Recent content by mapleguy

Good idea to loosen the rockers and recheck compression, I am learning a lot from you all. I'll do that test when I get a chance. Since I did not remove the head or cylinder, I did not visually inspect piston, etc. With the oil pan removed I did not see any metal debris. I did manually turn...

The pushrods look fine and the motion of the rockers looks typical. I took out the engine and removed the oil pan to find that the governor is not broken. Reinstalled the engine and checked the compression and only have about 15psig. I guess the low compression could cause the starting...

Thanks ILENGINE, I didn't even know these engines had hydraulic lifters. If it is over pumped, will it bleed down after sitting for a while or do I need to replace it? Is there a relatively easy check to see if this is a problem, like removing the valve cover to check for valve opening and...

I posted this in the Kohler engines section but didn't get much discussion so I'm trying here. Kohler CV15S engine on my old Sears riding mower. Was running fine, then suddenly I noticed it was running really fast and power was missing. Shut it off and it backfired before re-starting, still was...

Kohler CV15S engine on my old Sears riding mower. Was running fine, then suddenly I noticed it was running really fast and power was missing. Shut it off and it backfired before re-starting, still was running full out. I checked the timing because of the backfire but the shear key is fine...

Thanks, I downloaded the service manual, it is going to be useful once I start the repair process.

Thanks again for more good advice! Looks like it is going to be a real adventure to dig in and take this apart.

Thank you for your comments. It is model # 917.258542. I did check the linkages and all seems OK there, especially since it shifts fine when cold.

Thanks, this is useful information. It sounds like I have no choice but to open it up, so I will check the items you mentioned. Interestingly enough, it did begin with difficulty shifting into reverse, but now is difficult for any gear.

I have had this mower about 20 years and never had shifting problems before. You are supposed to shift only when stopped, which I am. According to what I see in online videos, the lubricant is a very thick grease that is not meant to be changed and can only be removed by either opening up the...

That is correct. No matter how I press the pedal, shifting is hard.

I have a Craftsman lawn tractor with a manual 6 speed Peerless transaxle model 930-057A. It shifts normally until I have cut a few minutes and I guess the drive mechanism is warmed up, then I have to hit the shifter hard to make it change gears and sometimes that doesn't work. If I turn off...