# B&S leak at base of crankcase



## make_shift (Jan 16, 2018)

I have a new B&S 14.5 torque motor I transplanted on my 30" craftsman, I have made sure that everything is line up ok and the shaft lines up well with the pulley from the original motor, that was also a B&S snow engine. I noticed a small oil leak at the base of the crankcase - where it meets the block, anybody know if this is something that's common? on a new motor...? are there certain signs i can look at that I can check that may be a problem? any thoughts are appreciated. thanks!


----------



## FearlessFront (Aug 18, 2016)

Their is a fellow on youtube who goes by the name Alex S.
He made a video of a New Briggs and Stratton winter engine he bought. It was leaking from the bottom of the block like what you are describing and it turned out their was a crack in the block on the bottom. He had to return the engine for a replacement. Either it got damaged during shipping or it was a lemon.
Add oil, keep the engine so you can either turn it over or raise it so you can look under it and see where the leak is coming from, clean that area and look for a small crack. If their is that is the issue. If you can return the engine do so, if not you are going to have to find a way to repair it by sealing the crack. Good luck, I hope I am wrong and it is not cracked, but that is what it sounds like since I have already heard of it happening in that exact spot.


----------



## Geno (Nov 29, 2011)

Not knowing anything about such engine.. take with grain of salt.. but also make sure it isn't leaking down to the base from the oil/dipstick fill tube. cracked o-ring, ect. just a very unlikely culprit but worth checking.


----------



## Dave9354 (Dec 11, 2010)

Maybe just a bad gasket.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

FearlessFront said:


> Their is a fellow on youtube who goes by the name Alex S.
> He made a video of a New Briggs and Stratton winter engine he bought. It was leaking from the bottom of the block like what you are describing and it turned out their was a crack in the block on the bottom. He had to return the engine for a replacement. Either it got damaged during shipping or it was a lemon.
> Add oil, keep the engine so you can either turn it over or raise it so you can look under it and see where the leak is coming from, clean that area and look for a small crack. If their is that is the issue. If you can return the engine do so, if not you are going to have to find a way to repair it by sealing the crack. Good luck, I hope I am wrong and it is not cracked, but that is what it sounds like since I have already heard of it happening in that exact spot.


I saw that video and I believe there was also visible damage to the box and packaging making it look like a shipping issue.

Dropped / Broken Engine:





New Replacement Engine:


----------



## make_shift (Jan 16, 2018)

just an update, I have taken the front of the blower off (p.i.t.a.) and tilted the motor, I didn't see any indication of a crack on the outside, doesn't mean it doesn't have one, but anyways. I have verified the crankcase torques of 210lb-in - there are 3 different values on the interwebs, so i made sure that this was the torque values following the bolt pattern, they are good and they were good also from B&S. I removed a bronze spacer that was against the main pulley and on the crankshaft, by doing this, it moved the motor belt closer to the motor by maybe 1/8" and now its exactly lined up with the driveshaft. I have tightened everything up and cleaned up underneath, i verified its not coming from the oil spout or from the main bearing either, its def underneath, so I have put some strips of absorbant pads underneath after I made these changes and will monitor. I did 4 driveways worth of EOD slushy ice and it ate through it no problem. Will update if anything changes, I have warranty on the motor but its a pain because the machine is 200+ lbs, and if I can, I would just bring the motor in to the auth dealer, but I am tryingn to see if I can avoid that. those videos are good, btw, go figure quality control


----------



## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Is it where the oil drain tube screws into the block? If so, try tightening this threaded tube with either Vice Grip pliers or putting a wrench on the drain cap and using that to tighten the threaded tube.


----------



## make_shift (Jan 16, 2018)

CO Snow said:


> Is it where the oil drain tube screws into the block? If so, try tightening this threaded tube with either Vice Grip pliers or putting a wrench on the drain cap and using that to tighten the threaded tube.


no, its directly under the bolt at the bottom of the block, I already dried the area where the tube is and my tube does not tighten, you pull it straight out and it has an o-ring at the end; you push the tube back in after changing the o-ring. then you screw down the oil drain tube into the block - the threaded hole at the corner with the existing screw.


----------

