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Hydro

Carburetor Question

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Hydro

I have two Kohler Magnums, a 14HP & a 16Hp.  The 14 has a Walboro carb and is a 1997.  The 16 is a 1988 and has the original carb which I think is a Carter.  My favorite engine for mowing is the 14 because it is quieter and smoother.  I do like the added power of the 16.  Would the 14 benefit power wise if I switched the carbs? 

Thanks

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can whlvr

youwont notice it,i had to do this for a while when waiting for a new carb,

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MalMac

I agree you won't notice much if any power gain. Gary do you notice a big difference from the 14 to the 16? I know on a couple of my 14 mags they were not at the recommended set RPM's. I did bump them up to the 3600 and it made all the difference in the world. One of them was on a new 314 I got back in 94. I always thought the engine sounded down and not at full throttle. I finally checked it and it was down around 2,900 to 3,000. It came that way from the factory. I also had a used 14 I picked up and it was the same way. I bumped them up to where they belong and I personally don't see much difference from the 16 I got that's running at the same RPM.

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Hydro

I agree you won't notice much if any power gain. Gary do you notice a big difference from the 14 to the 16? I know on a couple of my 14 mags they were not at the recommended set RPM's. I did bump them up to the 3600 and it made all the difference in the world. One of them was on a new 314 I got back in 94. I always thought the engine sounded down and not at full throttle. I finally checked it and it was down around 2,900 to 3,000. It came that way from the factory. I also had a used 14 I picked up and it was the same way. I bumped them up to where they belong and I personally don't see much difference from the 16 I got that's running at the same RPM.

I've never checked the rpm settings but I've had both to my small engine mechanic and had the carbs done in each.  When I bought the 314H I used it for over a summer mowing with the 48" deck and it cut just fine but it was light on power for the 2 stage.  I bought a 416-8 and swapped the engines.  Both engines run great but the 16 is noticeably louder and vibrates more so now that I have a single stage thrower  I'm thinking of switching the engines back and selling the 416-8.  IF there was any advantage to using the carb off the 16 I would switch that first.  I was under the impression carburation changes due to emission standards might make the older carb more desirable and provide better operation.  The one thing I have noticed with the 14 is it does not get down and lug like the 16 or even the little 12 when I had a 312.  It will start to lug but then cuts out.  This never happens with grass I was thinking just thinking ahead for winter.

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leeave96

Unless the Walboro is a fully adjustable carb, I'd use the Kohler/Carter.

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Hydro

Unless the Walboro is a fully adjustable carb, I'd use the Kohler/Carter.

Thanks leeave96.  The manual I have to this tractor shows no high speed adjustment but the Walboro on the engine has both a high speed and a low speed which are adjustable.

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Fordiesel69

Two thoughts here:

 

1.)  The walbro if it is adjustable will be a fine carburetor, will keep the oil cleaner, and have better emmissions.  However, when the engine lugs from 3600 rpm to 2500 rpm or so (I actually never measured it), with the governor wide open, the engine will just drop to nothing.  This is by design.  When the engine load is removed and the engine recovers, you will notice little to no smoke.  These carbs tolerate some dirt but not a lot.

 

2.)  The carter will allow you to load the engine down to an idle if you wanted, however when you remove the load, you will be greeted with a black cloud in your face.  They are also far more tolerant to neglect and dirt.  Although they may run a little rough, you can still operate the engine.  I prefer the carters for any K-series, however the Walbro's with the high / low adjustable jets work very well on the magnums. 

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Hydro

Two thoughts here:

 

1.)  The walbro if it is adjustable will be a fine carburetor, will keep the oil cleaner, and have better emmissions.  However, when the engine lugs from 3600 rpm to 2500 rpm or so (I actually never measured it), with the governor wide open, the engine will just drop to nothing.  This is by design.  When the engine load is removed and the engine recovers, you will notice little to no smoke.  These carbs tolerate some dirt but not a lot.

 

2.)  The carter will allow you to load the engine down to an idle if you wanted, however when you remove the load, you will be greeted with a black cloud in your face.  They are also far more tolerant to neglect and dirt.  Although they may run a little rough, you can still operate the engine.  I prefer the carters for any K-series, however the Walbro's with the high / low adjustable jets work very well on the magnums. 

Thanks Fordiesel69.

You have described my 14 to a T.  That's  exactly what the engine would do under a load with the snow blower.  I can confirm both jets are adjustable on the Walboro and I get what you are saying about the oil.  I notice the 16 is very fuel rich on start-up as compared to the Walboro.  There are times when the exhaust does smell a bit rich. 

 

Sounds like there are advantages to both, maybe I should just leave well enough alone and keep the 14 the way it is.

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