916 oil consumption

[427435 0]

My neighbor recently bought a 916. It supposedly had an engine that was recently overhauled. It puffs a lot of blue smoke and uses oil. I checked the compression and it seemed fine at 150+ psi.

The possibilities seem to be:

1. The oil ring could have been screwed up.

2. The valve guides are worn.

3. The dipstick is wrong and to much oil is in the crankcase.

Relative to #3, how many quarts should go in the Briggs 16 hp (single cylinder) engine??

[BLT 718]

Oil capacity for 10 thru 16 HP CI engines are 2 qts.

It's possible thst oil wier ring is upside down.

Disconnect rubbber tube between breather and carb intake. Tape off carb hole temporarly and then run engine to see if breather is functioning OK. Normal operation nothing to a real faint haze. If it belches oil you need a breather.

[Brettw 1,132]

Has the 916 been repowered to a Briggs, or is it a Kohler. I think the 900 series with 16 horse had the Kohler in it?

[oldsarge 71]

What brett said...................

[427435 0]

It is a Kohler. Does that also take 2 quarts?

Does anyone have a picture of where the breather is?

[BLT 718]

Behind the air cleaner. It's a bugger to get. Just take the air cleaner cover abd element off and run the engine as there is a breather hose connected to the air cleaner base.

[MikeES 458]

All the Kohler K single cylinder engines that were installed in the Allis/Simplicities hold 2 quarts of oil. K241, K301, K321, K341, K361.

Also if recently overhauled and the breather is OK, then one possible scenario besides what is already mentioned is that the engine was filled with synthetic oil on its initial breakin run.

A friend did this (put in synthetic oil for break in) and could not get the engine to stop smoking, pulled the piston a quick hone of the cylinder, new rings, regular 30wt oil for breakin and it now does not smoke or burn a drop 5 years later.

? Curious, 150 psi seems pretty high for a K341, and how did you get a compression check unless the ACR (automatic compression release) has been removed from the engine.

If the head was shaved and the ACR removed 150 psi is probable.

[427435 0]

I'm not very familiar with the single cylinder engines (the B10 I have just seems to start and run) so I'm unfamiliar about compression releases. I did check the compression with a 50 year old compression gauge and the engine was warm.

I did expect a lower reading.