http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/html/engine-specs/tecumseh/Tecumseh_L-Head_Engines_Service_Information.pdf Hear is a great manual.Hard to say on the noise, But I would pull the side cover of and check what is going on in there. turn the engine over when the cover is off ( engine cold) and check the valve lash ( gap). maybe a valve spring retainer fell off? Good luck.

 

Thanks for the lead chris but I dont think that it covers the hh160 motor?

 

it does it says on the cover hh40- 70 scroll up to very 1st page (cover)

 

I think the manual covers 3 to 11 horse motors, the hh160 is a 16 hp motor.

 

I must be tired lol, I thought it was an HH60, sorry about that

 

the valve box bolts could be coming loose

 

valve cover bolts look good. thanks

 

After all that we have the manual on here in our manuals section LOL. it is on page 2 (last one on page)

 

My Sears ST16 has always expelled oil out the crankcase breather. If I mow with it or otherwise use it for more than a few minutes I wear old boots.

The thing runs/sounds great but somehow builds too much pressure in the bottom end. I'd also like to know what you find as the culprit.

 

It could just be that the breather filter inside the valve cover is dirty. That will often allow oil to back up there and then leak out.

 

Thanks for your reply, I took the valve cover off and could not find a filter of any kind. if there should be one do you happen to know where it goes?

 

Did you check the valve clearances while you had the valve cover off?

 

No I have not checked the valve clearance yet I just down loaded the manual last night so I will do that today.

 

I swapped the breather filter from another engine that didn't puke oil and this engine still blows oil out the breather.

 

I had that problem on a Kohler K321. It would be dripping every 4 or 5 feet as I drove the tractor. I removed the head and found a lot of carbon buildup on the top of the cylinder near the exhaust valve. The carbon had actually worn away part of the top of the piston. My theory is that the carbon was actually pushing the piston away from the cylinder on that side at the top of it's travel and allowing leakage past the rings. After cleaning the carbon and putting on a new Head Gasket the engine did not spit any oil out the breather at all. I also rebuilt the breather with a new filter and tube to the air cleaner housing. It's probably worth pulling the head to see what's up in there.

 

Nutndun, I got a chance to check the valve adjustments. The intake was .007 and the exhaust was .013. I hope I wrote that right! both were a couple thousanths off. I adjusted to .005 and .010 but did not have a chance yet to see if that took care of the noise.

 

i own a HH160 and an OH160 same motor HH was first year or two . both of mine produce tappet noise and the one is adjusted to half of the tollerance so it decompresses properlly and still ticks . if they had hydraulic lifters they would be quieter . there should be a fiber element on top of the valve cover under the cover the breather tube attaches to , if it isn't there it will decrease your vac/pressure signal to the fuel pump . you may want to check the oil return ports for obstructions as it may be filling the rocker box with oil and forcing it out the breather , stranger things have happened.

 

bolex thanks for the info. I do not have a filter under the cover, it does look like one could be used. And I will also check the oil return ports. It is good to know that the tapping may be normal? as that one has conserned me.

 

mine make way more noise than the new ohv engines and i till and snowblow every year and no rebuild since i got it 4/5 years ago and the dudes complaint was the carb on the hh engine dumped fuel when you left the fuel on and he could not find a kit for it , it took me 5 min online and ended up switching to the later carb off the oh series i have for ease of adjustment . gonna go out and fire her up in a few and hook up the tiller and go play awhile

 

Also can anyone conferm what Caseguy brought up abput a filter in the valve cover. It looks like that there is a place for one on the bottom of the valve cover????

 

Both parts are probably available thru one or more of our Site Sponsors. I know that member BHTS has good contacts for NOS and aftermarket parts for Teccy's. Others may as well. Give one of them a shout via PM and see what you can find out.

 

As far as the crankcase vent breather filter get your engine information and search online for a parts diagram. That should show you if a filter is supposed to be there. You could also ask someone who knows these engines. I'm not familiar with them.