Kohler Command Pro 25 hp CV730-0017

GlenIdaho

Well-known Member
Hello Gents, first time on the garden tractor site. Looking for some direction. I have a 2003 Craftsman GT5000 with a 25 hp Kohler Command Pro CV730-0017 that has started using oil (1 1/2 qts in two hrs) and consuming more gas. The left cylinder plug is clean, right cylinder is black and fouled, compression is 155 on the left and 150 on the right. From the research I have done I am thinking it has a blown head gasket. It did use to do the Kohler backfire upon shutdown, but doesn't do it now. Sometimes it smokes on a cold start sometimes it doesn't. I haven't done a leak down test. Begins to lug down when the blades are engaged. Can't afford to have it down for a couple of weeks waiting for parts so I want to order them before I tear it down. Any other problem areas I should be looking at? Thanks for the help.
 
Was the oil consumption an instant sort of thing or gradual?

You reminded me of the Kohler pop on shutdown.

Tell you what, before you do anything drastic, get a can of "Sea Foam" at your favorite auto parts supplier, about $7 in a 16 oz can, and per the directions on the can, add some to the crankcase oil and more to the gasoline. Run that for several hours over a couple of days.....time element to allow it to soak in overnight.

While at the auto parts store get a couple of new spark plugs too.

After the run time test, recheck compression and change the spark plugs while there. Come back with the results then rethink the head gasket idea.
 
Ok, that sounds reasonable. I have a can of seafoam in the shop and am going to do the lawns today. We'll see what happens. The oil consumption and fuel consumption has occurred over the last three mowing. It usually takes about 2.5 hours each mowing. I faithfully change oil and filters per the hour meter which IIRC is 50 hrs. Thank you for the reply.
 
While the engine is running. Pull the oil dip stick.

If you notice gobs of oil gushing out.. Blown Head Gasket.

Kohler sent a lot of 25 and 27 hp engines out with bad head gaskets and Head bolts around that time (early to mid 2000's). They have a new replacement kit that comes with gaskets had have steel rings around the combustion chamber and new head bolts.

Also to add for later if it ever just shuts down and will not fire or has no spark.. They did away with the Speed Advance Module (about $150+ if you still want to use one) and now offer a kit that contains 2 coils and a step by step wiring diagram to convert them over to the old style coil ignition systems (around $50+).
 
Hello again, here with an update; Used the mower on Sunday however I didn't have the Seafoam I thought I had. After mowing decided to do some checking. Here's what I found;

1. Didn't smoke as much this time and used no oil, used 1/4 tank of gas in 2 hours of mowing, smoked more the longer it was used. I suspect oil on the exhaust manifold, the retaining nut and stud are wet with oil and looks like it has been that way for a while.

2. Compression after use was Right 160 lbs Left 165 lbs. 10 lb increase over cold (to be expected)

3. wet oil found on lower side of right head fins

4. No oil seeping from right valve cover, clean and dry

5. Removed valve cover and found about a 3/8in irregular shaped piece of rubber, could be from valve seal

6. Breather removed and air flows both ways

7. Signs of oil at the carb intake, lower filter coated with oil, dirt and debris, slight amount of oil running down center of filter housing backing plate, plate relatively clean(cleaned in February) Five mowings since

8. Cleaned and reinstalled everything

9. Started and removed breather. some greyish white smoke exited valve cover.

10. When running removed oil dipstick and greyish white smoke came out.

I'm thinking I have a couple of problems;

1. Bad intake valve oil seal

2. Bad breather

3. Blown head gasket

What do you think? As always thanks for the help.
 
Thank you Mule; That's what I am thinking. Going to replace the breather and valve stem seal just as cya. Parts are on order. I watched that video last night, looks to be pretty straight forward. Thanks again. I'll post an update when I make the repairs. A friend came by yesterday with his Kohler Courage, leaking oil out the crankshaft seal down onto the clutch. It's covered in oil with a coating of grass and dirt.
 
(quoted from post at 08:15:07 05/22/18) A friend came by yesterday with his Kohler Courage, leaking oil out the crankshaft seal down onto the clutch. It's covered in oil with a coating of grass and dirt.

Your welcome Glen.

On the Courage engine. Clean everything real good before you tear into it. Some Courage engines came from the factory without an oil deflector in the valve cover (Kohler tried to save a penny or two). Oil would puddle in the valve cover and then leak down onto the exhaust after the engine was shut down after use. Then the next time you used it. The engine would appear as if it were burning oil. It was just the oil burning off the hot exhaust and stop after a while, only to do it again next time you used it..

Kohler has a replacement valve cover gasket kit that comes with the oil deflector. If you replace the gasket without the deflector you will have the same problem within a year or two.

A little trick to use. Take two sheets of paper. One cut a hole in the center large enough to fit around the crank shaft. Then cut from the edge to the hole in the center. After cleaning everything best as you can. Run the engine until hot and shut it down... Slip one sheet of paper under the valve cover/s. The other one slip it over the crank shaft between the top pulley and the engine case.. After about ten minutes or so. You will know if it is really the crank seal or the valve cover gasket leaking..

Courage Valve cover gaskets leaking is/was a big problem on Cub Cadet for some reason more than other makes.
 
I don't know what "gobs of oil gushing out" means, but every time a dipstick is loose or removed with any of my air cooled engines, oil
spray comes out in pretty good sized drops. Neighbor has a new Husqvarna 22 V twin with maybe 50 hrs on it and it too does what mine
do.
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On the rest of the post, when I find oil around the engine I look for loose bolts, Kohler Command...have two left 15 and 17.5 single.
 
(quoted from post at 05:48:02 05/25/18) I don't know what "gobs of oil gushing out" means, but every time a dipstick is loose or removed with any of my air cooled engines, oil
spray comes out in pretty good sized drops. Neighbor has a new Husqvarna 22 V twin with maybe 50 hrs on it and it too does what mine
do.
-------

Never saw any oil continuously blowing out of the dip sticks on mine unless something was wrong with them. Have saw a small amount of very light smoke after running one hard for awhile and maybe a very thin layer of oil at the neck.

This is the 13 year old 27 hp Command in my Husqvarna GTH2754. I had to replace the head gasket on it (free from Kohler) when it had about 75 hours. Other than that nothing has been done to it but basic maintenance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DxJrUPYviE&feature=youtu.be
 
(quoted from post at 05:48:02 05/25/18) I don't know what "gobs of oil gushing out" means, but every time a dipstick is loose or removed with any of my air cooled engines, oil
spray comes out in pretty good sized drops. Neighbor has a new Husqvarna 22 V twin with maybe 50 hrs on it and it too does what mine
do.
-------

Never saw any oil continuously blowing out of the dip sticks on mine unless something was wrong with them. Have saw a small amount of very light smoke after running one hard for awhile and maybe a very thin layer of oil at the neck.

This is the 13 year old 27 hp Command in my Husqvarna GTH2754. I had to replace the head gasket on it (free from Kohler) when it had about 75 hours. Other than that nothing has been done to it but basic maintenance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DxJrUPYviEfeature=youtu.be

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Don't know what went wrong with that last response.
 

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