Kohler Courage 20---what beside main crank seal will quickly dump all oil from under engine?

[Carver69]

Is the dye you use to highlight the oil or voids on aluminum where the dye won't penetrate ?
If you could share a product name I will just duplicate your process.

Nevermind. I just asked google and found about 20 solutions for the dye at the local auto stores. I will add some dye and fill the engine again.

I have been a woodcarver for roughly 50 years and have always been really active. Congestive heart failure for over 10 years but it did not really affect me much. Now I have a rarer version of an already rare disease called Grover's. The skin starts to delaminate causing disconnected layers in small " tears" most often found under sweat glands. Normally you get what looks like chigger bites that itch terribly 24/7 and last a month or more. In my version the adjacent tissues tears as the sweat glands start to accumulate sweat but cannot open up to release the sweat. that tears some nerve endings resulting what feels like very bad prickly heat quickly turning into what feels like bee stings. It is triggered by warm air, direct sunlight, physical exertion, emotional stress, spicy food. Lost about 40lbs of muscle mass in 6 months.

I recently lost a friend that was renting a house from me. His only heir does not want anything of his. There is a new engine lift in the garage I hope to get back home soon. Sadly there are 2 BMW motorcycles, a Suzuki bandit also in there but they have not been started in roughly 6 years. All three of them weigh over 500 lbs and even putting them on a trailer will be a test for me. the BMW's are really loaded. He did the "iron butt race" from NYC to LA nonstop several years on one and the other is a custom white pearl bagger.

All things considered I am vertical and still taking nourishment. Some folks aren't.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

Is the dye you use to highlight the oil or voids on aluminum where the dye won't penetrate ?
If you could share a product name I will just duplicate your process.

Nevermind. I just asked google and found about 20 solutions for the dye at the local auto stores. I will add some dye and fill the engine again.

I have been a woodcarver for roughly 50 years and have always been really active. Congestive heart failure for over 10 years but it did not really affect me much. Now I have a rarer version of an already rare disease called Grover's. The skin starts to delaminate causing disconnected layers in small " tears" most often found under sweat glands. Normally you get what looks like chigger bites that itch terribly 24/7 and last a month or more. In my version the adjacent tissues tears as the sweat glands start to accumulate sweat but cannot open up to release the sweat. that tears some nerve endings resulting what feels like very bad prickly heat quickly turning into what feels like bee stings. It is triggered by warm air, direct sunlight, physical exertion, emotional stress, spicy food. Lost about 40lbs of muscle mass in 6 months.

I recently lost a friend that was renting a house from me. His only heir does not want anything of his. There is a new engine lift in the garage I hope to get back home soon. Sadly there are 2 BMW motorcycles, a Suzuki bandit also in there but they have not been started in roughly 6 years. All three of them weigh over 500 lbs and even putting them on a trailer will be a test for me. the BMW's are really loaded. He did the "iron butt race" from NYC to LA nonstop several years on one and the other is a custom white pearl bagger.

All things considered I am vertical and still taking nourishment. Some folks aren't.

Regarding the Kohler Courage (single cylinder specifically). I have never seen the “Kohler crack”, or any catastrophic damage due to sump bolts backing out. Plenty of loose sump bolts that I tightened after removing engine shroud.

Is it possible your oil leak came from not tightening the oil filter enough or incorrect oil filter? Is it still leaking oil?

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I Picked it up and made a trailer ride back to home. Did a full tune-up and oil change. When I cranked it all the oil immediately sprayed out from beneath the motor in just a couple of seconds.

OIL FILTER. either missing the seal or wrong filter.

 

[Carver69]

Regarding the Kohler Courage (single cylinder specifically). I have never seen the “Kohler crack”, or any catastrophic damage due to sump bolts backing out. Plenty of loose sump bolts that I tightened after removing engine shroud.

Is it possible your oil leak came from not tightening the oil filter enough or incorrect oil filter? Is it still leaking oil?

I will be check the filter out better today ( or at least as soon as I can get some help.). It feels quite tight. If that turns out to be the original problem, I will be needing knee surgery very soon for kicking myself in the a$$ !
I have removed the engine but will need help getting it back upright to refill with oil. I will be adding tracking dye to the fill. I cannot see any clear path that the oil took to get on top of the bottom pulley. The parts I installed were all sold as OEM and the filter appeared to be a match for the original factory one. I prefilled it and oiled the rubber seal lightly. This was the first oil change it has ever had but probably has less than a few hundred hours on it since new.. It was apparently pooled up on the pulley before I started it. I was standing next to it when I started it and was able to kill it within seconds. oil continued to drain onto the trailer overnight and was below the tip of the dipstick. The continued draining was what lead me to suspect the lower crank seal. since I already have a new one ( from Kohler ), I'll put it in after I do the leak test. Since I will have the engine on a "bench" soon I will do any further PM I can do once I decide the main problem is solved.

Thanks for the suggestions. Phill

 

[biggertv]

Purchased a Toro Bronco new 15 years (or more) ago and it has had a very babied life at a lakehouse that only gets used about 3 times a year. I had a need to loan it to son-in-law that burned up ( it literally caught on fire ) his new JD Zero turn.

Never had any issues at all with the Toro / Kohler other than replacing a couple of tires that dry-rotted.

I Picked it up and made a trailer ride back to home. Did a full tune-up and oil change. When I cranked it all the oil immediately sprayed out from beneath the motor in just a couple of seconds. I felt pretty sure it was a main seal on the crank because of he volume and speed with which it occurred and just ordered a new OEM seal. With the mower lifted overhead and pulleys removed The part of the motor around the crank is dry and dusty.
After a lot of digging online I stripped the top end of the motor and it does not even suffer the common oil leaks and all side of the engine are still dry and dusty.
When the oil was being discharged it came out like it was under high pressure directly down on the trailer ..

That was a lot of background for a relatively simple question. Does the Kohler Courage 20 have any type of opening beside the main seal on the very bottom of the engine that could of dumped all the oil in just a few seconds. If not, I am suspecting a catastrophic block crack. I can pull the engine and inspect the bottom but that simple act will cost me considerably and I will probably just cut my losses and try to find a used mower.

A Hole in the Block. Ask Taryl, he knows it didn't have the courage to keep a piston attached to the crankshaft.

 

[Jimmyl]

Similar issue on a 7000 series Kohler. The crack was hard to see until engine was off. Mister Rod committed suicide!!
Tried to upload a pic. Apparently the server only handles very small files?

 

[Auto Doc's]

Keep it simple, use a rag and a blow nozzle to apply very low-pressure air to the crankcase oil fill. A leak will present itself. You will see it or hear it.

 

[Boomer49]

Simplest solution for future consideration, replace son-in-law.

 

[Alan46]

Keep it simple, use a rag and a blow nozzle to apply very low-pressure air to the crankcase oil fill. A leak will present itself. You will see it or hear it.

Great comment!

 

[Forest#2]

Something you did when you changed the oil if it was ok before.
for example oil filter not correct.
sump drain plug overtightened and cracked the block.
Spraying oil under pressure is a indicator of the oil filter area.

A $15 dye kit from the auto store would have saved you lots of time.