Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Craftsman 675, crankcase breather, leakdown test

Question
model no 917 1376470.  My engine is hard to start, but when it does it blows blue smoke and there is some oil coming from the holes in the muffler, most of the time it runs very slowly and eventually dies, what do you think??? I've checked the plug and it is not wet but does smell of gasoline...

Answer
Is there an odor of gas in the oil?  Is there any oil puddling in the intake or carburetor?

You're describing an engine that may be losing compression, probably from a bad cylinder or rings.  It could be just the crankcase breather adding too much oil to the fuel mix.

I'm afraid that to properly diagnose, a few things will need to be done starting with checking the compression and probably performing a leakdown test.  Thanks, PK.