Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): JD 445 oil leak and smoke, crank shaft, shaft seal

Question
P.K.,
Our JD 445 started leaking oil, and also started puffing blue smoke, usually when under a load.  I have located the oil leak on the front of the engine (Kawasaki 22HP water cooled), at the crank shaft seal.  Two questions..........can I replace the crank shaft seal without removing the engine?  Will this also take care of the smoke in the exhaust, or is that indicative of another leak somewhere else?

Thanks for any help you can give,

Chris

Answer
Blue smoke under a load probably indicates either a weak ring seal or valve seals leaking.  I would think rings myself.  I wouldn't try replacing a crank seal with the engine mounted myself.  I'm not sure on your particular set-up if it's possible or not.  Removing the engine isn't a terribly difficult job and can be done in thirty minutes without too much trouble.  Since this is a pretty expensive engine, I would have a leak-down test performed on it to determine where the oil smoke is coming from.  It may be time for a rebuild anyway so spending $50 or so on a test might save you a good bit of money in the long run.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks, PK.