Kohler Courage Lemon.. Need Help

[jk1w]

Well to start off I have a Kohler Courage 20hp single cam motor and that thing has been a POS since I owned it ; from missing internal components not installed at factory, to replacing the carburetor, and other problems this thing has been a nightmare but I cant afford another tractor.

So to start off with my current problem, imagine going along your day cutting the grass peacefully when all of the sudden you start to lose power- you think ok I am running out of gas so I should start heading back to the garage to fill her up, then all of a sudden the power drops suddenly and make such a loud vibrating noise from the engine and so you turned off the engine and pushed her back and you let her sit for a couple of hours.

Well I came back after letting her sit, I tried to turn her again but she was still making that noise, so I starting checking things off until I come to notice that the was dry and all I can say oh s*** and especially knowing that she was full before I started. So that's my problem an unknown noise (not a mechanic so don't recognize the sounds)

What I did though to calm some worry was I turned the fuel valve off (gravity fed) and pulled the spark plug boot, and turned her over; which she turns over fine no clinks no rattles no scrapping of any kind and there is compression. But when she starts it sounds like plastic in a nitro powered blender with some bad vibrating to it :thumbdown:

 

[jk1w]

Update #1:

Took valve cover off, found out why it was leaking, my previous mechanic used create a seal crap which really didn't and allowed oil to seep out

Second is there supposed to be oil in the valve cover? When I took her off she was dry with a dab of oil on the valve cover no bigger than a pencil point

 

[motoman]

Update #1:

Took valve cover off, found out why it was leaking, my previous mechanic used create a seal crap which really didn't and allowed oil to seep out

Second is there supposed to be oil in the valve cover? When I took her off she was dry with a dab of oil on the valve cover no bigger than a pencil point

jk1w, I can comment on my Intek 24 (Briggs). There is surprisingly little oil in the valve cover. I would say a teaspoon or so when pulled down for valve adjust. This means to me the valves on my engine receive a mist or vapor of oil at best which makes me wonder why they installed a valve stem seal on the exhaust valve. Anyway, if I read your post correctly you suspect a dry sump due to a leaky valve cover? Hard for me to imagine that. Hope your engine is not damaged. :thumbsup:

 

[jk1w]

@Motorman

Yeah I believe that might be the problem, with no oil in the valve cover when I notice I ran her dry, I think that caused the weird "plastic in a blender sound" which, correct me if I am wrong, means that the valves where hitting against dry metal. I am going to test that theory out, I have already begun to drain the old oil (the oil I had put in after I noticed she was dry), and I am (for safe knowing) going to put fresh oil in her and see what happens. I hope this is all this amounts to, the engine it self turns over fine, now just to get her to start with out no noises

 

[jk1w]

Update 2:
Got new oil in, but noticed one of the tappers is loose so I have to wait to get a security bit to tighten her down, turned her on and over very loud exhaust (don't have exhaust muffler on) she sounds a little better will keep an update but I still will like to hear if I am going in the right direction- Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[KennyV]

It may be me ... but I'm having problems following what you have discovered and what you have tightened...
:smile:KennyV

 

[Carscw]

Ok you say it had no oil in it then you say you drained out the old oil.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

 

[briggs]

very confusing to me ...:confused2:

 

[jk1w]

Lol sorry, I try to explain better

#1 Ok I had no oil at all visible to the dipstick- I ran her dry (accidentally)- and I went ahead and put some oil back to see if that might help waited two hours and cranked her a over thinking that might help move some of oil around before I tried to actually turn her on

#2 After more searching online I further proceeded to drain the newish oil (mixed in with what ever was left in the pan) after I took off the valve cover off (didn't know if it was going to be spilling out with it open, and also to ease any more worry's with the mixed oil)

#3 I found one of the rocker arms loose in the process after I took off the valve cover, and I think that might be the problem with the noise (that an no oil), so I have to wait to get a security star bit so I can tightened her down and try again to see if that helped

#4 I then proceeded to put fresh new oil in after some more insight that it wouldn't be gushing out, and I further cranked over engine but still does not seem like its pumping the oil though to the valve cover area??

#5 Now my big worry is that I didn't screw up the engine, and also any other ideas or suggestions to my problem (original problem was that it sounded like plastic in a blender)

I hope this is less confusing lol

 

[motoman]

Jk, The security bit you are referring to is a torx bit to adjust the pushrod clearance (lash)?? I think we are worried about how dry and how long. If you have a torx adjustment the engine does not have hydraulic lifters so the dry , clicking or clanking came from something else.