Beano 0 #1 Posted January 30, 2009 Here are some pics of the engine from my raider 12 project, I'm glad i didn't pay anything for the tractor this looks like it could get expensive... I hope to find the the crank is ok underneath all the aluminum that smeared on it!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big mike 13 #2 Posted January 30, 2009 If you rebuild it find a new home for the balance gears.......nail on the wall of the shop,a creek,your mother in Laws picture window :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beano 0 #3 Posted January 30, 2009 If you rebuild it find a new home for the balance gears.......nail on the wall of the shop,a creek,your mother in Laws picture window No good then?. I've seen balance shafts etc in plenty of car/truck engines and didn't think much of it when i saw then. I'm a bit of a virgin when it comes to small engines, What are the benefits of removing them? James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Bullington 5 #4 Posted January 30, 2009 Mike, please explain more about that, I just got a 12 horse and my open the engine to go through it....Is this like the syno balance in a briggs? Will it not vibrate you to death if you remove this??? thanks for all the help Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nylyon-(Admin) 7,114 #5 Posted January 30, 2009 Check out this post there was a great deal of talk regarding the balance gears. If I recall correctly, T-Mo didn't see any significant difference in the vibration when he left them out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Bullington 5 #6 Posted January 31, 2009 thanks Nylon!! heres info I copied from millers site... Leaving them out shouldn't have a noticeable effect on engine vibrations, but they do help to reduce engine vibrations somewhat. So if you choose to reinstall or leave them in an engine that will never turn more than 4,000 rpms (this is the maximum rpms for pulling in stock classes or doing ordinary yard work), make sure that the bearings in the [balance] gears and the stub shafts that they spin on are in good condition. If the bearings are worn and if the balance gears wobble, they'll wear the crankshaft gear teeth and they could break, possibly destroying the engine. By the way - you can get the balance gears alignment tool (timing gage) from your local Kohler engine dealer. The part number is 10355 or Y-357. It's much easier to use this tool when aligning the balance gears in time with the crankshaft. See the drawing to the right for correct identification of this tool. Once, just for curiosity, after I've rebuilt a 12hp (K301) Kohler engine, I've ran the engine with the balance gears installed. Then I took them out to see if the engine would vibrate more. (It wasn't a lot of work to remove the gears. I just removed the oil pan, snap rings, washers and spacers, rotated the crankshaft a certain way, and then lifted the gears right out.) Anyway, I found that without the balance gears, the engine vibrated EXACTLY the same as when the gears were installed! Makes ya wonder why Kohler installs them in the first place. ???? The balance gears in a 12hp Kohler engine can be removed without removing the crankshaft. What's needed is a heavy duty snap ring pliers with 90 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #7 Posted January 31, 2009 Have a good look at the block for cracks just below the starter mounting holes, its very common for the rod to break, and then punch the side of the block. You should be able to see the impact mark from the inside of the block. Here's an extreme example.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
