Why would a Honda engine on a log splitter have a carburetor full of engine oil? Wouldn’t start, it usually does. I pulled the carb and it’s full of oil.
Oil in carb of log splitter engine
- Thread starter mountainguyed67
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Yeah run the crank vent into the neck of an oil bottle for a while, see how fast it fills. I've gotten extra years out of riding mower motors doing that.
Engine oil smells like gas, I’m thinking fuel ran from gas tank and increased the oil level in the crankcase until it ran into carburetor. I’ll drain the engine oil tomorrow.
Better buy a carb kit too! Gas in the oil will kill that engine.
Ordered one.
Honda engines are notorious for bad carburetors allowing fuel to leak into the crankcase, thus over filling same. Most I have seen have a fuel shutoff valve for that reason. Be glad it didn't start. You may have blown it up. Excess crankcase pressure, etc.
OT
kd.rodgers
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That sounds like a stuck or defective float/needle valve in the carburetor. If the float gets stuck or the needle valve sticks open, it allows too much fuel to enter, which can then overflow out the carb and air intake.
My splitter has an inline fuel shut off with a label that sez to use it before transporting splitter. IE bouncing around on no suspension is likely to fill your crankcase with gas. Prolly a major reason early carbs were updraft...
I thought I was getting this back together today, but the kit was missing seals for the shut off valve, and mounting gaskets. I ordered them.
Got it running just before twilight, used it to make kindling already. We were almost out of kindling. I removed the spark plug and pulled the starter cord a few times, it flung just a bit of oil. I got the air hose and blew the cylinder out. Then I put it all together, started pretty quick and runs good. It did blow a puff of smoke in the beginning, then ran normal.
Good to hear. Thanks for letting everyone know. Please remember to shut off the fuel valve coming from the tank. If it doesn't have one, put one on it. Honda engines are notorious for leaking fuel to the crankcase through the carb. Old carb, new carb, rebuilt carb. Doesn't seem to matter. jmho
OT
You likely tipped the engine back, allowing the engine oil to run up through the crankcase vent into the carb.
Check your oil level in the crankcase, then drain the oil out of the carb. Next you'll have to clean the spark plug. While the plug is out, pull the engine over a few times to push the oil out of the cylinder. If it has too much oil in the cylinder, it will continue to wet the spark plug, preventing spark and keeping your engine from running. Also there will be lots of smoke when you first start it.
Pagie
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On all my small motors I now stop them by turning off the fuel as I had one fill the sump with fuel and killing the motor.
Drain and replace oil!
While that is not a bad habit, you should look into replacing the float needle in the carb. It is likely hardened with age and unable to make a good seal. It is also possible that it is dirty.
A Honda that is in perfect running condition won't seep fuel into the engine when shut off. However if the engine is being shook or driven over rough terrain while shut off, the float in the carb tends to bounce. This lets the fuel down the intake port, into the cylinder and past the piston, contaminating the oil.
It is very important to ALWAYS have the fuel off when towing a machine equipped with a Honda engine.
The other day I was sawing some trashwood to pile on the brush pile. My husky 262 was running very poorly and smoking like a tar kiln. I new my gas mix was ok and wasnt old so It has me scratching my head trying to figure out why it was smoking so bad. Anyways, I didnt have much sawing to do so I managed to finish and go home. A few days later, I was back at the trash wood and pulled the old saw out and filled it up with gas and oil. Of course I overfilled the oil tank and thats when I noticed the bar.oil ran straight into the muffler. Mystery solved. Saw cranked and ran fine, sawed up a couple of logs, smoke burned off muffler and the air cleared.
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