HDS 3185 oil in air filter

mwh1959 · #1 08-12-2013, 12:35 PM

I have a 3185 with a B/S 18 hp. I am getting oil inside the air cleaner area. It looks like it is coming from the breather tube. Does this mean that the breather assy needs to be replaced or do I have other problems ?

rweaver · #2 08-12-2013, 07:02 PM

most times oil in the air cleaner means oil is getting past the pistons or breather is bad

J-Mech · #3 08-12-2013, 07:27 PM

Depends on how much oil....

Just a little is normal for an older engine. But a lot, is a different story.

Leadslingingdaddy · #4 08-12-2013, 08:32 PM

Blown head gasket will also do that.

mwh1959 · #5 08-12-2013, 10:57 PM

I don't believe it is a head gasket as the motor is running very good. I have enclosed a pic of the aftermath. I replaced the gasket on the breather and it still is doing this.

J-Mech · #6 08-12-2013, 11:04 PM

Replace the air filter. If it gets soaked with oil, or is too dirty, the engine will "suck" too hard on the vent and draw oil up and out. Air filters are cheap, give it a try.

mwh1959 · #7 08-13-2013, 12:12 AM

I just replaced the air cleaner. It is all brand new. I am going to order a new breather and gasket and see if that takes care of the problem. I was also wondering if the rear seal might need to be replaced if that isn't causing a problem with the motor sucking air and blowing it out the breather tube.

J-Mech · #8 08-13-2013, 02:17 AM

The rear seal has nothing to do with it. I dunno how you came to that conclusion. How about you tell us EVERYTHING you have done already so we aren't wasting time with that stuff. Now, what weight oil are you running? Is the oil getting gas in it? Is it over full? Don't order parts and yet, it may be a waste of time and money.

mwh1959 · #9 08-13-2013, 02:53 AM

I replaced the dipstick tube seal. replaced valve cover gaskets. and replaced the breather gasket an o-ring, change the oil and filter an put in B/S 4 stroke oil. There is no gas in the oil. My thought on the seal was if it was leaking maybe that the motor was sucking thru the seal an pushing the oil thru the breather. If I can't get this resolved soon I am going to just give up and trash the whole thing.

Leadslingingdaddy · #10 08-13-2013, 08:25 AM

Check these other resonses out...

She could have a blown head gasket or 2 or the breather could be sticking or worn rings from not changing the oil or the valve guides could be worn.

Head gaskets are rather thin between the cylinder and the channel that the push rods go through on the commands.
Rings are around $40 head gaskets are around $40 for the set Breathers can be cleaned and Valve guides are fairly simple to replace.

A compression test will tell you if the rings or head gasket is at fault.

Re: Kohler Command Pro 25 Blowing Oil In Carb
by bgsengine » Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:02 pm

yes the tube is crankcase breather. there's an integrated reed valve in valve cover, but you may also have a plugged oil drainback, or a blown head gasket into the lifter galley which will push oil out the breather and into carb.

There is a breather flexible rubber hose from the engine that allows the crank case pressure to vent to the intake just after the air filter.

When the engine is running, as the pistons move up and down it creates pressure pulses inside the crank case.
That pressure needs to be vented. If the breather filter is plugged, the pressure pulses will try to vent to the next weakest point.

Check the breather tube for kinks or pinched and filter for obstructions.

If that seems OK, you may have a broken piston compression ring, or a hole in one of your pistons.
Are you able to remove the spark plugs and do a compression test on the cylinders?

ADDED:
The other posibility, is a blown head gasket.

ADDED#2
Read this:

with 60 hours on it started blowing bluish smoke and ran thru a quart of oil in 10 mins. Called Warranty Repairs, as soon as the Tech came out he went right for the right side of the engine (right side looking from driver's seat)and pulled the plug out. Badly fouled. Head gasket blown. He replaced it and the 4 bolts. He told me this is a KNOWN issue with these particular engines. Told me Kohler used the wrong bolts and after heating and cooling the bolts on the right-hand side "stretch" and cause the gasket to fail. Also said Kohler had redesigned the head and eliminated 2 bolts, making the head almost impossible to torque down evenly onto the gasket.