K-341 New Piston Issue

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16 hours ago, 6bg6ga said:

Well, friend it would seem that your an expert. If that is the case you should have known enough not to buy anything but  kohler.  I'm somewhat amazed that with your vast experience you managed to purchase as you would call it  cheap communist junk. Also, with your experience I'm sure you would be able to balance the piston and rod combo to come up with the same weight as the Kohler parts or alter the counterbalance weight.

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Today, I ordered a genuine Kohler piston, rings, and rod. I just do not believe that the aftermarket parts are up to the same quality level as the genuine Kohler. That being said, the aftermarket parts will no doubt function. But, how long will they last in a working tractor, how much oil will it burn, and how much extra noise will it make? I may do another thread comparing the differences in weight of each component, and size, Kohler vs. aftermarket. To create a YouTube review video of aftermarket parts based on looks and the type of wrapping paper is basically worthless in my opinion. 

 

I would think that since you have had such a problem with soft camshafts, parts made backwards, and parts of incorrect size you would stoop so low as to once again purchase parts not made in the U.S.A. but rather communist china. Sir, in my opinion you may very well be your worst enemy.  You talk about checking the alloy and making  comparison between weight between the Kohler parts and your Chinese parts. I for one would like to read a detailed report from your lab.

 

Good points. Regarding the camshafts that were were being sold for the engine mentioned above. Many suppliers were selling camshafts with their name on the box. However, everyone of them were using the same camshaft blanks, one made in Turkey and the other made in China as they were the only ones available in the entire world. Also, those who were grinding the inferior hardened blanks would have been able to tell that they were not hardened properly if they were experienced, or cared.  Knowing what I know now, if I had to do it all over again, I would have had a company like Crane cams manufacture a "key" from the blueprints from the original manufacturer. The price for the key and first camshaft would have been about $2000. This would have been a top quality camshaft. What I had to go through to clean up the mess from the soft camshaft, $2000 would have been a bargain. 

 

Now, the piston that I needed for my Kohler has been discontinued by Kohler. After studying the after market parts, I went looking for the Kohler piston that I needed. I found one that a parts supplier had on the shelf. Soon, we are all going to be using aftermarket parts because genuine Kohler parts for K series will no longer be available. 

 

No doubt that Kohler Is discontinuing these parts at least partly due to demand not being what it would be, because of the cheap, communist government subsided aftermarket parts people are flocking to. This is also driving the price up due to the lower volume of the genuine Kohler parts. There is no way any American company can compete with the government subsidized cheap Communist Chinese junk. With the costs associated with manufacturing anything in America, there is no way any American company can manufacture a piston at low volume for what the Comies do. But, the Comies cannot manufacture a piston to Kohler specs and sell it over here for what they are selling their junk over here for either.

 

So, you go right ahead and keep buying cheap Communist junk. 

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I have never bored this engine as it was already .020 over at exactly 3.770 when I took it apart because it was going to blow if I didn't. The piston that I removed is slightly below minimum wear size in the Kohler book. I could half ass it. I just did not want to bore it to .030. I know, the China Comies make an .040. I'll have it bored next week. My machine shop will put it exactly on spec..