224 case vertical shaft conversion

jr1983

Member
I have a 224 case with a broken rod. I also have the 14 hp briggs off my old white. Anybody ever do this swap? I realize I probably won't be able to run the deck but I really only want it for the hydraulic lift and pulling implements.
 
I would fix the Kohler you have. The cost to rebuild would be way cheaper than the frustration of swapping. That and a 14 Briggs is going to feel like a 5 horse against the torque that K series has.
 
I have seen such a conversion.......or should I say ... perversion .. done a couple of times. It ends up being the death knell of an otherwise good garden tractor. Secondly....in order to do what you want, the very part you wish to save must be removed and that is the mid-lift cylinder. You won't be saving any money either. Be SMART. Go on e-Bay and you will find Kohler rebuild kits for very reasonable prices. Take your engine apart and work with a local machine shop to rebuild it correctly. If you do it right, you will end up with a fully functional tractor that will last another 2000 hours if you look after it.
 
<Jack's Small Engines> has rebuild parts for many engines including Kholers. They are in Maryland and good to deal with
 
I would spend money on the kohler if it was in any other machine but the oil pan on one in a case is to short and they don't hold enough oil. Every one i've ever seen threw a rod. Looking for another way to go.
 
All engines throw rods when the owners fail to keep the oil level where the dipstick says it should be and/or they don't change the oil every 25 hours MAX. Thousands upon thousands of Colt, Case and Ingersoll garden tractors were fitted with Kohler K engines using that very pan and in all my time on forums, you are the only one who has blamed the size of the pan for a rod failure.
 
If the oil is above the add mark, there is plenty in there. I have a 444 that's almost 40 years old. original rod. Work great. if there was an issue with that pan, Case/Ingersoll would have fixed it, not continued to build them for years and years.

If it run below the add mark, sure it will fail. not the engines fault though!
 
Ive seen to many do it with proper maintenance. Sometimes you get lucky but any kohler with a deep pan will outlast a shallow. Cub cadets dont have nearly the bottom end problems a case does. Ive been into a lot of them over the years a set of rings usually fixes them. Same engine with a shallow pan you will usually at least have to turn the crank. Its simple physics that the same engine with a smaller oil capacity will not last as long. I do appreciate the heads up on the lift cylinder. I bought this thing with a broken rod for the express purpose of putting a front blade on it so if my idea requires modifications that disable the hydraulic lift ill go a different direction. Reguardless of anyone's opinion I'm not going to put the o rigional engine back in it but I dont want to modify it past the point I can't put it back in the future if somone wanted to. Any ideas?
 
There are low cost horizontal crank gas engines available from many sources. All of them are made in China but most of them deliver good service. Try Harbor Freight or Carroll Stream. Just remember this. None of those engines will deliver the gut-wrenching torque that a Kohler K engine will nor will they last as long. Most have only a 3 amp charging system, so running lights will likely be ruled out. The other issue is that it is difficult to adapt a clutch to them but if you do not intend to cut grass or blow snow, then that won't matter. Good luck with the conversion
 
I have been dabbling in Case/Ingersoll tractors for 40 years and presently own five, four of which have Kohler engines. I have never seen or heard of a properly maintained Kohler in one of these tractors throwing a rod.
 
(quoted from post at 22:31:29 11/28/15) I would spend money on the kohler if it was in any other machine but the oil pan on one in a case is to short and they don't hold enough oil. Every one i've ever seen threw a rod. Looking for another way to go.
This I don't understand the Case K321 call for 2 qts of oil just like any other K321, while the oil pan is shaped differently the oil capacity is the same. 2 qts is what I serviced the K321 in the Case 444 I had.
GB in MN
 
The Op Manuals for CASE GT's with Kohler K engines say the following

QUOTE
When the crankcase is drained, refill with 3 measured pints of oil.
UNQUOTE


CASE GT's use Kohler K241A/S, K301A/S and K321A/S engines. The A suffix indicates a special oil pan and the capacity of an A type oil pan will vary from 1 quart to 1 3/4 quarts. If you put 2 quarts in your engine, then you overfilled it. You can go to the Kohler engine website and find this information on pages 3 and 5, Section 1 of the Kohler K Service Manual that covers all engines from the K90 to the K361.
 
Yea I missed that I was looking at the K321 manual but didn't look far enough to get to the K321A specs. Sorry.
GB in MN
 
I have run a Case 444 for the last 25 years for mowing and tilling. I have also bought and sold about 25 Case 442's, 224's, 444's, and 446's in various running conditions. None of these with K series engines had a broken rod. I agree with what has been said about the torque of the Kohler k series engines. The one disadvantage that they may have compared to some other engines is that they depend on an oil dipper and splash lube of the cylinder walls, piston pin etc. If you need to operate your tractor for long periods of time on hillsides, there could be a rod failure due to oil running to one side of the pan and the rod bearings and piston pin not getting adequate lubrication. I have read on a forum about a guy who had this happen while operating on a hillside. If you have to mow or operate a lot on hillsides I believe that an engine with pressure lube could be a better choice. Running with a low oil level on a hillside could spell big trouble for most small engines though.
 

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