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Still fighting Stubborn Kohler


GWGAllisfan

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I've been fighting a stubborn K341 that hasn't wanted to run right all summer. I had posted in June of my problems with this machine. (To sum up, mid 90's model, from stationary application, transplanted into a 7112H, runs poorly this year) http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=111931 Prior to this thread I had adjusted the governor, checked and rechecked to carb settings, as well as checked effect of fuel type and fuel level. It still had a tendency to lose RPM and sputter under load. Last week I had some vacation time and among the plans was to try at this again. Step 1:The poor running led me to believe there might be a carb problem, so I replaced the walbro WHG carb on this engine with a Kohler one from a K-321 that had a broken rod. Once installed to engine ran and rev'ed to almost 3600, just like it should, then with a little adjustment was perfect. Cured? not so fast. Step 2: Try to mow with it. I was able to go about 300 feet before the engine sputtered and died, and wouldn't re-start. After much fooling with it I got it to at least idle so i could get it out of the yard. It wouldn't rev at all. Step 3: Let it sit for a few hours, then try to restart. After some time and some starter issues, I got it to run, but really poorly. Spitting, sputtering, acting like running rich, no more than 2050 rpm, wide open, (I mean butterfly wide open, not throttle lever) then after about 5-10 minutes of than it smoothed out and again seemed to be closer to correct. This seemed to co relate to a leaner mixture, so i thought I had it Step 4: Try to mow rest of grass. Started up fine, rev'ed as it should, put mower in gear, and it died. Got it to run at that, the went 100 feet and had to idle it back to the parking place and get another mower to finish with. Step 5: Went back after that and checked everything. Fuel pump: good. Fuel filter: replaced. Air filter, removing has no efffect. Adjusted carb mixture screws with no discernible effect. Replaced old rusty points, no effect. Beginning to get frustrated. Summation after several hours: Engine will start and run. Throttle opens all the way and RPM is only around 2000-2200. Screw high speed jet in and out and nothing changes, until so closed it stalls or it comes out. Acts like it's starved for fuel, but spraying carb cleaner past carb while running doesn't help. I've been up and down every troubleshooting chart in the Kohler manual and a few off the wall ideas as well. I'm frustrated and out of ideas. I've tryied to be as logical careful in all this and still haven't found just the right issue to fix. This tractor has been an aggravation since it has never lived up to it's potential. It's always something. I ask for any ideas that I haven't already covered in this long post. I may have to give up and take it somewhere
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Hi, If the points are several years old, Kohler has some points back then that the pivot on the arm would bind and they wouldn't always close. Also I would get an inline spark tester and watch and see if the spark is intermittent. I had a Cushman golf car about 15 years ago with similar symptoms and it was a coil. When I bridged a second condenser across it, it ran much better and replaced the coil and it ran great. These coils sometimes have a turn in one layer short to a turn in the next layer, often the result of vibration. Another thing that could be sneaking in on you is a sticking exhaust valve. Sometimes work cold and stick when they get hot. Try a condenser first. Also check the plug wire, if it is resistor type, common problems like this. Remember these engines use a coil for direct use on 12 volts. Many times we see these and Harley Davidson golf cars with automotive coils that are really 8 volt coils and need an external resistor to work right and allow the points to live a long life. Al Eden
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