16 hp kohler magnum

[toolmaker40 6]

just got a 416-8 , i notice there is some blow by when i start it looks to be between the head and block on the exhaust side? it runs fine and has plenty of

of power , dont know any history on this tractor

[ericj 1,576]

i assume your talking about a 16 hp kohler not a P216 onan. if it is a kohler or even a onan ti sounds like a blowed head gasket. you might get away with retorqueing of head bolts in proper sequence but you will probably have to pull head check for straightness and apply new gasket . some bady better than me can possibly tell you haw to check it for sure better than me and by the way welcome to red square

eric

[Martin 2,130]

from your avatar pic its a single cyl kohler, you could have blow by like you mentioned, but keep in mind that there is usually a lot of hot air that is forced out from the exhaust side of the engine.. it comes through from the flywheel side and is cooling air. when the engine is running at max rpm there is a bunch of air that 'should' be passing through the cooling fins of the cylinder block, and it all comes out the exhaust side.

im not sure how much 'history' you have with these motors, just throwing something out there that might not be completely obvious....

if it is indeed blowby from a leaking head gasket, you would need to investigate further by checking out head bolt torque or even removing the head, but as you said it runs fine and has plenty of power, it could be ok. with blowby usually you can hear the combustion air coming out in time with the firing event in the cylinder, where as cooling air would be more consistent flow.....

Edited December 24, 2012 by Martin

[can whlvr 991]

i allways pull the head on new to me equipment,clean the combustion chamber,lightly surface the head gasket area on the head by using about 220 grit sandpaper on a peice of thick mirror,put a new headgasket and of coarse this allows inspection of the cylinder walls,piston top and the play in rings,if you have the measuring tools the bore can be checked too,but if she runs good then a cleaning and i forgot to mention i lap the valves too,but that takes a fair bit of disassembly

[rick 215]

When I got my 314-8, the underside of the hood and the right side of the engine were coated with a dust/oil mixture.

it looked like the dust coating on the foam precleaner on an air filter. I cleaned it all up, and sometime later noticed a fine mist blowing out of the right side when the engine was running. The sunlight was just right to see it.

I replaced the head gasket, That took care of it. The Kohler does use a little oil, but not enough to kill mosquitoes.

[Kelly 1,028]

I think Kohler recommends replacing the head gasket and cleaning carbon off the head and piston every 100 hours or is it 500 hours?, I do it to 99% of the engines I get here, most all of them have a blown or ready to blow head gasket, I use a BIG wide flat file to make the head flat again, then surface with finer sand paper, be sure to use the correct torque and sequence to make the head seal correctly, and your new gasket last.

[toolmaker40 6]

thank you for all the tips i will get right after this

thanks again

[Kevbo 80]

from your avatar pic its a single cyl kohler, you could have blow by like you mentioned, but keep in mind that there is usually a lot of hot air that is forced out from the exhaust side of the engine.. it comes through from the flywheel side and is cooling air. when the engine is running at max rpm there is a bunch of air that 'should' be passing through the cooling fins of the cylinder block, and it all comes out the exhaust side.

im not sure how much 'history' you have with these motors, just throwing something out there that might not be completely obvious....

if it is indeed blowby from a leaking head gasket, you would need to investigate further by checking out head bolt torque or even removing the head, but as you said it runs fine and has plenty of power, it could be ok. with blowby usually you can hear the combustion air coming out in time with the firing event in the cylinder, where as cooling air would be more consistent flow.....

Agreed.

[Tankman 3,515]

As noted, that is a Kohler Magnum.

Also mentioned, air is drawn in by the flywheel blades, and blows out the exhaust side of the engine.

That's good! Keeps the engine temp within operating range. Air is forced through the cylinder

and cylinder head fins.

Kohler runnin' good? Plenty of power? Crankcase oil checked, up to the full mark on the dip stick?

Have fun with your Horse but, do keep an eye out for possible heat problems. :)

[855ownerJoel 32]

Final note: (maybe) Don't run any engine longer than necessary with a blown head gasket or you can experiance other problems. Cheap enough to pull head and check closely, finding it was not a head gasket, than to wait longer and cause further issues. Also with head off look really close for any sign of a crack in block.

[ericj 1,576]

like said above generally if you have a head gasket leak you will here a tick when the motor is running a you might see a slight oil leak at the spot it is leaking

eric j

[rick 215]

Don't forget to re-torque head bolts when engine cools down, after initial warm up. Very important step which is sometimes overlooked...