184 Burning oil

[PaulInMaplewood]

I am trying to figure out how much oil my 184 is burning/leaking. Can someone tell me if the distance between the Low and Max marks on the dipstick is one quart, or is it more than that?

I carefully filled 30 weight oil in 2 ounce increments to just reach the Max mark. I started it up, drove it out to the lawn and turned the motor off. The dipstick showed 15/16 of the distance from Low to Max just from doing that--just below the Max mark. I started it and ran it for 30 minutes in fast idle, shut it down, and the oil level didn't appear to budge. I cut the grass, which took an hour and a half, put the tractor back where I keep it and shut down. The oil was down to 7/8's -- it definitely wasn't down to 3/4.

Careful to not overfill, I then added oil in small amounts to reach max, and it took 12 ounces to do this.

It is like a family member who eats a lot and one asks, "Where do they all put it?" I pour oil into this tractor, and where does it all go? It leaks oil from underneath the oil pan when parked, and I catch a couple of ounces each time in a container. Could it be leaking oil at a higher rate with the engine under load? I want to fix this because I don't want to disperse engine oil over the lawn.

Last time I checked the compression, it was even on all four cylinders.

With the engine in fast idle, I held a piece of white paper against the exhaust, and I didn't see any soot. I don't see any oil smoke coming out the exhaust either.

Under load with the mower engaged, there is some white-ish-gray smoke coming out from underneath the oil dipstick cap, which appears to be the crankcase breather on this engine. The engine produces enough power to mow reasonably thick grass without stalling, and this is after I had service place do a tuneup after I reported a lack of power. Afterward, the engine "pings" from "spark knock" in heavy grass--a researcher at the University who studies gas engine combustion told me that oil getting into the combustion chamber can cause spark knock. He told me that oil is "anti-octane", and that it only takes a drop of oil in the combustion chamber to do this.

If I can cut this lawn with about a gallon and a half of gas and 12 ounces of oil, I guess I am happy. For a car this would be a frightening level of oil consumption. Is it worth paying a service place to put new rings on this engine? A lot of 184 owners appear to have skills to do this work themselves.

[Eugene]

Ping under load after a tune up. Check ignition timing.

Oil loss. Rear crankshaft main seal.

Engine overhaul. Opinion. I would wait. Then include a new rear seal and retainer in the engine overhaul.
They will have to disassemble the engine, measure everything, before providing an estimate of cost.
My guess, $1500- to $2000- (maybe more) for rings, bearings, valve work, rear main seal retainer and seal, gaskets, and labor.

Edit: I would retune the engine. Oil is going to be much cheaper than an engine overhaul. Try Sea Foam in the engine oil and fuel.

[Jim Becker]

Attempting to measure oil consumption via the dipstick after a few minutes of run time will not work well. A lot of oil will be spread throughout the engine with a variable amount that is still running back down to the oil pan. To get that variable under control, you have to let the tractor sit for an extended time. I suggest overnight then checking before starting the engine.

[PaulInMaplewood]

Questions:

How much Sea Foam in the engine oil? Do I keep it there or run it for a while and then change the engine oil?

If the engine leaking from the rear main seal, is it leaking into the transmission? If it is leaking out, where do I look for the drip>?

[Eugene]

I suggest overnight then checking before starting the engine.

That's what I do. I don't get excited about having the oil level exactly on the mark. Cub, a bit over or under the mark is ok. Bigger tractors, I wait until I need to add a quart of oil.

How much Sea Foam in the engine oil? Do I keep it there or run it for a while and then change the engine oil?

One container. Leave in until next scheduled oil change.

If the engine leaking from the rear main seal, is it leaking into the transmission? If it is leaking out, where do I look for the drip?

It leaks out, not into the transmission. It's going to drip under the bell housing.

[Don McCombs]

Questions:

How much Sea Foam in the engine oil? Do I keep it there or run it for a while and then change the engine oil?

If the engine leaking from the rear main seal, is it leaking into the transmission? If it is leaking out, where do I look for the drip>?

Follow the directions on the can for Seafoam. The leak will be visible at the front of the bell housing or the round inspection hole.

[Gary Dotson]

The 184 does not have a bell housing, per sa. A leaking main seal will drip from in front of the flywheel and on to the mower deck. If the leak is from the front crank seal, it will most likely drip on to the ground, making it a bit harder to detect.

[Don McCombs]

The 184 does not have a bell housing, per sa. A leaking main seal will drip from in front of the flywheel and on to the mower deck. If the leak is from the front crank seal, it will most likely drip on to the ground, making it a bit harder to detect.

Whoops! Lost track of where I was.

[SONNY]

IF its leaking out, ---- easy to see! --- IF its just burning it you will have oil soaked plugs and engine miss with blue smoke. IF its just starting to use oil,--- just oil the sucker and go!!!!!! LOL!! Run it til it wont then decide how much you want to dump in it. ---- or in my case junk it or bury it!

[outdoors4evr]

It is most likely leaking somewhere. Maybe it is ending up in the radiator or in the transmission?
(radiator possibly due to a failed gasket? I don't recall any oil passages in the head)
The transmission is the shared sump for the hydraulics. Maybe it is possible that a bad seal or o-ring in the hydraulic pump is allowing oil to mix in with the hydraulic fluid???
My 184 typically leaks a bit through the rear main. Some ends up on the frame rails, some on the mower deck. My leak isn't significant enough to fix, I will be 1/2 quart low per season of mowing.

[outdoors4evr]

Seafoam is a very low viscosity. You might consider just running a heavier weight oil (SAE30 or 40w) with no seafoam.

[SONNY]

sis uses 50 weight in her pt car! Its the only thing that will stay in it!