Electro 12 with a bad temper.

[Stepney 2,314]

Hello again, I have this old Wheel horse Electro 12, it belonged to my grandfather. He has owned it since 1991-2. The whole time he has owned it, it turns over like a model T. If you give it a boost with a charger, it will start fine, I rebuilt the starter to no avail, now I rope start it. The battery is fine, 300 cca, wiring and connections are fine, brushes and bushings are okay? I'm stumped! You have any ideas?

Spenser.

[Kelly 1,028]

Is the timming off?

[Rock farmer 41]

Ground circuit?

Starter grounds to block.

Block grounds to frame.

Frame grounds to battery.

I'd look there.

Joe

[Stepney 2,314]

I had set the points at 0.20". Then my friend who is a small engine mechanic set them with a timing light. It sounds as if the compression release is weak?

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

Measure the DC volts ACROSS the battery terminals while the engine is cranking. A measurement indicating lower than 10 volts DC would point to a weak battery - new or not. The battery is either defective or undercharged. Trickle charge the battery overnight and try again in the morning.

If the battery voltage remians above 10 volts while cranking, place the multimeter (+) probe on the (+) starter stud and meter (-) to battery (+). Crank the engine once again. What DC voltage do you see on the multimeter while the engine is cranking (this measurement is usually done with an analoge meter as a digital meter may produce jumpy and misleading indications). Any voltage registered on the voltmeter is voltage lost thru the wiring.

A high voltage indicates excessive voltage drop in the starter circuit and the need for further electrical troubleshooting.

If you feel the ACR is not working, pull the head and look for the 0.030 (ish) gap on the exhaust valve to the block when the exhaust valve would be expected to be completely closed. No gap = harder cranking against the compression stroke.

[MarkPalmer 80]

If connecting a small 10 amp charger is dramatically increasing cranking speed and allowing the engine to start and run, the battery is weak. Your Kohler engine will have an alternator winding behind the flywheel and should have (didn't see it in the video) a regulator/rectifier that provides power for charging the battery and running the battery ignition system (points/coil) after the engine starts. If the charging system does not work, the engine will not run for long as the battery drains from power required by the ignition.

Battery ignition is not like a magneto- you must have a source of starting cranking power and a working charging system (alternator/RR or starter/gen) for the engine to operate normally.

-Mark-

[SousaKerry 500]

Take out the spark plug and spin it over, if it still spins slow probably starter or battery related. It should spin fairly fast with no compression, also pull the hydro disengagement lever so that the tranny is not dragging when turning over.

[Stepney 2,314]

Well, thanks for all the help. My neighbor noticed me the other day trying to start it, he had a blown K321, and said I could have that starter, turns over fine now! yes, the stator and rectifier are there, and working. he said that mine had a bad winding, thanks for all the help! Now, time to replace that flywheel key on that modern John Deere.... :*****:

Spenser.

[MarkPalmer 80]

Excellent, glad you got the problem solved. I wish I had neighbors like yours who had K series engine parts- mine are a bunch of idiots who don't even know their $99 push lawnmower engine has oil in it, none the less what a good classic Kohler engine is. (And of course they look at the things I do and think I'm the neighborhood idiot LOL!)

-Mark-