Kohler K91 Model 4197: Worth Saving?

P

PGB1

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Hi All!
I long-term loaned my Wacker VPG160 Vibraplate compactor to a relative. One day, the Kohler engine would not start when he was on a project.

As a "favor" he swapped the engine for I think a Predator or some other Made In China engine. (Whatever he could get quickly)

The Kohler used to run perfectly and never used oil, blew smoke or give any grief. But the ignition coil went bad & he could not find one. He tried to find one for months without luck. Suddenly, they are available on eBay as aftermarket.


I'll most likely not use the compactor and give it to him, so I'll put the Kohler engine for sale somehow somewhere. (Not eBay since they now need a Social Security number to sell things. Not me!)

The Question-
Is it worth fixing the engine & selling it? Or, sell as-is. Or is it a "no big deal" engine, therefore scrap it as not worth fixing?
What do you all think?

Thanks For Sharing Advice. I appreciate it.
Paul
 
A

Auto Doc's

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The Predator engines are not built to last for long. I would get this Kohler running and keep it for a backup spare. The Kohler is hands down the better engine.

Isn't the K91 a points ignition engine? He may have assumed it was a bad coil and it only needs a good tune up.

Points gap: .020 inch. Plug gap .030 inch

 
H

hlw49

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Nova 2 makes a chip to replace the points and condensor on small engines. They work on most all point type ignitions. Install it and if it doesn't fire switch the wires. Most of the time this will work. I have used them on the old cast Iron Kohler engines. You can get them at Amazon.
 
Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

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PGB1 said:
Hi All!
I long-term loaned my Wacker VPG160 Vibraplate compactor to a relative. One day, the Kohler engine would not start when he was on a project.

As a "favor" he swapped the engine for I think a Predator or some other Made In China engine. (Whatever he could get quickly)

The Kohler used to run perfectly and never used oil, blew smoke or give any grief. But the ignition coil went bad & he could not find one. He tried to find one for months without luck. Suddenly, they are available on eBay as aftermarket.


I'll most likely not use the compactor and give it to him, so I'll put the Kohler engine for sale somehow somewhere. (Not eBay since they now need a Social Security number to sell things. Not me!)

The Question-
Is it worth fixing the engine & selling it? Or, sell as-is. Or is it a "no big deal" engine, therefore scrap it as not worth fixing?
What do you all think?

Thanks For Sharing Advice. I appreciate it.
Paul
Click to expand...
I would say it is worth the effort to get the Kohler engine running and keep for back up, reinstall on the equipment, or sell.
 
P

PGB1

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Thank You all for helping and for ideas. I appreciate it.
It is a points engine, so I'll focus on that first.

Thanks Again!
Paul
 
R

Rivets

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I would definitely try to save that old mule, especially if I was doing the work myself. They don’t come close to making that quality of engine. Before getting in to far, I would pull the head and make sure the cylinder was fully good condition FIRST. They can be rebore if needed, but you will have a better idea of what you’re
 
dicksonm

dicksonm

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Since the Kohler engine was running perfectly before the ignition coil failed, it might be worth getting it fixed, especially now that the coils are available on eBay. If you are not interested in using the compactor and would rather sell the engine, repairing it could increase its value and attract more buyers. If you don't want to spend time repairing it, you could sell it as-is, although you'll probably get less money. Throwing it away doesn't seem necessary, as it still has value, repaired or not.
 
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