Find the video of us replacing the carburetor on an engine like this because the aftermarket one someone used did not work at ua-cam.com/video/tjxqksoiBoY/v-deo.html
My Kohler Courage has lasted 15 years. Though I caught the top bolts coming loose early on. And then had to retighten them a couple of years later, though they haven't come loose since. So far no cracks and the valve cover doesn't leak.
Taking care of stuff is the number one requirement for getting a lot of life out of something. Sounds like you have done a great job of that so far. Keep it up! Thanks for watching!
I just got a free rigged up one. But i don't like how it sounds on start up sounds like a bunch of water in the crankcase is a slushy sound it doesn't sound right
I have a 2011 cub cadet ltx1040 with the courage 19. My grandfather bought the mower brand new, and honestly never took care of it at all. Would go years between oil changes. I inherited the mower last year when he passed, and of course got it all caught up on maintenance. It runs flawless and has never been opened up. Currently at 488 hours.
I made up a frame thing for one of these to hold the cylinder and head back into to block purely to keep it together for a while until i could get an old flathead briggs for the customer. It held together for the month or so that it took to find that briggs engine. That customer has only come back for servicing and the occasional drive belt since that. Definitely happy with their 12.5hp flathead!!!
Alex , what engine is it you were able to replace with? I may want to do that in the future. Not sure if it’s possible, I have a 2014 Troy bolt bronco with the same engine from this video.
Never had an issue with Kohler Courage. My first riding mower was a 2006 Troy Bilt Super Bronco. It had a 18 horsepower engine with 42” cutting deck. Purchased it used in 2008 and used it all the way until 2021. Kept it clean, changed its belts, changed the blades and did oil changes. Sold my home October of 2021 and the new owners paid extra for me to leave the riding mower with the house. Used it to cut 2 acres. It is now being used by the new owners and they still are using it, today. At my new house I purchased another used Troy Bilt riding mower with a courage engine since I had a good experience with my last mower. It is also a Super Bronco. This one is a 2009 with 20 Horsepower engine and 46” three blade cutting deck. An upgrade from my 2006! When I got it, it needed work due to lack of maintenance from previous owner. The only thing the original owner did that was correct is keep it stored inside a building instead of leaving it outside in the elements. Changed its deck and drive belts, sharpened the blades, new battery, new starter and starter solenoid. Replaced a few gaskets and the thing runs and looks like new. Hopefully it lasts as long if not longer than the 2006 I had. So far so good!
That is awesome news. Maintenance is key for longevity. I have seen very questionable equipment last a long time with service and good equipment go to heck without proper maintenace
Great video had an oil leak and it's the crack you mention. I would not have thought to look there until i saw this educational video on Kohler Courage Motor.
Ty for the heads up, I was almost going to buy one of these 20HP versions for $100 to repair and put on my Snapper ZT to replace my Kohler 18hp High Output CV493s engine.
@@IndRepair the seller said “all it needs is a new carb and it will run fine”. I never believe sellers when they say “all it needs is….” If it just needed that one item, why else are you selling it then Lol. My current Kohler CV493s with 700hrs is running fine, have only mowed with it 2 times since getting engine running after not being ran since I have owned it (bought as a non runner with in a packaged deal with another Snapper ZT), still trying to determine estimated oil burning with engine. I know at a minimum, I can at least get through the mowing season as the engine sits.
Nice! Probably change head gasket and be fine with that engine if all your getting is some oil loss. Look for smoke in the crankcase after running is a pretty good indication
I have a cub cadet LTX 1040 with a Kohler 19. Its 10 years old,checked the bolts, have always been tight.No oil leaks as of yet.Its always starts and runs great.Maybe I am a lucky one.
If the bolts would have been loctited from new don’t think you’d see any crack ing problem. Tight bolts provide rigidity in the crankcase even if in does vibrate. I weld the crack loctite the bolts and drive on
We see quite a few come in with the crack even without loose bolts but this doesn't mean they didn't come loose at some point before and cause this. Thanks for watching!
Great video, thanks for sharing common issues you've seen. You touched lightly on an issue I have and trying to isolate: I have a K Courage 18 on an TB Bronco 2008. I changed the carb a couple years ago but never tuned it (didn't come w/instructions and I didn't know any better.). It is blowing smoke like a steam engine while I start it w/the choke on. It blows less smoke while running but it overheat a lot, where I've seen the exhaust piece red hot, literally red. From what you've said it sounds to me like I may have a blown head-gasket and possibly my carb dumps too much gas into the engine. Thoughts? Much appreciate it!
I would definitely check oil level and see if it smells like fuel to start. It could have a blown head gasket or the valves may not be seating well. A leakdown test would tell for sure
I guess mine is just lucky, I have a 16 year old Yard Man MTD lawnmower my parents got for just $1,700 from Walmart when they got married, I basically took the mower when they got a new Gravely 0 turn about 5 years ago. The I took has the Kohler Courage 19 in it, never had issues with it, starts on one crank everytime. no matter the temperatures, 0 degrees or 100, runs good, smooth, mows like champ. It just recently got a hole in the head gasket, but other than that it has just been cleaning carburetor once every couple years, I replaced the drive belts not that long ago, I change the oil somewhat regularly, so it's been quite beast for all these years.
That is definitely a rare one! We work on hundreds every year and it is very rare that they are not leaking oil from somewhere, have a blown head gasket or have bolts that have backed out of the enclosure plate. Thanks for watching!
How do you get the flywheel off the Kohler Courage? I tried a puller, but I couldn't get any of the supplied bolts to screw down into the flywheel. Almost like the bolts were the wrong thread pitch for the threaded holes in the flywheel. I believe it was a harmonic balancer puller.
If you are careful you can get it with a hammer and pry bar pretty easily. Remove the bolt/washer and flywheel fan then screw back down the bolt all the way in. Have someone help you if someone is available and pry underneath the flywheel with a tire iron or large pry bar. You want to be somewhere with the most meat, make sure you are not damaging magnets or stator underneath so you dont want to be too far under. You are not pulling too hard, just enough for a good solid pressure. Put a socket on the bolt and wack it with a hammer evenly while pulling. I use a 3lb mini sledge and it works great. I always pull up as to not damage the magnets or stator underneath, doesn't give as much leverage but is much more safe. Otherwise use a puller that has the right threads. Thanks for watching!
Mine goes through those Chinese carbs like nothing. Lucky to get a season out of them. I turn off gas and run out of gas. Live in San Antonio and may not mow for a good month when it’s dry. Am I drying out carb seals perhaps? Recurring problem is the carb starts leaking gas.
Ive got a Kohler Courage 20hp. It has just under 1000 hours. Had an exhaust valve seat drop out of the head at 700 hours and now Ive got it apart replacing a broken ACR mechanism. Id say its been good, but also two major engine failures.
I was just given an Ariens tractor with this engine dated 2006. The engine runs flawlessly. No bolts are loose. The valve cover gasket did leak slightly and I replaced it and it still leaks slightly (Oh Well). Does backfire once when I turn it off but that the carb shutoff solenoid that is bad. Not faulting your review, just stating my experience with this engine for the past month.
That is great news! I have heard quite a few say this but I rarely see them this way. Well maintained, I am sure! The valve cover gasket will split if overtightened so just snug it up or use the torque specs
@@IndRepair Actually, I think the tractor I received for free was poorly maintained. It as kept outside abd oil was low and dirty but the engine still ran perfectly. I changed the oil, filter, etc.. Thanks.
I am sorry do not remember many times they back out and cause the crack but I have seen it happen in the same spot without backing out just from vibration
My cousin called me to check his Troy Bilt with that engine. Crazy crazy. 3 Motor Mount screws were missing, last one was very loose. One engine mount broke off. Muffler bolts were off. I was how the heck could these come off.!!! I suspect head gasket has to be changed, because I saw some oil smoke
Been troubleshooting mine for a few days with valve adjustment and valve cover gasket. Found those bolts on top were loose and it has a crack in the same exact spot. Gonna run it till it dies with some JB weld on the crack. 🤷
Run it till the block gets knocked off haha had one that moved about 1/2" when trying to start it was so bad. It might have actually still started customer said he was using it fine the time before. Shut it off and it wouldn't restart haha
Is it all kohler? I recently got a 22hp twin cam, I feel like it's basically the same thing. Also, have you ever installed a quieter exhaust system on one of these?
@@mrfixit7743 Great compression, leak down test will confirm if a blown head gasket but you normally will get some variance in one of the other if that is the case. A sticking valve can cause this without preventing the compression from being different
Not a lot of great options for a reasonable price but I would take a Briggs and Stratton Intek engine over this one for the same price range and drop in replacement.
@@IndRepair I pulled the valve cover. Found exhaust rocker completely off or valve. Put it back on, adjusted valves and it fired right up. Might still get a briggs
I have the 18hp kohler courage sv540 model , 12 years and just blew the head gasket . puffing smoke under load , and smoke when you turn off , and remove the dip stick . I just replaced the head gasket . besides that , never had an issue .
@@IndRepair I have a Cub Cadet LTX 1042 that I bought used and has the Kohler Courage 19 hp. I didn't know about all this stuff. Anyway, just in case it does blow up, my son picked up a used 20 hp Briggs Intek for me to have as a back up. But it does not have a muffler. The mufflers I am finding online are crazy, like $200. And I am seeing two types, above deck and below deck, and I'm not sure which one I need. But anyway, do you have any suggestions where I could get a muffler and not have to mortgage the house to buy it? I suppose when you said "switch out the exhaust" you were talking about not being able to use the muffler off the Kohler because it is single cylinder. Any ideas on this?
@@BeingRomans829ed Normally you can use the below frame exhaust on these. You will need two down tubes, one for each side and a muffler. I will see what model I can find here and get you a part number for this, if you reply it will give me an email reminder again. If there is no place to put screws (I do not believe there is on the LTX 1042) you would have to weld the downtube to the exhaust on both sides to hold it to the tubes
I don't think so someone probably hit that with a pressure washer when it was still hot or used it in the winter and you know hot and cold doesn't mix well
So I see many people hate these Kohler's. I have a question. I inherited a very old craftsman with a Briggs n Stratton 20hp ic turbo cool...like it's at least 18 years old but low hours. My zero turn is a 2007 gravely zt40 with a Kohler courage 17 with 250 hours..... Can I swap them relatively easy?
Long as the crankshaft sizes are the same the other should drop right in. You may have to rewire depending on replacement engine wiring harness. Thr I/C I would say is built better but many have so much age/hours on them we do not fix many these days. Thanks for watching!
Sure it'll fit it'll out last the Kohler engine all of my splash around Briggs are I just used my i/c 12hp Briggs to mow the yard just to keep things on it warmed up so it doesn't just sit around and things rust or lock up in it so the carburetor wont gunk up from not using it because it is only my backup mower i got it for free to i like with the older engines you get on and they start right up theres no carburetor bowl solenoid and no gas shut off valve
@@IndRepair you’re going to think I’m joking but I just picked up a victor out of a barn for $50 with a Briggs & Stratton intek (31R607-0014-B1) thinking I’d just get the victor going but now I’m going to slap it into the toro!! Will I have to change any of the wiring loom?
I have a husqvarna with this engine and I agree , the engine is crap but I like how I can go forward and backwards just with the foot control and not have to shift forward or back. But I wonder if I can replace this Kohloer comand with a different brand motor.
You can replace it with quite a few different engines it is a very common shaft size and horsepower. On repowers we measure shaft length and diameter and go from there. Thanks for watching!
mine is just like this and I have no crack that I can see and I have been all over it, so oil splatters out of the motor mount holes as you said so what is that?? also have a bolt broken off the holds the engine on can't get it out
It oil is coming out of the motor mount holes then there is a crack somewhere inside the mount holes or somewhere it has wallowed out enough to get into the reservoir
Many people use the Briggs Intek 18-21 HP engine because they are relatively cheap. Figure out what specs yours has (crankshaft size, does it have a fuel pump, are cables long enough etc.) then order the corresponding engine
I'm working on a Craftsman YT300 with a Kohler SV620-3120. it will start for a second then stop. I can spray carb cleaner or gas into the carb and keep it running but it won't even runn on choke like it's not getting fuel. There is no fuel pump and the carburetor is rebuild and clean. New gaskets and fuel. All I can think of its a bad carburetor and solenoid???
I would definitely check the solenoid functionality first then work your way to the carburetor if it is getting good fuel flow. The fuel is fresh correct?
Knock on wood, ive had one for 8 years and have never had any issues whatsoever with it. Its been well mainained and i have always checked the bolta when i change the oil, but they have never been loose in the slightest. Also never leaked a drop of oil.
@@IndRepair 135 or so, so not many, but it hasn't shown any signs of anything being wrong whatsoever, but I know it doesn't have a whole lot of hours or anything.
I will say those are 135 of the hardest hours most lawn mowers have dealt with though, I only cut thw grass every 3-4 weeks and that's in alabama so it is thick and tall at every cutting. That cut frequency is why thw hours are low for 8 years, but that's cutting an acre and a quarter or acre and a half of thick grass that is usually 8-10 inches tall as well as some of that time over the last couple years being thick grass on a steep hill so it's been worked hard.
Mine blew oil out the intake 335 hours. Just got done telling the neighbor how they blow up. Started it and white smoke started to beller. 😂 just laughed . Pulled off air cleaner and started it. 3 foot stream of oil shot across my foot. 😂😂😂
They made a few different designs wiring wise but the Briggs intek series will bolt up and should be "plug and play". Without the engine information it is impossible to say with certainty
I ran my 19hp Kohler tractor into the ground for 10-15 years , I sadly neglected this poor thing or it would still be running. But I got 10-15 years of heavy use with zero maintenance except a new battery every couple years.
The Kohler Courage single and twin (especially the single) are dogs. I am a Kohler guy however, the Courage is their lemon engine. Some issues you did not cover besides the noise, vibration, and the "Kohler crack.". The starters suck. There have been three generations of this particular starter and they fail earlier than they should. The engine mounting bolts loosen up, check them, clean them, Loctite them, and torque them if loose. This is a bucket engine, so the crankcase cover is on too. The crankcase bolts loosen up, hit the flywheel, and crack and destroy the block. Check them, and tighten them if loose. The valve get out of adjustment , check them every 250 hours minimum. The valve cover leaks. Terrible design as the valve cover sits right over the muffler and cooks. Also, remove the plastic from the intake gasket as seen in video. Avoid the Kohler Courage engine if possible.
Interesting bit about the mounting bolts and starter! Definitely haven't noticed any more than other engines mounting bolts being loose or starters being bad. The enclosure plate bolts are the worst! Thanks for pointing that out!
I can't now that i got one for free with no problems yet i know how Kohlers are though Kohlers always mess up so i don't count on the one i got free specially because its a courage I've been hearing nothing but bad about these engines for awhile now. Kohlers replacement carburetor bowls are made to fail so i got a used twin cylinder briggs craftsman engine that i could use need to give it a hard cleaning while its not on anything yet then change oil mount to table and test run it before putting it to a mower frame guess if its running good ill mount it to a old green craftsman and put a new used transmission on then reweld the decks guide bar
Of course I see this after buying a $50 mower with one in it, jk, $50 isn't bad for a whole mower. The 19HP Kohler Courage had 0 compression, somehow the Valve seat came loose and fell out? Put it back on and fired right up but engine mount bolts were extremely loose, tightened them up but the engine when revving up to full throttle will shake violently and rev up hard if that makes sense but then runs super smooth when getting up in rpm.
It sounds like it may be knocking? I would also check the crankcase enclosure plate bolts under the flywheel and make sure they haven't backed out, I see these hit often by the bottom of the flywheel
Mine has been running totally perfect for years & all of a sudden today, I got 10 minutes into cutting & now it revs almost like a “runaway diesel” like it’s going to rev until it blows to pieces. Way higher rev than even it turned to ma.Mx throttle. No leaks, nothing. Unsure of what’s going on.
The likely cause is going to be an air leak between the carburetor/intake or intake/block. You could also have a stuck butterfly on the carburetor or something jammed in the linkage. Make sure all is free on the carburetor. You can test the leak by spraying carburetor cleaner in these areas and see if the running changes. If it does, you know you have an air leak (causes high uncontrollable revs just like a runaway)
lol this makes me laugh, because we have a cracked case just like that, exactly the same spot. I just cleaned up the cracked area, scuffed it up and used some chemical putty 😂 to seal it up. It still leaks a bit of oil, but not enough to worry about it. I do have an issue with it turning over though, turn over very slow or not at all on the compression stroke most of the time because of more compression at that point. With a heavy duty jump pack it spins over faster but the positive cable gets hot and the starter motor gets very hot. I have had a look inside the starter motor and the poles look fine and the brushes, so not sure. The battery on the mower is rated at 310cca, and isn’t that old.
Sounds like timing off or some big engine wear. Does the whole head move while the engine tried to start like I see on a lot of them? Had a few like this still ran ok just flopping around
@@IndRepair No, the head is rigged, and the engine runs sweet once it’s started, no smoke, and plenty of power. We have had it from pretty much new so don’t think it’s big engine wear, as it hasn’t done that much work. Could be a bad solenoid I guess.
Usually a carburetor issue or an air leak between the carburetor and plastic adapter or plastic adapter and block. Plastic adapter should also be checked for cracks/and make sure its not warped while you have the carburetor off. Replace both gaskets and clean carburetor and you should be all set!
I know this is an older video, but Kohler has a bulletin out on these engines telling you to replace that valve cover gasket with RTV silicone. Didn't know if you knew about that, so I thought I'd let people know...
I was not aware, I maybe saw it at some point. RTV is horrible to take off if anything needs done so we will probably stick with the cork replacement gasket. Good info though! Thanks for watching!
Thats exactly why i didn't wanna use the rtv on my Kohler 22 when its valve cover gasket was blown out the left side is what blew when i was mowing so i shut the blades off and hurried back in with the mower because it was blowing a ton of burnt oil smoke out once i parked it i seen the bolts that hold the cover on were loose on the left and right side of the engine I know the person who i bought the mower from i know when he works on any mower and is almost done working on it he'll get to working faster because he can't wait to try out his new toy so i just figure he forgot to tighten those bolts up on the valve covers But he was blaming the mower messed up because i leave it in the rain thats not true though because i leave all my other mowers out in the weather they don't mess up the one i bought from him messed up because he probably checked the valve covers then didn't tighten it up all the way and myself should have checked both covers before i used the mower i should have checked the oil to but i didn't anyhow i fixed the Kohler 22 problem and it works good it doesn't smoke anymore and the head gasket was ok it gonna need a new breather hose though from the left cover to the carburetor
I have a weird problem with mine. The speed control lever moves up and down just fine with all the components underneath. Yet, engine runs at high speed only, regardless where the speed control lever is. In other words, it only has 1 speed, and it is high.
You likely have an issue with an air leak between the carburetor and engin3 block. Check plastic & gaskets on both side of insulator then replace as needed
I got another free one with that type of engine on it i was a little disappointed though seeing its another damn Kohler because Kohlers replacement parts gives me so much trouble And craftsman makes cub Cadets but cubs look more similar to john deere mowers from the decks to the back of the mower. I checked out the one i got there's no cracks and no leaks the oil does need changed the engine on the outside needs cleaned off its manly just dusty dirty on the outside. Probably will have to disconnect a ground wire from its pto switch. its deck belt was shredded up i didn't think the old thing would start up when bringing it home but with a jump start it did ran ok had a little less speed because the deck doesn't go to it and is a heavier deck on it cant adjust the height of it cause it doesn't go to the mower but that's how it came its pulley clutch almost rests on the deck so if i can fit a craftsman deck on it or a john deere deck on thats what I'll do cause this one on the mower the spindles don't even go to the deck But i believe that large of a deck would do better on a 2 cylinder engine not a single cylinder
I think over time when the aluminum case gets old it weakens because i had one old 8 hp Briggs engine aluminum case break from me just taking out a small bolt it wasn't fixable after that the oil in it poured out I had a walk behind self pulling craftsmen mowers engine case at the bottom of it had tons of hair line cracks all over the bottom case like spider webs now that engine was good except for that
It could, meta does weaken or brake with vibration also and these twin cam units vibrate a lot more than a normal engine. That paired with the fact it is not thick or supported well to begin with creates a weak point. I had one in for just a tune up one time that was moving as it was starting you could watch the left side of the cylinder head move about 1/8" back and forth and had probably a 3" crack in it. They said its been leaking a little oil but they didn't think anything of it
@@IndRepair but then the time mine broke the engine wasn't running it was cool and i hadn't started it up that day when it broke so all i can figure is it had to have a hair crack on it that i couldn't see
Much I hate to say it but I'd take an Tecumseh Enduro or formula single cylinder engine over that Kohler engine any day. The best Kohler engines were command and magnum after that they were junk
And so does all the cv models of Kohlers problems with the brand new carburetors bowl corroding that then messes up the float it ain't the gas causing the problem because all my briggs engines work they're carburetors dont corrode they're floats don't mess up im kinda waited for the day my Kohler 22 starts to mess up unless they make that ones carburetor bowl different than the cv models of Kohler those single cylinder Kohlers are no good because the problem with the bowl corroding is why I've not used any of my single cylinder Kohlers it all this year they're a waste of my money i have 3 still good but to me junk single cylinder engines they all run great until they're bowl corrodes they been sitting for months now
It does seem like they make them out of whatever material is cheapest and will cause them to fail fastest! Replacement carbs sure arent cheap and I wont use aftermarket on them. Thanks for watching!
It's a piece of junk valve cover leaked, shook so bad engine mounting bolts fell out, muffler bolts fell out not only did they fall out threads came with the bolts. There was not enough material to put helicoil or retap the head. I am going the replace it with B&S.
It's a crapshoot between this and the cam-chewing Intek. These are bottom-dollar-made-to-meet-a-price-point rubbish. That said, stuff like this paid for my house and groceries. And I have one in my trailer pulling lawn tractor still working after 10 years.
Definitely a love-h*te relationship. Friday I did four Briggs head gasket jobs and couldn't help but thinking how much I didn't like these engine but sure love the work
I am going to look at a lt1040 Cub Cadet that runs good on starter fluid but needs a Carb rebuild . $375. ARE there other engines that can "plug and play" in this otherwise nice mower?
Lots worthy of speaking about in a negative light unless you are talking about they price. They were definitely cheap when they sold them, about the only upside
Find the video of us replacing the carburetor on an engine like this because the aftermarket one someone used did not work at ua-cam.com/video/tjxqksoiBoY/v-deo.html
My Kohler Courage has lasted 15 years. Though I caught the top bolts coming loose early on. And then had to retighten them a couple of years later, though they haven't come loose since. So far no cracks and the valve cover doesn't leak.
Taking care of stuff is the number one requirement for getting a lot of life out of something. Sounds like you have done a great job of that so far. Keep it up! Thanks for watching!
I used lock tight on my top bolts to insure they never back out!
Bought my Cub Cadet back in 2007 with the Kohler Courage 20. Going on 500 hours and still going strong. Yearly maintenance is a must.
I just got a free rigged up one. But i don't like how it sounds on start up sounds like a bunch of water in the crankcase is a slushy sound it doesn't sound right
I have a 2011 cub cadet ltx1040 with the courage 19. My grandfather bought the mower brand new, and honestly never took care of it at all. Would go years between oil changes. I inherited the mower last year when he passed, and of course got it all caught up on maintenance. It runs flawless and has never been opened up. Currently at 488 hours.
I forgot to mention as well, it doesn’t burn or leak a single drop of oil. Never had to add a drop and everything is dry.
Now that's unusual! Thanks for watching!
Had to be extremely well maintained never see this!
It’s only seen regular maintenance since I got it last year. Before I got it it was rare to never.
I made up a frame thing for one of these to hold the cylinder and head back into to block purely to keep it together for a while until i could get an old flathead briggs for the customer. It held together for the month or so that it took to find that briggs engine. That customer has only come back for servicing and the occasional drive belt since that. Definitely happy with their 12.5hp flathead!!!
Haha! If it worked it worked! Thanks for watching!
Alex , what engine is it you were able to replace with? I may want to do that in the future. Not sure if it’s possible, I have a 2014 Troy bolt bronco with the same engine from this video.
@@GulfcoastSnipe i believe it was a 12.5hp flathead briggs. Most of the mounts are the same across the board for mower engines
Never had an issue with Kohler Courage. My first riding mower was a 2006 Troy Bilt Super Bronco. It had a 18 horsepower engine with 42” cutting deck. Purchased it used in 2008 and used it all the way until 2021. Kept it clean, changed its belts, changed the blades and did oil changes. Sold my home October of 2021 and the new owners paid extra for me to leave the riding mower with the house. Used it to cut 2 acres. It is now being used by the new owners and they still are using it, today.
At my new house I purchased another used Troy Bilt riding mower with a courage engine since I had a good experience with my last mower. It is also a Super Bronco. This one is a 2009 with 20 Horsepower engine and 46” three blade cutting deck. An upgrade from my 2006!
When I got it, it needed work due to lack of maintenance from previous owner. The only thing the original owner did that was correct is keep it stored inside a building instead of leaving it outside in the elements.
Changed its deck and drive belts, sharpened the blades, new battery, new starter and starter solenoid. Replaced a few gaskets and the thing runs and looks like new. Hopefully it lasts as long if not longer than the 2006 I had. So far so good!
That is awesome news. Maintenance is key for longevity. I have seen very questionable equipment last a long time with service and good equipment go to heck without proper maintenace
Great job taking care of it!
Great video had an oil leak and it's the crack you mention. I would not have thought to look there until i saw this educational video on Kohler Courage Motor.
Yeah side of a fully sealed block usually wouldn't draw your attention!! Thanks for watching!
Very informative. Explanation was very clear and consice. Very helpful to me.
Thankyou Sir.
Thank you for the compliment and for watching the video!! Try to always explain best I can!
Ty for the heads up, I was almost going to buy one of these 20HP versions for $100 to repair and put on my Snapper ZT to replace my Kohler 18hp High Output CV493s engine.
$100 is pretty cheap for an engine but would probably just have to do a bunch more work or replace it in the near future anyway. Thanks for watching!
@@IndRepair the seller said “all it needs is a new carb and it will run fine”. I never believe sellers when they say “all it needs is….” If it just needed that one item, why else are you selling it then Lol. My current Kohler CV493s with 700hrs is running fine, have only mowed with it 2 times since getting engine running after not being ran since I have owned it (bought as a non runner with in a packaged deal with another Snapper ZT), still trying to determine estimated oil burning with engine. I know at a minimum, I can at least get through the mowing season as the engine sits.
Nice! Probably change head gasket and be fine with that engine if all your getting is some oil loss. Look for smoke in the crankcase after running is a pretty good indication
I have a cub cadet LTX 1040 with a Kohler 19. Its 10 years old,checked the bolts, have always been tight.No oil leaks as of yet.Its always starts and runs great.Maybe I am a lucky one.
I have heard this from a few people and I am always surprised. Residential use? Always maintaining it properly I would assume?
If the bolts would have been loctited from new don’t think you’d see any crack ing problem. Tight bolts provide rigidity in the crankcase even if in does vibrate. I weld the crack loctite the bolts and drive on
We see quite a few come in with the crack even without loose bolts but this doesn't mean they didn't come loose at some point before and cause this. Thanks for watching!
Great video, thanks for sharing common issues you've seen.
You touched lightly on an issue I have and trying to isolate: I have a K Courage 18 on an TB Bronco 2008. I changed the carb a couple years ago but never tuned it (didn't come w/instructions and I didn't know any better.). It is blowing smoke like a steam engine while I start it w/the choke on. It blows less smoke while running but it overheat a lot, where I've seen the exhaust piece red hot, literally red. From what you've said it sounds to me like I may have a blown head-gasket and possibly my carb dumps too much gas into the engine. Thoughts? Much appreciate it!
I would definitely check oil level and see if it smells like fuel to start. It could have a blown head gasket or the valves may not be seating well. A leakdown test would tell for sure
Thanks for watching!
I guess mine is just lucky, I have a 16 year old Yard Man MTD lawnmower my parents got for just $1,700 from Walmart when they got married, I basically took the mower when they got a new Gravely 0 turn about 5 years ago. The I took has the Kohler Courage 19 in it, never had issues with it, starts on one crank everytime. no matter the temperatures, 0 degrees or 100, runs good, smooth, mows like champ. It just recently got a hole in the head gasket, but other than that it has just been cleaning carburetor once every couple years, I replaced the drive belts not that long ago, I change the oil somewhat regularly, so it's been quite beast for all these years.
That is definitely a rare one! We work on hundreds every year and it is very rare that they are not leaking oil from somewhere, have a blown head gasket or have bolts that have backed out of the enclosure plate. Thanks for watching!
Is yours hydro and pulley
Mine has a clutch pulley on the engine's shaft
How do you get the flywheel off the Kohler Courage? I tried a puller, but I couldn't get any of the supplied bolts to screw down into the flywheel. Almost like the bolts were the wrong thread pitch for the threaded holes in the flywheel. I believe it was a harmonic balancer puller.
If you are careful you can get it with a hammer and pry bar pretty easily. Remove the bolt/washer and flywheel fan then screw back down the bolt all the way in. Have someone help you if someone is available and pry underneath the flywheel with a tire iron or large pry bar. You want to be somewhere with the most meat, make sure you are not damaging magnets or stator underneath so you dont want to be too far under. You are not pulling too hard, just enough for a good solid pressure. Put a socket on the bolt and wack it with a hammer evenly while pulling. I use a 3lb mini sledge and it works great. I always pull up as to not damage the magnets or stator underneath, doesn't give as much leverage but is much more safe. Otherwise use a puller that has the right threads. Thanks for watching!
@@IndRepair ok, I’ll remember to pull up instead of down.
Mine goes through those Chinese carbs like nothing. Lucky to get a season out of them. I turn off gas and run out of gas. Live in San Antonio and may not mow for a good month when it’s dry. Am I drying out carb seals perhaps? Recurring problem is the carb starts leaking gas.
I have only found one of the aftermarkets to work well. You can find the video we recently did on this at ua-cam.com/video/tjxqksoiBoY/v-deo.html
Ive got a Kohler Courage 20hp. It has just under 1000 hours. Had an exhaust valve seat drop out of the head at 700 hours and now Ive got it apart replacing a broken ACR mechanism. Id say its been good, but also two major engine failures.
Thanks for watching! Even with issues taking care of something gives more life
Thanks for watching! Even with issues taking care of something gives more life
I was just given an Ariens tractor with this engine dated 2006. The engine runs flawlessly. No bolts are loose. The valve cover gasket did leak slightly and I replaced it and it still leaks slightly (Oh Well). Does backfire once when I turn it off but that the carb shutoff solenoid that is bad. Not faulting your review, just stating my experience with this engine for the past month.
That is great news! I have heard quite a few say this but I rarely see them this way. Well maintained, I am sure! The valve cover gasket will split if overtightened so just snug it up or use the torque specs
@@IndRepair Actually, I think the tractor I received for free was poorly maintained. It as kept outside abd oil was low and dirty but the engine still ran perfectly. I changed the oil, filter, etc.. Thanks.
Hmm, must be a low hour machine or something 🤔 glad you got a good one!
How do you feel about the Predator replacement engines for something like this?
They are Chinese engines... Not the best made but what is today without spending 2-3x the price of what the predator would cost?
@@IndRepair That's what I'm thinking and I've seen many UA-cam videos about them and they have really good reviews normally.
Yeah, definitely
Is that crack from vibration or the bolt backed out and hit the flywheel?
I am sorry do not remember many times they back out and cause the crack but I have seen it happen in the same spot without backing out just from vibration
My cousin called me to check his Troy Bilt with that engine. Crazy crazy.
3 Motor Mount screws were missing, last one was very loose. One engine mount broke off.
Muffler bolts were off.
I was how the heck could these come off.!!!
I suspect head gasket has to be changed, because I saw some oil smoke
Serious issues there
Hopefully it didn't crack the sump
@@IndRepair No, but I think gaskets will have to be changed.
@@silwan6784 for sure
Very useful information.
Liked and subscribed. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Been troubleshooting mine for a few days with valve adjustment and valve cover gasket. Found those bolts on top were loose and it has a crack in the same exact spot. Gonna run it till it dies with some JB weld on the crack. 🤷
Run it till the block gets knocked off haha had one that moved about 1/2" when trying to start it was so bad. It might have actually still started customer said he was using it fine the time before. Shut it off and it wouldn't restart haha
Is it all kohler? I recently got a 22hp twin cam, I feel like it's basically the same thing. Also, have you ever installed a quieter exhaust system on one of these?
All of the Courage line for sure. They are definitely loud, I have never seen different mufflers quiet it down much
? I have a kohler 7000 pro vtwin, with excessive crank case pressure. Oil blows out of the dip stick tube?! Any tips?
I would check out the head gaskets, likely pressurizing the crankcase because of this
If you have a compression or leak down tester this will tell you which side is the culprit
There both at 175psi!
@@mrfixit7743 Great compression, leak down test will confirm if a blown head gasket but you normally will get some variance in one of the other if that is the case. A sticking valve can cause this without preventing the compression from being different
I have a 2007 kohler courage 17hp never had a problem with it.havent even had to adjusted valves yet .
Wow! How many hours does it have?
Is it the same for the SV620 too?
Unfortunately it is. Thanks for watching!
What engine do you recommend replacing it with? I have a 20hp sv600. Won't start and has a lot of compression coming though the carburator.
Not a lot of great options for a reasonable price but I would take a Briggs and Stratton Intek engine over this one for the same price range and drop in replacement.
@@IndRepair I pulled the valve cover. Found exhaust rocker completely off or valve. Put it back on, adjusted valves and it fired right up. Might still get a briggs
I have the 18hp kohler courage sv540 model , 12 years and just blew the head gasket . puffing smoke under load , and smoke when you turn off , and remove the dip stick . I just replaced the head gasket . besides that , never had an issue .
That is awesome! I would assume you serviced and took care of it regularly, since this is not the normal consensus?
Mine cranks slow to none at all I've replaced the battery,solenoid and carb new along with tune up an d drill wont run what m I doing wrong
I would double check all the connections are fully tight to start. Is the engine easy to turn by hand?
@@IndRepair kind of it gets to the one position and stops turning easy
And what's the plastic part called that holds the carb stud need to replace mine
Plastic insulator
Woudln't you know, I just checked mine and it's cracked in the exact same place. Possible to swap this engine for something else?
Yeah, Briggs & Stratton Intek will bolt right up you will have to switch out the exhaust also
@@IndRepair I have a Cub Cadet LTX 1042 that I bought used and has the Kohler Courage 19 hp. I didn't know about all this stuff. Anyway, just in case it does blow up, my son picked up a used 20 hp Briggs Intek for me to have as a back up.
But it does not have a muffler. The mufflers I am finding online are crazy, like $200. And I am seeing two types, above deck and below deck, and I'm not sure which one I need. But anyway, do you have any suggestions where I could get a muffler and not have to mortgage the house to buy it?
I suppose when you said "switch out the exhaust" you were talking about not being able to use the muffler off the Kohler because it is single cylinder. Any ideas on this?
@@BeingRomans829ed Normally you can use the below frame exhaust on these. You will need two down tubes, one for each side and a muffler. I will see what model I can find here and get you a part number for this, if you reply it will give me an email reminder again. If there is no place to put screws (I do not believe there is on the LTX 1042) you would have to weld the downtube to the exhaust on both sides to hold it to the tubes
i have a 2002 kohler courage i get gas in my oil what would be the problem and a good fix
The carburetor will need cleaned or rebuilt to solve the issue
Block crack is caused by crankcase bolts hitting the flywheel from coming loose
In this case they were not hitting, just vibration
I don't think so someone probably hit that with a pressure washer when it was still hot or used it in the winter and you know hot and cold doesn't mix well
I don't know if this is true, but I've heard it takes courage to have a Kohler Courage.
Lmao, definitely
So I see many people hate these Kohler's. I have a question.
I inherited a very old craftsman with a Briggs n Stratton 20hp ic turbo cool...like it's at least 18 years old but low hours.
My zero turn is a 2007 gravely zt40 with a Kohler courage 17 with 250 hours.....
Can I swap them relatively easy?
Long as the crankshaft sizes are the same the other should drop right in. You may have to rewire depending on replacement engine wiring harness. Thr I/C I would say is built better but many have so much age/hours on them we do not fix many these days. Thanks for watching!
Sure it'll fit it'll out last the Kohler engine all of my splash around Briggs are
I just used my i/c 12hp Briggs to mow the yard just to keep things on it warmed up so it doesn't just sit around and things rust or lock up in it so the carburetor wont gunk up from not using it because it is only my backup mower i got it for free to i like with the older engines you get on and they start right up theres no carburetor bowl solenoid and no gas shut off valve
I have exactly the same crack on my motor, what engine would you replace it with? They discontinued the motors due to it
You can use Kohler 5400 series or Briggs & Stratton intek both have the same mounting
@@IndRepair you’re going to think I’m joking but I just picked up a victor out of a barn for $50 with a Briggs & Stratton intek (31R607-0014-B1) thinking I’d just get the victor going but now I’m going to slap it into the toro!! Will I have to change any of the wiring loom?
Test to be sure but normally plug and play. That is awesome!!
Just checking crankshaft size but most standard
@ what about the hp difference
I have a husqvarna with this engine and I agree , the engine is crap but I like how I can go forward and backwards just with the foot control and not have to shift forward or back. But I wonder if I can replace this Kohloer comand with a different brand motor.
You can replace it with quite a few different engines it is a very common shaft size and horsepower. On repowers we measure shaft length and diameter and go from there. Thanks for watching!
Kohler command is not a bad engine. Courages are.
That's a San Andreas fault there. Tough break for the customer.
It sure is!
Im working on a 20hp and there's oil on the spark plug what would cause this?
Likely blown head gasket but could be the cylinder / piston rings also
mine is just like this and I have no crack that I can see and I have been all over it, so oil splatters out of the motor mount holes as you said so what is that?? also have a bolt broken off the holds the engine on can't get it out
It oil is coming out of the motor mount holes then there is a crack somewhere inside the mount holes or somewhere it has wallowed out enough to get into the reservoir
@@IndRepair When I get help I'm ready to pull the motor off to check for cracks, I almost think its the oil seals both of them
Good idea!
Well there was not a crack in crankcase must have been oil seal at clutch replaced it running great!, best to make sure!!
Mine has 575 hrs. Hard to start. Valves need adjustment maybe?
Usually hard starting is a choke or carburetor issue but if they have never been set they definitely need done
Hello: what model can use to replace mine with? Mine fell apart. THX
Many people use the Briggs Intek 18-21 HP engine because they are relatively cheap. Figure out what specs yours has (crankshaft size, does it have a fuel pump, are cables long enough etc.) then order the corresponding engine
Got a Courage 19 with the whole top end failed. Bent push rods included.
Definitely common
Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
What about the counterbalance weight failure issue? I had one and it had a huge hole in the back of the block where the balance system has blown out.
Yeah, there are several different variations to them, the early few models had this happen and shook them to death!
I just had a mower come in with that problem. Nice big hole in the bottom of the case.
Mine still ran great, until yesterday. 2007, 1,386 hours. Probably toast now. Certainly got my money's worth.
Boy that is one amazing run on this machine! What maintenance/repairs did you have to do over the years to get it here?
I'm working on a Craftsman YT300 with a Kohler SV620-3120. it will start for a second then stop. I can spray carb cleaner or gas into the carb and keep it running but it won't even runn on choke like it's not getting fuel. There is no fuel pump and the carburetor is rebuild and clean. New gaskets and fuel. All I can think of its a bad carburetor and solenoid???
I would definitely check the solenoid functionality first then work your way to the carburetor if it is getting good fuel flow. The fuel is fresh correct?
Knock on wood, ive had one for 8 years and have never had any issues whatsoever with it. Its been well mainained and i have always checked the bolta when i change the oil, but they have never been loose in the slightest. Also never leaked a drop of oil.
Wow, how many hours are on it?
@@IndRepair 135 or so, so not many, but it hasn't shown any signs of anything being wrong whatsoever, but I know it doesn't have a whole lot of hours or anything.
I will say those are 135 of the hardest hours most lawn mowers have dealt with though, I only cut thw grass every 3-4 weeks and that's in alabama so it is thick and tall at every cutting. That cut frequency is why thw hours are low for 8 years, but that's cutting an acre and a quarter or acre and a half of thick grass that is usually 8-10 inches tall as well as some of that time over the last couple years being thick grass on a steep hill so it's been worked hard.
Definitely sounds like a hard life for a mower!
Mine blew oil out the intake 335 hours. Just got done telling the neighbor how they blow up. Started it and white smoke started to beller. 😂 just laughed . Pulled off air cleaner and started it. 3 foot stream of oil shot across my foot. 😂😂😂
I have this engine and it has a cracked block and leaks oil. Is there a "plug and play" replacement engine?
They made a few different designs wiring wise but the Briggs intek series will bolt up and should be "plug and play". Without the engine information it is impossible to say with certainty
I ran my 19hp Kohler tractor into the ground for 10-15 years , I sadly neglected this poor thing or it would still be running. But I got 10-15 years of heavy use with zero maintenance except a new battery every couple years.
That is great! You are one lucky person!
@@IndRepair from what I hear about these engines , i guess I was! , i am going to put a new engine in it.
That is smart with the price of mowers today! Well worth it!
The Kohler Courage single and twin (especially the single) are dogs. I am a Kohler guy however, the Courage is their lemon engine. Some issues you did not cover besides the noise, vibration, and the "Kohler crack.". The starters suck. There have been three generations of this particular starter and they fail earlier than they should. The engine mounting bolts loosen up, check them, clean them, Loctite them, and torque them if loose. This is a bucket engine, so the crankcase cover is on too. The crankcase bolts loosen up, hit the flywheel, and crack and destroy the block. Check them, and tighten them if loose. The valve get out of adjustment , check them every 250 hours minimum. The valve cover leaks. Terrible design as the valve cover sits right over the muffler and cooks. Also, remove the plastic from the intake gasket as seen in video. Avoid the Kohler Courage engine if possible.
Interesting bit about the mounting bolts and starter! Definitely haven't noticed any more than other engines mounting bolts being loose or starters being bad. The enclosure plate bolts are the worst! Thanks for pointing that out!
I can't now that i got one for free with no problems yet i know how Kohlers are though Kohlers always mess up so i don't count on the one i got free specially because its a courage I've been hearing nothing but bad about these engines for awhile now. Kohlers replacement carburetor bowls are made to fail so i got a used twin cylinder briggs craftsman engine that i could use need to give it a hard cleaning while its not on anything yet then change oil mount to table and test run it before putting it to a mower frame guess if its running good ill mount it to a old green craftsman and put a new used transmission on then reweld the decks guide bar
Of course I see this after buying a $50 mower with one in it, jk, $50 isn't bad for a whole mower. The 19HP Kohler Courage had 0 compression, somehow the Valve seat came loose and fell out? Put it back on and fired right up but engine mount bolts were extremely loose, tightened them up but the engine when revving up to full throttle will shake violently and rev up hard if that makes sense but then runs super smooth when getting up in rpm.
It sounds like it may be knocking? I would also check the crankcase enclosure plate bolts under the flywheel and make sure they haven't backed out, I see these hit often by the bottom of the flywheel
I got 600 hours on mine only the valve cover gasket failed
That is awesome news there you must take good care of it
Mine has been running totally perfect for years & all of a sudden today, I got 10 minutes into cutting & now it revs almost like a “runaway diesel” like it’s going to rev until it blows to pieces. Way higher rev than even it turned to ma.Mx throttle. No leaks, nothing. Unsure of what’s going on.
The likely cause is going to be an air leak between the carburetor/intake or intake/block. You could also have a stuck butterfly on the carburetor or something jammed in the linkage. Make sure all is free on the carburetor. You can test the leak by spraying carburetor cleaner in these areas and see if the running changes. If it does, you know you have an air leak (causes high uncontrollable revs just like a runaway)
@@IndRepairwas the governor.
@@ethanferguson8157 Everything has to be gone through to know for sure glad you got it figured out
lol this makes me laugh, because we have a cracked case just like that, exactly the same spot. I just cleaned up the cracked area, scuffed it up and used some chemical putty 😂 to seal it up. It still leaks a bit of oil, but not enough to worry about it.
I do have an issue with it turning over though, turn over very slow or not at all on the compression stroke most of the time because of more compression at that point. With a heavy duty jump pack it spins over faster but the positive cable gets hot and the starter motor gets very hot. I have had a look inside the starter motor and the poles look fine and the brushes, so not sure.
The battery on the mower is rated at 310cca, and isn’t that old.
Sounds like timing off or some big engine wear. Does the whole head move while the engine tried to start like I see on a lot of them? Had a few like this still ran ok just flopping around
@@IndRepair No, the head is rigged, and the engine runs sweet once it’s started, no smoke, and plenty of power. We have had it from pretty much new so don’t think it’s big engine wear, as it hasn’t done that much work.
Could be a bad solenoid I guess.
Bad solenoid, ground or connections would be my guess
How to stop it from surging?
Usually a carburetor issue or an air leak between the carburetor and plastic adapter or plastic adapter and block. Plastic adapter should also be checked for cracks/and make sure its not warped while you have the carburetor off. Replace both gaskets and clean carburetor and you should be all set!
I know this is an older video, but Kohler has a bulletin out on these engines telling you to replace that valve cover gasket with RTV silicone. Didn't know if you knew about that, so I thought I'd let people know...
I was not aware, I maybe saw it at some point. RTV is horrible to take off if anything needs done so we will probably stick with the cork replacement gasket. Good info though! Thanks for watching!
Thats exactly why i didn't wanna use the rtv on my Kohler 22 when its valve cover gasket was blown out the left side is what blew when i was mowing so i shut the blades off and hurried back in with the mower because it was blowing a ton of burnt oil smoke out once i parked it i seen the bolts that hold the cover on were loose on the left and right side of the engine
I know the person who i bought the mower from i know when he works on any mower and is almost done working on it he'll get to working faster because he can't wait to try out his new toy so i just figure he forgot to tighten those bolts up on the valve covers
But he was blaming the mower messed up because i leave it in the rain thats not true though because i leave all my other mowers out in the weather they don't mess up the one i bought from him messed up because he probably checked the valve covers then didn't tighten it up all the way and myself should have checked both covers before i used the mower i should have checked the oil to but i didn't anyhow i fixed the Kohler 22 problem and it works good it doesn't smoke anymore and the head gasket was ok it gonna need a new breather hose though from the left cover to the carburetor
I see stuff like this a lot! Thanks for watching!
Mines is exactly like that, in the exact same spot
Yeah they sure happen a lot!
Used my lawnmower about 9 times before the engine cracked in the exact same spot. And now I'm looking for how to fix it 🤦🏿♂️
Yeah I see it so often!!!
My Troybilt w Kohler 20 is going to the graveyard Saturday. agree, stay away. Not easy to work on. High maintenance.
Definitely!!
My courage 19hp is popping the dipstick up and blows oil headgasket?
Sure sounds like it depending on where it is blown out many different symptoms can happen
I have a weird problem with mine. The speed control lever moves up and down just fine with all the components underneath. Yet, engine runs at high speed only, regardless where the speed control lever is. In other words, it only has 1 speed, and it is high.
You likely have an issue with an air leak between the carburetor and engin3 block. Check plastic & gaskets on both side of insulator then replace as needed
😬 Perhaps my 15hp twincam vibrates less. So far 19years of use.
Amazing!
most mower mechanics call that engine a kohler discourage
Haha sounds about right!!
I call it junk box
I got another free one with that type of engine on it i was a little disappointed though seeing its another damn Kohler because Kohlers replacement parts gives me so much trouble
And craftsman makes cub Cadets but cubs look more similar to john deere mowers from the decks to the back of the mower.
I checked out the one i got there's no cracks and no leaks the oil does need changed the engine on the outside needs cleaned off its manly just dusty dirty on the outside.
Probably will have to disconnect a ground wire from its pto switch. its deck belt was shredded up i didn't think the old thing would start up when bringing it home but with a jump start it did ran ok had a little less speed because the deck doesn't go to it and is a heavier deck on it cant adjust the height of it cause it doesn't go to the mower but that's how it came its pulley clutch almost rests on the deck so if i can fit a craftsman deck on it or a john deere deck on thats what I'll do cause this one on the mower the spindles don't even go to the deck
But i believe that large of a deck would do better on a 2 cylinder engine not a single cylinder
Definitely a little underpowered for a large deck but it may work fine. Depends on what kinds of grass and how tall you usually cut
@@IndRepair i know i usually cut almost knee high grass so i don't think it could do it
I see this a ton!
Drain oil clean it grinder that spot and jb weld it
I have seen it done...I wouldn't do it but if it works it works. Thanks for watching!
Just rebuilt one, 18
Had block welded, exhaust side
Junky things
They sure are! Thanks for watching!
I think over time when the aluminum case gets old it weakens because i had one old 8 hp Briggs engine aluminum case break from me just taking out a small bolt it wasn't fixable after that the oil in it poured out
I had a walk behind self pulling craftsmen mowers engine case at the bottom of it had tons of hair line cracks all over the bottom case like spider webs now that engine was good except for that
It could, meta does weaken or brake with vibration also and these twin cam units vibrate a lot more than a normal engine. That paired with the fact it is not thick or supported well to begin with creates a weak point. I had one in for just a tune up one time that was moving as it was starting you could watch the left side of the cylinder head move about 1/8" back and forth and had probably a 3" crack in it. They said its been leaking a little oil but they didn't think anything of it
@@IndRepair thats not good
@@IndRepair but then the time mine broke the engine wasn't running it was cool and i hadn't started it up that day when it broke so all i can figure is it had to have a hair crack on it that i couldn't see
@@Mike-su8si Crack was probably there just never noticed it, they leak surprisingly little oil from this location when broken
Mines welded up 😂
Lol
Much I hate to say it but I'd take an Tecumseh Enduro or formula single cylinder engine over that Kohler engine any day. The best Kohler engines were command and magnum after that they were junk
They sure were!
That Kohler is a lot worse than Briggs Intek.
I agree! Thanks for watching!
And so does all the cv models of Kohlers problems with the brand new carburetors bowl corroding that then messes up the float it ain't the gas causing the problem because all my briggs engines work they're carburetors dont corrode they're floats don't mess up im kinda waited for the day my Kohler 22 starts to mess up unless they make that ones carburetor bowl different than the cv models of Kohler those single cylinder Kohlers are no good because the problem with the bowl corroding is why I've not used any of my single cylinder Kohlers it all this year they're a waste of my money i have 3 still good but to me junk single cylinder engines they all run great until they're bowl corrodes they been sitting for months now
It does seem like they make them out of whatever material is cheapest and will cause them to fail fastest! Replacement carbs sure arent cheap and I wont use aftermarket on them. Thanks for watching!
It's a piece of junk valve cover leaked, shook so bad engine mounting bolts fell out, muffler bolts fell out not only did they fall out threads came with the bolts. There was not enough material to put helicoil or retap the head. I am going the replace it with B&S.
The Briggs is definitely a better engine, although they definitely have their issues. This is, in my opinion one of the worst made
Absolutely the worst engine made. Blocks crack along the cylinder for no reason. Junk, junk, junk.
Yes, yes, yes!! Thanks for watching!
That's sad Kohler use to be good 😭😭😭😭
It sure is!
It's a crapshoot between this and the cam-chewing Intek. These are bottom-dollar-made-to-meet-a-price-point rubbish. That said, stuff like this paid for my house and groceries. And I have one in my trailer pulling lawn tractor still working after 10 years.
Definitely a love-h*te relationship. Friday I did four Briggs head gasket jobs and couldn't help but thinking how much I didn't like these engine but sure love the work
Good God!!!
Definitely a basket case!
Truth is there junk period
Definitely
Worst engine I’ve ever owned.
Absolutely!
I agree it’s a terrible engine and terrible mistake to buy it
Period
Junk engines
They sure are! Thanks for watching!
Don’t forget that all the new Kohler single cylinder engines are made in China now 🙄🙄
Yeah, pretty much anything you can purchase it seems. Thanks for watching!
I am going to look at a lt1040 Cub Cadet that runs good on starter fluid but needs a Carb rebuild . $375. ARE there other engines that can "plug and play" in this otherwise nice mower?
Most briggs Intek single cylinder do
I don’t like them
No good!
Where does that come from? The Crack in the block just above your finger. All the courage engines do it. I hate them!
Poor and weak design that is why this engine was discontinued
Thanks for watching!
🤔so there’s nothing worthy to talk about on this motor
Lots worthy of speaking about in a negative light unless you are talking about they price. They were definitely cheap when they sold them, about the only upside
What a hater!
I have enough experience with them to be
@@IndRepair I will say though that you were right about the bolts backing out. I checked and mine were a little loose
Glad you caught it before it caused damage