PTmowerMech
Lawn Addict
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2018
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Yep it is but like you say, if you can get the rocker cover off. And you probably already know but if you do adjust them make sure to loosen the center set screw first while holding the adjusting nut before trying to turn the adjusting nut. If not the nut will likely break in half. Seen it dozens of times. But a 2010 built 840 might have still been using a jam nut and not the center set screw. I just can't remember when Kohler made the change.
If you can, check the voltage at the battery and see what it drops to while cranking when it acts up. Then if your tester leads are long enough, leave the black lead on the negative terminal of the battery and touch the red lead to the starter terminal where the cable connects. Crank the engine and see what the voltage is again when it acts up. If the voltage drop between what you had at the battery and what you had at the starter is less than about 2 or 3 volts check the ground side. Again leaving the black lead on the negative terminal of the battery, touch the red lead to the outside case of the starter. Crank the engine and see if you read any voltage. You should not. You should never read voltage on the ground side. If you do, you have a ground issue. Either a connection issue or bad cable.
If the battery voltage drop in that first test is more than about 2 or 3 volts follow that starter cable back to what I call the starter side of the solenoid and do another voltage test to see what the voltage is while cranking with the issue. If it's the same as what you had at the starter do another test but this time on the battery side of the solenoid. While cranking with or without the issue, the voltages should be pretty much the same from the battery, to and through the solenoid and down at the starter terminal. You're going to loose a few 10ths through the solenoid but if you're dropping volts, like 4 or 5 from one side of the solenoid to the other then you're probably in need of a new solenoid.
You can probably do these voltage tests in about 5 minutes but may need a helper to crank the engine while you're holding test leads.
You may already know all of this but some people are really intimidated by anything electrical. I figure it's never hurts to give more info than less in case someone doesn't know.
Actually, I didn't know it in those terms. As in loss of voltage from the solenoid. But I'm pretty sure it's not going to be an electrical issue, because this starter is making some kind of racket when it's engaged. I'm going to check to see if the shaft is bent, as you mentioned.