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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:

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 said:

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

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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:

@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

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:

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

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 ))

very confusing to me ...:confused2:

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

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.

This guy is doing the same thing I am about to do once I get a torx security bit (he didn't need one though, I guess he didn't have one on the briggs??)


( HOW TO ADJUST VALVES) FIX HARD TO START Lawn Tractor with OHV Briggs Engine- MUST SEE- Part 2/2 - YouTube


Sorry I ain't in no means a mechanic and I am learning while I am going

BTW I ran the lawnmower for 2 hours before she started making noise and how dry, that I do not know, only thing I know it didn't read at all on the dipstick and with haste I filled her back up and let her sit another 2hrs. But like I said, just cranking her over (no spark plug or fuel, just the starter spinning the flywheel and cylinder head) she sounds fine (again not a mechanic so fine by others idk).

jk1w said:

... I am learning while I am going

... how dry, that I do not know,...with haste I filled her back up

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Actually from the above information you provided, You Will have a pretty Good idea of just How empty it was when you were running it...
How Much did you Have to Add to "Fill it back up"...

It should be Noted that a Lack of lubrication, Plus the Lack of cooling that oil provides, Will permanently damage internal engine parts... things like cams, rockers, valves, rings, pistons & crank shafts Will change dimensions when subjected to increasing Heat. That change in dimension along with little Or No lubrication will remove metal as parts try to fuse together.
Adjusting the increased clearance is Not going to 'fix' a problem like this...

And although the Kohler Courage is not their top of the line engine... It is Not a "lemon" because it will not run for 2 hours without oil. You do have to be a little reasonable with your expectations. :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

Actually from the above information you provided, You Will have a pretty Good idea of just How empty it was when you were running it...
How Much did you Have to Add to "Fill it back up"...

It should be Noted that a Lack of lubrication, Plus the Lack of cooling that oil provides, Will permanently damage internal engine parts... things like cams, rockers, valves, rings, pistons & crank shafts Will change dimensions when subjected to increasing Heat. That change in dimension along with little Or No lubrication will remove metal as parts try to fuse together.
Adjusting the increased clearance is Not going to 'fix' a problem like this...

And although the Kohler Courage is not their top of the line engine... It is Not a "lemon" because it will not run for 2 hours without oil. You do have to be a little reasonable with your expectations. :smile:KennyV

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Well looking at the bottle I used I put back in about 16qt's back in, but I do not know exactly how much it holds (never changed oil on her, was done by previous mechanic)

Also I did not know she was leaking like I said I had checked her before I started and she was full, now how quick or how fast I lost oil I do not know. And also I found that the leak was coming from the valve cover on the front where the past mechanic tried to make a make shift seal. Again I didn't notice she was leaking, there was no unusual smells or big clouds of smoke.

And for me she is a lemon if you read my first post, when I first got this lawnmower, I had already begun having troubles with the engine. The biggest thing was that some internals was missing from factory and my past mechanic fixed it under warranty (replaced the block and kept everything else). But see this is not the first time this has happened, this lawnmower was sent back under the same condition but my father had took care of the issue and that's all I heard of it. Now my father has passed and that mechanic has closed up shop and moved some where else, I am stuck having to try to fix this thing. So for me she is a lemon.

While best wishes are extended to you it sounds like "lemon" may not be the proper description. Lemon is usually reserved for bad ,new, product from the manufacturer. These engines work in extremely hazardous conditions and , IMO, require babying and TLC if they are to last. Your engine may have not had a good start in life. Hope somehow it can resurrect itself.

motoman said:

While best wishes are extended to you it sounds like "lemon" may not be the proper description. Lemon is usually reserved for bad ,new, product from the manufacturer. These engines work in extremely hazardous conditions and , IMO, require babying and TLC if they are to last. Your engine may have not had a good start in life. Hope somehow it can resurrect itself.

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Thanks, well after all that fuss, I found out after cracking the case open, that oil was not causing the issue (but could of caused more damage). The problem I found to be was a weight shattered on top of the crankshaft, causing the vibration and the pieces causing the "plastic in the blender sound". Now I am going to see if I can do something with Kohler to get the engine replaced because they don't make the weight that shattered no more. They told me they might be able to replace the short block under warranty *fingers crossed

I'm thinking the clanking noise might be a rod bearing gone bad. They don't last long when not receiving enough oil. gregjo1948