k341 rebuild kit

[Dale 0]

Are the STENS/ROTARY kits on ebay any good? do they come with a true 16hp rod?

[daemon2525 5]

I don't know about the quality. I have however rebuilt two engines with the E-bay rods and pistons and they are still running after 20 to 50 hours.

yeah, not much help , i know.

[big mike 13]

I felt good enough about the generic parts from NAPA to use them in a K series rebuild.I will probably use generic parts until I see a reason to need to spend the extra for Kohler boxed parts.The main thing is that when you get the parts that they ok.If the fit and finish looks bad I wouldn't use them.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "true 16 hp rod"

[rickv1957 70]

I have rebuilt two motors using aftermarket kits,so far they are fine,time will tell,Rick

[Cody 268]

I have used stens parts for awhile now and this past spring i rebuilt my pulling engine with a stens .010 piston + gasket set and a lakota billet rod and i have to say their piston and gastets were as nice if not nicer than the kohler ones, didn't have one problem all season.

[sorekiwi 761]

Are the STENS/ROTARY kits on ebay any good? do they come with a true 16hp rod?

This is one of the topics that has been discussed over and over again.

The Stens parts are about a third of the cost of genuine OEM Kohler parts. I used a Stens kit on a K181, and have had no problems with it. If I had the budget, I would go with Kohler parts - they lasted 30 years till the first rebuild after all. If I dont have a big budget, I'll go for what I can afford.

I dont understand your question about the rod - if its a kit for a 16hp engine, I would expect the rod to be for a 16hp engine... If you are asking if its a genuine Kohler rod, then I would think you would have to buy one in a box marked "Kohler"

If you do a search you will find a lot of posts about the OEM vs Chinese parts.

[Dale 0]

a k341 rod has studs and nuts some aftermarket kits has the same rod as a k301 with bolts not as strong but will work

[gregg.d250 0]

From Bryan Miller's 'Garden Tractor Pulling Tips' website. Info on connecting rods written out below. Even if you're not using your engine for a puller, building in longevity and extra-duty parts never hurts if your budget allows.

http://gardentractorpullingtips.com/engine.htm

Due to the increase in the compression ratio, which places more strain on the connecting rod, you'll definitely need a stronger rod, but only if your (12hp or 14hp) engine doesn't already have one. To tell if your engine has a stronger 16hp rod, it'll be of one solid color. The "two color" rods (light gray at the wrist pin and dark gray at the crank pin) are probably too weak for a "built to the max" stock engine. The 2 color rods were dunked in an acid bath and tin plated. Core product parts are no longer being made. I noticed that Kohler hasn't sold the 2 color rods in a long time. All that's available nowadays All that's available nowadays for a 12, 14 and 16hp engine from a Kohler dealer is a one color [16hp] rod, which I think is much stronger. It seems that the 12hp, 14hp and 16hp Kohler engines came with 6 (I think) different connecting rods. They were obviously made by various manufacturers. Why? I have no idea. I know that the rods with studs seems to be stronger, or hold up at higher rpms, than the ones with bolts. Although some of the rods with bolts seem to hold up very well at high rpms, too. And I know that the "two color" rod is questionable about holding up at high rpms. (High rpms = 6,000+ rpms)

And the ALCOA connecting rod that originally came in all 18hp OHV (K361) engines are even stronger yet. And as far I've seen, most of the 14hp and 16hp rods are the same. Although some 14hp's (and 12hp's) came from the factory with the weaker "two color" rod. But some 12hp's also came from the factory with the stronger 16hp rod. And ALL 18hp rods are made of forged aluminum alloy. They're the strongest of any rods that's used in Kohler engines. If you're going to turn your engine no faster than 4,000 rpm, an ordinary 12hp or 14hp "two color" rod should suit it just fine. But higher rpms requires a stronger rod. 16hp rods are good for up to around 6,000 rpm. But the 18hp rod is good for well above 6,000 rpm. By the way, the new 16hp rod is designed for the new-style 16hp piston, but it'll work with any 12hp or 14hp piston with no problems. Also, all 16hp rods come with a long oil dipper. So if you're using a flat bottom oil pan, you'll need to cut half of the dipper off with a hacksaw and smooth up the rough edges with a flat file. Be sure to sharpen the edge of the dipper with the file so it'll slice through the oil with less resistance. It'll still provide plenty of lubrication, too. (A "blunt" dipper has a tendency to rob horsepower.) And it's safe to reuse a stock rod in a 10hp engine. They're strong rods. And being the engine is going to be operated at a maximum of 4,000 rpm, there's no need for bearing inserts.

I

f using for a pulling engine, I recommend using a 16hp or 18hp rod for strength and durability. There's three reasons why a connecting rod breaks. 1) lack of lubrication; 2) too high rpms; 3) metal fatigue. A stronger rod will hold up to very high rpms as long as the piston/rod assembly and crankshaft counterweights are precision balanced, and if the rod is made of durable material, it'll overcome metal fatigue.