KOHLER ENGINES

JR Frye · Mar 10, 2012

I was talking to a guy yesterday and he was telling me that he took out the balance gears
In a kohler 18 horse and it ran better than it did from the factory, Well something tells me he is full of ---t, Because if that was the case why did kohler put them in.
I can just about bet with those balance gears out of that motor did not last long, because it Proble shook so bad that it just came apart at the seams:
WHAT A MORON;
JR FRYE

oldtanker · Mar 10, 2012

I have rebuilt several K series Kohlers and always put the gears back in but I do know people who have not put them back in because they think it's too hard to get em timed right. They don't seem to have any problems.

Rick

t1 · Mar 10, 2012

if it was an 18 hp single cylinder, thats probably the best thing he could do, those engines aren"t very plentiful (compared to the lower hp).

Removing the balance gears from the single cylinder K-series engines is common, and often recommended when they are due for a rebuild. Many of the engines have been destroyed when the little needle bearings the balance gears ride on failed, and the gears went through the side of the blocks.

The engines came with and without them, depending on the spec numbers. There only purpose was to remove vibration from the engine, so the operator didn"t feel it when using his machine. Those engines were usually on rubber mounts also.

Whether or not it makes the engine actually run better, I don"t know about that. But it won"t hurt it by not having them.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 10, 2012

It isn't uncommon to remove them. If I remember right the 12 H.P. model didn't use them in the first place but the 14 H.P. did. I worked at a golf course that had a 14 H.P. Kohler blow a big hole through the block because of the balance gears. I took the block to a specialty welding shop I knew and they brazed a mild steel plate to the block to repair the hole. The engine was put back together without the balance gears and ran fine. I wish I would have had a camera. The repair was made with a piece of 1/8" steel that was formed to match the contours of the block, then the block was heated super hot for the brazing. After the brazing the block was slow cooled and wrapped in several layers of fire blankets.

WJD · Mar 10, 2012

You have to be careful of balancers. If they are mis-installed by only one tooth it is worse than no balancer at all.
This may or may not be your problem but thought I'd throw it out.

oldtanker · Mar 10, 2012

(quoted from post at 10:03:07 03/10/12) It isn't uncommon to remove them. If I remember right the 12 H.P. model didn't use them in the first place but the 14 H.P. did. I worked at a golf course that had a 14 H.P. Kohler blow a big hole through the block because of the balance gears. I took the block to a specialty welding shop I knew and they brazed a mild steel plate to the block to repair the hole. The engine was put back together without the balance gears and ran fine. I wish I would have had a camera. The repair was made with a piece of 1/8" steel that was formed to match the contours of the block, then the block was heated super hot for the brazing. After the brazing the block was slow cooled and wrapped in several layers of fire blankets.

I've had 8 or 9 of the 12 HP's apart and all had the balance gears in them. Maybe when they first came out???? All the ones I have worked on were 1970 and newer.

Rick

BrianJasper co. Ia · Mar 10, 2012

I've seen the balance gears referred to on the cub cadet and john deere garden tractor sites as 'grenade gears'. They are fine as long as they stay on their shafts. It's when they come off that they destroy the engine. Not all of the single cyl Kohlers had balance gears. That's why some folks choose to leave them out.

Greenday · Mar 10, 2012

I have been pulling cub cadets for 12 years with kohler engines and always remove the balance gears. Ive been running the same 12 horse for ten years at 4000 rpm and have never had a single problem

Brian G. NY · Mar 10, 2012

I like that; "grenade gears".
It really does fit; I bought a nice 16HP Ford Garden Tractor a few years ago and it had a 4"X4" hole right thru the side of the block where one of the balance gears exited.
The engine looked in good shape; the oil was clean and it was full.
I have many Kohler engines from 10HP to 16 HP, some with many, many hours and I have never seen one blow the balance gears.
Pullers remove them because they rev them way beyond the RPMs they are designed for.
I have 3 Kohler blocks in my basement right now, bored and ready for assembly. I can"t decide whether or not to put the balance gears in.
I believe I will leave them out of at least one just to see for myself how much difference there might be in vibration.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 11, 2012

It might not have been the 12 horse that didn't have
the balance gears but it was a lower H.P. version of
the same basic engine design that didn't use them.

oldtanker · Mar 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 23:50:43 03/10/12) It might not have been the 12 horse that didn't have
the balance gears but it was a lower H.P. version of
the same basic engine design that didn't use them.

I have an 8HP Kohle K series engine for a project...guess I'll pul the pan on that and have a look.

Rick

KOHLER ENGINES

JR Frye

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oldtanker

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t1

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Anonymous-0

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WJD

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oldtanker

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BrianJasper co. Ia

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Greenday

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Brian G. NY

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Anonymous-0

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oldtanker

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