Kohler overfill

[Nubian 3]

What happens to a Magnum M20 when overfilled with oil? where does the excess oil go.I am wondering because there is oil all over inside the shroud towards the rear. It was just rebuilt and I noticed it is way over full.

[bluecap24 0]

If I was to guess I would say that it popped the crank shaft seal out. Very common on the m20. Mine did it too. Be careful not to push it in too far. Probably will need to replace with a new seal and possibly put some permatex on it to hold it in. I can't remember which permetex it is but it will hold in.

[Ronald Hribar 86]

Why and who overfilled it with oil ? Reason I'm asking is that several times I've drained the gas tank into the crankcase WHEN I forgot to shut fuel valve

[Nubian 3]

I guess bottom line it's my fault for not keeping an eye on it. When I picked it up from the shop it was running and everything was fine. Then I started having problems with it cutting off on me while it was running, sometimes it would start up again right away most times not until after a couple of minutes. Thought I was having starter problems since it was making whining sound.When I went to check the starter I noticed oil all over the inside of the shroud. coil,starter,flywheel everything was covered in oil. When I checked the oil level it was about 3/4" over the full line.

[DMedal 1]

If the seal is leaking that would bring the oil level below where it should be, not over, unless he's been overfilling it. So I'm with Ron - check that oil for gas smell and are you finding gas disappearing? Running it with diluted oil would be a cruel thing to do to a brand new rebuild. Sniff test and compare a half cup or so to the oil you put in it. If the stuff in the crankcase is thinner, it is diluted with gas. Stuck float, bad seat, etc. most of us have a shut-off on the gas line for that reason. But I rarely remember to close mine. To answer your original question about where the excess oil goes, one of the places would be out the breather and either into the carb or into the cooling air. -Don