ptracy70 2 #1 Posted September 16, 2019 good evening, what are some of the must dos when buying a used kohler k181.also it has no compression,i took off the head and everything is moving like it should be.so i was going to get new head gasket, but was wondering what you guys or gals do automatically when getting a used engine.thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 35,907 #2 Posted September 16, 2019 Possible causes of no compression are; 1. If the head gasket is leaking, you should be able to see the leakage path on the gasket, head, or block. replace the gasket and check for compression. 2. The valves are leaking. Check the sealing by inserting a strip of paper under the valve head. The paper should get tight if the valve is sealing. Check each valve at 4 places. 3. The rings are worn or broken. replace the rings and possibly the piston. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 63,283 #3 Posted September 16, 2019 6 hours ago, phil t said: it has no compression None. Nothing. Nada? Or just really low? Remember that most Kohler engines have ACR. Auto compression release. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,919 #4 Posted September 16, 2019 The best way to find areas of compression loss is to do a leak-down test. This consists of bringing the piston to top dead center (or a bit past for Kohler because of ACR) and applying air pressure to the cylinder (head secured to the engine) to see where air is being expelled. Lots of videos of it in the internet. You can look over this tutorial by @prondzy, it is excellent and will show you what to look for as you dive into this project. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #5 Posted September 16, 2019 The first thing l do when get a used motor is to pull the head off and have a look in side. to Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 8,876 #6 Posted September 16, 2019 5 hours ago, ebinmaine said: Or just really low? Remember that most Kohler engines have ACR. Auto compression release. You cannot use a regular compression test gauge since these have ACR. The leak down test mentioned above works good. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites