Seized engine

[DTrain]

So this may not be a forum for craftsman engines, but I figure a lot of you fellas are knowledgeable about small engine repair.

I was happily shredding a sh@t ton of oak leaves all day yesterday and then was starting again this morning. About 5 min after I started the shredder it slowed down and stopped. No weird screeching noises. I thought maybe some wet stuff had clogged the thing up. But when I felt for a big wad of leaves at the end of the chute there was nothing. While down there i could see wispy smoke rising up. I then thought to myself.... hey dummy when was the last time you checked the oil. I took off the cap and there was none to be seen and wispy smoke came out to the fill hole too. I took of the head and reel and was able to break the thing loose and cycle it with some channel locks. No clanking or grinding. Valves going up and down.

And that's where I stopped. Not sure how to proceed from there. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[CrufflerJJ]

The engine is probably toast, requiring a replacement piston and possibly cylinder. Might be cheaper to replace the existing engine with a cheapie Harbor Freight (Predator brand) engine.

You could always try adding oil & seeing if it works, but I suspect the rings & piston are damaged from lack of oil.

 

[Anumber1]

^^^^ probably this but...

I would still put it back together if the cylinder doesn't look totally scored and try it.

If it does run its gonna burn some oil now!

 

[brenndatomu]

I'd drain the remaining oil, install new and run it. It will either work, or not. If not, you are out a quart of oil.
I have muscled several engines loose with a pipe wrench, put fresh oil in and never looked back. They were both fine, one Tecumseh, one Honda...

 

[jatoxico]

Any chance it had a low oil shut off? Either way put some oil in and see what you get.

 

[CrufflerJJ]

Any chance it had a low oil shut off? Either way put some oil in and see what you get.

It may have had its own "special" version of a low oil shutoff!

Draining out the old oil before adding new is probably important, since you likely have little metal bits loose in the oil. If the engine has an oil filter, that should also be changed.

 

[DTrain]

Thanks. I'll see about draining and new oil. And give it a shot.

 

[DodgyNomad]

I'd drain the remaining oil, install new and run it. It will either work, or not. If not, you are out a quart of oil.
I have muscled several engines loose with a pipe wrench, put fresh oil in and never looked back. They were both fine, one Tecumseh, one Honda...

I'd do the same. But before adding the fresh oil, I'd also pull the spark plug and squirt in a couple of oz of tranny fluid, or just some motor oil while the drain plug is out and pull it over several times, let it sit, pull it over again. Help lube and clean everything on the top end of the motor before firing again. Then add your fresh oil and hope for the best..... Be curious how this one turns out.

If it fails, as mentioned, grab a predator from HF.

 

[DTrain]

I'd do the same. But before adding the fresh oil, I'd also pull the spark plug and squirt in a couple of oz of tranny fluid, or just some motor oil while the drain plug is out and pull it over several times, let it sit, pull it over again. Help lube and clean everything on the top end of the motor before firing again. Then add your fresh oil and hope for the best..... Be curious how this one turns out.

If it fails, as mentioned, grab a predator from HF.

That was a concern of mine. Getting some lubricant up top before trying to fire.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Check the compression

 

[Anumber1]

That was a concern of mine. Getting some lubricant up top before trying to fire.

I thought I read you pulled the head off? How did the cylinder look?

 

[DTrain]

Shiny. I don't know how severe scoring needs to be for it to be a problem. I ran my finger tips over the score marks. Barely perceivable.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Shiny. I don't know how severe scoring needs to be for it to be a problem. I ran my finger tips over the score marks. Barely perceivable.

Only way to know is check the compression!

 

[DTrain]

Ok. Drained old oil. No apparent metal pieces. I put in new oil. And a bit in the cylinder. Manually cycled the engine. Put it back together. Gave it a few pulls and it stated. Idled up and stopped dead. Couldn't pull the cord. Took it apart again and budged it with channel locks. A little more oil in the cylinder and as you can see in the video I can freely turn the engine over. What would be causing it to stick? Oil not circulating?

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[velvetfoot]

A valve thing?

 

[DTrain]

Ok. I put it back together again. Tried it again. It ran and slowed and stopped. It stuck a bit but was able budge it with the cord. And then she fired up. Ran it for 10 min and I stopped the engine. I feel lucky to get it running again!!

 

[jb6l6gc]

Sticking piston rings you may have damaged!

 

[DTrain]

Ok. I should put in new rings before running. Must be a rebuild kit fit this thing I'd imagine?

 

[The Weimar]

"hey dummy when was the last time you checked the oil".. If you were the first person to have committed this mistake, we could be mad at you but, I think you know what this means. I have a Predator from Harbor Freight and it seems to run my splitter nicely. Don't be afraid to pull that dipstick out and take a peek, unless you want to be a dipstick.....(I am a dipstick)...

The Weimar

 

[jb6l6gc]

Prob cheaper/easier to get a china engine if you really need it pronto

 

[jb6l6gc]

Cycle it with head off make sure it's going through all stokes on valve train, suck/squeeze/bang/blow as my old shop teacher used to say

 

[DTrain]

Ha! Yes it does that. I want to fix it. I've not really any experience tearing any kind of engines apart. Sort of excited at the thought of taking this on. Looking a piston ring kit right now. I did the carb kit a couple years back.

 

[claydogg84]

What about the shaft bearing? It's possible that is smoked and seizes up when warm. To be honest, I would buy a new predator engine before I started rebuilding this one.

 

[Jags]

It is very possible in a low oil situation to have a fouled (read: loaded up) crank bearing. It could also be the reason that as it cools, you can get it to spin and run again, but as it heats it seizes up.

 

[DTrain]

Gotcha. I have since run it for ten minutes at a time and not had it stop. Could I be out of the woods?