Do you have more than 1600 hours on your kohler?

I posted this question on YT garden tractor and got no responses, so I re-posting it here.

I have a 20 hp kohler command with 1600 hours. I responsible for 1200. It's on a 2004 terramite, T5C. The left cylinder has had an issue ever since I got it. It's passed all tests. Any recommendation or suggestion that anyone can up with, I've already done, except for removing the head. It doesn't use oil. It doesn't smoke. It just has a carbon problem in only one cylinder. I Plans are to remove heads when it warms up, decarbon the engine and find out why it been a problem child from the get go. I'm hoping to get many more than 1600 hours out of the engine.

I been googling terramites on craigslist. Some have about 1500 hours and most say just replaced the engine. I even found a few with 20 hp honda engines with 2500 hours, just replaced the honda engine.

I Googled kohler head gasket problems. Yep, found those along with valve and push rod issues.

A new engine from small engine warehouse runs around $1800. After tax and shipping I'm looking at $2k.

So, what the most hours you got on your kohler command?

What does your craigslist say about terramites with kohlers or hondas? Have they replaced the engine too?

The terramite requires a special engine with out put shaft on flywheel side, so that might be why the engine is more expensive. I take regular care of engine, keep cooling fins clean, change oil and filter sooner than recommended and use quality oil.

Well in my opinion your on borrowed time. In lawn mowers I see them all of the time with 500-600 and they have broken rings an are burning oil. They are NOT a heavy duty motor anymore. The Kohler quality went out the window 30 years ago when they went away from the single cylinder air cooled motors. None of the ones since have lasted like they did.

I would tear it completely down and see what is wrong. I would bet that you have a piston ring on the one side that is either weak or broken. You maybe can get away with de-glazing the cylinder and re-ringing the motor. You can easily have $500 in just doing that but it would be cheaper than replacing it at $2K.

I have a Kohler command 12 hp single cylinder in a 2135 Cub cadet rider with 1200 hrs. Has some oil leakage. When it gets good and warmed up it loses power and a lot of valve tappet noise. Think that maybe hyd. lifters are colapsing??

I have a 18 horse commander on a mower with 1000 hours that purrs like a kitten but I do treat it like a fragile engine. I warm it up before I put it to work, cool it before shutting it down and I try to change oil every 20-30 hours unless the time gets away from me. So far it doesn't use oil but as as I say this it will blow up on me.

Honestly your are lucky you got that many hrs out of the engine. The newer Kohler and briggs engines are junk. I worked for deere for a couple years had numerous problems out of Kohler engines,most of the time it was more cost effective to replace engine. Kohler lifters are always really noisy. Briggs are just cheap junk,the days of them being a good reliable engine are long gone. I would say the best engines on the market are Honda and kawasaki.

Got no hour meter and I don't even know the year for sure but my dad bought the JD 111 lawn tractor second hand in the early nineties. It has cut the grass in this big yard ever since and that 11 hp Kohler is all original as far as I know. I do add a bit of oil once in a while but nothing to be concerned about.

if it is an opposed two cylinder, the problem is usually caused by loose head bolts due to overheating brought on by dirt in the cooling fins

The most I ever got out of a 27 hp kohler command was 1705 hours, the cam gear spilt, it's pressed on with no keyway. The mower itself has 3900 or so hrs and it, and is on it's 3rd kohler engine.

Those who do not like the Kohler Command engine should google the Courage engine. I had one of those in a zero turn mower, and it was a real piece of junk. I guess I was lucky in one respect that I was able to trade it off while it was actually still running and in one piece. Those have an issue with the compression release coming apart, and upper crankcase coming loose, and cracking the block.....mine did all the above. I now own a Gravely with a Kawasaki engine in it, and would never go back to a Kohler due to the experience I had with that one. I realize that is a completely different engine, but that really soured me on the Kohler brand name.

I had a Wood Mizer sawmill and I put a Kolher 27 HP liquid cooled engine on it when the onan quit. When I got rid of the sawmill it had just overe 3000 hours on the motor. To me it was a good motor but did not have the torque that the onan had. Being used for a sawmill I changed the oil and filter every 100 hours.

JD,
I have a pair of head gaskets. That's going to be my total investment in the engine. If it's something more than that, what kind of a loan can I get, IT'S ON BORROWED TIME RIGHT?

What will it hurt removing the head? If problem is a ring, wouldn't I have blow by and oil coming out the vent hole, which I don't have?

Going to warm up Tuesday, I have a small job to finish, then I removing the heads. Kohler says removing the head is the best way to remove carbon. Hoping I find a bad head gasket or leaky intake gasket.
George

Use to be a certified tec on Kholer. They have hydraulic lifters, same as a a 350 chev as I recall. Maybe the problem. Understand I am talking awhile ago.

George I think you have low compression at engine running temperature and that is causing incomplete combustion.

JD,
All compression and leak down test show things are good. Some are saying leaky head gasket, but that didn't show up on leak down showed both cylinders are the same. You are right, the bad cylinder is running about a good 100 degrees cooler. Going to find out why real soon.