Small engine gurus. I need your help !!

[pharmvet]

I have a Dixie Chopper Zero turn mower. Its about 8 years old. It has a Kohler Command Pro 25 HP motor. I take very good care of it and maintain it very well. I checked the oil this evening before I started mowing (as I almost always do) and all was well. I had mowed about 45 min when I began to hear a difference in the sound of the mower. I heard a tap, tap, tap. The sound appeared to be coming from behind me and to the rt. I looked around and down only to see that the entire rt side of the motor, frame, and hydraulic hoses were covered in what looked like oil. I immediately killed the mower and got off to check my oil level, an sure enough, Barely Resistered on the Dip stick!!! There was a small amount of steam or smoke coming out of the dipstick tube. I them went to the garage and got some engine oil and poured a liberal amount (about 2 1/2 quarts) until the dipstick again read normal. I then took paper towels and cleaned all the oil off the motor, frame, hoses etc. I could not find where the oil was coming from. I then remembered another incident where crakning the engine increased the oil pressure (dont ask - truck incident last year). I cranked the engine and as I throttled it up, I could see oil streaming from what appears to be the oil pan. Its just below the filter and beside the oil plug.

1) Where do you suspect the leak actually is?

2) Most likely, what was the sound I was hearing?

3) Is there a chance I did not damage my engine?

4) What now?

 

[RandyT]

you blew the seal between the engine and oil sump where the oil passes from the pump to the oil filter. you will need to remove the engine and replace the gasket if it has one, may just be rtv sealant. i think some of the engines may have an o ring around the oil flow pipe in the sump to prevent leaks.

 

[gengine]

I hope someone can help you with your oil leak better than I. I'm guessing that your tapping mught be your valves or lifters. Some times a little adjustment will take care of that, sometimes its a little worse. If you changed your oil recently, are you sure that you got the old seal off with the old filter and a new, lubricated seal on with your new filter? And the seal was good on your drain plug? The drain plug shouldn't have any pressure to shoot a stream of oil, unless there are some serious problems, but worth checking. Snug up your pan bolts if you can get to them, especially in that area, and try again. If you have to, you can clean everything up with a few cans of brake cleaner and do some more investigating to pinpoint the leak. The motor should be cold when doing this. I'm sure you know that, but someone in the future might not. The only experience I have is a Kohler 12 hp. and a Kohler command 18hp. Not really your motor, but I hope this gets you started. Good luck!

 

[Jim Thompson]

Many of those engines had an oil cooler mounted on that same side with an adapter between oil filter and the engine. Two flexible lines connected the adapter to the cooler. If your engine has the oil cooler, check the hoses and clamps on both ends.
If the dip stick indicated any oil in the crankcase, you probably didn't cause major damage; however, the oil capacity of your engine is only 2 quarts.
Good luck.

Jim