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Dirt ingestion

#1

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

Have any of you seen issues with the Kohler 5400 series having issues with dirt getting past the air filter?
Have one in right now burning oil bad and I pulled the air filter off and the intake is caked fine dust and dirt. It's bad.
I bore scoped the cylinder and it doesn't look good at all, some pretty deep scores in it and very glazed looking.
Customer has done his own maintenance and used Kohler air filters. Brand new every year since 2022. The filter seems to seal well on the end and no obvious holes in it.


#2

M

MParr

Does this engine have the cylinder shaped air filter? If so, it should also have a green foam pre-filter. The pre-filter should be cleaned and re-oiled every 25 hours. The filter should be replaced every 100 hours. The filter housing should also be cleaned ever 25 hours.


#3

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

MParr said:
Does this engine have the cylinder shaped air filter? If so, it should also have a green foam pre-filter. The pre-filter should be cleaned and re-oiled every 25 hours. The filter should be replaced every 100 hours. The filter housing should also be cleaned ever 25 hours.
Click to expand...
Yes the cylinder shaped l one,

I doubt he does that. He said he just puts a new one on on once a year.
I've offered to take care of his maintenance for him but "he don't need to pay no one to do what he can do"


#4

M

MParr

Scrubcadet10 said:
Yes the cylinder shaped l one,

I doubt he does that. He said he just puts a new one on on once a year.
I've offered to take care of his maintenance for him but "he don't need to pay no one to do what he can do"
Click to expand...
Yep! It's critical to service that pre-filter. It catches most of the junk. Washing it and oiling it every 25 hours is important. I like the aerosol foam filter oil. It's easy to apply and pretty tacky.


#5

S

SeniorCitizen

Buy a electrostatic roll washable and cut to size . I've used it as a pre-filter for a cheep paper filter for our HVAC unit that was purchased new in 1980 . HVAC techs can't believe that unit is 45 years old but it is . On a mower engine I'd wash -- back flush electrostatic -- after 5 hrs depending on operation conditions, and replace the paper filter every year residential use .



#6

S

slomo

Scrubcadet10 said:
Have any of you seen issues with the Kohler 5400 series having issues with dirt getting past the air filter?
Click to expand...
Every mower I've ever seen has a heavy grit trail past the air filter. Don't care what brand or type. I now silicone seal a new fresh air filter for the year per mower. I seal it up like a bank vault. Some good ol' 100% GE silicone.

Foam pre filters help but still do not provide a 100% dirt/grit seal. I used to oil and use dirt bike tacky spray oil on the foam pre filters. Still had grit past the filter. Junk goes straight to the rings.

Again this isn't a Kroller or Briggs only issue. Got to get drastic with the dirt fellas.


#7

M

MParr

slomo said:
Every mower I've ever seen has a heavy grit trail past the air filter. Don't care what brand or type. I now silicone seal a new fresh air filter for the year per mower. I seal it up like a bank vault. Some good ol' 100% GE silicone.

Foam pre filters help but still do not provide a 100% dirt/grit seal. I used to oil and use dirt bike tacky spray oil on the foam pre filters. Still had grit past the filter. Junk goes straight to the rings.

Again this isn't a Kroller or Briggs only issue. Got to get drastic with the dirt fellas.
Click to expand...
I use grease on the intake horn were the filter attaches. The fines will not get past the grease.


#8

A

Auto Doc's

Scrubcadet10 said:
Have any of you seen issues with the Kohler 5400 series having issues with dirt getting past the air filter?
Have one in right now burning oil bad and I pulled the air filter off and the intake is caked fine dust and dirt. It's bad.
I bore scoped the cylinder and it doesn't look good at all, some pretty deep scores in it and very glazed looking.
Customer has done his own maintenance and used Kohler air filters. Brand new every year since 2022. The filter seems to seal well on the end and no obvious holes in it.
Click to expand...
Sounds like he is mowing nearly bare lots and creating dust storm to have this kind of issue. An air filter even with the pre-filtered oil can only do so much.

Check the entire intake system for loose or missing gaskets.


#9

7394

7394

Look at those worm drive hose clamps. They tighten but do have gap at the screw area. I quit using them..


#10

V

VegetiveSteam

I've not seen any issues myself. Do you know if the customer ever tries to clean the air filter with compressed air? Also, if you haven't already, you might check the breather hose for being loose or cracked.


#11

S

slomo

VegetiveSteam said:
I've not seen any issues myself. Do you know if the customer ever tries to clean the air filter with compressed air? Also, if you haven't already, you might check the breather hose for being loose or cracked.
Click to expand...
Pull your air filter. Look down the intake manifold that leads to the cylinder. All I've seen are dirt lined all the way down far as I can see.


#12

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

yep breather hose checked out....
he told me he taps it out every once in awhile....whatever that means.


#13

G

GrumpyCat

MParr said:
I use grease on the intake horn were the filter attaches. The fines will not get past the grease.
Click to expand...
Grease the junction between air filter and housing to "glue" the seam and possibly catch stuff if an opening appears.

Years ago I put a "fingerprint" of grease inside the clean side of a motorcycle intake wearing a K&N air filter. Checked a couple weeks later to find the fingerprint full of grit. The K&N went in the trash. Genuine Honda paper filter, same test, passed.


#14

G

GrumpyCat

Scrubcadet10 said:
yep breather hose checked out....
he told me he taps it out every once in awhile....whatever that means.
Click to expand...
I know what that means. It means his paper filter is stopping a lot of dirt from getting in but with that much dirt some gets through. Also means he is not using the foam prefilter, which he badly needs.

Another motorcycle trick: on dirtbikes most use a foam air filter. For a prefilter put pantyhose over the foam.


#15

M

MParr

7394 said:
Look at those worm drive hose clamps. They tighten but do have gap at the screw area. I quit using them..
Click to expand...
That would apply to the
7394 said:
Look at those worm drive hose clamps. They tighten but do have gap at the screw area. I quit using them..
Click to expand...
The worm drive clamps are on Kawasaki FR series engines. Kohler uses a different design.


#16

M

MParr

Scrubcadet10 said:
yep breather hose checked out....
he told me he taps it out every once in awhile....whatever that means.
Click to expand...
You are getting closer to the answer.


#17

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

MParr said:
You are getting closer to the answer.
Click to expand...
I think the answer is that it wasn't maintained properly 😂


#18

ILENGINE

ILENGINE

Scrubcadet10 said:
I think the answer is that it wasn't maintained properly 😂
Click to expand...
I think there is more to this story that what has been told. If he is tapping out the filter. Is he getting enough dirt and dust into the filter to obstruct air flow causing air to find other avenues of entry. Because if a filter gets stricted can cause air and dirt to bypass the filter.


#19

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

ILENGINE said:
I think there is more to this story that what has been told. If he is tapping out the filter. Is he getting enough dirt and dust into the filter to obstruct air flow causing air to find other avenues of entry. Because if a filter gets stricted can cause air and dirt to bypass the filter.
Click to expand...
that's a strong possibility.


#20

R

RevB

Scrubcadet10 said:
Yes the cylinder shaped l one,

I doubt he does that. He said he just puts a new one on on once a year.
I've offered to take care of his maintenance for him but "he don't need to pay no one to do what he can do"
Click to expand...
Sounds like "what he can do" will resolve itself......


#21

O

outdoorpowermike

The Kohler motor has a vent tube that goes under the plastic air filter housing and will dry and crack then fall off and suck anything in. Maybe check there.


#22

S

slomo

GrumpyCat said:
Years ago I put a "fingerprint" of grease inside the clean side of a motorcycle intake wearing a K&N air filter. Checked a couple weeks later to find the fingerprint full of grit. The K&N went in the trash. Genuine Honda paper filter, same test, passed.
Click to expand...
Smart man. Seen the same thing. K&N's are the worst for anything off-road. Well on road as well. Had a 2016 suburban with a K&N. Pulled the filter to clean it once. All down the intake pipe was grit city. All that was heading right to the rings.


#23

S

slomo

GrumpyCat said:
Grease the junction between air filter and housing to "glue" the seam and possibly catch stuff if an opening appears.
Click to expand...
I tried the wheel bearing grease trick. Not good for under hood temps in summer or mowers. Made a mess when the oil separated from the grease.

Went full on 100% GE silicone caulk on a new filter. Air filter is now glued to the filter housing with zero chance of grit passing.


#24

V

VegetiveSteam

slomo said:
All that was heading right to the rings.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and it's not doing the intake valve stems and guides any favors either.


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