. I am assuming I can line up the hash mark with a "T" by it in the site hole on the flywheel and that will suffice?

If that is indeed the case I have some serious valve adjustment issues because I can't even get a nine thousandths feeler gauge in the exhaust or intake valve stem? Can they be that far out or am I not measuring something right?

[West Valley G]

First I would make sure that your engine is timed exactly where it
is supposed to be. You may have already done that, just checking.
I personally would not find TDC with with the T mark but visually at
the cylinder. If the head is still on put screwdriver or something long
in the spark plug hole and rotate engine to TDC.
The most important thing is to make sure you are at TDC on the
compression stroke. Both your valves should be closed at this point.
Now you can set you gap at the tappets and the valves.

Ken

[jcubtroy]

see where your points are. you can always do a static timeing test.