Kohler command carb leaking issues, ongoing


  #1  
Old 04-22-18, 01:24 PM
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Kohler command carb leaking issues, ongoing

I've put new needles in, cleaned the seats, polished the seats, re-cut the surface of the seats, and nothing works, they continue to slowly leak gas ad fill the crankcase. I'm seeing this more and more. It's happening on the courage engines now too. This is an ongoing problem just with Kohler singles so far. Has anyone found a way to cure the problem? I've been replacing the carbs but I really don't like to replace a perfectly good running carb just because it won't stop seeping gas. Shut off valves are not an option. I usually find the fix for most any problem but nothing has worked so far. I think something in the ethanol fuels is etching the seat or something.

The seats in these used to be non-serviceable but Kohler has introduced a new kit for $30-40 with which you can replace the seat because they are aware of the problem. That's an option I haven't yet tried but for that much money and then no guarantee it will fix it and the labor involved, I just opt for a new carb at $120 and be done with it.
 

Last edited by cheese; 04-22-18 at 08:01 PM.
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Old 04-22-18, 01:58 PM
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Weird problem. Could it be the float design? Play inside the needle chamber allowing it to wobble? They must know the problem is related to the seat itself.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 07:54 PM
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I spent some quality time this afternoon with one of these problem carbs and I think I've determined the problem and created a fix. Under close inspection, it looks like the needle wears the seat just slightly. I guess vibration and whatever allows the rubber tip to wear the tiny hole in the bottom of the seat a bit and it makes the hole a little oval shaped and uneven until finally the needle doesn't seat well enough to stop the gas completely. My fix was to get a dremel grinding stone used in the chainsaw sharpening kits, mill it down to the correct diameter to just fit inside the seat, and using a drill, re-grind the seat until the oval shaped worn area is gone. This seems to have worked on the one test carburetor I've used. I'll know more later. I have several of these carbs that I saved with the intent to isolate the problem and develop a repair.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 08:12 PM
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Sounds tedious! Keep us posted!
 
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Old 04-24-18, 04:53 AM
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Cheese I have replaced quite a few needle and seats on Kohler command engines. I dont remember paying $30-40 for the kit. It was much cheaper. I have not run across the problem on a courage engine as yet. If I do I would just replace the carb with a cheapie from ebay.
 
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Old 04-24-18, 10:51 AM
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The kit with the rubber seat and two different needles is much cheaper but the kit with the brass seat comes with an installation tool and all and retails for a good bit more (kit 1252104s). I'm leery of using cheap chinese replacement carbs. I already ordered two a few days ago so that I could take a look at them and see how they do. $18 apiece. We'll see. So far the ground seat carb I did is holding up and not leaking.
 
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Old 04-24-18, 11:24 AM
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I haven't seen any with the needle valve problem, but have had these carbs running too lean even new ones that they will surge at almost any speed but do seem to smooth out under power @ full throttle.

cheese do you know by chance if there is a service bulletin?
 
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Old 04-24-18, 07:29 PM
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I don't know if there is a bulletin about it or not. Not that I recall. I'm seeing tons of these with this problem. New needles don't stop it.
 
 

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