10 hp Kohler seems to bog down under load

[jfuhr83 4]

So I got my mid 80's 310 -8 out of my grandfather's barn last spring, got it running and loved it all summer. It is a little rough hadn't run in almost a decade but seemed to do the job like a champ. This year it started dying on me. It would start to die and I would disengage the pto and it would Rev back up, engage pto again and take off, got worse and worse till I had to use the toro I luckily hadn't sold yet. It sat for a while. Then I tried to start it to pull the yard roller and after cranking over for forever I pulled the plug and it was dry. But when I pulled the Gas line it pumped like a garden hose. So I took the carb bowl off and it had a bunch of congealed gas in it. Pulled the needle out the top, cleaned needle bowl and passages and put back together. Seems better but I'm not sure I got the needle in to the right depth. It doesn't die when I mow, but doesn't seem as strong as it was last year. I'm going to try to check compression. Maybe do a leak down test.

Any advice on what it might it might be.

How do you know where to set the carb needle height?

Thanks

John

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[KC9KAS 4,744]

If I am going to remove a needle from a running engine, I completely close it counting the turns, I DO NOT turn it in tight, just snug.
After removal of the needle and cleaning, I re-install the needle snug and back it out the original amount of turns.
This is a good place to start. You will just have to "fine tune" (adjust) the needle from there.
You can also find the information in our manuals section to help you adjust your carb.

[953 nut 58,191]

Since you had congealed junk in the float bowl it is reasonable to presume that the rest of the little passages have some junk in them also. Get a spray can of Seafoam Carburetor Cleaner and a can of Seafoam Liquid fuel additive. Add the recommended amount of liquid to your non ethanol gas and start the engine with the air filter removed; while running at half throttle sprat liberal amounts of the carb cleaner into the carb until it nearly stalls, let it clear up and repeat several times. If you aren't using ethanol free gas go to buyrealgas.com and put in your zip code, they will tell you where you can get it.

Give it a try and let us know how you do. 

[rmaynard 15,938]

The main jet needle is hollow and has about 6 little holes in it. You must be sure that the entire inside of that needle and all the little holes are clean. You must be able to pass air through the tube and out the holes.

After you get the carburetor set correctly, check the governor to be sure it is set correctly. If the engine is bogging down under load, you may just have an out of adjustment governor.

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[HorseHead1089 100]

I find using seafoam after cleaning he carb off the tractor and loosening up any junk works best as a post cleanse or flush out type thing, and usually after it sits for a while ill dump some in a few days prior and run it for a hour or two. I use seafoam for maintenance and star-tron "blue goo" for seasonal or anything longer than a month. 

[jfuhr83 4]

Thanks guys. I've been kinda wondering about governor adjustment. Is there a writeup I could reference on how to set that adjustment, same with fine tuning the needle adjustment.

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[KC9KAS 4,744]

Thanks guys. I've been kinda wondering about governor adjustment. Is there a writeup I could reference on how to set that adjustment, same with fine tuning the needle adjustment.

 

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@jfuhr83 in our manuals section.

[WH nut 553]

The governor should be fine, they never just come out of adjustment unless someone has messed with it. Make sure you set the carb correctly.. Turn the high speed jet in until it bottoms out.  back out about 2 turns to get it running. Turn in until engine stumbles, turn out until engine stumbles then turn in until engine smooth's out. and you are all set. This is all done at wide open throttle.