24 hp intek has no power when under a load mainly when blades are engaged blows smoke like crazy.i pretty sure rings are shot,but the no powers got me stumped. valves are adjusted properly. i thought it was just when blades are engaged,but when i am driving the mower up a hill it barely climbs.its an 04 craftsman dyt 4000.something is causing it to build up ,just a matter of time before head gaskets start going. good compression.

I have good news for you,well sort of,the rings are probably ok.The intek engine is noted for blown head gaskets.They leak between the cylinder and the push rod chamber.A way to check is to start the engine for a minute,turn it off and pull the dipstick out,if you see vapors coming out of the oil fill tube it has a leaking head gasket.To check to see which cylinder is leaking, check the plugs,there will be a oil residue on one or even a brown crusty build up on the side that has the leaking head gasket.If you remove the head you will probably see a small piece of the gasket is missing on one side of it.