Cracked Kohler Block - Super Hack Repair!
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2019
- The infamous cracked block got me on this one, picked up a clean low hour Cub Cadet for cheap and paid the price... So, having nothing to lose, it was time for desperate measures!
On a side note, I never even bothered to see if there was already an extablished hack repair for these engines. After looking, the c clamp method is brilliant in it's simplicity, but not sure on the longevity? Jury is still out on my method, but time will tell, haha. - Авто та транспорт
"Believe me, I thought about that, but i just didn't care"!! What a classic line! I'm gonna have to check my mom's 12yr old craftsman with Kohler 22hp courage motor on it. Thank you for all the tips and advice!!
Very impressed. I wouldn't even have thought to try a method this simple.
My hypothesis, is that over time that gasket on top will shrink which causes the clamping force of the bolts to lessen so much that the bolts can back out. I also believe that the top cover provides structural rigidity to the engine block. So once the clamping force no longer exists from the bolts to hold the top cover tight, the structural rigidity of the top cover is lost and the block starts ripping itself apart.
So many people have said that the fix is to loc-tite the bolts. While that might prevent the bolts from backing out it isn't going to address the loss of clamping force as the gasket degrades. I think the real solution is to have so sort of brass washer integrated into the gasket around all the bolt holes. This would allow the clamping force to remain despite the gasket shrinking over time. At that point it's just an oil leak to fix instead of an engine block. However, you could just throw gasket maker on the top and bottom of the gasket which would probably be a more permanent fix for the leaks.
You did the best fix I’ve seen so far.
Thanks! So far its still going...
"All the shroud....I just didn't care." Perfect man. I approach that kind of stuff the same way. Just drink a can or three of thinking juice and get the job done is the way to handle these kinds of repairs. Make it work the best you can for the least amount of money possible. I do believe I'm going to subscribe so I can maybe learn a repair trick or two. Take it easy man, and keep on fixing stuff. *:-)*
I really thought you woulda build up the inside of the crack with job weld and I bet it would never give you trouble again along with your brackets of course, the real heroes
Nice effort and explanation. Thanks for sharing.
When you come across one of those kohler courage engines, if the exhaust is the either loose or has a cracked exhaust pipe chances are the block is cracked
The block can crack in 2 different spots. On the right hand side of the engine or under the flywheel by the dowel pin at the rear of the block, the crack usually happens because the top cover bolts come loose
Like OJ’s Glove! 🤣👍 10:30
Given the amount of estimated time you more your lawn combined with where you live and how much cold weather it sees or sits in I'm estimating a guess off 1-5 years and if your wondering how I came up with that determination well... Because your awesome at your work keep rocking it man👍👍👍
Haha, thanks man!
that will buff out. time for some jb weld
Well done . found similar cracks too . your fix is quite involved for a 12 yr old zero turn of mine that's falling apart in other places but ill see what I can ,do
Cheers warren.
I can say that I have the same crack on the same engine from the same problem (loose bolts) and have been intentionally running it hard to see how long it will last. The thing keeps running haha. It must be all that courage. I keep oil in it and keep it off the pavement (leaking oil). It’s on a toro time cutter 4200 I got for $50 cause the rocker nut backed off and fell down in the valve cover and they couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t run. You should sell a kit. I would by it lol. Good video and channel. I’m liking it. Buy peg leg some potato water cause he sent me your way.
Haha, nice! My engine was spewing a LOT of oil, and if I remember right it was having trouble cranking over because the push rods were getting too loose for the decompression to work? I owe old zip ties some fire water for sure, he's mint! Thanks for watching!
I give it till the middle of next summer when the outdoor temp is 95 degrees and it’s a bitch to push across the yard uphill to the garage. I’m very specific with my guesses..
Kohler used to be a leader and not only 4 stroke but 2 stroke too. But to see plastic gears in side is not good.
i did this once. ever see those bow tie looking patches glued in a 4x8 sheet of plywood? i used a #40 roller chain master link & counter sink drilled just to fit stitched a cracked gearbox
That's super smart I know I would not have thought of that lol 👍👍👍
Thanks man, sometimes you just need a brainstorming beer to get stuff fixed, haha.
Nice Work looks good Thanks for the video
You bet
Looks like ya need to go and sit down with the engineering department at cub! But I'm gunna bet that we are seeing "engineered obsolescence" at work here...
yep, If you ever nought one of these, id reccomend that people put locktite on all the bolts. Never had one come back. Every single one that went out without the locktite came back.
Dude, Great video! (another beer later! lmao!) U make me wanna make one of these vids! TY!
haha, thanks, glad to hear!
Wow! I have the same engine on an Ariens and the crack is in the same damn place. Imagine that!
Nice fix with the brace. Hope it lasts you a good while.
Thanks, me too! haha
Most excellent engineering on the Scrub Cadet toocheap. Hope it was not a light beer...
No sir, that light beer rarely finds its way into the fridge! :)
Very interesting repair! I wonder, does it need nuts on the inside too so that the prevents compression and not just extension? Any updates on how well it's still running? I just used JB Weld (a lot of JB Weld) and a C-Clamp.
After years of adding lean to structures on to lean to structures, plus the tarps over things on pallets, you must have much less grass to mow anyway!
Can't keep the crap from growing!!
About to open up my Kohler courage 15 after it's decided to spit oil everywhere. Hopefully just top sump gasket with no cracked case. Apparantly they're well known for top bolts coming loose. I've had it (Husky mower) about 16 years & this is 1st engine problem, just hope it's not buggered.
Hope so, would be lucky if its just the gasket.
@@toocheaptosmoke Looks like I've joined the Kohler courage effing cracked crankcase club ...I'll V it a bit with the dremal, drill end of crack before hitting it with JB weld. Maybe some type of clamp too. If that doesn't work, looks like a Briggs or similar is going in.
Have any more of those brackets? My kholer engine cracked in the same exact spot!
I don't, but you could probably make them out of almost anything if you get crafty enough. :)
The shroud does some cooling through right?
Yeah, it still moves a good amount of air through it.
Yet my 2 Kohler Command 17.5 motors with so many hours still purr along.
Is this thing still going no leaks? I have the same problem and was going to buy a motor intill I saw this please lmk!
It is still going! The tie rods loosened up and needed re-torqued, and the RTV started leaking when that happened, but still running, haha.
Knew it was a Kohler courage before even clicking on the video. LOL
Haha, they are definitely a bit notorious for this. So far (knock on wood) it's still going!
Where can I find the upper crank case gasket for the Kohler courage LT 1042
Do you happen to know the order number through the upper crank case gasket
And where do you get it from?
I've worked on lots of those it takes courage to buy one lol. Lots of times the counter balancer grenades and blows a hole in the back of the block. Horrible engine the v twins were not to bad
Yeah, got to write them off when that happens!
Almost have a retrofit kit there! install brackets, apply RTV or JB Weld, tighten bolts! change the oil.
My neighbor's CubCadet Kohler motor blew the entire piston cylinder clean off the block cause the bolts came up ant got hit by the flywheel, Kohler should have used some blue Lock-tight.
he gave it to me free and got a John-Deer
how long will it last? if you check the oil per the owner's manual? no, 3 years - if you keep oil in it and tighten the bolts after 3 mows.
Yeah, these motors are just hard to keep together.
Dual underhead cams.
I guess that’s one way to aaaa fix it ! The other way would be aluminum welding and brace the head from the bottom , and another way would be putting a Briggs from Harbor Freight and last but not least , I have a 22hp twin Koehler out of a wrecked 1045 that you might have very cheap ! But that’s not you ! Lol and lmao !
Ive got the exact same shit with my kohler 18. I tried to bond it with jb weld but it unsurprisingly didn't work. Is there any engine i can take to replace this shitty kohler?
That crack is caused by the bolts loosing up and hitting the flywheel. Btw is it still running
Dont ask.
Oh believe me. I though of that... I just didn’t care 😂😂😂👍🏻
10 years
I like your optimism!
Any report on if this fix is still working???
Still going when it was parked for winter. :)
Do an update this spring. 🍺👌
Has anyone tried to fix these cracks with alumalloy aluminum brazing rods? That would seem like the poor man's way to go, for those of us without a proper welder.
is she still going?
Surprisingly yes, had to tighten the tie bolts a couple times though
What you charge me to make a set for me. I have no way to do it for .myself
Wish I had the time to re-engineer and make these, but unfortunately can't. :(
thats a tidy cub cadet. The cracked block thing is quite a popular thing with those fucking kohler courages.
The starter will quit before anything. Check the valve clearances.
Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea. Had a briggs that wouldn't even turn over til I adjusted it and the decomp started working again.
Had same issue got lawn mower free it started hard and ran like crap turns out the valve clearances were like 4x what was called for it starts and runs smooth now just has a nice jbweld block
Can I buy those plates off of you? Lol I want to get to this issue before it becomes an issue for me lol
Lol, sorry, they're busy still holding that pile together!
@@toocheaptosmoke if you can make another set that would be awesome 😂
I second on jjgarage request , would buy brace set if available. Same crack, same spot
2 summers
Plastic cams??? WTH Kohler?
I say red line it and blow it then blow it up with dynomite
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Have 700 tough hrs on my CC. Same engine same deal happened. I don’t Blame Cub . WTF Kohler really???
Yeah, it was a really poor design from the start.
Same problem with my 2005 koler 20HP courage I can’t believe they are still putting this pos motor in equipment they know about this problem and won’t admit to it there should be a class action law suit against them .
It is really sad they have been using that motor for so long.
I had THE CRACK on that engine I will never buy anything Kohler brand again
This is Kohler engines black eye from engineers not doing there job. They have a stress analysis program on their CAD system there not using it. They design things too thin so there weak and flex, shame on them.
How is reality real