'74 c160 Hydro Ring Job

[Joker72 71]

I have a great pulling and mechanically solid '74 c160 hydro but it burns a bit of oil.  I would like to use acceessories.  Would you have any reservation about putting the effort into replacing rings and re-seating valves with intentions of using it for work?

 

Thanks!

Edited 6 hours ago by Joker72

[kpinnc 16,770]

1 hour ago, Joker72 said:

Would you have any reservation about putting the effort into replacing rings and re-seating valves with intentions of using it for work?

 

I would say that's a great reason to rebuild that engine. Do it right, and it will last another 40 years. 

 

I would spend the money to have the bore reworked, and the valve seats. Also check the crank pin as per the manual. OEM pistons, rods, and rings are hard to find, but there are decent aftermarket ones available. 

 

If you download the Kohler manual you can handle the rest of it. Me personally, I would also delete the balance gears. It'll thump a bit more, but you won't have to worry about them destroying that K341...

[ri702bill 11,065]

5 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I would spend the money to have the bore reworked, and the valve seats. Also check the crank pin as per the manual

Solid advice. The old saying "The more you look, the more you find" comes to mind. The source of the oil consumption is not limited to the rings - the clearance between the valves & their guides may now be excessive - if so best to replace both. Do this first - when you pull the head off, look for the "STD" marking on top of the piston. IF it already says ".030", you will most likely be looking for a different rebuildable engine... If it says ".010" you can still go to .030 over - IF that is enough to clean up the entire bore after reboring. Accurate measurements are required to determine this... You say you want this to be a worker - .010 over may be your best bet.