K341 carb. help

[6wheeler 674]

Hi all. strange thing with my C-165. I was hauling wood with it back in November and the engine all of a sudden went redline and I couldn't idle it down. I towed it up to the shop with the 160 auto. and looked at it the next day. Same thing. Tach right out. No time to mess with it so off to the shed she went. I got some time so I hauled it up to the shop. Went to start it and it wouldn't start. So I took the air filter out to make sure ny choke was working. Low and behold? There was my culprit. The choke plate had come off. Both screws broken at the shaft. Not knowing that, because it always started and since you can't see it when cleaning the air filter. I do not know how long it was broken off. The plate had bounced around in the throat and beat it up real bad and was wedged in so the throttle plate couldn't close. I have never seen that before. So I ordered a carb. online. It came and when I put it on? I could not get that to adjust to save my life. So, I robbed some parts off of it to see if I could get my old carb to work. I got it to start. But, the thing is so badly beat up inside, the plates cannot work like they should. So, after a long story? Does anyone have an opinion or experience on where to order a carb from? I see many that say Kohler on the boxes on the ads. Not thinking that is real. I went on Isavetractors and they are out of stock with no pre- orders available. TIA     Pat

Edited Monday at 02:58 PM by 6wheeler

[ebinmaine 77,014]

You have several separate issues going on there. I can elaborate later on today.

 

IMHO  the aftermarket carburetors do not belong on a big block Kohler. I've had several go bad. I now refuse to use them.

 

CALL Lincoln at A to Z Tractor in PA  and order another one. It's the only way I would do it.

 

 

 

[Handy Don 15,736]

 

22 minutes ago, 6wheeler said:

The choke plate had come off. Both screws broken at the shaft.

This also means that at least the heads of the two screws got swallowed into the engine. 

Since it’s in the shop already, I would order up a new head gasket and then pull the head to have a look see for scratched cylinder walls, valves, or valve seats.

[ri702bill 11,131]

What goes in must come out. That could be with or without incident. As Don said, pull the head. Cycle the engine over by hand to look for damage, You may find the loose fiddeley-bits inside the muffler....

[6wheeler 674]

Thanks guys. Those were my thoughts excactly. I did that before I even tried starting it. No dmage at all. I thought for sure it would show up on the piston or on the head. But, Lucky for me? Just some little nicks in the carbon that was there. I cleaned all that up, lapped and set the valves. Good compression test. I mean seriously. I guess these Kohlers can"EAT" a little brass and spit it out like it just doesn't care. I just know I cannot save this carburetor.

[6wheeler 674]

Hi all. Per advice, I checked with A-Z and they also do not have a carb. Used or new. So, has anyone found one of these online carbs that actually work? There are several that go from $20 something on up. I tried one of the cheapie knockoffs. No good. I cannot rebuild mine. It is way to hammered up in the throat to make it work. Any thoughts/ Or, an original you want to part with? TIA

[ebinmaine 77,014]

Check with @76c12091520h Brian Badman.  

[kpinnc 16,967]

On 2/2/2026 at 10:22 AM, Handy Don said:

This also means that at least the heads of the two screws got swallowed into the engine. 

 

Might be ok if they were OEM, because they are made of brass. 

 

2 hours ago, 6wheeler said:

Any thoughts/ Or, an original you want to part with? TIA

 

I have used Chineseum carbs in the past and had better luck with them. The biggest concern I have with them is that you must be sure the copy has the same bore (throat) size. Often the knock offs are marketed as fitting a range of engines, and while they may work, you don't want to run a K341 lean. It might not affect much now when ambient air is cold, but come summer it will regularly run too hot.