Need help I.D'ing a Kohler engine and service info

#1
A fellow in my town has to move and I was informed he has many small engines to get rid of.
I drove over there and and saw many old single cylinder engines sitting in his lot.
I saw a Kohler engine that I knew was an oldie. I asked him what it was and he said the ID plate was missing. The shaft turned and compression was felt. I asked him what he wanted for it and he said 20 bucks. I bought the engine.
It weighs at least 125 pounds and is built like a tank. I got it home and placed it on my work bench. I pulled the spark plug and it was clean and no signs of rust. The gas tank inside has only very minor signs of rust. I squirted oil into the cylinder. The electric starter runs and turns the engine over well. Oil level was normal and the oil is clean.( will be changed)
The engine is in very good shape considering it has been sitting in the desert for a long time.
It had snowed here last night so I could not see all the engines he has but I also spied a Rotax snowmobile engine sitting in the corner as well as a U.S Army 5 HP engine that looked to be like new. He said it was in a sealed crate when he bought it.
I took some photos of the engine I bought. The only marks I can find are cast in the engine block. K301. I think this may be a model number? I need to find a service manual and advice about this engine for tune up.
K301A.jpg
K301B.jpg
K301C.jpg
K301D.jpg
K301E.jpg
K301F.jpg
K301G.jpg
 
#5
Those old kohlers are just about bullet proof, weigh a ton for their size though.

I'd check out that army engine. If it's a briggs check for electric start, lighting coil, or charging coil. The kids that like the kazoo carbs slobber over those things.
 

CarPlayLB

Well-Known Member
#6
found this on that site FPM mentioned

NOTE: Certain K-series K241 (10hp) Kohler engine blocks have K301 embossed in the casting on the PTO end, but the engine exactly have a 10hp bore and stroke. (Kohler used the K301 blocks for 10hp engines when they ran out of K241 blocks to keep up with the demand from equipment manufacturers.) These particular blocks have a thicker cylinder wall and can be safely bored for a K301/M12 (12hp) piston (even up to .040" oversize), without making the cylinder wall too thin. They cannot be bored for a K321/M14 (14hp) piston though. Being the 10hp and 12hp engines appear virtually the same on the outside, the only way to truly tell if this block or engine is actually a 10hp or 12hp is to accurately measure the bore and stroke. The 10hp's STD bore is 3.250" and the stroke is 2.875". The 12hp's STD bore is 3.375" and the stroke is 3.250".
 

CarPlayLB

Well-Known Member
#7
Those old kohlers are just about bullet proof, weigh a ton for their size though.

I'd check out that army engine. If it's a briggs check for electric start, lighting coil, or charging coil. The kids that like the kazoo carbs slobber over those things.
Haters gonna hate! It's OK...we cool

A lot of the military Briggs 5HP engines had lighting coils. They are typically the iron bore blocks with roller bearings. Definitely a score if you can get it!
 
#10
Thank you for your replies. I stripped the engine down to check out the outside components as the engine has been sitting in the weather for several decades. The fuel tank had just a small amount of rust inside of it. No holes! I was able to pickle the tank on the inside and it cleaned up very well. The fuel lines were toast and replaced. I disassembled the fuel pump and the carburetor as gas was left in the engine.Lots of crud had to be cleaned out of both.
I pulled the head off only to find the engine has not been run since a rebuild in the 80's? There was still pencil writing in the "eyebrows".
I had to make a flywheel puller as the flywheel was rusty and needed to be cleaned of crud. I pulled it and threw it in my electrolysis tank. It's nice and clean now. No wear or pits showed up.
I set the point gap and as well as the governor. I filled the tank with clean gas and a lead additive ( I know it is not necessary ) I hooked the engine up to a battery. After a few cranks the engine fired right up. It is pulling a very good vacuum.
After the engine warmed up I adjusted the idle and the air/fuel ratio. I'm at 8,000 feet and I may have to re-jet the carb. The engine is very smooth and is putting out 14 Volts DC. I built another control panel and added an Amp gauge (didn't have a volt gauge).
Kohler panel.jpg
The stator is putting out a little more than 10 amps under load.
I have never owned a Kohler but knew since the 60's that they are great engines. Now I need to find a use for it!
[video=youtube_share;y_ah9WeoKJo]https://youtu.be/y_ah9WeoKJo[/video]
 
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