Matching carburetors for Kohler engine

[jchamberlin]

Good job, Mark. Keep at it.

 

[mtarsus]

There seems to be something wrong with the way I've wired the charging/ignition shutoff system...

Last night I installed a good statorand wired everything up. I confirmed that the engine was charging at 14v, and the ignition shutoff also worked (I started and shut off the engine 3 times, using only the key).

This morning, the engine will crank but will not start. Any idea what's going on? Specifically, could I have wired something wrong that could have fried the ignition coil? I ask this because I experienced the same scenario last week: I wired up the charging system and rectifier, and after I shut it off it would not start again. I cranked it for over an hour, charging the battery in between. Out of desperation, I replaced the ignition coil, and then the engine started right up. Since then, I didn't bother wiring it again until last night when I replaced the bad stator.

The engine cranks fine and I can smell the unburnted gas. I am positive that it is just not sparking. Does this sound like an issue you've experienced before? If I've blown another coil I'm going to be angry. That means I'll be chalking out more money and waiting for parts in the mail.

 

[mtarsus]

Also, is it possible there is a short somewhere that could be frying the coil? I checked the voltage coming from the shutoff wire that connects to the ground on the coil. It was reading 0.3 to 0.4 with the meter set to DC20. Is that normal?

 

[mtarsus]

This sucks. The coil is shot. The engine has killed 2 ignition coils. I read online about this, apparently Kohler Magnums have a tendency to do this as they age. One of the electronic parts is probably shorted and it sends too much juice to the coil when it is plugged into the rectifier and stator system. Either that, or I have failed to ground something properly and the ignition coil is taking a hit. What a pain in the @$$. I just spent $70 to order a coil online.

From now on, I am not going to setup the wiring for the ignition system. I can probably setup the rectifier so that it will charge the battery, but I am not going to risk attaching the ignition coil to anything; this is a problem that will quickly become too expensive to solve. I will continue to shut off the engine by either pulling the choke, or removing a spark plug boot, and that's how it will be until the day I've parted ways with this little tractor.

 

[mtarsus]

I did some more reading. I see now that shutting the engine off is as simple as grounding the coil. For that reason, I am assuming that ground lead from the ignition has current leaking into it.

I can replace the ignition switch, that will probably help.

However, I am wondering if I could try something else.... Could I use a toggle switch to ground the coil to the frame, so that I can flip it to kill the spark and shut the engine down?

 

[jdiederichs]

Mark, be certain that no current is going to the white "kill" wire of the ign. module, they simply won't take that very long before they die. Not sure if the off position on the switch grounds it? Test the switch in all positions and be sure that no current is present, first of all. Then continuity test the switch tab to ground when in "OFF position, open in run and start. Yes, those ign. modules are very sensitive to inputting current on the ground lead, like most current engines are also. You can destroy a Command doing that also. So spare yourself a big parts bill, ok?

 

[mtarsus]

Jim, thanks for the advice. After consulting a few people and doing some more reading, it seems to me that it could be 1 of 2 things:

1) shorted electronic device
2) poorly grounded engine component.

I am going to check all of the grounding wires on the tractor, clean them, sand them if needed, and reattach them. I would actually like to use those metal loops that you see on the terminal wires, maybe bolt them to the frame (there are plenty of holes all over it).

However, when it comes to the ignition switch, I have decided to install a push button for the starter. What I plan to do is to have a switch for the ground on the coil, then the button to engage the starter. They will have those ostentatious plastic covers that need to be lifted out of the way as though for the detonator on a bomb (once I get going with a project I begin to over-think and indulge in ways that are a bit immature, but hey...)

While I'm at it I am going to add another switch for the light, which I plan to mount on the hood (the stock lighting setup has been removed, I will also be removing the headlight bezels, and fabricating a new grill from some form of perforated metal).

The end result will be something vaguely shameful, but probably very good at removing snow at 4am, when my neighbors are sleeping.

 

[digger]

Just curious as to what happen to this thread that was supposed to be, <font color="0000ff">Matching carburetors for Kohler engine </font>

 

[mtarsus]

It kind of morphed, but I didn't want to open a new thread and spam the forum, so I just kept it in this thread instead.

Maybe one of the mods can change the title to "Refurb and Modification of 1430 Mower"

I will post more photos in a day or two.

 

[digger]

Mark T.
Unlike the old days, we have ALL the room we'll ever need for the forum and more threads are not an issue either.
In fact it's actually better to start new threads for new topics to make it easier for guys and gals down the road to find a problem they might have.