Recommendations Kohler ignition

[FLtractor 86]

Morning,

Wondering if there’s a recommendation dealer or place at a resonable price to get a Genuine Kohler points, Condenser and coil for my 856 to start my ignition system fresh and new. 

[Gasaholic 341]

I get mine off Amazon - It does take a little careful research to be sure you're ordering genuine OEM , but they are still available. I buy amazon because of their strict return policy - if the seller ships me a non-OEM part I can return as "not as described" - some of them try to get around it by changing the wording in their description to something like "OEM Quality" but with a little critical thinking you can usually spot the actual OEM suppliers. Often they are known reputable businesses , distributors, etc.  If I have any doubts or they are not being found on Amazon I'll go to Partstree or Ereplacement parts - even though I'm paying a price that is usually jacked up 15% to 20% above MSRP, it is worth it to me. There's also a number of sellers on Red Square that also sell on ebay or on their own websites where you can be pretty confident in getting the real thing. 

 

[FLtractor 86]

35 minutes ago, Gasaholic said:

I get mine off Amazon - It does take a little careful research to be sure you're ordering genuine OEM , but they are still available. I buy amazon because of their strict return policy - if the seller ships me a non-OEM part I can return as "not as described" - some of them try to get around it by changing the wording in their description to something like "OEM Quality" but with a little critical thinking you can usually spot the actual OEM suppliers. Often they are known reputable businesses , distributors, etc.  If I have any doubts or they are not being found on Amazon I'll go to Partstree or Ereplacement parts - even though I'm paying a price that is usually jacked up 15% to 20% above MSRP, it is worth it to me. There's also a number of sellers on Red Square that also sell on ebay or on their own websites where you can be pretty confident in getting the real thing. 

 

Do you happen to have a link to either the eBay or member websites ect that include the coil points and condenser so I know what exactly to get? How much should the coil alone cost these days? I was told back in April that a set of points and condenser should be about $18.00. 

[Achto 30,133]

Personally, I would just clean up your old points. The material they use on the new points just don't seem to last like the old ones did. This can be said of the Kohler ones as well. 

[FLtractor 86]

1 hour ago, Achto said:

Personally, I would just clean up your old points. The material they use on the new points just don't seem to last like the old ones did. This can be said of the Kohler ones as well. 

I’ll keep that in mind. I just put a brand new battery in my tractor this morning. 
does this mean it has good enough spark? Haven’t touched points.. Or do I need to clean the points and then look at spark plug light for different result? No gas currently in the tank. 

Edited 21 hours ago by FLtractor

[Achto 30,133]

13 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

does this mean it has good enough spark?

 

Looks good on the tester. I would still pull the plug & check to see if the spark looks good there.

[FLtractor 86]

10 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

Looks good on the tester. I would still pull the plug & check to see if the spark looks good there.

Thank you. Will have to do that. 

[rmaynard 16,688]

My last Genuine Kohler points were stamped "made in Mexico". There are not many Kohler engine parts made here in the USA anymore.

[ebinmaine 75,599]

5 hours ago, Achto said:

Personally, I would just clean up your old points. 

 

 

Seconded.  

 

Trina and I have had at LEAST 15 engines go through the shop now. 

 

I've replaced ONE set of points and quite likely didn't need to...

 

 

My first thought on reading this thread was ... Why?

 

6 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Kohler points, Condenser and coil for my 856 to start my ignition system fresh and new. 

 

Why do you believe you NEED new ignition? 

 

I believe you'd be FAR better off diagnosing an actual issue. 

 

As far as a good source,  @Gasaholic has the right idea of safety in return capability. 

I personally feel that J Bezos has and wastes enough money so I've stopped buying most things from the jungle site. Not all. Most. 

 

I've been having very good experiences with a company called billsplaceshop.com 

 

Excellent customer service. 

Excellent prices. 

Many many OE parts. 

 

Definitely recommend them.  

 

 

 

[FLtractor 86]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Seconded.  

 

Trina and I have had at LEAST 15 engines go through the shop now. 

 

I've replaced ONE set of points and quite likely didn't need to...

 

 

My first thought on reading this thread was ... Why?

 

 

Why do you believe you NEED new ignition? 

 

I believe you'd be FAR better off diagnosing an actual issue. 

 

As far as a good source,  @Gasaholic has the right idea of safety in return capability. 

I personally feel that J Bezos has and wastes enough money so I've stopped buying most things from the jungle site. Not all. Most. 

 

I've been having very good experiences with a company called billsplaceshop.com 

 

Excellent customer service. 

Excellent prices. 

Many many OE parts. 

 

Definitely recommend them.  

 

 

 

When I last drove my 856 in April and it shut off and wouldn’t restart, I thought it’s either a fuel issue and or ignition perhaps both. I put new battery in today, got new fuel line all hooked up, put the tester on spark plug and to my amazement, it has spark, just thought i could replace the points coil and condenser to have a fresh starting point so unknown they will be ones I installed and not unknown time frame. But as you all have mentioned the orignal are better and just lightly clean them to begin with, keep it simple. So after this misdiagnosis of it NOT being a spark or ignition issue after all, so since that functions properly, I will concentrate on the carburetor., I now know it has a dirty ethanol fuel clogged carburetor.. and possibly a compression issue.. after I showed my neighbor who was 30 year Sears lawnmower mechanic that spark tester video.. he said it sounds as if low compression.. and asked if it smoked.. when I started it in April, it did smoke some yes.. so perhaps I need to buy a Kohler rebuild and attempt that myself? which I do not have the proper tools needed to bore the cylinders and other specialized tools.  Or is there a drop in direct replacement predator engine I could use while learning to rebuild the K181 engine? Or just once carb is clean, drive it with non ethanol fuel until it won’t drive anymore, THEN focus on rebuild/replace?

Edited 16 hours ago by FLtractor

[ebinmaine 75,599]

39 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Sears lawnmower mechanic

 

Sears used mostly Briggs or Tecumseh engines. 

A Kohler engine sounds ... different. 

 

39 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

that spark tester video.. he said it sounds as if low compression.. and asked if it smoked

 

They do sound that way. Because at start up, they are low compression. 

Kohler engines have a compression release to help with starting. There are others that do as well but a mid 60s Kohler has a very docile sound.  

 

 

 

43 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Or just once carb is clean, drive it with non ethanol fuel until it won’t drive anymore, THEN focus on rebuild/replace?

 

This. 

 

Get it running. Use it. Enjoy it. 

 

 

[FLtractor 86]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Sears used mostly Briggs or Tecumseh engines. 

A Kohler engine sounds ... different. 

 

 

They do sound that way. Because at start up, they are low compression. 

Kohler engines have a compression release to help with starting. There are others that do as well but a mid 60s Kohler has a very docile sound.  

 

 

 

 

This. 

 

Get it running. Use it. Enjoy it. 

 

 

Thank you very much. Will take Off old carb and install aftermarket while figure out what to do with orignal 

[FLtractor 86]

5 hours ago, rmaynard said:

My last Genuine Kohler points were stamped "made in Mexico". There are not many Kohler engine parts made here in the USA anymore.

As someone new to Wheelhorse and who likes to support USA made when able, That’s disappointing to hear 

Edited 15 hours ago by FLtractor

[Achto 30,133]

30 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Thank you very much. Will take Off old carb and install aftermarket while figure out what to do with orignal 

 

So it was running but quit. Before you throw money at it, confirm the problem.

 

You have already confirmed that you have spark.

 

Compression is hard to test because your engine has a compression release, that is active until your engine reaches a certain RPM.

 

Remove the fuel line that goes from the fuel pump to the carb, remove the spark plug so that the engine will spin over easy, put some fuel in the tank, crank it over & see fuel squirts out of the pump. 

 

If you are getting fuel there, then hook the fuel line back up to the carb, remove the float bowl, crank the engine over & see if fuel squirts out of the bottom of the carb.

 

If this is all good then remove the carb & clean it. There is no main jet, the adjustment screw is an emulsion tube. Make sure all the holes in it are clear when you cleaning.

[FLtractor 86]

14 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

So it was running but quit. Before you throw money at it, confirm the problem.

 

You have already confirmed that you have spark.

 

Compression is hard to test because your engine has a compression release, that is active until your engine reaches a certain RPM.

 

Remove the fuel line that goes from the fuel pump to the carb, remove the spark plug so that the engine will spin over easy, put some fuel in the tank, crank it over & see fuel squirts out of the pump. 

 

If you are getting fuel there, then hook the fuel line back up to the carb, remove the float bowl, crank the engine over & see if fuel squirts out of the bottom of the carb.

 

If this is all good then remove the carb & clean it. There is no main jet, the adjustment screw is an emulsion tube. Make sure all the holes in it are clear when you cleaning.

So to clarify.. I am to unhook the fuel line after the fuel pump but BEFORE it gets to the carb to see if fuel pump clogged, not letting enough or any fuel through? Without the spark plug In, for less resistance. Am I to crank the engine over with the key in ignition or by hand manually? 

[Achto 30,133]

7 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Am I to crank the engine over with the key in ignition or by hand manually? 

 

With the key switch. You will not be able to spin it fast enough by hand for the pump to work.

[FLtractor 86]

13 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

With the key switch. You will not be able to spin it fast enough by hand for the pump to work.

Oh ok. Thank you for the info. 

[Blasterdad 3,057]

13 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Thank you very much. Will take Off old carb and install aftermarket while figure out what to do with orignal 

Keep & rebuild the original! Aftermarket carbs ae NOT the same quality.

[FLtractor 86]

1 hour ago, Blasterdad said:

Keep & rebuild the original! Aftermarket carbs ae NOT the same quality.

Just want to be able to keep it running till the old carb would be in proper shape