Grasshopper 720K oil leak

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bossgator62

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• Oct 26, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #1

I have a Grasshopper 720K, it has the Kohler CH20S engine. I am loosing lots of oil when I engage the PTO. I am thinking maybe its the shaft oil seal, but I want to hear some other possibilities before I go tearing into this with limited knowledge. Background, its a 1995, I bought at an auction. I was mowing, smelled oil stopped and went to my shop, the oil filter was very loose. thought I had dodged a bullet, tightened the oil filter, topped off the oil and went to mow. Everything seemed ok, then I smelled oil again, went back to the shop and had oil down on the PTO guard and more around the back of the mower. I topped it off with oil and ran it without engaging the PTO and had no oil loss

Thanks in advance

BG

 

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geelee

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• Oct 27, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #2

over time the seals get hard and shrink a little, the seal then blows out to the back of pto clutch or sucks into the engine. either way the engine leaks oil. may have to pull pto clutch to see

 

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bossgator62

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• Oct 30, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #3

Okay, I got the clutch off and got the seal out, still waiting for the new one. While I was checking things out and cleaning the funk off the engine, I checked the hose that goes from down by the main seal and back up to the fuel pump, I guess. The hose had a crack in it, is this an oil return hose? Also would it be under more pressure when the PTO is engaged? I’m thinking this was probably my issue rather than the seal. Can I use just any piece of hose to replace this? I haven’t been able to find the part on any Koehler part sites. Thanks.

BG

 

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geelee

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• Oct 31, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #4

the hose is the pulse line that makes the fuel pump work, standard quarter inch fuel line will do. In a properly running engine the seal and pulse line will be running with a slight vacuum. if you have pressure there is a problem with one of the head gaskets or a broken reed valve at the breather.

 

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bossgator62

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• Oct 31, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #5

geelee said:

the hose is the pulse line that makes the fuel pump work, standard quarter inch fuel line will do. In a properly running engine the seal and pulse line will be running with a slight vacuum. if you have pressure there is a problem with one of the head gaskets or a broken reed valve at the breather.

Click to expand...

. Ok thanks so much. I had the initial leak I believe at the seal, oil was pouring out from that area. So a bad reed will push oil out through a bad seal and pulse hose? There’s a pretty bad tear in the pulse hose where it clamps in to the nipple. Half the hose was ripped around the back. I’ll replace both and see. I guess I should pull the valve covers and check the reeds as well.
Thanks again.
BG

 

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geelee

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• Oct 31, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #6

if the hose leak is bad enough the breather cant function properly, fix seal and hose. remove breather hose just above fuel line on carb with canister type air filter or just remove air filter on standard air filter, test run and see if smoke and pressure blow out of the breather hose, if not your ok. also if you put your finger over the hose lightly you can feel suction.

 

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bossgator62

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• Oct 31, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #7

Thanks, I'm waiting on the seal right now, I'll let you know

 

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bossgator62

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• Nov 2, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #8

this Kohler has hard plastic valve covers, I know the metal covers have a cover in a cover and the reed valve is tucked inside, is there a reed valve in these plastic covers? I tried to separate them and it doesn't look like they separate.

 

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geelee

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• Nov 2, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #9

only the vertical engines has a reed valve under the valve cover, yours is a horizontal. the reed is located under a plate between the 2 cylinders, there is a hose coming out of it. do your checking there. don't remove that plate unless you have to, that gasket is very hard to remove. also the command series engine always used the plastic valve covers. the courage twin used the metal cheap leaky valve covers.

 

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bossgator62

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• Nov 3, 2019 / Grasshopper 720K oil leak

• #10

Geelee, Thanks for all your help. I installed the main seal today and replaced the sump hose, the mower runs like a top and has more power than ever. I'm glad I asked a few questions and did the work myself I have coffee with a guy that has a grasshopper mech doing work for him on the side, he gave me his number and the guy wouldn't even return my calls. I'm going to inform him this week that i don't need his GH guy and that my repair only cost about $15.

Thanks again for the help

BG