[Mahlmann]

I have a Honda HT4213 tractor that is burning oil real bad. There is no forum here for Hondas so I came to this one. I changed the oil and when I start the tractor up it burns oil like mad. I thought I put too much in so I drained it back out and added a quart and a half. It still burns oil. Smoke also come from the engine side of the muffler and it leaves almost like a residue. What's wrong???

 

[Argee]

Sounds like oil is getting by your rings...over time it has built up in the muffler. The hotter the engine gets, the more smoke it appears to be burning.

You need an overhaul and a new muffler.

 

[jodyand]

Welcome Mahlmann

It could be that your crank case breather is plugged up and its building up pressure in the crank case and its forcing oil into the carb.

 

[Chipmaker]

Did it burn oil and smoke "Before" you changed the oil? From the post I get the impression you just dumped oi i it, and I may be wrong, but if its overfull it will blow out the exhaust. Make sure its up to but not over the line on the dip stick or the amount the manuf. says to use. Make sure is of correct viscosity and spec. Check you crankcase breather as it could be blocked or the little flapper of disk valve in them or a baffle could be missing or broken or have debri under it. If all that checks out ok, your probably in need of reringing the engine.

 

[Mahlmann]

it didn't smoke before i chnaged the oil. i'm going to drain it again and put a tiny amount of oil in. then i'll start it for no more than a minute to burn off the excess from any overfill. then i'll slowly add oil to the dip stick's line. where is the crankcase breather?

 

[Ernie]

Mahlmann, If you are going to run it for any length of time you should put in the proper amout, viscosity and whether it needs detergent or non. Have you an owners manual?

 

[Argee]

Originally posted by Mahlmann
it didn't smoke before i chnaged the oil. i'm going to drain it again and put a tiny amount of oil in. then i'll start it for no more than a minute to burn off the excess from any overfill. then i'll slowly add oil to the dip stick's line. where is the crankcase breather?

If you do that you could end up damaging your engine. Put the proper amount of the correct oil in and run it in a normal fashion...any excess oil that may have breeched the exhaust system will burn off in time.

 

[Chipmaker]

Hold the phone there Mahlman. If it did not burn oil before or smoke before yu changed the oil then I would check to make sure you have proper oil spec and viscosity and amount in the engine. DO NOT drain it all out and just put in a "TINY" bit. You need to put in the full amount the engine calls for of the proper spec...If you have a manual follow it, if not get one before yu ruin the engine with improper viscosity / spec oil.......... Engines of any kind do not last long with just a tiny bit of oil. Any overfill will come out if you drain it, and any in the muffler will blow and burn out when the engine is started.

 

[memmurphy]

Is that a two cylinder water cooled engine? Did you have it jacked up at an angle and crank the engine? Have you changed the oil in it before without trouble?

Sorry for asking more questions, just searching for some clues. Never run it with oil below the add mark on the dip stick.

Mark

 

[Mahlmann]

Chipmaker... I don't have the manual b/c it was bought used, what is the correct oil I should use?

mmemurphy... 2 cyl liquid cooled is correct. I've chnaged the oil many times without problems. I didn't even have the jack it up to drain it, just removed the mowing deck.

 

[memmurphy]

You can download for free or purchase an Owner's Manual at the link below.

HT4213 Manual

It shows a capacity of 1.48 quarts, SAE 10W-40 SE or SF Grade

Like others have said, if some oil made it's way into the cylinders and exhaust, it may take a few minutes to fully burn out. Does it sound and run OK otherwise? Maybe when you removed the deck it turned the motor shaft a bit forward and back allowing the oil to seep in? I don't know, just floating some thoughts.

Mark

 

[Chipmaker]

For something to have worked fine before, and then only changing the oil and have it smoke I would have to suspect all of the suggestions given above. As to oil recomendation it has already been given, and just ake sure the API rating on the oil container has the grade of "SF" or higher (SG, SH, etc etc) you can always go higher but don;t go lower than recomended API service rating. The 10w40 in SF (or higher API service rating) is pretty common oil.

Here is something to consider.......and trust me folks are plenty slick when it comes to doctoring up engines to sell a problem piece of equipment or vehicle. "IF" this is the first time you changed oil since you bought the tractor, and now it burns oil and smokes even with the proper amount and API rated oil back in the crankcase, and the breather is ok, and you give it a little time for any in the muffler etc to burn out, and it still smlkes bad and uses oil, odds are the person that sold it too you never changed oil and it was thick as tar, or they used a higher viscosty grade of oil like say a 30 or 40 or even 50 weight oil or possibly doctored it up with a load of STP etc so it did not smoke until they could sell it. It happened to meon a VW rabbit diesel I bought one time used. It was winter and I ran it home from work, intending to change the oil. It was good and hot up to operating temp for quite awhile, pulled it in the shop, slid the drain pan under it, pulled the filter, removed oil pan drain plug, and went inside to eat supper. Came out about an hour later, and oil was still gurglling out of the oil pan drain. Finally it all was out, and I just attributed it to it being so cold outside even though the engine was hot when I started. I put new oil in the engine and a filter and fired it up, or I should say tried to fire it up. It wold not hit off no matter what I did. I was dumbfounded. I assumed I probably knocked a electrical connection or something loose during the oil change, but that proved false. What happened was the fellow I bought the car from had filled the crankcase with 90wt gear oil and #50 wt engine oil, so it would have sufficient compression to start. I took all that artifical compression ability away when I installed the proper viscosity oil. He did that to mask up a worn engine. Untill I was finally able to drive that beast out under its own power it cost me better than $1,800 more in money that I had to spend to rebuild the engine. Oh, I did refill the crankcase with the old oil as an experiment, and it fired right up..........so one never really knnows what another does to an engine so it seems like its in good shape.

Keep us informed I am sure all who have replied are interested in the outcome, now that y have the proper oil given and a source for the manual.
Regards

 

[Mahlmann]

The oil I used was 10W-30. As for the grade I don't see SE or SF anywhere on the bottle. Written on the back is "API SL,SJ,SH,SG ILSAC GF-3". So it looks like I used the wrong oil? If I drain it again and put the right oil in will I run into any problems?

 

[memmurphy]

Actually the oil you used is OK as long as air temperatures do not exceed 90 degrees F. in your area according to the chart in the manual. They just recommend the 10W-40 because it has the widest temperature range.

(10W-40 is 10F to 100F+)
(10W-30 is 10F to 90F)
(20W-40, 20W-50 is 15F to 100F+)

The SE and SF rating would be a lower quality of oil than what you used so that is not a problem neither. Back when the tractor was made, SF would have been the highest grade available at the time. Example SA is the lowest grade, SJ is currently the highest grade. Here's another link that goes into some detail about the API ratings.

LSU AG Center-Lawn and Garden

A final note, in the manual it says to take the oil measurment without screwing the dip stick back in. Just let it rest on the threads.