The first thing everyone should know about me is that I am a cheapskate but hate to do anything halfway ... At the same time I also love to experiment with different ideas and change things around for a personalized touch.
Since I had an extra Kohler K321 with a ring gear starter - I started this project by pulling the flywheel and changing the S/G to a gear starter setup with stator. I personally prefer this starting system myself but to each and their own.
Second course of business was finding out that both of the crankshaft seals needed replaced which was a little intimidating at first. The steps I used to replace the PTO seal were as follows:
- Thoroughly clean the crankshaft with emery cloth
- Wipe the crankshaft off with solvent to remove metal particles / rust
- Drill a small hole into the seal 3/4 of the way through and wipe off metal
- Screw a drywall screw through the seal
- Pull the seal with the help of the screws
- Polish the sealing surface being careful not to get anything into the case
- Clean with solvent
- Apply Grease to the ID and OD of the seal
- Tap Seal into case to a depth of 1/8" from the surface
The front seal you just need to take the bearing plate off and knock it out with a punch or screwdriver. Grease the seal and tap the seal in until it bottoms out on the plate.
In case you didn't know you can pick these seals up at NAPA for a fraction of the cost as genuine Kohler.
All done!
