Is Oil in the Carburetor a problem?

[SumpCommander]

Hey guys,

My MAX II was starting a little hard today so I checked the air element & seen it was clogged up with oil, I checked the oil level & it was a little low but maybe 1/2 a quart.

So i filled the oil, removed the air cleaner & just used the foam band inside the carb cover to offer some filtration..

The MAX started & ran good, I took it for a nice 20min run & then checked inside the carb cover to find more oil..

What i did notice is the viscosity of the oil was like waterish, now i never checked the element or oil when i bought this.. I added 10w-30 oil..

What could the issue be?? I have the Vanguard 16hp motor..

ANy tips would help!

[thebuggyman1]

My guess is you have worn rings. First off change your oil. 10w30 is fine in the winter straight 30 would be better for summer or synthetic 10w30 ...
Oil can easily get diluted by running rich (choke on), now the thin oil may be bypassing the ringsand into the carb especially if the crankcase vent is plugged....speculation!
Change the oil first and see what happens.

[SumpCommander]

Thanks for the reply, well i would think the rings may be ok if the MAX dont smoke??

Yes, i have warmed this MAX up quite often in 20 degree & below tempertatures which means lots of choke..
Where can i access the oil drainage plug?, I may want to dump the oil & put a new air element in tommorrow..

The engine ran good otherwise so im gonna change out the oil tommorrow..

[LarryW]

Is it smoking too? I remember an old thread that derekhonda posted. Roger S. (RIP )posted some info on the crank ventilation system. Might also be something to look into if the 16hp machine has the same valve as the 18hp which I believe it does? I would first go with changing the oil as buggyman stated. Here is the thread I was talking about.

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/argo-atvs/6519-2003-bigfoot-pooring-out-white-smoke.html

[racerone3]

I'm with Larry on this one, I would remove the crank case vent, clean it out, and check to see if the spring or reed valve in it (can't remember right off the top which style the Vanny's use) has collapsed.

Also, if you have any water in the oil, it can cause the oil to foam, and this foam on top of the oil will puke out the breather a lot. Running in cold climates can cause this as you will get a lot of condensation inside the engine when you shut it off due to the huge difference in temps between the ambient air and the air inside the crankcase.