SLT 1554 smokes on startup?????

[tbear]

When MY new 1554 was delivered last july, the dealer started it up and smoke blew out the exhaust(only fo a second). He said this was normal. Well, 1 year later it still blows smoke on startup. even after running for an hour and you shut it off for 2 minutes and restart it blows smoke.
IS THIS NORMAL?????????

 

[MrWiggles2]

Yep- its perfectly normal. Those vertical shaft engines tend to do it. Mine would do it even as I cut down the slope of my yard. I actually could see the smoke at night via the headlights. Then, when I'd head up towards the house, it would go away.

A little smoke on startup, probably due to a sloped garage floor. Someone did say there was a fix for it, that Kohler had for that.... someone might know something on that.

 

[JTKub]

No worries unless it smokes all the time. Parking a vert shaft engine nose down will result in some oil getting into the combustion chamber. It blows out on startup. Also- be sure not to go over "full" on the oil dipstick as that will make is smoke as well. The 17hp kawi single we had in our JD GT262 would do the smoke show if parked nose down. Scared the heck outa me! (pre- tractor forum days /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

Joel

 

[cager]

tbear...
I agree with the other posts on your question...the smoking is normal...I had a Husqvarner with a 22hp Kohler Command and it would blow smoke out like crazy sometime and particularly on cold days. My CC2554 with a 23hp Kohler Command does some smoking on start up but clears away fairly quickly.

 

[Fordlords]

Yes, this is normal. On vertical shaft engines or older opposed twins with horizontal shafts such as Kohler KT's and Onan P's they can oil smoke a bit on startup. V twins and horizontal shaft engines rarely do this unless worn. Why? What happens on verticals and opposed twins is the oil surrounding the piston at the oil ring settles to the bottom of the cylinder wall when the engine is shut down, then purges through the end gaps of all the piston rings when the engine is fired up again and burns off. It is not harmful at all. New BMW motorcycle owners used to get upset at this with boxer twins and K bikes, being embarassed at their expensive motorcycles oil smoking at startup the only cause being the position of the cylinders.

On horizontal shaft singles and V-Twins, the oil lubing the cylinders flows right back into the crankcase at shutdown, thus no startup smoke.

-Fordlords-

 

[tbear]

Thanks All. I feel better now.

 

[dqdave1]

I have to disagree with others. If engine is sitting level and smokes bad on start up; warm or cold and only lasts for a few seconds and has fair amount of hours on it (50) the reed valves are not seating correctly. Kohler has a bulletin on this as the bolt that secures the reed valve pulls the top thread up out of the block slightly which causes the valve not to seat. Dealer should warranty this.

 

[tbear]

Guess what? I took it to the dealer and had them check it out. They replaced the Valve seals and now there is no smoke.
Thanks for all the help

 

[magicalj]

I just bought a new left over 2004 2180 with a Vanguard. It always smokes when I start it. I wonder if I need to have it checked out then. Any idea's?

 

[ak3383]

Hi, I have the same problem with mine, warm or cold it will blow out a good bit of smoke for a couple seconds. It really didn't seem normal to me. Like if I was to go to a New car dealership and take a test drive and the salesman tells me yea it will blow smoke all over the place for a second but that's normal, I'd head for the hills?