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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

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.
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

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"
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

Have any of you seen issues with the Kohler 5400 series having issues with dirt getting past the air filter?
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

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.
I use grease on the intake horn were the filter attaches. The fines will not get past the grease.


#8

A

Auto Doc's

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.
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

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.
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

I use grease on the intake horn were the filter attaches. The fines will not get past the grease.
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

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

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


#16

M

MParr

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


#17

Scrubcadet10

Scrubcadet10

You are getting closer to the answer.
I think the answer is that it wasn't maintained properly 😂


#18

ILENGINE

ILENGINE

I think the answer is that it wasn't maintained properly 😂
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

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.
that's a strong possibility.


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