1864 cleanup, test drive, and leak found

[sorner]

It was a beauty of a day here yesterday so I tore down my "new" 1864 to clean the funk and grease out of the engine airways and bay. I've never seen so many pine needles in one place! Anyway. I cleaned it all out and put it back together. I went and tested mowing in my field and it ran pretty sweet. But every once in a while I saw puffs of smoke. I left the hood and muffler heat shield off for the test drive. At first I thought it was from the exhaust and I got worried. But it wasn't from there. It looks like there is oil oozing out at the governor shaft area and dripping down from it and the fan air is blowing the droplets onto the muffler and causing the puffs of smoke. I probably didn't see this before because of the jammed up air flow. Is that an engine teardown project to replace seals?

[Sam Mac]

It's possible that your leak is from the Governor shaft but I doubt it. The CH has a couple more likely sources of leaks. 1st on my list is valve covers, then head gaskets and then crank seals. The 1864 I picked up a few months ago was doing the same thing as yours is. 2 leaking valve covers and the flywheel end crank seal. The blower is great at blowing the oil onto the muffler. Makes bad smoke LOL. I strongly suggest that you download the service manual from Kohler. If you have not pulled the engine, removed the tins and cleaned it this is what you may find.

[Mike McKown]

Kohler Command valve covers on early ones would get warped and leak. I never found any way to seal them up so they wouldn't. I guess Kohler didn't either as they have released new level valve covers to stop the leak problem. See your dealer. They're not too expensive if this is your problem.

[Sam Mac]

Be careful with the valve cover bolts. They have a shoulder on them so you only tighten them till they are snug. Lots of people twist them off thinking that they need to lean on them to stop the leaks then you have a PITA trying to drill them out. I had 2 broken off on the 1864 I picked up.

[LiamD]

Holy crud Sam. That old engine will love you when your done cleaning it up!


Mike

[Sam Mac]

Originally Posted by LiamD

Holy crud Sam. That old engine will love you when your done cleaning it up!


Mike

It's all cleaned up and living in it's semi retirement home. It now resides in MaMa's JD mulch hauler. Probably wont see more that 5 hours a year of run time.

[sorner]

I think I can see that the covers may be warped. But I don't know that the oil is coming from that area. I guess I will have to really rip it down to see. I was hoping I would have to go that deep.

[Sam Mac]

You'll be amazed at how well the blower distributes oil, ask me how I know.

[sorner]

I believe you but I don't see any wetness in the area behind where this puddle is forming. Here's a picture of what I mean.
Attachment 83415

I'm going to find the manual for this thing and see what I'm looking at, if I have to pull the motor I might as well replace seals and gaskets while I'm at it. I was thinking the valve covers looked warped a little but on closer inspection it looks like they have a shape to them where they are thicker at the edge in the middle than nearer the bolts. I don't have any experience with these Kohlers. Only Briggs, verticals and vanguard v twins and the older K series kohlers.

[sorner]

For some reason my picture is upside down. The original is right side up.