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Picked up a riding mower for cheap(my first one). Thought I'd make a project out of it. Bought a new battery. All's I heard was a click from the starter. Went back and fourth, got another new battery, the solenoid checked out. Realized it's a flywheel that's not moving. I can move it with a ratchet wrench but it takes a good amount of effort. So I started adjusting the valves. Still hard to move the flywheel. I put PB blaster the spark plug hole. Still not much progress. The Piston is moving up and down. The blades are not engaged. Any help would be appreciated.

If valves are set correctly, could be compression release has failed. Don't know what it is on Kohler...some are levers that tick a valve at low RPM, some are a funny ground camshaft.
Other possibilities: Weak starter, Poor electrical connections in circuit to starter, Poor ground from battery, Solenoid clicks (plate moves down to connect 2 big poles) but plate is burned badly and not much juice flows.
Post your engine model# for better answers.

dougand3 said:

If valves are set correctly, could be compression release has failed. Don't know what it is on Kohler...some are levers that tick a valve at low RPM, some are a funny ground camshaft.
Other possibilities: Weak starter, Poor electrical connections in circuit to starter, Poor ground from battery, Solenoid clicks (plate moves down to connect 2 big poles) but plate is burned badly and not much juice flows.
Post your engine model# for better answers.

Click to expand...

Engine model # SV590S
I checked all the connections and made sure everything was okay. Still nothing. I can't spin the flywheel very easy. Takes 2 hands with alot of effort and that's without the spark plug.

Sounds like a seized & now free engine.
However before you start, whip the belt off just in case the mower is adding drag to the engine.
'Do not keep spinning it .
Koher parts are not as cheap as Briggs parts so if it is internal engine drag I would pull the engine .
Clean up the PTO really well then lift the sump ,
Look inside for alloy grindings and into the bores for scoring .
The sump gasket is 1/2 the price of a head gasket & there are 2 of those, hence remove the sump .
With the sump off you can take the con rod caps off & check for scoring ( low oil )

Bucket engine. Need to remove the blower housing and the flywheel and the other stuff on the top of the engine. Then remove the top cover and you can check everything from their.

Ok I've never taken a mower engine apart, yet a engine this big. But I'm more than willing to do it. So I'd need a strap wrench to begin with for the flywheel?

Have you tried turn the engine by hand with the spark plugs removed? May be hydrolocking. This manual may be of help down the line. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Ko...urage-SV470-SV480-SV530-SV540-SV590-SV600.pdf

Rivets said:

Have you tried turn the engine by hand with the spark plugs removed? May be hydrolocking. This manual may be of help down the line. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Ko...urage-SV470-SV480-SV530-SV540-SV590-SV600.pdf

Click to expand...

Yes I have. Even with the plug removed it takes a decent amount of force to move it with both hands.

Post # 3
2 hands to revolve the flywheel even with the plugs out.

ILENGINE said:

Bucket engine. Need to remove the blower housing and the flywheel and the other stuff on the top of the engine. Then remove the top cover and you can check everything from their.

Click to expand...

If this is a bucket engine , closure plate on the top and no sump then you are in luck because it can stay in the mower, just slip both belts off the pulley .
Download the manual Rivets linked you to .Note Kohler fasteners are metric .
Take off the blower housing ( 4 x m 10 bolts from above ) and remove the fuel lines & dip stick, cover pulls strait up.
Then look at the 4 bolts at the front that hold the plate on.
Very good chance they have backed out and are fouling on the flywheel . Quick solution is to tighten them back up and check every season when you take that cover off to clean the cooling fins.
Slightly harder is to pull the flywheel remove the loose bolts, replace them with new ones using a dab of blue locktite .

Flywheel generally comes off easy no need for a strap wrench but a deceint rattle gun is worthwhile .
Remove the plug rotate the engine till it is at bottom dead center and the inlet valve ( one on the carb side ) is closed then feed as much nylon rope down the plug hole as you can, with at least a foot or so hanging out
Rotate the engine till the rope is compressed the engine is now locked and you can undo the flywheel.

bertsmobile1 said:

Post # 3
2 hands to revolve the flywheel even with the plugs out.



If this is a bucket engine , closure plate on the top and no sump then you are in luck because it can stay in the mower, just slip both belts off the pulley .
Download the manual Rivets linked you to .Note Kohler fasteners are metric .
Take off the blower housing ( 4 x m 10 bolts from above ) and remove the fuel lines & dip stick, cover pulls strait up.
Then look at the 4 bolts at the front that hold the plate on.
Very good chance they have backed out and are fouling on the flywheel . Quick solution is to tighten them back up and check every season when you take that cover off to clean the cooling fins.
Slightly harder is to pull the flywheel remove the loose bolts, replace them with new ones using a dab of blue locktite .

Flywheel generally comes off easy no need for a strap wrench but a deceint rattle gun is worthwhile .
Remove the plug rotate the engine till it is at bottom dead center and the inlet valve ( one on the carb side ) is closed then feed as much nylon rope down the plug hole as you can, with at least a foot or so hanging out
Rotate the engine till the rope is compressed the engine is now locked and you can undo the flywheel.

Click to expand...

Ok this is how far I've gotten. What am I looking at next?

Remove the stator from the top of the cover just to get it out of the way. and then remove all the bolts around the edge of the top cover. Remove the cover. Be careful watching for things to fall out of place. I have had it pull one of the camshafts out of place and one of them engages the oil pump in the bottom of the engine.

this guy has some good videos after the crazy start
just start at 3 min

And before you try to lift the cover give the shaft a really good clean up removing all of the rust then a good dollop of petrolium jelly around the oil seal.
Chances are you will still wreck it but the shaft has to be cleaned in any case.
Also measure the depth of the oil seal before you remove it ( if you do ) because if driven too deep it restricts the oil flow .

bertsmobile1 said:

And before you try to lift the cover give the shaft a really good clean up removing all of the rust then a good dollop of petrolium jelly around the oil seal.
Chances are you will still wreck it but the shaft has to be cleaned in any case.
Also measure the depth of the oil seal before you remove it ( if you do ) because if driven too deep it restricts the oil flow .

Click to expand...

Well that doesn't look too great. What should I do from here.

Now the fun begins. You will need to turn the crankshaft till the timing marks on the cams match up to the marks on the crank gear. Then you can remove the camshafts being careful to keep things in order. There should be a thin metal washer on the bottom of the cam that doesn't drive the oil pump. Don't miss it. After the cams are out try to rotate the crankshaft. If still hard to turn timw to check the rod and crankshaft.

Hammermechanicman said:

Now the fun begins. You will need to turn the crankshaft till the timing marks on the cams match up to the marks on the crank gear. Then you can remove the camshafts being careful to keep things in order. There should be a thin metal washer on the bottom of the cam that doesn't drive the oil pump. Don't miss it. After the cams are out try to rotate the crankshaft. If still hard to turn timw to check the rod and crankshaft.

Click to expand...

The back part near the steering wheel is stopping me from turning it so I can align the dots.

That is the counter balance and it is broken, or rather the connecting rod is broken.
In an hour or so i will pop a photo on showing you what it should look like as I am about to split a bucket myself.
You are really lucky usually when that lets go the weight generally punches a nice big hole in the crankcase.
Go to the exploded view of the crankshaft to see the bits .
Been a while since I pulled one of them so not 100 % if the weight can come out without pulling the crank out .
IF so then the pulleys will have to come off the bottom.
I was wondering how you were going when I got this one which ate a push rod cap so now we know
It is on an eccentric .
You might be able to swing the weigh parallel to the end of the sump and if you hold it there you will be able to index the crankshaft.
When working properly it moves about 1" closer to the crankshaft at engine speed .

OH and you have just found the reason why the crank is hard to rotate .

Note the position of the counter weight in the video Bama posted a while back

Any what got mine done so here are some pickies


Weight closes to crankcase



Weight closest to crankshaft



Note groove when the oil seal was running.
When you replace the oil seal tap it in about 1 mm higher so the lip is not in exactly the same place


Drop the plate back onto the 4 shafts ( 2 cam, crank & counter weight )
DO NOT TAP IT HOME.
rotate the crank a few turns first to ensure everything is lined up
Generally the plate will drop all by itself ,'
But after you have rotated the crank you can VERY LIGHTLY tap the plate but I prefer to pull it down the last bit with the bolts.
There front ones MUST HAVE BLUE LOCKTITE on the bottome 1/2" as they are probe to vibrating loose.
I swap the bolts front to back because the back ones will be clean .
Tighten them slowly and diagonally like a head or you can & will warp the plate .

bertsmobile1 said:

That is the counter balance and it is broken, or rather the connecting rod is broken.
In an hour or so i will pop a photo on showing you what it should look like as I am about to split a bucket myself.
You are really lucky usually when that lets go the weight generally punches a nice big hole in the crankcase.
Go to the exploded view of the crankshaft to see the bits .
Been a while since I pulled one of them so not 100 % if the weight can come out without pulling the crank out .
IF so then the pulleys will have to come off the bottom.
I was wondering how you were going when I got this one which ate a push rod cap so now we know
It is on an eccentric .
You might be able to swing the weigh parallel to the end of the sump and if you hold it there you will be able to index the crankshaft.
When working properly it moves about 1" closer to the crankshaft at engine speed .

OH and you have just found the reason why the crank is hard to rotate .

Click to expand...

First off, I appreciate all the help and effort. Very kind of you and everyone on this forum. So alls I have to do is take apart the counter weight and get a new one?

bertsmobile1 said:

Note the position of the counter weight in the video Bama posted a while back

Any what got mine done so here are some pickies
View attachment 51277

Weight closes to crankcase

View attachment 51278

Weight closest to crankshaft

View attachment 51280

Note groove when the oil seal was running.
When you replace the oil seal tap it in about 1 mm higher so the lip is not in exactly the same place

View attachment 51281
Drop the plate back onto the 4 shafts ( 2 cam, crank & counter weight )
DO NOT TAP IT HOME.
rotate the crank a few turns first to ensure everything is lined up
Generally the plate will drop all by itself ,'
But after you have rotated the crank you can VERY LIGHTLY tap the plate but I prefer to pull it down the last bit with the bolts.
There front ones MUST HAVE BLUE LOCKTITE on the bottome 1/2" as they are probe to vibrating loose.
I swap the bolts front to back because the back ones will be clean .
Tighten them slowly and diagonally like a head or you can & will warp the plate .

Click to expand...

I could swing it left and right. But I don't see where it's supposed to be attached to a connecting rod.

If you swing it t the right as seen in the photo you should be able to rotate the crank.
You might need to do both at the same time .
You have the Mk I version which predates me by some time Just under the gear which turns the cams is the cam that moves the counterweight you will see that it is off set to the axis of the crankcase to give the to & fro motion.
Don't know what stops that version from moving left right
You will need to get your hands on a parts breakdown to see what is there .
The counterweight is in 2 parts held together with a long bolt.
Mine has a connecting rod that is bolted to the crankcase to keep it moving in the correct plane .
Yours has a "guide plate" but how that works is beyond me .
If some one does not chime in with better information drop a PM To Illengine, Rivets or Startech they have been at this game a lot longer than me .
Scrounges around the dead engine room but all of the dead Kohlers are the latter type like shown in my photos & the video .

bertsmobile1 said:

If you swing it t the right as seen in the photo you should be able to rotate the crank.
You might need to do both at the same time .
You have the Mk I version which predates me by some time Just under the gear which turns the cams is the cam that moves the counterweight you will see that it is off set to the axis of the crankcase to give the to & fro motion.
Don't know what stops that version from moving left right
You will need to get your hands on a parts breakdown to see what is there .
The counterweight is in 2 parts held together with a long bolt.
Mine has a connecting rod that is bolted to the crankcase to keep it moving in the correct plane .
Yours has a "guide plate" but how that works is beyond me .
If some one does not chime in with better information drop a PM To Illengine, Rivets or Startech they have been at this game a lot longer than me .
Scrounges around the dead engine room but all of the dead Kohlers are the latter type like shown in my photos & the video .

Click to expand...

Page C looks like it. Any thoughts?

Flip the top cover over and see if there is an alignment slot that the tab on top of the counterweight may be designed to run in,

Well that might explain the shrapnel siting inside the engine in his second photo.
Going to physio tomorrow but will dig a couple of deaden out of the krapper box.
looks like there are 2 closure plates 20 009 10-S ( early ) and 20 009 35 -S ( late ) both a little $$$$
At least they are both listed.
FWIW now I looked up the engine on Jacks site rather than using the Huaqvarna IPL I had on file there is a con rod for the counter weight in on the bottom on early engines.
For some strange reson my browser will not connect to e-replacements parts any more ( security setting that can not over ride )

bertsmobile1 said:

Well that might explain the shrapnel siting inside the engine in his second photo.
Going to physio tomorrow but will dig a couple of deaden out of the krapper box.
looks like there are 2 closure plates 20 009 10-S ( early ) and 20 009 35 -S ( late ) both a little $$$$
At least they are both listed.
FWIW now I looked up the engine on Jacks site rather than using the Huaqvarna IPL I had on file there is a con rod for the counter weight in on the bottom on early engines.
For some strange reson my browser will not connect to e-replacements parts any more ( security setting that can not over ride )

Click to expand...

Around 8:40 of this video it shows the weight of the counter balance that's on the bottom. I'll drain the rest of the oil and see if there's one on the bottom.

ILENGINE said:

Flip the top cover over and see if there is an alignment slot that the tab on top of the counterweight may be designed to run in,

Click to expand...

Looks like it does get held in from the cover. https://ibb.co/XZh2YQG

bertsmobile1 said:

Well that might explain the shrapnel siting inside the engine in his second photo.
Going to physio tomorrow but will dig a couple of deaden out of the krapper box.
looks like there are 2 closure plates 20 009 10-S ( early ) and 20 009 35 -S ( late ) both a little $$$$
At least they are both listed.
FWIW now I looked up the engine on Jacks site rather than using the Huaqvarna IPL I had on file there is a con rod for the counter weight in on the bottom on early engines.
For some strange reson my browser will not connect to e-replacements parts any more ( security setting that can not over ride )

Click to expand...

Ya the bottom counter weight is there.

Kba9 said:

Around 8:40 of this video it shows the weight of the counter balance that's on the bottom. I'll drain the rest of the oil and see if there's one on the bottom.

Click to expand...

And a painful video it was to watch.
Reusing a split gasket on an engine where the gasket sets the end float , no leakdown test , didn't even check the valves seating with water / fuel etc after stating it had low compression, which it does not because the exhasut cam has a decompressor which was not shown to be checked before reassembly , putting scratch marks in a plastic cam rather than turning the crank to align the timing marks ( alternative is to mark with a sharpie & scratch a lin in that or use paint pen ) . I can understand he was working on a budget but it is the sort of thing that makes real mechanics cringe.

But at lease it was your motor
Looks like Kohler shifted the counter weight con rod to the top of the engine .
so you will have con rod on the bottom and a slot on the top which explains why it is called a GUIDE block in the parts book.

bertsmobile1 said:

And a painful video it was to watch.
Reusing a split gasket on an engine where the gasket sets the end float , no leakdown test , didn't even check the valves seating with water / fuel etc after stating it had low compression, which it does not because the exhasut cam has a decompressor which was not shown to be checked before reassembly , putting scratch marks in a plastic cam rather than turning the crank to align the timing marks ( alternative is to mark with a sharpie & scratch a lin in that or use paint pen ) . I can understand he was working on a budget but it is the sort of thing that makes real mechanics cringe.

But at lease it was your motor
Looks like Kohler shifted the counter weight con rod to the top of the engine .
so you will have con rod on the bottom and a slot on the top which explains why it is called a GUIDE block in the parts book.

Click to expand...

Sorry I'm a little confused. So should I Mark a spot on the cams and begin taking it apart?

bertsmobile1 said:

And a painful video it was to watch.
Reusing a split gasket on an engine where the gasket sets the end float , no leakdown test , didn't even check the valves seating with water / fuel etc after stating it had low compression, which it does not because the exhasut cam has a decompressor which was not shown to be checked before reassembly , putting scratch marks in a plastic cam rather than turning the crank to align the timing marks ( alternative is to mark with a sharpie & scratch a lin in that or use paint pen ) . I can understand he was working on a budget but it is the sort of thing that makes real mechanics cringe.

But at lease it was your motor
Looks like Kohler shifted the counter weight con rod to the top of the engine .
so you will have con rod on the bottom and a slot on the top which explains why it is called a GUIDE block in the parts book.

Click to expand...

Seems like that ring is broken. Nearest to the spark plug hole, right under the cam. Is it a worthy/no expensive fix?

You should be able to rotate the crankshaft now that you have got the top counterweight off the crank case.
Ideally you should always pull a single cylinder engine down at TDC on the firing stroke so neither of the valves are pressing on the cam.
Obviously you can not do this with a multi cylinder engine.
There are already marks on the gears & crankshaft so why not use them ?
Not really sure of your photo can you pull back on it a bit please ?
need to know which bit has the chunks out of it .
Also need to see the underside of the closure plate to see if there is a channel for the guide to run in and what condition it is in.
All of mine are the Mk II version.
Closure plates are expensive new but most repair only shops like mine will have a shed full of these engines because of the problem with the bolts coming loose & trashing the crankcase.
I have a heap waiting for me to try & weld back together but I can fit a Kawasaki engine cheaper to the customer with a 5 years warranty so it s a no brainer for them .
The eventual decision will of course be yours but we need to see the full extent of the damage first
Right now looks like a closure plate top counterweight & counter weight bolt , all very doable and not too expensive particularly if you can get some reasonable used parts .

bertsmobile1 said:

You should be able to rotate the crankshaft now that you have got the top counterweight off the crank case.
Ideally you should always pull a single cylinder engine down at TDC on the firing stroke so neither of the valves are pressing on the cam.
Obviously you can not do this with a multi cylinder engine.
There are already marks on the gears & crankshaft so why not use them ?
Not really sure of your photo can you pull back on it a bit please ?
need to know which bit has the chunks out of it .
Also need to see the underside of the closure plate to see if there is a channel for the guide to run in and what condition it is in.
All of mine are the Mk II version.
Closure plates are expensive new but most repair only shops like mine will have a shed full of these engines because of the problem with the bolts coming loose & trashing the crankcase.
I have a heap waiting for me to try & weld back together but I can fit a Kawasaki engine cheaper to the customer with a 5 years warranty so it s a no brainer for them .
The eventual decision will of course be yours but we need to see the full extent of the damage first
Right now looks like a closure plate top counterweight & counter weight bolt , all very doable and not too expensive particularly if you can get some reasonable used parts .

Click to expand...

Looks like it's intact

bertsmobile1 said:

You should be able to rotate the crankshaft now that you have got the top counterweight off the crank case.
Ideally you should always pull a single cylinder engine down at TDC on the firing stroke so neither of the valves are pressing on the cam.
Obviously you can not do this with a multi cylinder engine.
There are already marks on the gears & crankshaft so why not use them ?
Not really sure of your photo can you pull back on it a bit please ?
need to know which bit has the chunks out of it .
Also need to see the underside of the closure plate to see if there is a channel for the guide to run in and what condition it is in.
All of mine are the Mk II version.
Closure plates are expensive new but most repair only shops like mine will have a shed full of these engines because of the problem with the bolts coming loose & trashing the crankcase.
I have a heap waiting for me to try & weld back together but I can fit a Kawasaki engine cheaper to the customer with a 5 years warranty so it s a no brainer for them .
The eventual decision will of course be yours but we need to see the full extent of the damage first
Right now looks like a closure plate top counterweight & counter weight bolt , all very doable and not too expensive particularly if you can get some reasonable used parts .

Click to expand...

Piston rod seems to be cracked

bertsmobile1 said:

You should be able to rotate the crankshaft now that you have got the top counterweight off the crank case.
Ideally you should always pull a single cylinder engine down at TDC on the firing stroke so neither of the valves are pressing on the cam.
Obviously you can not do this with a multi cylinder engine.
There are already marks on the gears & crankshaft so why not use them ?
Not really sure of your photo can you pull back on it a bit please ?
need to know which bit has the chunks out of it .
Also need to see the underside of the closure plate to see if there is a channel for the guide to run in and what condition it is in.
All of mine are the Mk II version.
Closure plates are expensive new but most repair only shops like mine will have a shed full of these engines because of the problem with the bolts coming loose & trashing the crankcase.
I have a heap waiting for me to try & weld back together but I can fit a Kawasaki engine cheaper to the customer with a 5 years warranty so it s a no brainer for them .
The eventual decision will of course be yours but we need to see the full extent of the damage first
Right now looks like a closure plate top counterweight & counter weight bolt , all very doable and not too expensive particularly if you can get some reasonable used parts .

Click to expand...

Any ideas Bert's?

Is the connecting rod seized on the crank journal? If the engine is run low on oil it is usually the first thing to happen bad. Can you remove the con rod bolts?

Hammermechanicman said:

Is the connecting rod seized on the crank journal? If the engine is run low on oil it is usually the first thing to happen bad. Can you remove the con rod bolts?

Click to expand...

Not sure if it's seized. I can wiggle the rod side to side

rom where you are now , just pull the whole thing apart.
The gear wheel will prize off , don't loose the key then undo the counter weight bolt and it should lift strait off.
After that it is undo the con rod and push the piston up into the bore
From there the crankshaft should pull strait out leaving the lower 1/2 of the counter weight in the case.
We need to see all of the running surfaces .
The piston comes out through the top but for now just pull it out as far as it will go int the case & check the con rod for cracks or chunks missing and of course take photos.
Once we have seen what the rest of the engine looks like an assesment can be made about repair.
Kohler pars are no where near as cheap as Briggs parts so the parts bill can make a repair uneconomic compared to a replacement very quickly.
Kohler use a much stronger ring than Briggs do so when trying to move the piston in the bore it can feel very hard to push where as a Briggs piston will push up with you little finger easliy.
This can make you think that the crankshaft is "hard " to turn or not free turning if you like.
A trap I fell into when starting off so spent a lot of time retensioning Kohler con rods that were fine in the first place.
I doubt that your rod is seized , your problems should all be around that counterweight.

bertsmobile1 said:

rom where you are now , just pull the whole thing apart.
The gear wheel will prize off , don't loose the key then undo the counter weight bolt and it should lift strait off.
After that it is undo the con rod and push the piston up into the bore
From there the crankshaft should pull strait out leaving the lower 1/2 of the counter weight in the case.
We need to see all of the running surfaces .
The piston comes out through the top but for now just pull it out as far as it will go int the case & check the con rod for cracks or chunks missing and of course take photos.
Once we have seen what the rest of the engine looks like an assesment can be made about repair.
Kohler pars are no where near as cheap as Briggs parts so the parts bill can make a repair uneconomic compared to a replacement very quickly.
Kohler use a much stronger ring than Briggs do so when trying to move the piston in the bore it can feel very hard to push where as a Briggs piston will push up with you little finger easliy.
This can make you think that the crankshaft is "hard " to turn or not free turning if you like.
A trap I fell into when starting off so spent a lot of time retensioning Kohler con rods that were fine in the first place.
I doubt that your rod is seized , your problems should all be around that counterweight.

Click to expand...

Can't take it out, I tried unbolting from the bottom of the pulley and no matter which way I turn it won't loosen up.

The gear has to come off first .
It will simply prise up off the crank with a couple of screwdrivers.
he only thing holding it on is the top cover and the key in the side.

bertsmobile1 said:

The gear has to come off first .
It will simply prise up off the crank with a couple of screwdrivers.
he only thing holding it on is the top cover and the key in the side.

Click to expand...

Ok what should I be looking for next?

Provided you have taken the pulleys off from underneath the crank should pull strait out leaving the other 1/2 of the counterweight sitting on the bottom of the sump.
I never reuse the old oil seal because if they leak or split most people do not notice it till the last drop of oil has exited stage left and the engine siezes .
If you want to chance it then clean the crankshaft bright & shinny to avoid damaging the lip of the seal.
From memory there is a seal & gasket kit that comes with both seals ( same on this model ) which is a little cheaper than buying the lot individually.
Not sure how the bottom counter weight comes out because I have not done this exact model before.
There should be some sort of retainer to hold the little control rod on which is not shown in my parts books.
Once the crank is out you should be able to see what needs to be done.
Yours should be broken because if not the counterweight could not have moved that far sideways.

Can't tell exactly from the pic but with the top piece of counter weigt off you should be able to remove the connecting rod cap bolts, push the piston and rod out the top of the engine then pull the crankshaft out of the crankcase.

Oooh yes, remove the con rod that would be a good idea that I forgot to mention.
Really need to stop drinking this red when sitting at the computer.

bertsmobile1 said:

Oooh yes, remove the con rod that would be a good idea that I forgot to mention.
Really need to stop drinking this red when sitting at the computer.

Click to expand...

Hey man, if it wasn't for my friend Sam Adams helping out i would never get anything done LOL

I can't get the pulley off. No matter which way I turn the bolt it just spins but won't loosen

I've taken the top con weight out. And the piston completely out. Just can't get things pulley off.

Kba9 said:

I've taken the top con weight out. And the piston completely out. Just can't get things pulley off.

Click to expand...

Never mind. Everything is out. https://ibb.co/d0wHTPT

Kba9 said:

Never mind. Everything is out. https://ibb.co/d0wHTPT

IMG-20200408-232712

Image IMG-20200408-232712 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Click to expand...

Kinda what i thought. Looks like the rod was seizing on the crank journal. Can you get a pic of the rod and cap bearing surfaces? If you know what you are doing you can clean the aluminum off the crank and fit a new rod. Was probably run low on oil.

Hammermechanicman said:

Kinda what i thought. Looks like the rod was seizing on the crank journal. Can you get a pic of the rod and cap bearing surfaces? If you know what you are doing you can clean the aluminum off the crank and fit a new rod. Was probably run low on oil.

Click to expand...

Could you send me an example of a rod and cap bearing

Sorry i wasn't clear. The connecting rod where it rides against the crankshaft journal is the bearing surface and the same fo rhe rod cap. Automotive engines will have a separate bearing insert but most small engines just have the aluminum rod against the steel crankshaft. When an engine is run low on oil usually this is where you see a problem first. Overheats and transfers aluminum to the steel crankshaft. Connecting rod easy to swap out but crank can be expensive.

Degrease the crank shaft then clean the aluminium off with hydrochloric acid ( muriatic is the same just a lower grade )
Don't leave it sit in there for hours it should dissolve off in about 10 minutes.
neutralize the the acid bath with pool chlorine and it will be safe to tip down the drain ( might be illegal in some places ) .
Then ake some close ups of the big end journal.
usually they cleanup OK but if there are grooves into the surface deep enough to catch your fingernail the journal is toast.
Some times a light polish will be OK but generally it is new crank time.

Once we have determined if the crankshaft needs replacing then it is time to start adding up the parts required and come to a decision..
Was there a rod under the bottom counterweight ?
What does the bottom of the crankcase look like.

And congratualtions well done thus far .

Worth mentioning that the piston connecting rod is cracked and both sides. I took a picture of the crank, is this where I should be checking for deep groves, where the connecting rod meets the crank right?

Bert gave you a good way to try and save the crank. If you do go the acid route after you remove the aluminium you can use red scotchbrite to clean up the crank. Don't use sand paper or Emery paper. You don't want to remove steel, you just want to polish any high ridges from scoring. After that bolt the new rod on and see if it tuns smoothly on the crank. If it doesn't you need to polish a little more. If it does turn smoothly you can get a product called plasiguage to check the clearance. I have saved a few engines with less than perfect crank journals after they seized a rod.

Don't look all that bad.
Rod is obviously deceased.
Nothing lurking in that oil on the bottom ?

bertsmobile1 said:

Don't look all that bad.
Rod is obviously deceased.
Nothing lurking in that oil on the bottom ?

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Not that I can tell

Kba9 said:

Not that I can tell

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The shaft seems to be in pretty good condition. Should I just order a new piston rod and start putting things back together. Also do I have to lube the shaft up and how do I re-time it.

BEfore you go ordering parts we still have to work out why the counterweight broke free and was side on in your engine.
It was the counteweight that caused the rod to break but something else allowed the counteweight to shift from it's normal position.
Despite being an earlier model, your counterweight should only be able to move the same as the one in the photos I posted of a latter model back in reply # 18
So we need to see the bottom of that crankcase without any oil in it and the underside of the top closure plate .
No use buying a new con rod & piston if the counterweight does the same thing the minute you fire up the rebuilt engine.
And are you sure t needs a new piston ? and not just a rod ?
Was there damage to the piston ?

I ask you this because Kohler parts are no where near as cheap as Briggs parts and you can easy run up $ 300 to $ 400 in part and still end up with a broken engine.

Counter weighs would usually only break away if the governor failed and the engine drasically over reved or the bolt that holds the two halves together vibrated loose & the two halves parted company.

The two important questions are always
What has failed ?
&
Why did it fail ?
So at the minimum you will need :-
Con rod
Balance weight tie bolt
Gaskets & seals
Bottle or spray can of Assembly Lube .

Looks like the counterweight is assembled onto the crankshaft before the crankshaft is installed into the crankcase .
As for timing,
The cams hare the same and the cam gears have a timing mark for both inlet & exhaust
The gear you prised off the crankshaft has 2 timing marks on it
So it is just a case of aligning the dots

When you assemble thw engine if i remember correctly you put the bottom counter weight on the crank and install in crankcase. Then install piston and rod into block and attach rod to crank then install top counterweight link and bolt that hold counter weight. Been a while but i think that is how i did it. Kohler thinks their parts are special and over price them. Just one more reason to dislike Kohler. Price an OEM carb sometime.

Ok so i started taking a look at it again. I noticed that there was no ring on the top counter weight and it was stuck in the crank. I managed to get it off but there's metal still stuck on there. Do you believe this is the problem? And is the crank done?

IT should prize off but of course it is stuffed.
The bearing is not listed as being a repacement part.
SO you will need to take both the cleaned crank shaft ( bearing removed ) and the counter weight to a bearing shop.
There will be a replacement available but you might need to trim it to width.

Sort of glad you found that because it explains the out of position counterweight.

bertsmobile1 said:

IT should prize off but of course it is stuffed.
The bearing is not listed as being a repacement part.
SO you will need to take both the cleaned crank shaft ( bearing removed ) and the counter weight to a bearing shop.
There will be a replacement available but you might need to trim it to width.

Sort of glad you found that because it explains the out of position counterweight.

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Yeah it's been take off. But there's still metal left from it

bertsmobile1 said:

IT should prize off but of course it is stuffed.
The bearing is not listed as being a repacement part.
SO you will need to take both the cleaned crank shaft ( bearing removed ) and the counter weight to a bearing shop.
There will be a replacement available but you might need to trim it to width.

Sort of glad you found that because it explains the out of position counterweight.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/153768425198 you think this would be cheaper option?

Well he is obviously a mower breaker by the looks of his other items and has a vary good feedback score so i would be happy buying it form him at least
OTOH I would never fit a used bolt.
Seen way too many where the bolt has let go so they are new only .
Been a bit of a long trip hasen't it but looking good now.

bertsmobile1 said:

Well he is obviously a mower breaker by the looks of his other items and has a vary good feedback score so i would be happy buying it form him at least
OTOH I would never fit a used bolt.
Seen way too many where the bolt has let go so they are new only .
Been a bit of a long trip hasen't it but looking good now.

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Is there a way to take the metal off the crank. This is from the top counter weight. Left alot of metal almost welded together

Same as the con rod journal.
A touch of hydrochloric acid if it is alloy or a strong caustic soda solution ( lye ? ) if it is white metal.
some careful scraping .

bertsmobile1 said:

Same as the con rod journal.
A touch of hydrochloric acid if it is alloy or a strong caustic soda solution ( lye ? ) if it is white metal.
some careful scraping .

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Bought some muratic acid, it's taking quite a bit of effort with a soft metal pad to take it off.

Kba9 said:

Bought some muratic acid, it's taking quite a bit of effort with a soft metal pad to take it off.

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The best acid is nitric acid but that is quite dangerious and lets off highly toxic fumes .
Nitric acid also attacks the steel a lot more than the hydrochloric will
Down here it is scheduled
Hydrochliric will work, it just takes more effort