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I have a Craftsman mower about 14 years old. It has a 54" mower and the 26 hp High Performance V-Twin Kohler engine. This year when mowing the engine would gradually lose power like the air filter was dirty and plugged. Cleaned it and washed and dried it being a K&N filter. Mowed another 15 minutes and started losing power again. I blew out the fuel filter as best I could. Mowed a little longer and then started losing power again. Cleaned out all the dust on the mower with a hose. Went to start it and now I just get a click from the solenoid when I turn the key to start it. I bought a new battery. Then went back and had it tested when that didn't solve my problem and it is okay. Reading a post on here I hooked up jumper cables + to + and - to - and then - to ground on the frame and touched the + connection on the starter. Some sparks but nothing from the starter. I also had bypassed the solenoid with a screw driver and just sparks. The starter has been sounding bad when it starts when the teeth engage the flywheel it's loud. But it was working.

I don't think the starter is the reason the mower was losing power so there are maybe two things going wrong. The engine has not seized as I can turn it by hand. The man in the parts store thought that might be the problem with loss of power.

Is there anything else to check or can I assume the starter is bad?

Thanks,

You can bench test the starter. Check the valves. Check compression. Leak-down test.

I would love to see a video or picture, of you removing the air filter, showing everything behind the air filter towards to engine. Wondering hot much dirt and grit has passed into the engine by using that K&N air filter.

I take it you don't like K&N filters. It is so dusty here at times that I have to stop and knock the dust out of the filter about every hour. I would need a new filter after every mowing. I only have 116 hours on the mower in 14 years. I only need to mow 3 to 4 times a year but it's about 2 1/2 solid acres of my 6 acre lot. Not grass but weeds and dirt. This is in AZ.

No I have not taken the engine shroud off. It looks like 4 bolts and a support for something with the fuel lines to remove. The shroud is plastic. I will take that off and see what I find.

I'm not much of a mechanic and good lawn mower repair shops are hard to find and probably booked solid for weeks. I don't know what a Leak-down test is or how to do the rest of your items in your first sentence.

It might be time to hire out my mowing to someone else.

A good OEM foam pre-filter and filter will last quite a while.

You mess with or change/clean a filter out only when the engine loses power or takes like an extra pull or three on the rope to start. Couple extra cranks on the starter...... No need to pull the filter after every mow and tap/slam it on the ground. Briggs says every time you remove the filter there is a chance that grit and grass can get into the engine. Which is true, every time you open the engine up, dirt gets inside. Clean the engine prior to opening it up.

K&N filters in Arizona is not advised. What is advised is your OEM made filter. Read your engine manual.

Put the new filter in. Mow until you lose power.

You can also fire up the sprinklers for 1-3 minutes prior to mowing. See where this is going? Don't need to swamp the yard out. Just a little morning dew is all.

On a 14 year old mower, several items need to be looked at far as losing power. I mentioned a couple already.

My yard goes to about 500 feet to the street. I don't think I can water it all and dew is pretty rare here. As it is the moisture from the grass turns the dust under the mower bed to cement. It is rusting the mower bed but not too badly yet. I really should take the mower off after each mowing, turn it over, and get a pressure washer to clean it. That mixture of dust and water gets heavy after it builds up. I really do try to mow when there is the least dust but nature doesn't always work for me. A mower is a full time job I guess. I do have more time now that I've retired.

Going out to pull the plastic engine shroud off and I'll let you know what I find. Maybe some dead mice.

Thanks,

It's dirty under the shroud but I don't think it's so dirty it would cause it to over heat. The fins don't have any dirt caked in them. Mostly just a thin layer of dirt everywhere. I'm cleaning it off anyway. Cleaning under the steering and control rods behind the engine. Lots of dirt piled up in there. I almost wish there was more dirt on the fins so I could clean it off if it was an over heating problem. Do you think there is dirt behind the filter that is causing it to not get enough air? I can maybe get that apart. Anything else I should look at?
Thanks for your time you are putting into this.

OMG, that little guy is FILTHY. Toss the Ken and Nancy air filter immediately. That little guy is packed up with grit and blocked solid. LOL wow

What is that to the lower left of the oil dipstick, last picture?

You need to pull the pan like air deflectors/directors off and look under where they sit. These pans surround each cylinder and those cooling fins. These are air cooled. Get drastic on your cleaning ritual. Clean it like a new engine at least monthly.

After every mow, I would blow off with a backpack blower or compressed air. You need to get serious about keeping her clean.

All those connectors are packed up with grit. Amazing.........

Dog, show me what's behind that air filter please. Down into the engine.......

jallenaz said:

Do you think there is dirt behind the filter that is causing it to not get enough air?

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You are down to slamming the air filter out after every mow. Your air filter is plugged. You've done all you can do with that Ken and Nancy filter.

I can't help you anymore without you installing the OEM air filter. Hope it has a foam pre-filter. You can make a foam pre-filter easily if yours doesn't come with one.

I'll have to find a source for a new air filter. I just cleaned that K&N really good. But now that you mention it it looks a bit swelled up.
Attached picture same angle as the previous last after I cleaned it out beyond the dipstick. It's the dust that collects and turns solid everywhere. It was all up through there to the steering. The tractor is probably 10 pound lighter after removing it.

I cleaned out below the air filter. There was a thin layer of sludge. I've always been afraid to clean it out as it wasn't going anywhere and I didn't want to drop some down the openings. It's easier to get at with the shroud off. Down at the bottom of those openings I stuck a pipe cleaner and there's about an eighth inch of sludge both sides. I really don't want to be taking the carburetor off.

I will take off the air deflector/directors and have a look. It will be tomorrow before I get to it.

Thanks for your patience.

With that amount of unfiltered dirt going into the engine I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't wiped the rings and worn the cylinders beyond max. Keep in mind that sludge you are finding going into the carb it only takes 1 tsp to sandpaper the rings and cylinder walls to beyond limits.

When you done your starter test using the jumper cables you confirmed your starter is bad.
Those Kohler starters are good until the starter housing itself fills up with dirt and muck.
Those type starters have opening at the top by the Bendix gear end and some have a itty bitty drain hole at the brush end to drain water out and it clogs and fills with up with dirt. Some do not even have a drain hole. Go on-line and contact dbelectric for a replacement starter if you have the tools for changing out the starter. You tube is your friend as to what is involved. You will need the engine model, code , etc. Some of them Kohler starters have a part number tag on them some don't.
A new starter will only put you back to your original problem of engine getting tired and straining itself.
That engine is eat up with neglect. As slomo says that air filter is clogged. Go back to a OEM type filter and use a foam pre-filter. (Buy two filters and two pre-filters and change them out and clean the old one with air pressure, blowing backwards and clean your engine quite often with air pressure, not water. You can use a leaf blower or get a small 110v portable compressor from lowes. You are very lucky that engine is not a oil burner the way that filter looks.
Do not run the engine over 10 seconds with the air cowling removed when testing the new starter.
When the engine starts loading up, Does the engine pick up speed if you dis-engauge the deck.
If that whole rig is 14 years old and not had any repair or PM done it's time for it too go to a good mechanic and or time to hire out your mowing.
I recently seen that same engine that air filter got so clogged the filter caved in on one side and opened a hole in the filter when it caved inwards. and the engine sucked dirt through the hole and eat up the rings. The Carb had 1/4 inch of muck caked dirt in the carb throat and the intake manifold.

I see Tractor Supply has filters. I will get a couple. I have had such a cloud of dust while mowing when I turned into it the mower almost died. I try not to let that happen

Forest#2 said:

When you done your starter test using the jumper cables you confirmed your starter is bad.
Those Kohler starters are good until the starter housing itself fills up with dirt and muck.
Those type starters have opening at the top by the Bendix gear end and some have a itty bitty drain hole at the brush end to drain water out and it clogs and fills with up with dirt. Some do not even have a drain hole. Go on-line and contact dbelectric for a replacement starter if you have the tools for changing out the starter. You tube is your friend as to what is involved. You will need the engine model, code , etc. Some of them Kohler starters have a part number tag on them some don't.
A new starter will only put you back to your original problem of engine getting tired and straining itself.
That engine is eat up with neglect. As slomo says that air filter is clogged. Go back to a OEM type filter and use a foam pre-filter. (Buy two filters and two pre-filters and change them out and clean the old one with air pressure, blowing backwards and clean your engine quite often with air pressure, not water. You can use a leaf blower or get a small 110v portable compressor from lowes. You are very lucky that engine is not a oil burner the way that filter looks.
Do not run the engine over 10 seconds with the air cowling removed when testing the new starter.
When the engine starts loading up, Does the engine pick up speed if you dis-engauge the deck.
If that whole rig is 14 years old and not had any repair or PM done it's time for it too go to a good mechanic and or time to hire out your mowing.

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Yes, when I disengage the mower it speeds right up. Is that a good thing? I hope. I can change out the starter. I've been to Youtube.

jallenaz said:

Yes, when I disengage the mower it speeds right up. Is that a good thing? I hope. I can change out the starter. I've been to Youtube.

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Step one, get a foam pre and a paper main air filter. Let's get this done first. Put the OEM air filter back on.

Your case you need 2 foam pre-filters. I would put SAE 30w oil on the outer one. Then you can wash that one out after every mow. You have to get drastic with your dirt.

Forest#2 said:

When you done your starter test using the jumper cables you confirmed your starter is bad.
Those Kohler starters are good until the starter housing itself fills up with dirt and muck.
Those type starters have opening at the top by the Bendix gear end and some have a itty bitty drain hole at the brush end to drain water out and it clogs and fills with up with dirt. Some do not even have a drain hole. Go on-line and contact dbelectric for a replacement starter if you have the tools for changing out the starter. You tube is your friend as to what is involved. You will need the engine model, code , etc. Some of them Kohler starters have a part number tag on them some don't.
A new starter will only put you back to your original problem of engine getting tired and straining itself.
That engine is eat up with neglect. As slomo says that air filter is clogged. Go back to a OEM type filter and use a foam pre-filter. (Buy two filters and two pre-filters and change them out and clean the old one with air pressure, blowing backwards and clean your engine quite often with air pressure, not water. You can use a leaf blower or get a small 110v portable compressor from lowes. You are very lucky that engine is not a oil burner the way that filter looks.
Do not run the engine over 10 seconds with the air cowling removed when testing the new starter.
When the engine starts loading up, Does the engine pick up speed if you dis-engauge the deck.
If that whole rig is 14 years old and not had any repair or PM done it's time for it too go to a good mechanic and or time to hire out your mowing.
I recently seen that same engine that air filter got so clogged the filter caved in on one side and opened a hole in the filter when it caved inwards. and the engine sucked dirt through the hole and eat up the rings. The Carb had 1/4 inch of muck caked dirt in the carb throat and the intake manifold.

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I assume you like the DB Electric starters that are cheaper than I found a Kohler starter. The new replacements from Kohler have 9 teeth instead of 10 for more torque they say. But $50 more. I'm going by my Tractor Parts Manual part number.

Forest#2 said:

When you done your starter test using the jumper cables you confirmed your starter is bad.
Those Kohler starters are good until the starter housing itself fills up with dirt and muck.
Those type starters have opening at the top by the Bendix gear end and some have a itty bitty drain hole at the brush end to drain water out and it clogs and fills with up with dirt. Some do not even have a drain hole. Go on-line and contact dbelectric for a replacement starter if you have the tools for changing out the starter. You tube is your friend as to what is involved. You will need the engine model, code , etc. Some of them Kohler starters have a part number tag on them some don't.
A new starter will only put you back to your original problem of engine getting tired and straining itself.
That engine is eat up with neglect. As slomo says that air filter is clogged. Go back to a OEM type filter and use a foam pre-filter. (Buy two filters and two pre-filters and change them out and clean the old one with air pressure, blowing backwards and clean your engine quite often with air pressure, not water. You can use a leaf blower or get a small 110v portable compressor from lowes. You are very lucky that engine is not a oil burner the way that filter looks.
Do not run the engine over 10 seconds with the air cowling removed when testing the new starter.
When the engine starts loading up, Does the engine pick up speed if you dis-engauge the deck.
If that whole rig is 14 years old and not had any repair or PM done it's time for it too go to a good mechanic and or time to hire out your mowing.
I recently seen that same engine that air filter got so clogged the filter caved in on one side and opened a hole in the filter when it caved inwards. and the engine sucked dirt through the hole and eat up the rings. The Carb had 1/4 inch of muck caked dirt in the carb throat and the intake manifold.

Click to expand...

slomo said:

Step one, get a foam pre and a paper main air filter. Let's get this done first. Put the OEM air filter back on.

Your case you need 2 foam pre-filters. I would put SAE 30w oil on the outer one. Then you can wash that one out after every mow. You have to get drastic with your dirt.

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I have two filters on order both with pre-filters. It will be a couple of days to get them. I can use both pre-filters as you suggest. What do I wash the outer pre-filter with oil with? Soap and water? I will order two more filters in a few weeks. The starter motor is on order also. I'm optimistic that all this will work.

The fins on the cylinders look clean. No dried mud between them. Pictures are looking up from below and down. In the earlier picture that dirt in the corner left of the dipstick was blocking up the opening to the bottom of tractor. That could mess with the air flow. It should be a lot better now.


I hadn't thought about using my leaf blower to clean the mower after mowing. It blows pretty hard. That was a good idea. Maybe get all that dirt out under the hood and off the mower bed each time. I have never thought about taking the shroud off to clean. The manual doesn't mention doing that. It just says to clean. Not that I did either.

Once I finish this mowing it won't rain again until July so the weeds and grass won't grow until then. Then maybe two or three times mowing after that. It might not be as dusty then.

Thanks for all of your help. There's not much more I can do now until my parts come.

jallenaz said:

I hadn't thought about using my leaf blower to clean the mower after mowing. It blows pretty hard. That was a good idea.

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Either a blower or compressed air. Yours is bad enough to power wash. But since water will get into places it shouldn't be. I would power wash it to get it cleaner. Then blow it off for sure. Think new engine/mower clean.

jallenaz said:

Maybe get all that dirt out under the hood and off the mower bed each time.

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YES.

jallenaz said:

The manual doesn't mention doing that. It just says to clean. Not that I did either.

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Thanks for owning up to it. Good man I see. Yours and every other engine manual on air cooled engines does say to clean the fins on a yearly or sooner. Yours being daily LOL. Download your engine manual and look where the maintenance is at. Like check the oil prior to EVERY mow. Change sparky plugs at so many hours. Then at the bottom you will see cooling fins cleaning.

jallenaz said:

I have never thought about taking the shroud off to clean.

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98% of all other people out there don't know about this either. Air cooled, got to keep the fins clean.


Holler back when you get your parts.

Next up is Turtle Waxing the deck. Makes the dirt fly off easier when you hit it with a blower.

slomo said:

98% of all other people out there don't know about this either. Air cooled, got to keep the fins clean.

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I have my original owners manuals and I see you are correct about it saying to remove the shroud to clean the fins. It says every 100 hours to do it so I probably thought I didn't need to worry about it right away. Didn't know how dirty it would get then.

jallenaz said:

I have my original owners manuals and I see you are correct about it saying to remove the shroud to clean the fins. It says every 100 hours to do it so I probably thought I didn't need to worry about it right away. Didn't know how dirty it would get then.

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Yearly or in your case every 6 months. Only takes a few minutes to clean her out. Blow off after every mow. Direct the air up inside the engine cover.

Had a similar problem w/ my JD riding mower. Discovered that the tiny hole in the top of the gas cap got plugged; mower would start and run, then gradually die since pressure couldn't equalize. Blew it out w/ compressed air--bingo!

jallenaz said:

I assume you like the DB Electric starters that are cheaper than I found a Kohler starter. The new replacements from Kohler have 9 teeth instead of 10 for more torque they say. But $50 more. I'm going by my Tractor Parts Manual part number.

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My 2 cents here. I have purchased several electrical items, starters, alternators, etc from eb electrical and have been satisfied with all of them

Yes, it is possible there is not enough fuel flow. Open the fueltank and leave open when the engine is running. It is possible if there is not enough air going into the tank then the fuel will stop flowing after a while. When you start the engine after a while, the engine will run for a short while.

bingo, a restricted fuel cap. next time it stalls, just remove the cap and put it back on. should start right up... not a starter issue, replace fuel cap....
good idea to clean mower monthly, if a mower is used more than bi weekly, clean fins as needed. winterize fuel in the fall, used non ethanol fuel..

mcHarley said:

Yes, it is possible there is not enough fuel flow. Open the fueltank and leave open when the engine is running. It is possible if there is not enough air going into the tank then the fuel will stop flowing after a while. When you start the engine after a while, the engine will run for a short while.

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We will find out when it's running again.

I have a similar dust problem here. I use a leaf blower for a quick clean, just to remove the 2 inches of dirt, and sand. Then compressed air for the rest, making sure that I blow out the filter also. Then hose it all down with the water hose. Let it dry in the sun, turn off the fuel, then drive it into the barn. It runs out of fuel just about the time I get it parked.
Since it's already mostly clean, then it doesn't take much water, and the whole process takes less time than it took for me to make this post.

jallenaz said:

It's dirty under the shroud but I don't think it's so dirty it would cause it to over heat. The fins don't have any dirt caked in them. Mostly just a thin layer of dirt everywhere. I'm cleaning it off anyway. Cleaning under the steering and control rods behind the engine. Lots of dirt piled up in there. I almost wish there was more dirt on the fins so I could clean it off if it was an over heating problem. Do you think there is dirt behind the filter that is causing it to not get enough air? I can maybe get that apart. Anything else I should look at?
Thanks for your time you are putting into this.
View attachment 64203View attachment 64204View attachment 64205

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In the lower picture, I see a parting line on the intake manifold, where the molds join together during the plastic injection process. Is the flashing at the parting line that misaligned, causing a shadow in the picture, or has the manifold split open at the parting line? Does the air filter have a cover/air box that covers the filter to deflect dust (could it be part of the cowling that covers the engine)?

Original K&N filters use oiled cotton fabric gauze to filter the air. They now make some with synthetic gauze that are used dry. See

Washable Air Filters, Cabin Filters, Cold Air Kits & Oil Filters | K&N

Shop replacement K&N air filters, cold air intakes, oil filters, cabin filters, home air filters, and other high performance parts. Factory direct from the official K&N website.

www.knfilters.com

or more info on cleaning (and re-oiling the gauze, if appropriate). After cleaning, inspect the gauze before use, looking for tears. When there is a lot of dust, blowing the entire mower off after use with compressed air or a leaf blower is recommended. Concentrate on cleaning the filter area to prevent dirt from entering the intake when the filter is removed. If needed after use, rapping the filter on a tire will remove excess dirt. K&N filters actually filter better with a thin layer of dirt on the surface.

lbrac said:

In the lower picture, I see a parting line on the intake manifold, where the molds join together during the plastic injection process. Is the flashing at the parting line that misaligned, causing a shadow in the picture, or has the manifold split open at the parting line? Does the air filter have a cover/air box that covers the filter to deflect dust (could it be part of the cowling that covers the engine)?

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It looks like it might have split open at that line. Never having had the shroud off I wouldn't know if it's always been that way. I did notice it looks like a small piece has chipped out of the edge of the parting line. That is shown at the very edge of the picture. It might be time to replace the manifold?

lbrac said:

Original K&N filters use oiled cotton fabric gauze to filter the air. They now make some with synthetic gauze that are used dry.

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The K&N filter I have is used dry. That makes the washing simple and easy. It's worked for a few of years but maybe I should have replaced it by now. They can't last forever I suppose.

lbrac said:

If needed after use, rapping the filter on a tire will remove excess dirt.

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I've had to stop several times during a mowing to knock the excess dirt out of the filter or I won't make it back to the house.

jallenaz said:

It looks like it might have split open at that line. Never having had the shroud off I wouldn't know if it's always been that way. I did notice it looks like a small piece has chipped out of the edge of the parting line. That is shown at the very edge of the picture. It might be time to replace the manifold?

The K&N filter I have is used dry. That makes the washing simple and easy. It's worked for a few of years but maybe I should have replaced it by now. They can't last forever I suppose.

I've had to stop several times during a mowing to knock the excess dirt out of the filter or I won't make it back to the house.

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A K&N should last if given some care. I think I saw on the K&N website that they have a lifetime warranty. You might want to check, if you buy another, be aware that they are proud of them and don't give them away.

jallenaz said:

It looks like it might have split open at that line. Never having had the shroud off I wouldn't know if it's always been that way. I did notice it looks like a small piece has chipped out of the edge of the parting line. That is shown at the very edge of the picture. It might be time to replace the manifold?

The K&N filter I have is used dry. That makes the washing simple and easy. It's worked for a few of years but maybe I should have replaced it by now. They can't last forever I suppose.

I've had to stop several times during a mowing to knock the excess dirt out of the filter or I won't make it back to the house.

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An opening in the intake manifold would allow dust into the engine and cause premature wear; and allow air intrusion, which would cause the engine to run lean. If it is split open, at least try plugging any opening in the intake manifold with epoxy, silicone sealer or even hot glue, which should last long enough to see if it improves performance.

An air box might reduce plugging of the filter, if it doesn't have one.

lbrac said:

An air box might reduce plugging of the filter, if it doesn't have one.

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It is enclosed.

Today I got all my parts finally and installed them. Starter motor, solenoid and new filters. Blew out the vent holes in the gas cap. Sealed up the opening in the intake manifold with hot melt glue. The tractor started right up. The starter motor sounded much better than the old one and the tractor ran great. The weeds have gotten ahead of me but the mower powered through all of them, some of them very slowly. Some of those weeds are really tough. Two and a half hours of mowing and probably a couple more to go to finish. Not too dusty today with the wind and so many weeds. After mowing I blew the dust off the mower with my leaf blower. That was a great idea. The tractor looks almost new again. I'll clean it really well when I have finished mowing tomorrow.

One thing with the new filters I bought, the outer foam that wraps the filter, the directions that came with them say to saturate that with oil. I looked though my manual and can't find that it ever said that anywhere. Anyhow I did saturate it with oil and after a mowing or two I will wash it out and reapply more oil. The directions say to do that every 25 hours under normal conditions.

I want to thank everyone that has replied to my post that helped me with the tractor. There were lots of great ideas. I don't know if I could have done this without this forum. You are a great resourse.

Thanks so much,

Jim

Leave it dry
It's job is to catch the sticks & stones
Dry you can pull it off every mow and blow out the weed seed , grass clippings etc.
Wet and you have to degrease wash & dry it
Mot now days are just heat fused together and spit when washed

bertsmobile1 said:

Leave it dry
It's job is to catch the sticks & stones
Dry you can pull it off every mow and blow out the weed seed , grass clippings etc.
Wet and you have to degrease wash & dry it
Mot now days are just heat fused together and spit when washed

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It's stitched together.