Small engine spraying oil out of muffler

Factual Questions
1

My gf has a rototiller, something like this, but old. It hasn’t been touched in the ten years I’ve known her, and wasn’t started for maybe five years before that.

So, yesterday I thought I’d see if it would work. I didn’t want to put much effort into it, since my expectations were minimal. I filled the gas tank, sprayed some starter fluid on the air-filter, and it started up! It ran rough, and the throttle didn’t work, but it ran.

I used it for ten minutes and it began raining hard. I went inside until the rain stopped and then started it back up. And it began pouring again.

After several cloudbursts I decided to put the tiller back in the shed, but this time when I started it up oil sprayed out of the muffler, right into my face, like something on a sitcom.

Ideas?

2

Seized rings, startup scored the cylinder, as soon as oil was splashed on the cylinder walls it got pushed out through the exhaust.

If an engine has been sitting a long time without even being turned over once or twice, some form of prelubricating the cylinder or reducing ring corrosion is a good idea before starting it. Doesn’t always work, but it can help a great deal. With an engine that’s sat for years, it’s best to set it so the cylinder is vertical and squirt in a goodly amount of a penetrating oil. Wait at least 24 hours, give it a very slow turn or two, then drain the oil and try a start.

It may not have been salvageable even with that, so don’t feel too bad about it.