Troy Bilt Mustang Colt ZT: Kohler 19 Courage

If you are RTVing the valve cover clean all oil off, apply RTV, install the cover with finger tight screws, let sit over night without starting the engine, then toque the screw to 65 in-lbs. This gives time for RTV to setup well.Otherwise the cover will leak in short order.

I going to do a little fly fishing tomorrow after I repair my storm door damage as a storm nearly ripped it off the wall. Ripped the safety right out the frame and broke the door latch. Fishing a heck a lot easier than repairing engines.

67Camaro said:

Thank you for the illustration. I'm gonna do the valve adjustment and see what happens. The kid probably doesn't want to pay for taking the engine apart. If I do that, I'll perform a complete rebuild. End play of .025 is acceptable. Guess up to .040" is ok. He did ask me to go ahead and change the oil. I replied that was on my list as it had very little oil in it when I got it in the shop! Ugh! Thanks again very much!! Biggest fish I ever caught was an 8.5 lb. large mouth. Very exciting experience. My wife and I go to Minnesota once a year and fish for two or three days. Catch many Perch and a few Walleye and Northern. Spent a bunch of $$ one year to go inland fishing at the Gulf. Only caught a Puffer Fish!

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If “the kid” is concerned about cost, I can’t see how you will perform a rebuild with parts and labor and keep the cost down. Unless you heavily discount both.

The kid does needs to introduce to the real world where it costs to get anything done; unless, it is a charity case.

Nearly all my repairs have been running at 50% or higher this year due to the stinking tariffs. Just recently I was restocking some MTD blades. Last year they were around $32 for a set of two. This year that increase to $61. Imported items tariffs being by the shipper is BS as we as end users are paying these taxes in higher costs.

And sometimes it is just plain price gouging as in a case of an after market Kawasaki starter last week. Luckily I do my research before ordering. Stens wanted $257 for it so I order the J&N starter from Amazon for less than $98 including shipping. I was surprised to find shipped by Arrowhead which is Stens owner; out of the same Portland, TN warehouse. All Stens did was re-box it and change the part number.

I would had ordered it from DB electrical at the same deal as Amazon except they refuse to accept any sale tax exemptions.

Any way the Exmark owner even refuse to pay a $125 for the starter so he didn't get it. He also refused to pay for any of the other parts that were installed so they were removed except a few wire terminals. He is now barred. I wasted over three hours troubleshooting his electrical problems. I was told he was a jerk and now I believe it.

Tiger Small Engine said:

If “the kid” is concerned about cost, I can’t see how you will perform a rebuild with parts and labor and keep the cost down. Unless you heavily discount both.

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Usually, with scenarios like this, I only charge for the cost of the parts. It is part of my ministry. Economics play a part, however, and I can only "eat" so much of the dollars spent. I already have many hours involved, rewiring stuff, figuring out how things go back together as this thing came to me partially disassembled. Most likely, he would be better served finding a replacement mower at a cost that would approach getting this one in service. Another thing is, I'm old and it is super hot here in middle Tennessee. My shop is not air conditioned so there is that. And... I have other projects.

I remember once that a customer brought in a rider fully disassembled. Actual it was boxes in the back of PU bed. I reassemble it and charged $50 feeling sorry for the customer stupidity. Especially that all he had to do was remove one Snap ring to get the steering shaft out to change the drive belt which by the way was the only thing he he didn't remove.

Well he even majorly complained about the $50 for an all day job. Every since I no longer do something like that again. I allow for learning a new procedure but that's it.

Valve adjustment, although much in need as the intake was way too tight, did not allow the engine to run. Did get the compression release working however. Blow back through the carburetor makes me think it is a mechanical timing issue. The flywheel pickup area passes the coil well after the intake valve opens. Pulled the head and everything seems to be normal. Head gasket isn't blown, there is still cross hatch in the cylinder walls, valves appear good. Blowing compressed air through the plug hole with the valves fully closed passed neither to the carb or exhaust indicating good valve seal. (Did this before pulling the head). Flywheel key is not sheared. I'm going to pull the flywheel tomorrow and the top cover. Hopefully I find something then. Kid didn't pick it up this morning so being who I am, I couldn't resist. Guess I'll go ahead and rebuild the motor regardless. It is a learning experience for me as I haven't taken one of these apart before. I'm more used to the old flat head B&S and Kohler engines from back in the day. Advice/Suggestions/Comments, again, are very welcome.

See if you can find a good Kohler Command engine and get rid of the "bucket" motor. The Courage engine was designed to fail, and it does just. You can fix one thing and two more will break in a short time.

67Camaro said:

Usually, with scenarios like this, I only charge for the cost of the parts. It is part of my ministry. Economics play a part, however, and I can only "eat" so much of the dollars spent. I already have many hours involved, rewiring stuff, figuring out how things go back together as this thing came to me partially disassembled. Most likely, he would be better served finding a replacement mower at a cost that would approach getting this one in service. Another thing is, I'm old and it is super hot here in middle Tennessee. My shop is not air conditioned so there is that. And... I have other projects.

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My shop is not air conditioned either and I have been roasting all summer.

It is your decision to charge for parts only. I have had a few charity cases in the past as well. These days my time has value, I stay a couple of weeks out on repairs, my skills I have earned and learned, and I have grown tired of “eating “ costs.

Tiger Small Engine said:

My shop is not air conditioned either and I have been roasting all summer.

It is your decision to charge for parts only. I have had a few charity cases in the past as well. These days my time has value, I stay a couple of weeks out on repairs, my skills I have earned and learned, and I have grown tired of “eating “ costs.

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I just did a charity case last week. 71 year old neighbor had a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest at the hospital, and coded for 12 minutes while installing a drive belt on a LT160 for his 84 year old neighbor. I completed the install without charge.

When it comes to seniors we need to support them with low cost repairs as most barely gets by on SS. Even my $1300 don't go too far with all the current prices.

And with me having Afib and at 67 I am pushing it on hot days out there on the asphalt. I already had to call out the meat wagon last year because the stupid doctor changed my meds that was working. The ER drain off 40+ lbs of water to get me out congested heart failure mode. I was looking for a model number on a golf cart when I stood up the lights nearly went out.

We just hit 100 Saturday here with a 90% humidity. The asphalt hit 145+F. After 130F I left it and took to the shade tree. Now if I leave a tool out in the sun it become too hot to handle.
I just keep pushing my luck.