D200 Kohler 20 hp smoking

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Hello,

My son and I are restoring a '74 D200. It starts right up everytime. However, it smokes mostly during engine rpm changes and does not idle at all. I performed a compression test for both cylinders. one side was 98-100 the other was 95-98. The exhaust smells like fuel and is covered with black powder same with the spark plugs.

So my thoughts and questions are: Are the compression values low even if they are similar? If they are ok, then could this be a carb issue? My luck it i probably a combination of both..

Thanks for any help,

Bill

[1maidenfan 201]

Lets start by saying... TO :rs:and MUST say... :wwp:

The comp. test seams to be in the ballpark, should be a link on here to a kohler twin engine manual to get correct pressures.

Sounds like the carb really needs some attention, a good cleaning or rebuild looks to be in your future.

Possible that it is out of adjustment also(carb) should be 2 adjusting screws on the front of the carb. There is a start up setting on those then fine tune. A kohler manual or more than likely a member here will have the info you need.

Keep us posted.

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Thank you for the invite and reply.

I did try and adjust the carb screws and sprayed a bunch of gumout. It did not improve the smoke nor the idle. Thats when i turned my suspicion to the rings and valves fearing the worse. But, if the compression values are good, that's good news. My next step will be to remove and clean the carb. I hope to get it running before winter hits.

Thanks,

Bill

[JackC 616]

Not certain but the compression numbers sound OK. A good cleaning of the carburetor should be the first step before suspecting serious internal issues.

A valve adjustment and further tune up may be the next steps after that.

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Thanks for the reply.

I am going to take the carb apart this weekend. Hope for something obvious and easy to fix like dirt or glazed needle vlaves..

I am not holding my breath of course.

But will keep posted. Will try and post some pics as well.

Bill

[can whlvr 991]

so did you just get this tractor or have you had it for a while,i would clean out the entire fuel system,tank,new lines,fuel filter,and fully clean the carb,soak it over night if possible,i get mine cleaned in an ultrasonic machine but if you dont have acess to one lots of guys here use the soaking type of carb cleaner ,not sure about a compresion test on a twin but the singles have compression release so a standard comp test is hard to do,i learned a trick on here to wrap a belt from the pto from another tractor to your tractor(make sure you turn your engine the right direction,you might have to do a figure 8 with it,then engage the pto and it will spin the engine fast enough to disengage the acr

[Tap53 57]

Bill, the difference of pressure readings between cylinders in excess of 15% or readings below 90 would indicate a valve, head, gasket or excess carbon.

Tim

edit: and your oil pressure should be 40-50 psi at idle, this can be adjusted if needed.

[JackC 616]

Thanks for the reply.

I am going to take the carb apart this weekend. Hope for something obvious and easy to fix like dirt or glazed needle valve

Bill

You may not see anything since varnish can build up in the passages. I did not see anything in my ONAN D-160 carburetor but I soaked it overnight in a carburetor cleaner. When I put it back on the tractor and set the needles per the book it made a huge difference. In another carburetor on an ONAN P220 I saw a substantial amount of light brown powder in the bowl.

[JamesBe1 80]

Sounds like your carb is running way too rich. I'm with the rest of the group that suggests a good carb rebuild. I would also suggest soaking it in a can of berrymans or other suitable parts cleaner and replacing all the usual stuff. Also, the manual is easy to find and it has the carb initial settings. If you can't find the manual, let me know and I can email you a copy.

Also, food for thought - a compression test may not be telling the whole story. I hear that a leakdown test will show you much more.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out. There are plenty of knowledgeable people on this board willing to lend their experience.

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Thaks for all your replies and suggestions, I will try and return the favor.

We aquired the tractor about a year ago, mainly as a project for my son and I, and partly to use as a plow tractor in the winter. We had a 318A that we used to plow before we sold it to get this D200. It is a little rough still missing some parts and pieces, but we are taking our time as parts are pricey and hard to find.

I hope to have the carb cleaned and inspected this weekend and hope that it may just b dirty. My son is really good at finding the right parts, but does anyone have a favorite site to find parts for these tractors? Also, If I could get a copy of a manual for this motor, that would be very helpfull.

I will post how things turn out. Good or bad. (still working on some pics)

[1maidenfan 201]

Thaks for all your replies and suggestions, I will try and return the favor.

We aquired the tractor about a year ago, mainly as a project for my son and I, and partly to use as a plow tractor in the winter. We had a 318A that we used to plow before we sold it to get this D200. It is a little rough still missing some parts and pieces, but we are taking our time as parts are pricey and hard to find.

I hope to have the carb cleaned and inspected this weekend and hope that it may just b dirty. My son is really good at finding the right parts, but does anyone have a favorite site to find parts for these tractors? Also, If I could get a copy of a manual for this motor, that would be very helpfull.

I will post how things turn out. Good or bad. (still working on some pics)

Redsquare , Ebay and Craigslist are the best places to find parts.

Post a list of parts you need and Im sure some of us on here can help you out.

Should be a manual in the "files" section on here.

[JamesBe1 80]

Yeah, parts can be a problem sometimes. Especially the less common parts. A lot of places have stopped stocking minor parts. Ebay is good as parted-out tractors are often sold there. Keep in mind that your D-200 is almost identical to the D-180 with the difference being the engine cylinder bore. It is also nearly the same as the D-160 with the difference being the Onan engine used on the D-160. That should help you increase your potential parts options.

Also, many things like seals, bearings, etc may be had from the OEM if you can identify it. There are also aftermarket parts available too.

Post some pics, we'd love to see them.

Speaking of parts - anybody know a source for the crankshaft locknut (Kohler 277595S)? I forgot to bend the tabs back when I removed the flywheel nut the other day and broke/mangled a couple of the tabs. It might be salvageable, but I would prefer to replace it with a new one. The one place I found online that claimed to have it cancelled the order after a week of waiting saying it was NLA from Kohler.

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Well after taking the carb off, soaking, cleaning it appears that the needle valve for the fuel shut off is broken. This caused the carb to overflow into the manifold.

Good news and bad news here.

Good news.

I think that the carb is causing the smoke.

Bad news.

I cannot seam to find a rebuild kit for these carbs.

Does anybody know who made these carbs? I have a part number from the carb but it does not bring anything up with searches. Better yet does anyone know where I can find a kit?

Any help is appreciated,

Bill

[JamesBe1 80]

Yeah, I've had that happen to me too.

If yours is a D-200, then it should have a Kohler K532 engine. The car rebuild kits are quite common. Either you can pick one up at your local lawn mower place, or get one off of the internet.

There are lots of them for sale on ebay. That's usually where I get one when I need it. I have several Kohler K series engines, and the carbs all use the same rebuild kit (although the carbs are slightly different).

IM me if you need more help.

[wheelhorseofcourseohio 0]

Thanks, K532 was exactly the information I was needing. You were correct in that there are alot of sources for these kits,

I found a kit on amazon of all places. You are also correct in that it given a range of K series motors that this kit would fit. Now I just have to wait and see. Hope to have the carb back together this weekend. Will update.

Thanks,

Bill