[4cstr]

Happy Easter all,

As warmer weather finally arrives in SD, my suppressed memory of my JD300 Hydro having a serious oil burning issue is coming to the forefront. I'm sure that it needs rebuilding. If the tractor is running and I pull the oil dipstick...I blow enough smoke to make some diesel guys jealous. I love this tractor to death. It has a tiller on the back with a full cab, and mows our ditches better than the STX38.

Has anybody rebuilt a Kohler 16hp engine that come with these things? I'm sure that it hasn't been bored before, but need to have an idea of what exactly I am in for? Is there a rebuild kit available?

Thanks...and if this is in the wrong forum...please move it to where it needs to be mods.

Dave

 

[T-Mo]

The older K-series Kohlers are easy to rebuild and are great candidates for rebuilds. There are some things to thing about and to consider. First, be sure you use a reputable machine shop to do the machine work. One that has experience in small engines, especially K-series Kohlers, would be idea. Second, use Kohler OEM parts - STENs have good parts, but I have heard some scutterbutt to the contrary. You will also want to consider new engine mounts and examining the drive shaft while the engine is out. Do your research on the debate about balance gears, whether to leave them in or take them out. The 16 hp single cylinder K-361 have a reputation for being shakers, sot consider the balance gear debate. Do your research.

 

[Richard Battani]

I have rebuilt a few older K series kohler motors. Very easy to do, and the parts are plentiful and cheap. I have used genuine kohler parts, and have used stens parts from ebay, and in my opinion, I would save the money, and use the stens parts. My last rebuild approximately 3 years ago, was less than $150.00 and included all parts and machine work and a can of engine paint. Tear your engine down first, and take the block to the machine shop and have it measured, and they will tell you which oversized piston to get. Then order your rebuild kit. The machine shop I used charged $30.00 to bore and hone the block, grind the valves and seats, and a dip in the hot tank.

 

[4cstr]

Thanks guys for the info. I have never taken a motor out of a tractor before...let alone tear it down and rebuild it...so this will be a first for me. I wish Hanes made a manual for this like they do my cars :laugh: From what I can tell about the balance gears...its 50-50 on putting them back in versus leaving them out. If this is a virgin block...can it just be machined, or will I have to put a sleeve in the cylinder?

 

[Scotty370]

Lots of reading.....

.......for you by Googling : K361+Kohler+Rebuilding

Keep us posted! ~Scotty

 

[T-Mo]

Kohler Service Manual: http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/tp_1288.pdf

 

[4cstr]

Awesome! Thanks T-Mo

 

[Scotty370]

Hey cstr............

..............don't I get partial credit? For the Google link? (Use to work in High School.............) sigh! ~:cray: Scotty

 

[4cstr]

..............don't I get partial credit? For the Google link? (Use to work in High School.............) sigh! ~:cray: Scotty

LOL yes Scotty you do get partial credit :thumbup1gif:..my apologies.

Well, I've started the teardown of the motor. Got this far, and am letting the oil drain overnight then will continue with the rest tomorrow.

 

[dieselshadow]

Looks to me like your head gasket was blown.

This will be a fun and rewarding project. The Kohler K motors are great and easy to work on. Plus they're easy to rebuild. :good2: Keep the pics coming. :hi:

 

[4cstr]

Sigh...I was hoping to post pictures of the engine sitting on my bench, but fuel line issues slowed me down. I hoped there would be a fuel shutoff valve somewhere but nope, none that I could fine. Plus the line was so hard and brittle that I ended up cutting it to remove it from the carb. Which...once I cleaned all the oil, dirt and grass off, there was a white plastic piece mounted below the carb. Is that an inline filter, or is that some sort of pump. I don't have it off yet to take a closer look at it. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the motor out and begin the disassembly of that. Looks like next weeks weather is going to be nothing but stink (cold, wet, dreary) so hoping I can make good progress tomorrow.

 

[4cstr]

Well, down to removing the flywheel...and I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do it. Looks like I need to find a harmonic balancer puller to do this...so that will probably have to wait until Monday. Here are some pics of the progress though so far.

 

[dieselshadow]

Pulling a flywheel can be a bear sometimes. If you don't have a puller or don't have access to one, there a few thing you can try. Be sure to use a good penetrating oil such as PB Blaster or my favorite Aerokroil. You can use a torch to heat up the flywheel around the crankshaft and then give the end of the crankshaft a few "love taps" with a good size hammer. Be careful, don't hit it too hard and be sure to use a nut on the end (preferably one that you don't need, not the one that came with the engine) of the crankshaft to protect the threads.

 

[4cstr]

My buddy that works at Titan Machinery came out to give me a hand. We went to the local Advanced Auto and borrowed their puller, but no luck. My little propane torch doesn't heat it up enough to make a difference. I am going to stop by his place when he gets off work Monday and he'll take their torch, puller and BFH to it and hopefully it will come off then.

 

[4cstr]

Evening all,

Progress has been painfully slow on getting this motor back together. The block was bored .010 over and crank .010 under. Everything is buttoned back up, and I'm just about done getting things together. I do need a favor though. Will somebody that has a kohler 341 motor please post up a picture of the right (passenger) side of the motor? There is a silver 3-pronged diode (??) that screws to the sheet metal of the rear cover, but when I bolt that diode on, the prongs are so close to the sheet metal that I can't get the connector attached. I have to be missing something but for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. Thanks in advance for any help.

Dave

 

[4cstr]

As much as it pains me...I'm throwing in the towel on my JD300. I'm going to be running it into a shop next week. I am having a terrible time getting the points timed. Its having an issue where it won't start unless I have a jumper wire running from the positive terminal on the battery to the positive terminal on the coil. I have replaced the coil, the condenser, the ignition switch and the circuit breaker that runs between the amp meter and the battery. I know that crank and cam are in time, as the guy who bored the block and ground the crank put black tick marks on them where they needed to be. When I do get it running, it doesn't seem like it has any power...and the oil is already kinda dirty. I'm hoping that is simply because everything is new and seating in. I just don't know where to turn anymore.

 

[Brian]

Sorry its not going your way Dave. Sometimes a little help can bring back the fire in a project.

 

[Rescue43]

Sorry, I have been MIA for a while. If you hadn't already hauled the 300 to a shop, I could have taken a couple pics of my K341 for you. BTW, the 3 pronged 'diode' is the voltage regulator. Flip it over.