Rebuilding Kohler Engine

I got the engine from dads tiller off and am going to rebuild it. I have never rebuilt one. I believe I need to make sure the head is still straight, rehone the cylinder, then check cylinder dimensions amount other things. But anyone have some good literature to read before I tear in? And anyone know of any good kits to buy? I will need new valves and all. I Hope you appreciate what the old engine looked like when we got it apart.
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Don't want to bust your bubble, but...

IMHO, that is beyond rebuilding.

If that is a desirable engine, or just has a lot of sentimental value, get ready to spend a bunch of money! A lot more than it is really worth. If you really need to save it, be better to find a running engine, (or at least one that hasn't taken the beating that one has), and try to rebuild it.

Some small engines are really limited as to the available parts. Be sure you can get what you need, add up the costs before getting in too deep.
 
Steve is right, You will be surprised at the cost of parts for that engine. Plenty of sites online with parts. Do you have numbers off of your engine? Google your engine model and check prices and availability.
 
A place for Koehler kits that I have had great luck with is called isavetractors.com. They are in Main and carry a good inventory of rebuild kits and parts for older Kohler, Briggs, etc.
 
If that is as old as I think it is. Parts will be very hard to find and costly. I would get the model and serial number. Do some research before you spend allot of time on it.
 
I found rebuild kits for $120. I know I could buy a harbor freight engine for that but I like the Kohler k161. The cylinder is in great shape. I'm OK with spending around $400 for the total rebuild. Being that this is mainly for me.learning how to do it and I like tinkering.
 
I've repaired Kohler engines like that, check the cylinder bore for wear, if straight and not out of round bad could be new rings is all it needs. If bore is worn it might be re-bored for an oversize piston and rings. Cranks can be reground for a .010 undersized rod, but I've not done that for years. What I've found that works well is cleaning the aluminum off the journal with muriatic acid from the hardware store with the crank removed from the block. So far I've found no crank damage, just aluminum stuck to it. If you try this, use an old paint brush, and keep applying as needed until it's clean. One more tip, DO IT OUTSIDE, DON"T BREATH THE FUMES!! It really stinks. When clean oil the crank right away or it will rust really fast..
 
I have repaired a lot of garden tillers. Around here they get used about three hrs a summer. I just replace the rod and rings. It will run for years and years.
 
Many years I rebuilt the 10 hp kohler on 1960 cub cadet. I had engine bored, new pistons. I think I had to buy a new crank. I think I wasn't able to grind crank because there are no bearing inserts. So I had to get new rod too. When I had cylinder bored, a casting flaw showed up, so I had to find a used block and pay to have it bored out. Valves, gaskets, all the parts, by the time I was done I realized I would never do it again, too expensive.

I would check the prices on smallenginewarehouse.com for a replacement. Rual King also sells engines. Not sure if they handle kohlers. Good chance any brand engine will fit on a tiller. I haven't bought an engine from HF but if the tiller is very old, I would be looking for a cheap fix.
geo.
geo
 
Look the block over good for a crack where the rod wacked it. I've seen pretty cheap kits on Ebay. It should have the crank shaft turned probably and probably needs to be bored out too.
 
Really check the crank for out of round, if so turn it, or you will put another rod in it shortly.
 
I've had good results from Jack's Small Engines. Fast service too. Seems like they have exploded parts diagrams on their website.

Kohler has online service manuals for their newer engines.
 
To do it right it will be expensive, I personally haven't done one in 30+ years BUT if done right you'll have an engine that will run 2,000-3,000 hours if cared for. Unlike when I rebuilt my last one there are now aftermarket parts available and a rebuild kit should be available for around $100 but I don't know what the quality is or how inclusive the kit is.
 
For $400 you could buy 4 of the Harbor Freight engines. If you get a bad one just throw it away and replace it. You'd still be $200 ahead.
 
I have a Kohler engine I would like to get rid of. Are you anywhere near the Dallas area. Someone gave me a riding mower and I know I will never have time to work on it.
 
Like has been said, expensive to rebuild these when done right -- you'll have at least $1000 in it with machine work. Good tip is to call Jacks Small Engines to start with. If you are nearby there are alot of used Kohler's near Southern PA/Central Maryland on craigslist.
 
You can download the service manual from Kohlers web site or my link below. It will have all the specs plus the best step by step tear down and rebuild procedure ever placed in a manual. The parts kits imported by Rotary products are a very good alternative to Kohler parts. I have overhauled at least 2 dozen K Kohlers using the Rotary kits with zero problems. I buy them from a fellow in Wauseon Ohio who sells on Ebay.
How much $$$??
Complete parts kit is around $125
I bore the blocks and recut the valve seats for $75, crank grinding was $30 last I had done. You should replace the governor gear assembly which runs about $30 and most of the time the governor cross shaft, around $20, at the very least check the cross shaft tab to see that it is tight, I tack weld them. Ifthis part fails (common) the entire engine must be torn down to fix it, it isnt worth chancing in my book.. If I do all the work the bill is between $450-600, the variance being if the head needs milled, how many studs are twisted off, cleaning time etc.
Good luck with it.
K kohler service manual
 
I agree DT. It looks like it ran low on oil. The crank may prove to be ok under the aluminum. Clean it and replace rings and rod. Clean the valves and see if they will lap in. Putting a fortune in that engine for a few hours a year would violate my cheapness policy.
 
I actually live near Harrisburg so I might
have to check out just buying a replacement
to have the tiller running. I still may
rebuild this one just as a learning curve
type deal.
 
Sure, I have a couple of comments, they may or may not be helpful, as this kind of "lights my fuse".
The K161T (The engine you are working on) was, IMHO, one of the finest small engines ever built, but it was designed to provide excellent service WHEN MAINTAINED. I have owned many Horse, Horse II, and Horse III tillers over the years, and in a market absolutely filled to the gills with poorly thought out, badly manufactured, deceitfully marketed garbage, the Troy-bilt and Kohler lines stood apart with their integrity, sound design, and appropriate engineering.
One thing they never were, is super cheap up front, nor were they maintenance free. If you plan to maintain it for your dad, then by all means fix the Kohler. On the other hand, if the plan leans toward the engine being run until it blows again, save your money and buy the Chinese engines.

I have a neighbor whose Troy-bilt I have tried to maintain for years. He is a master gardener, and can never seem to find time to do his own maintenance. The tiller is kept in an open shed, and I have pulled the tin work off more than once to find it COMPLETELY packed with grass and sticks. These engines should be kept clean and should have the oil changed regularly. If you only till once a year, then I would still change the oil at least once at the beginning of the season, and carefully remove the tin work and blow out all of the fins. The engine, the transmission, and the tine gear box should always, in my opinion, have magnetic drain plugs (Fill plug in the case of a Horse III tine gear) installed, and after flushing, this is one of the first things I do when I get my hands on a Troy-bilt. You have received some excellent responses from others, Good luck. Jeff
 
I haven't rebuilt one that small but I have had excellent results rebuilding K301s and K321s using a supplier off Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7hp-K161-Kohler-engine-rebuild-std-010-020-or-030-piston-and-std-rod-or-010-/120972615100?hash=item1c2a879dbc:m:mCKtOEmIZ7jhNrLtSaZWTWQ



Their kits usually include an instructional video. With a $75 to $100 in machine work and a $100 to $120 in parts you can have an engine that will give another 30 years of service.

If it were a Tecumseh I would go the Harbor Freight route (and I've done that) but a good rebuildable Kohler is well worth the effort to repair.
 
With Kohler I would rebuild it. For the $120 does it include the valves? If you can do the work yourself and hire the machine shop work done you'll be a lot closer to $200 -$225 when you are done. I have about 600 hours on a K321 I rebuilt exactly that way.
 
The 3 things I would say:

Make sure crankshaft is round, if not grind it
Make sure balancer is set right if installed.
Head probably will have some warpage, can be flattened on plate glass with emery
 

The garden tractor pullers have a connecting rod update that uses a real insert bearing instead of running on the rod it's self.
 
If you're near Harrisburg, I know someone with a 40x60 building full of old restored Cub Cadets and John Deere lawn tractors who is bound to have a good running Kohler he'd part with. There are are dozens more salvage tractors sitting outside. Call Paul at (410) 848-8038 in Taneytown MD. He's honest and reasonable and does not sell junk. Give him a try.
 
I would concur, there is no better engine for a troy bilt horse then the K161T, and I don't even know why the later models were higher HP. That motor is just a perfect fit in every way. You can run it at any throttle setting you want, (well above idle at least). It does not load up, and it has plenty of torque from low to high throttle which means it will perform. I don't like to run these at high throttle unless the soil is clean, sure makes a difference when you hit a rock below the surface.

Your advice is spot on, these are splash lube/air cooled and look at the sludge in that pan. Oil changes and preventative maintenance go a long ways with these. Not the first time I've had a pan off a K series and seen that. Given what they are, its hard to believe they fail, but some don't take good care of small engines.

Fullers Farmalls - rebuild it, you won't regret doing so. Hope to hear how it turns out!
 
Thry this place. They have scratch and dent models that you get discounts and free shipping sometimes. I've ordered quite few engines from them and always had good luck with the engines and the seller. Highly Recommend.
Small engines
 

This shop sells insert connecting rods that are better than stock. Price is reasonable http://www.gardentractorpullingtips.com/engine.htm
 

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