Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Poulan lawnmower smoking

I have a poulan lawnmower that is smoking. it didn't do this 2 months ago when i last used it. white smoke is coming out of the exhaust. i know its burning oil but why. i removed the muffler and valve cover and found multiple holes around and inside the valve cover. one of the holes on the bottom is where the oil is coming from. it bubbles in when i turn the engine(even by hand ). i don't think those holes should be there.engine is a briggs Quattro 4HP model 10A902 type 2139 E1 code 99052054. i've taken a pic to show what im talking about. its almsot like someone took a drill and drilled these holes

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2845/pict0414co1.th.jpg (http://img261.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0414co1.jpg)

That's how the engine was made. The holes should be there. Sounds like the oil is too full.

Hard to tell from your picture, it's pretty small, but everything looks alright to me.

Have you verified that the oil is coming from the breather??

Is it blowing into the carburetor from the breather tube?

yes. oil is coming from one of holes. i cranked it by hand and it bubbles up. click on the picture too make it bigger. thats just a thumbnail. when the engine runs it blows white smoke pretty badly. i don't think its getting into the carb. its coming from the valves from those holes.

ok oil was double what it was supposed to be. drained and re-filled it. now theres just a hint of smoke but hard to tell if its oil or just stuff burning off the muffler.like said i never seen a engine with holes before.

I tried clicking on it but it would not expand for me, anyways those holes are there to allow oil to enter for lubrication, and to drain back into the crankcase. It can take 20 or 30 minutes of running to burn out all the oil that may have accumulated in the exhaust system.