Calling Tom Arnold

notjustair · Feb 1, 2015

Seeing the talk of K model Kohlers got me thinking. I've got a ZTR with a 14 horse Kohler magnum in it. It has always used some oil. I add oil about every 10 hours. It doesn't leak and I never see any blue smoke or smell it burning oil. It kind of bothers me, though. I've got auger engines that use less oil but you see them blow blue when you throttle up, etc.

Not knowing what the cylinder bore looks like, is it reasonable that I could rering it and help out the burning? I'm assuming I would at least need to hone the bore. It runs perfect otherwise so I am tempted to leave it, but in my experience using oil is a slippery slope.

Tom Arnold · Feb 1, 2015

The Magnum is just a later version of the K engine and both are "old technology" engines that are designed to use a modest amount of oil right from the day they were first put into use. Cars and trucks that were built prior to the 90's, came with engines that also used a small amount of oil between scheduled oil changes.

Modern metallurgy and much tighter tolerances have spoiled us since then because no one expects to add a quart of oil every 2nd time they fill the tank with gas.

If your engine had a problem with oil consumption, then you would see bluish smoke leaving the tailpipe whenever the engine was working really hard. But if my words are not enough, then get someone to perform a Leak Down Test to your engine.

Compressed air is forced into the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole. If the rings are bad or there is a problem with the valves not seating properly, then that test will show if either one ...... or both..... are in need of attention.

Bob · Feb 1, 2015

Is the crankcase breather working correctly, keeping negative pressure in the crankcase to help with ring seating? (It contains a reed valve.)

Is the "horsehair" filter in place in the breather to catch oil mist and keep it in the engine?

Crankcase depression test begins on page 4.2 at the link below.
Untitled URL Link

notjustair · Feb 1, 2015

That makes me feel better. An old friend that taught me small engines said "there is a big difference between using and burning oil". I guess this engine will use a little under normal operation. It hasn't increased, so I guess that's good enough for me!

Tom Arnold · Feb 1, 2015

The fact that these engines use oil is one of the reasons it is important to remove the head every 500 hours max and clean the carbon deposits off the top and underside of the valves, the top of the piston and the entire combustion chamber in the head.

notjustair · Feb 1, 2015

I had't heard that. I am certain that the previous owner didn't do it as the engine/mower was serviced but filthy. I don't think he went out of his way for maintenance like that. I will put that on my February mower to-do list.

Some Kohlers seem to eat head gaskets. I assume this one is fine and I can reuse the gasket like I have on L head Briggs? What is torque on them?

Tom Arnold · Feb 1, 2015

I would not propose using the old head gasket. You were given a link to the Kohler manual and if you consult that book, you will find all of the torque settings and the tightening sequence. There is a wealth of information contained in that book.

Calling Tom Arnold

notjustair

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