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a.dumont

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a.dumont

While mowing yesterday, my K482 on my 1973 D-180 started to smoke (oil). Then it stalled. I got it back to the garage, and found the oil level only 0.5 qt low on a 3.5 qt system. I added oil and started it back up. It ran smooth for 10 seconds, then a loud bang with a lot of vibration. I immediately shut it off. No compression on #1, and only 80 psi on #2. Pulling the head on #1 I found the piston free-floating (assuming connecting rod snapped?). There is a deep groove in the cylinder wall.

 

Fellas, I was given this tractor to use by my father-in-law. He paid $1,000 as-is, after which I've spent another $1,100 on it. I was hoping to use it for 2 years to cut my 4 acres of grass and plow my 200' driveway, until I was able to get a subcompact. I only got 1 winter out of it.

 

Aftermarket, oversized, rebuild kits are around $300, but now I need to involve a machine shop. I have no clue what local shops will charge for this, but I'm guessing around $200. In the end, I will still have a 45 year old tractor that doesn't have a loader or a backhoe... Should I repair it? Should I sell it as is? Should I part it out? Thoughts guys?

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953 nut

There is an alternative you may not have thought of. The Kohler Twins are a lot like the old VW air cooled engines, parts are very interchangeable. A vertical crankshaft Kohler Twin can be made into a horizontal shaft engine with a few block modifications and the manifolds and oil pump you already have. Vertical shaft engines are plentiful and cost a lot less.

Go to Brian Miller's site on the internet and you can read about it.

 

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953 nut

Information About the Kohler Engine Models KT17, KT19, KT21, and KT17 Series II and KT19 Series II Oiling Systems -

Kohler engine models KT17, KT17 Series II, KT19, KT19 Series II, and KT21 (snowmobile engine) all have a gear-driven gerotor oil pump, and use one of two types of pressurized lubrication systems.

ktoilsys.gifThe first design KT17, KT19 and KT21 engines use a pressurized SPRAY lubrication system. The oil pump delivers oil to the main bearings and camshaft bearings at approximately 5 PSI. Lubrication for the connecting rod journals is provided by oil sprayed from two small holes drilled in the camshaft in alignment with the connecting rods. The main bearings are under pressurized oil, but the connecting rod journals receive oil that's constantly sprayed through drilled holes in an oil passageway in the camshaft. These are very well-designed engines, but have gained a bad reputation because either the wrong velocity of oil is used and/or the crankcase oil was not changed on a regular basis. If the wrong velocity of oil is used, or if the main bearings are worn due to the oil not being changed, this will lower the oil pressure in the camshaft, and the pressurized spray lubrication system will cause insufficient oiling to the connecting rod journals, especially the #1 rod (one closest to the flywheel, which receives less oil than the #2 rod with worn main bearings), which will eventually lead to connecting rod failure. What causes the rod failure is if the motor oil isn't changed on a regular basis (once a year or every 25 hours of run time) and/or using non-detergent motor oil, being there's no oil filter for these engines, normal metallic wear fragments in the oil grind away at the 5203010s.gifmain bearings and crankshaft main journals, especially the rear main bearing and journal. This increases the oil clearance between the bearing and journal (oil clearance should be .0013"-.0033"), resulting in excessive oil drainback into the crankcase and providing insufficient oil flow and pressure through the camshaft (again, there is only 5 PSI oil pressure in these engines), which allows less oil sprayed on the connecting rods. This is why the design was changed to a full pressure lubrication system as explained below Ê. When rebuilding either engine, the main bearings should replaced with new ones and the crankshaft main journals (and perhaps rod journals, too) should be reground if worn beyond OEM Kohler specifications. If the crankshaft main journals are worn beyond specifications, the main journals can be reground to .010" or .020" undersize, and matching undersize main bearings will need to be installed. The rod journals can only be reground to .010" undersize, and .010" undersize rods will need to be used. In most cases, it's cost-prohibitive to have a worn or heavily scored crank journal welded up and reground back to STD size. Also, on these engines, one main journal can be reground undersize if it's worn beyond specifications (mostly likely the PTO end), and the other (most likely the flywheel end) can remain STD size if it's within specifications. But if the engine has an oil filter and if the oil is changed regularly, it's less likely that the crankshaft main journals and main bearings will not wear beyond specifications.

kt-ports.gifThe reason Kohler didn't provide provisions for an oil filter on the first design KT17 and KT19 engines is because again, being these engines only produce 5 PSI oil pressure, there wouldn't be enough oil pressure to pump through the filter and then to the main bearings and spray on the rods. Also, being there's no provision (port) on the engine block for an oil filter to filter out contaminants from the crankcase oil, it'll be a good idea to install either an oil drain plug with a very strong rare earth/neodymium magnet, or glue a very strong rare earth/neodymium magnet to the inside bottom of the oil pan or engine base to attract steel or cast iron metal wear fragments for continued full oil pressure and longer engine life. Sometimes some of the wear fragments do not drain out with the oil when performing an oil change, even when the oil is hot. The crankcase oil should be changed once a year or every 25 hours of run time. Be sure to use high quality 10W30 or 10W40 motor oil, too. The first design KT17 and KT19 are a very good engines and should last a long time, only if high quality motor oil is used, and the crankcase oil is changed on a regular basis and/or using non-detergent motor oil! Fresh high detergent motor oil containing a high zinc content anti-wear additive, such as ZDDP (Zinc dithiophosphate) is cheaper than a new engine or an engine rebuild.

The redesigned KT17 Series II and KT19 Series II (including all Magnum twin cylinder engines) have a full pressure lubrication system, much like in a modern-day automobile engine. The Full Pressure Lubrication System delivers oil to the crankshaft bearings, camshaft journals, and connecting rod journals at approximately 25-50 PSI. A spring-loaded pressure relief valve, located in the engine crankcase, behind the closure plate, regulates and limits the maximum oil pressure in the system. The crankshaft is cross-drilled for oil passages from the main journals to the connecting rod journals, and both the main bearings and connecting rod bearing surfaces receive full lubrication from an oil passageway in the block through the crankshaft. Oil does not spray out of the camshaft onto the connecting rods in the KT17 Series II, KT19 Series II and all Magnum twin cylinder engines. If there's no oil filter on a KT17 Series II, KT19 Series II or any Magnum twin cylinder engine (oil adapter port blocked off), it's still important to change the oil on a regular basis with these engines, too. Again, fresh oil is cheaper than an engine or engine rebuild. The first design KT17 and KT19, and the KT17 Series II and KT19 Series II engines look pretty much the same on the outside, except the first design KT17 and KT19 engine blocks have no provision (port) for an oil filter and no port to connect an oil pressure light or mechanical oil gauge. Another way to tell which engine is which (without completely disassembling the engine to see the crankshaft and camshaft for oil holes) is by the engine specification numbers. The specification numbers follows the engine model number on the affixed sticker or label. The specification numbers for the first design KT17 engines are 24299 and lower. The specification numbers for the KT17 Series II engines are 24300 and higher. The specification numbers for the first design KT19 are 49199 and lower. The specification numbers for the KT19 Series II are 49200 and higher. KT21 engines - All specification numbers (32120-32148).

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squonk

@stevasaurus may be able to direct you to a machine shop somewhat in your area. Good shops are hard to find and he found a good one in IL. 

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pacer

Note fellas: Hes got a "D" model with the big 18hp 482 twin, and that is a whole different ball game from the KT17s - though they are fun too!

 

You are looking at a mess there, parts for the 482 and its big brother the 532 are scarce. If your rod disintegrated - which it must have - rods are almost impossible to find, tho as 953 mentioned about Brian Miller, he does rods up to accept inserts, and your crank is also probably bad and he has some crankshafts. You would just have to contact him to see just what he could do. Probably gonna hit your wallet pretty hard whatever route you take. Then if your cyl wall is scored, can it be bored enough to clean it up....heres a link to - a looong page - covering what I mentioned

 

http://gardentractorpullingtips.com/balance.htm

 

Ive got both the K482 and the K532 and in trying to head off something like youve got, I elected to go into them and do an inspection, replacing/repairing/cleaning them and went ahead and added fresh pistons/rings/gaskets, etc. They both were very clean with nominal wear - thank goodness!

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Howie

I wonder if the block can be sleeved? At a small shop here he has done some K series blocks. Probably be somewhat expensive tho.

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a.dumont

0.030" over is the largest piston and ring set I can find. I think that would clean up the scoring. A good point was made that the crank may have some damage, and locating a new one would be tough. I found a source for a new rod, assuming that is what went. For all I know, the wrist pin came out of the bottom of the piston. In the end, I am heavily leaning towards getting a subcompact tractor, and letting the WH turn into a fun, slow, rebuild project instead of a necessity.

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pfrederi
10 minutes ago, a.dumont said:

0.030" over is the largest piston and ring set I can find. I think that would clean up the scoring. A good point was made that the crank may have some damage, and locating a new one would be tough. I found a source for a new rod, assuming that is what went. For all I know, the wrist pin came out of the bottom of the piston. In the end, I am heavily leaning towards getting a subcompact tractor, and letting the WH turn into a fun, slow, rebuild project instead of a necessity.

 

 

I use lots of old equipment. Wheel Horses are mostly in the 40-50 yr old range my farm tractors are 65-74 years old my M37 is 67.  They all work....but if one of them develops a problem its not like I have to have it because I have to get to work or the grass is growing snow pileing up etc....  If you only have one unit and have "must do's" get something new....

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coldbear

Ivan  at   isavetractors.com might have a rebuild kit for it.

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a.dumont

Hi guys, I appreciate all the input. My father in law found a 24 HP Kohler for $400 with the core. I'd like the upgrade, but I could end up spending $400 for the engine, only to need to rebuild it. After much thought, I'm going to fix my K482. A rebuild is going to be $500 to $600 to do it completely and right. However, since I need something to cut the grass now, I'll get a used rider (found a few 54" one-owners locally). Hopefully this time next year I'll be looking at a Kubota B-Series TLB.

 

 

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pacer

$5-600 for a rebuild on the big twin doesnt sound bad, at all. Can you tell us who/what/where youre getting it done?? How you got around the rod shortage, etc. Others may can take advantage of your find.....

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a.dumont

www.isavetractors.com sells the connecting rods, but after taking the bottom off... looks like a crank would be in the works too. Price just jumped on this rebuild. Found another engine for $200 without the core required. Going to swap it out for now. Will be selling the parts off this one soon.

3582.jpeg

3584.jpeg

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coldbear

Check with Boomer on this sight. When I rebuilt my H-20 he found me many new parts and excellent used ones. He won't ship junk , If you can find him, he'll help you monararly .

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