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Where's the starter on a 7119?


JohnFornaro

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Hey there all.  My 7119H, the one with the FEL rig fashioned by Al Eden, decided to stop starting.

I hear a click, like the solenoid clicking, then nothing.

Thing is, I can't find the starter!  The Kohler repair manual seems to imply that I have to remove the engine and take apart the back of it in order to even find the starter.

Any tips, tricks, hints?

Just for the record, my two Kohler tractors don't work, and my three Briggs tractors do work.  [Ducks head...]

7119H-11-07-16.JPG

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Yeah Kohlers weren't really engineered the best sometimes but they are good motors when they are running. The started is located on the bottom of the motor behind the LH cylinder. You would have to remove all the shrouds to even get to it and that requires pulling the motor. Its a pretty straight forward job but can just be a hassle and a pain to service. Hope this helps!

Also, as an after though, I was thinking of some probable causes such as the battery being dead or a loose connection?

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  If it just clicks sounds like a electrical connection issue which may not be at the starter at all.  You can see the electrical cable connection on the starter without removing the engine.  If the starter spins but not engages the bendix needs cleaning (a common issue with Kohler starters).

To remove the starter:  remove the 4 mounting bolts on the engine, get a lift to lift the front of the engine about 3 to 4 inches or enough to get at the left side cylinder shroud/tin (most KT engines have the pulling loops on the intake manifold).  Remove the shroud and you have good access to remove the starter.  

I have done this many times and have not disconnected anything else (other than the battery cable).

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Hey guys:  Thanks.

The battery's on a trickle charger and I think it is good.  I poked around underneath, and found a black wire of heavy enough gauge to be for the starter, at the left rear of the engine.  is the solenoid in the console?  Such that I should remove the battery to verify and test.  I get a clicking sound very much like a solenoid, then a whining noise, but it doesn't sound like a spinning starter.  And what's the Bendix?

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3 hours ago, JohnFornaro said:

  And what's the Bendix?

The Bendix is the part of the starter that moves out to engage its teeth with the flywheel to spin the engine.  It must slide on the starter motor's shaft, and be moved either mechanically (really old-school), by centrifugal force, or electro-magnetically.  If the teeth on the Bendix are badly worn, they either may not engage the teeth on the flywheel due to burrs on them or the teeth worn so badly that they are essentially stripped. Usually if it is the teeth that are damaged it will make a growling noise. Sometimes, they also stick on the shaft, and don't slide far enough. In those cases, you'll often hear the starter motor spin and whine, without it turning the engine over because the teeth never slide out far enough to engage the teeth on the flywheel. 

While on the subject, a starter solenoid is nothing more than a high amperage relay (essentially a remote switch)  that allows you to send full battery power (limited only by size of wires/cables) to the starter motor, without running that high amperage through the ignition switch -- where it would likely cause burned and sticking contacts due to arcing. You can run a much smaller wire (and current) through the ignition switch, which then closes the circuit in the relay, allowing the battery current to flow to the starter. Some starters mount the solenoid on the starter, while others mount it remotely.  For example, for many years Ford used remotely mounted solenoids while GM mounted them on the starter itself.

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Thanks Kent.  I had this problem with my 7116. the starter gears had finally stripped, and I replaced the starter assembly.  It seems like the Bendix was integral with the starter on that one.  Turned out to be difficult because one mounting bolt is very difficult to get to.

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Hello;

 

I would suggest for "starters" (lol) do a voltage drop check across the hot connections with a voltmeter. That will tell you if you have a bad connection, and hopefully, will save you the pain of having to pull the kohler. I know how that is as I had a jacobson tractor that came from the factory with the kohler engine pan welded to the frame! Lastly, I have the iron 16 HP Briggs and love the dependability and power.

 

All the best

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