CH22S / 522xi Running HOT oil temps.

[Fordiesel69 226]

Looking into possibly purchasing a 522xi and after test mowing for 10 minutes the oil guage peggs into the red.  The engine has no oil cooler of any find, I have no skills to test the gauage other than when you disconnect the sending unit it pegs cold, and when you ground it, pegs hot.  

 

Frankly, there is a "hot oil" odor coming from the engine area as a whole.  I peaked thru so gaps in the tins, and there is no mouse house inside the shrouds.

 

Before I commit to purchasing the owner will let me pull the flywheel tin for inspection, but I dont see how this is possible with the engine on the chassis.  

 

809 hours and its very well kept, and has no abnormalities in other than this.

Edited April 25 by Fordiesel69

[Achto 26,612]

Handy tool to have. Will give you the ability to check head and engine case temps.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/121-infrared-laser-thermometer-63985.html

[Fordiesel69 226]

Also the tins look impossible to remove with the tractor firewall being in the way, in addition to the drive shaft.  I wonder if very lengthy dawn / purple power water wash thru the flywheel while it is running would be beneficial.

 

 

[JoeM 7,700]

Like Dan says need to shoot the temp on the oil filter to actually see. 

I know the air cooled ones with a 60 inch deck will red line on a hot day.  Keeping them blown off and using full synthetic oil helps.

 

Yes the engine has to come out to get the tins off. I have seen one tin destroyed by trying to remove in the machine. 

And it is very difficult to get the back of the heads clean with out removing the tins. especially if the rear seal is seeping. Takes about an hour to remove the engine. 

This one was seeping oil at the seal and you can see the back of the jugs are packed. 

Edited April 25 by JoeM

[Fordiesel69 226]

Is there a way to slide the tins back for a visual inspection?  Or any other tins that I can get a sneak peek?  The fact I can smell and oil odor is concerning me.   I will laser it when I go back but also want an action plan on how I can do an inspection.  

 

I mean cleaning fins is basic maint, why would they make it like this with no access? 

[Pullstart 59,873]

If it runs good until that point, I’ say that may be a bargaining chip to get a better deal…

[Fordiesel69 226]

Yeah no........A k series or magnum is one thing.  I aint buying an engine hoist and pulling a motor on one of these i will wait for another.  Was courious if the tins can be slid back enough for inspection.  

[Pullstart 59,873]

Meh, there are creative ways to get an engine out.  2x4 and a fulcrum?  Neighbor kid?

[Bill D 1,623]

16 hours ago, JoeM said:

Like Dan says need to shoot the temp on the oil filter to actually see. 

I know the air cooled ones with a 60 inch deck will red line on a hot day.  Keeping them blown off and using full synthetic oil helps.

 

Yes the engine has to come out to get the tins off. I have seen one tin destroyed by trying to remove in the machine. 

And it is very difficult to get the back of the heads clean with out removing the tins. especially if the rear seal is seeping. Takes about an hour to remove the engine. 

This one was seeping oil at the seal and you can see the back of the jugs are packed. 

That's exactly what took out the Kawasaki on my Exmark walk behind.  Leaking top oil seal plus lack of maintenance made it overheat until the bottom sleeve bearing came out of the block hitting the bottom oil seal and making it dump it's oil.  If you can smell hot oil it's leaking somewhere.

[Fordiesel69 226]

The oil filter is 180 tops and the fin area was 252 deg.  It was very cold yesterday like 48 degrees so that felt hot to me.  

 

All the oil you see was from the car quest filter that wa leaking badly.  He changed it and the oil after I discovered that leak so that is now addressed. 

 

Really nervous it is dirty.  

[Wild Bill 633 771]

Kohler makes blower housing clean out panels for the Command, P/N 25 755 20-S, which allow you to see and blow out the cylinder cooling fins. I have installed them on both of my workers along with an oil cooler, P/N 24 755 120-S. An Autometer or Stewart-Warner temperature gauge is more important to me than an ammeter.

[Fordiesel69 226]

were those temps concerning?

180deg oil filter

252deg engine block

Edited April 26 by Fordiesel69

[Fordiesel69 226]

need to pull the trigger or let this one go by tomorrow.  Does anyone know if 180 / 252 temps are in spec?  It was in the high 40s outdoor temps. 

[Wild Bill 633 771]

I have 140-300 degF oil temp gauges with the sending units in the oil pan and an oil cooler on my Kohler Command CH18 and CH640 (22.5HP). I mow about 1 acre in the summer. On a 95 degree day, the oil temperature will climb to 240 degF after mowing 1/2 acre. I then shut down and allow the engine to cool before finish mowing the other 1/2 acre.

[John2189 408]

On 4/26/2024 at 9:12 AM, Wild Bill 633 said:

Kohler makes blower housing clean out panels for the Command, P/N 25 755 20-S, which allow you to see and blow out the cylinder cooling fins. I have installed them on both of my workers along with an oil cooler, P/N 24 755 120-S. An Autometer or Stewart-Warner temperature gauge is more important to me than an ammeter.

Bill, I googled the part number for the panels, but I can’t find anything on how to install. Do you have to holes in the shroud? Where do they go?  I have a ch20 on my Simplicity Sunstar. 
could you post a picture?
thanks John 

[Wild Bill 633 771]

@John2189

Kohler Command blowers housing access panel instructions attached. If you are going to add an oil cooler do it at the same time as a hole needs to be cut in the blower housing also.

Kohler 25 755 20 P1.pdf Kohler 25 755 20 P2.pdf Kohler 25 755 20 P3.pdf

Edited April 27 by Wild Bill 633

[John2189 408]

1 hour ago, Wild Bill 633 said:

@John2189

Kohler Command blowers housing access panel instructions attached. If you are going to add an oil cooler do it at the same time as a hole needs to be cut in the blower housing also.

Kohler 25 755 20 P1.pdf 408.22 kB · 2 downloads Kohler 25 755 20 P2.pdf 406.49 kB · 1 download Kohler 25 755 20 P3.pdf 108.01 kB · 1 download

Thank You Bill! I wish I knew about this when I changed the ignition coils. Id have done it then. I even thought to myself next time these coils need changed, I am going to cut access holes so I wouldn’t have to move the engine to take the housing off. 
John

Edited April 27 by John2189

[Wild Bill 633 771]

@John2189

I also use the extra long oil filter, Kohler P/N 277233-S.

Unable to post additional pictures.

Edited April 28 by Wild Bill 633

[John2189 408]

59 minutes ago, Wild Bill 633 said:

@John2189

I also use the extra long oil filter, Kohler P/N 277233-S.

Unable to post additional pictures.

I’ve been using the short ones. I’ll get the long one next. 
Thanks

[Fordiesel69 226]

[Fordiesel69 226]

I was able to sneak off the side cylinder tins, and was able to pressure warsh the engine while still in the tractor.  Got creative with some brushes and I think I got it 85 to 90 percent clean.

 

My concern is there is very little it any visable blowby out the crankcase indictating the rings and crankcase pressure is not abnormal, yet why is there so much oil caked all over everyplace?

 

Also those fins behind the starter were indeed packed solid with grease and debris, yet It would not appear those fins do much cooling as there is no air blowing across them.  

[Wild Bill 633 771]

Looks like a leaking crankshaft oil seal and the fan is blowing it foward.