John Deere 214 Kohler engine worth saving?

[coinman66]

Have a chance to get a John Deere 214 mower with a single cylinder 14hp Kohler engine. The mower caught fire and melted the hood pretty good, although they said they put fire out fairly quickly with water hose. Is this particular engine worth saving as long as fixable?
Thanks

 

[grumpyunk]

That depends on the model or series. If it is a Courage, then I wouldn't bother. OTOH, if it was a Command or Command Pro, then definitely take a look. The Courage series has two cams, one for each valve, and has the habit of loosening its top cover bolts, which in turn collide with the flywheel, turning the crankcase into scrap. The also will toss their rods for no apparent reason, from what I've read.
The Command series was top notch. Keep them oiled and fed decent fuel, and they'll last.
tom

 

[coinman66]

That depends on the model or series. If it is a Courage, then I wouldn't bother. OTOH, if it was a Command or Command Pro, then definitely take a look. The Courage series has two cams, one for each valve, and has the habit of loosening its top cover bolts, which in turn collide with the flywheel, turning the crankcase into scrap. The also will toss their rods for no apparent reason, from what I've read.
The Command series was top notch. Keep them oiled and fed decent fuel, and they'll last.
tom

It has a Kohler K321 single cylinder 14hp cast iron engine.

 

[grumpyunk]

The K3xx series are keepers. There may be one that is not as good as the rest, but in general, they are as reliable as anvils. Feed & oil, and they'll give years of service.
If the replacement parts are not too high, it is worth putting some time, money and labor into.
Check over on mytractorforum for parts sources unless some are listed here. Some have used 'kits' from ebay, others psep dot biz, and other sources are online in addition to local vendors. Check locally as sometimes the local source will come close to on-line if you consider time, tax, and shipping charges. Some might match to make a sale.
tom