Help - Feasibility of Upgrading K-181 to K-241 or K-301

[chesbaycruiser 82]

I'm looking for a little advise here.

As mentioned in another post, the K-181 in my 1975 B-80 had massive internal failure. Initially, I thought the only damage was the rod and piston, but after a thorough cleaning and some additional inspection, I realized that there was a chunk missing from the bottom of the cylinder wall. I had one engine shop tell the me the damage is low enough and small enough that it shouldn't matter, however the machine shop was not so confident, basically saying it MIGHT be fine.

That means I'm looking at $225 in machining costs plus about $150 in parts to repair an engine that may or may not be repairable. My initial thought was at that price point, it would be worth the relatively small investment to pick up a used block, but that got me thinking even further....if I'm spending the money anyway, what if I wanted to upgrade?

I've done some searching here on the forum about engine swaps but I'm still a little unsure, so I apologize in advance if I'm asking a "what is the correct color" type of question!

What I'm wondering:

• Is the K-241 (10 hp) or K-301 (12 hp) a direct bolt-on replacement for the K-181 (8 hp)? If not, what sort of mods am I looking at?
  
• What if it's not a Wheel Horse (Cub, Deere, Ariens, etc) engine? Is there a good resource for knowing which ones will work, or what to look for?
  
• In a related question, what if I purchase another K-181 block but it's from a non-WH machine, assuming I'm replacing all the guts, are the blocks fairly universal, or are they different depending on their original application?
  

I welcome your comments and/or links to threads that have already covered these issues.

Thanks in advance for your input!

CB

[Rollerman 290]

Your K181 sits on a riser plate in the B-80.

With the plate removed any Wheel Horse spec solid mount big block single will bolt right in.

The shaker mount engine probably will not work since the B 80 frame is just a little shorter.

Other non Wheel Horse spec engines can be adapted, just have to watch the oil pans.

Some can be swapped for the Horse style, others can't be.

[pfrederi 17,147]

Make sure that the crankshaft is long enough. WH Spec cranks stick out over 3 inches (I m sure some one knows the exact length. Other brands speced engines with shorter crankshafts.

[chesbaycruiser 82]

With the plate removed any Wheel Horse spec solid mount big block single will bolt right in.

The shaker mount engine probably will not work since the B 80 frame is just a little shorter.

Showing my ignorance here...."shaker mount"? :scratchead:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,127]

The majority of the '78 to '84 C series tractors used a rubber-mounted isolation cradle bolted to the engine in an attempt to decrease vibration felt by the operator.

K-181 engine blocks were basically the same and it shouldn't be too hard to track one down - if you decide to pursue that option.

[rmaynard 14,897]

Another thing is that the K-181 has a 1" crankshaft. Wheel Horse K241/301's have 1-1/8" cranks. That means that the PTO will have to be equipped with a different bearing race, and the drive pulley will have to be changed.

[chesbaycruiser 82]

Thanks for all the input. Very helpful.

What I didn't think to ask (the machine shop or in my post above)....is there a good reason why I couldn't get the cylinder in the K-181 sleeved?

[sorekiwi 761]

This is my old B-80 with a K341 in it.

I think all the points have been covered by everyone else, except I found my throttle and choke cables were too short to reach the correct places on the big block engine. I just swapped in a complete dash from a C160 that I had here.

I dont remember which exhaust I used. The big block exhaust exits the motor at a different angle than the small block. I dont remember if I modified the K181 one or whether I used a C160 one.

[can whlvr 991]

one other thing to consider is do you want or need more power,if so then that will answer to use the old one or not,im no expert but it probally could be sleeved

[HorseFixer 2,012]

WoW!! A B-160 has a nice ring to it! I'm likin it!

Cheers ~Duke

[hm12460 53]

CB, Don't under estimate the K-181. They will do a lot more than most people think they will. A John Deere 110 spec K-181 will also fit your B-80 and might be a little bit easier to find. I see them around occassionally.

[chesbaycruiser 82]

hm,

"CB, Don't under estimate the K-181. They will do a lot more than most people think they will...."

I have NO complaints about the power of the 8-hp! My only reason for considering switching it out was to expand the pool of available engines.

As it turns out, a friend and I picked up a C-85 "parts tractor" and a C-81 in pretty nice shape (that he will refurb) this weekend. I got the engine running (short video) on the C-85, but it smokes like a chimney. Result: Now I have two engines that need rebuilding. On the upside, at least I know this one doesn't have a piece missing from the cylinder!

[rmaynard 14,897]

That's not too bad. Hope you find that a simple refresh takes care of the problem.