K241 engine heats up and dies.

[jeff 0]

I have a friend w/o a computer that wanted me to post this question for him. He has a Kohler k241 10hp engine that starts fine but after it heats up, it dies and won't start until it has cooled off. He has replaced the coil, points, plug, and condenser. He also had the head planed and valves ground and reset. What could be the problem?

[geezer 0]

well i have the same engine and found that the head and cyl fins are good homes for mud wasps i'd look into that and maybe a cooler running plug would help. maybe the flywheel key is bad and not holding the flywheel good enough to spin it for cooling. that my seem extreme but you never know.

[MPH 12]

It may be vapor locking, tell him to clean or replace the gas cap. Last summer I was finishing concrete and the power trowel with a Koler would do that, if I lossened the cap it run fine but the cap would vibrate off, next pour I took a cap off my push lawn mower and it never missed a beat on a 60 yd. pour. too hard on my nerves when them things act up in the middle of a big pour cuz the crete ain't gonna wait on it to run right..MPH

[Guest]

I had a similar problem with a Kohler and this is what I did: Double check the point gap to make sure you have the right setting. Move it very slightly one way then try it to see if it cuts out then move it the other way and try it. The engine heat generated can cause the gap to change ever slightly. I am not sure your engine was the same as mine was, but it only takes a couple of minutes to try it. Lots of luck! JohnLG

[Al 6]

Jeff, The most common cause of this is varnish in the valve guides and on the valve stems. It is common for Kohlers have this problem. Since you have had the valves ground, I would assume the person that did it would have wire wheeled the valve stems and wire brushed the guides out. Next I would expect to find a problem related to exhaust heat hitting the carb. If it is an exhaust heat probem "boiling" the gas in the carb, the engine will run very rich and pour out the black smoke before it dies. The spark plug will be black with soot when you check it. If the problem is the exhaust heat heating the fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb, or tank the problem may be vapor lock, the gas boiling in the fuel line and vaporizing, not filling the carb bowl. This will NOT have black smoke and the plugs will look like a lean mixture. If it is a coil problem, which you have eliminated, checking the spark as soon as it dies, before it has any chance to cool will answer that question. Kohler had some points about 4 years ago that had a spring problem, and they would fail when hot, they recalled all dealers new stock, and they should ALL be gone. Good luck, Al Eden

[charby5 0]

I had a 14horse do that once. the reason mine did it was the "carb to head gasket" seems two were avalible for the K series engines ..a thick one and a thin one..mine had the thin one and would heat up the carb and vapor lock. it may not be your prob but its worth a try and a cheap fix.. ..charby