great dane motor swap

[jim dailey]

1st, I tried the search feature...no results. What I have is a motor swap-out on a great dane super surfer. Picked it up cheaply, but the engine is bad. Got the exact replacement engine over the internet. The machine is 52". The engine is a kohler 18 hp. The replacement engine is the same. The shop said to be sure...or the electric engagement for the blades would not fit. Also, they said to watch out for the set-up of the governor controls. I have all the books...the owner's manual and the mechanic's manual for both the machine and the engine. If I go exactly with the manuals, does anyone see any future snags that I might run into. I am very mechanical, for the average individual, and have more tools than is needed.
I just wanted to post to see if anyone has been down this road, and any difficulties that they might have run into. I am very confident in my mechanical abilities, and feel good about the whole project. Just was looking for anything that I might want to be fore-warned about. Thanks for any and all advice that everyone might be able to offer...JIM.

[xcopterdoc]

As long as it is a direct replacement, I dont see any problems. Double check the crank shaft lenght to make sure the clutch will go on right. The gov linkage assy should already be set from the factory. Dont mess with it. Connect the throttle cable and rig it the usual way. On start up, let it idle til its warm, about 5 min, then shut down. let it cool to the touch and repeat 3 times to let the rings set good. Run for an hour, dump oil and change filter. Reservice and have fun!

[johnbast3]

Just a note:I have two Dane surfers and replaced one of the Kohler 18's with a Kohler 18 from ebay(a small engine place from Texas)..$550.,to my door.Had to use old wiring harness,old starter,no big deal.Crank was 1 1/8 but was 3/4 shorter.Used anyway,all season,not a problem at all..John

[Royalslover]

Piece of cake. I bought a 24 Honda to replace my 22 Kohler on my 61"Surfer. two dealers told me not to even bring it in because it might be impossible to exchange. It bolted right on and the electrical even wired right up.
Once you get it running, make sure the clutch is installed right. I burned up a $70 clutch and a $250 one before I learned how do do it right. Once you have it lined up with the belt, use machine bushings on top and bottom to make absolutely sure that it can't move up or down.

[SCAPEASAURUSREX]

The only issue I see is that 18HP sounds a little light for a 52" decked machine.. Should maybe have considered upgrading to a 20 or 22 hp or whatever was the next step up from the 18 in Kohlers lineup..