Kohler Engine Failures

[deskjob]

My Kohler Courage SV600 20HP single cylinder engine exploded after 100 hours. The combustion chamber and everything mounted on it blew off the crankcase. It was factory mounted on a Cub Cadet LT1045 lawn tractor.
This was not just bolts breaking, but an explosion out of the side of the combustion chamber.
Is this typical of Kohler motors?

[doubleedge]

The Courage series engine is residential model, and isn't meant to be used in high hour applications.

[4.3mudder]

Hmm, I have 200 hours on mine 22 Horse Kohler courage twin on a troy bilt ztr.

[a. palmer jr.]

The older Kohler cast iron engines were good. They usually just wore out rather than blow up.

[LawnTamer]

My first Kohler, a 13 hp Command, went out with a bang. It threw a rod, right out the crank case and into a Rhododendron bush, Kaboom! It had nearly 2,000 hrs though, never did anything to it but oil/filter and plug changes.

One thing I don't like about the Command series, all the ones I have owned burn oil, after just a few hundred hrs, and they have no low oil sensor.

So, if you are running Kohlers, check those oil levels every day! I also ran them a little over full, on the oil, it seemed to help on severe inclines, to keep them from running dry.

[a. palmer jr.]

I have always checked the oil and greased my mowers before each use. Maybe it's overkill but it doesn't hurt. I currently have 2 Kohlers, a 13hp John Deere STX38 and a 1982 Cub Cadet which has a K301 log splitter engine adapted to it. I couldn't complain about either engine.

[Ramairfreak98ss]

The Courage series engine is residential model, and isn't meant to be used in high hour applications.

your right, but 100hrs is nothing on any engnie short of a $150 3.5hp model made in china lol

i have over 1200hrs on a 1989 briggs v twin before the vangaurds were out... sitll runs 85% strong. eats a tiny bit of oil and runs rough when starting.

[Mowingman]

Just junk that thing and chalk this up to experience. Courage engine= junk. Cub Cadet LT 1045= junk. What you have is a cheap junk engine on an even cheaper/junkier mower.
As a former Kohler, and Cub dealer, I can tell you that your problems started the minute to loaded this onto your truck/trailer. Live and learn. Sorry you had to learn the hard way.
Now, go out and buy a good quality mower at a real dealer, rather than a "big box" store

[lifetree]

I have always checked the oil and greased my mowers before each use. ...

That's gross over kill ... not to mention expensive !!

[a. palmer jr.]

My mowers aren't very new...the Kohler in the JD STX38 is aprox. 10 years old and the Kohler 301 in the Cub Cadet I bought new around 1994. I always thought that in older engines it's a good idea to check the oil before use. As for the greasing, I don't usually grease all the tractor, but I do grease the blade spindles because that part gets used the hardest, in my opinion.