Kohler Command Pro 25 Sucking Oil

[MBDiagMan]

I have the above engine with only about 300 hours. It's had good care and annual oil changes, only being used about 25 or 30 hours per year. It starts and runs like a champ. No visible oil leaks and although I can't see the exhaust from the operators seat, doesn't seem to smoke. It takes probably a pint of oil in a couple of hours or less.

Is there a breather clogging issue or some such that is the Achilles heel of this engine?

Thanks for any experience that you might be able to share.

 

[Dave M7040]

Doing the math it sounds like the engine is 10 years old.
Could it be that it has never worked long enough to break in the engine and establish a good seal between the rings and cylinders?
Are you using a synthetic oil? Using it too soon on some engines does not allow the rings to seat.
Instead of relying on the dip stick, fill the crankcase with the specified amount of oil and see where it comes to on the dipstick.
Wrong dipsticks have happened and running with too much oil can cause problems
Dave M7040

 

[CalG]

The recommendation from Kohler literature for the K582 flat twin is to use straight weight SAE-30.

"other wise, excessive oil consumption is to be expected". Try Rotella 20-50 or the like. ;-)

 

[IH3444]

This is an on going problem with the twin cylinder Kohler Command 25hp engines. it is due to a head gasket failure. Do a web search, as well as a youtube search for instructional videos. Some Kohlers were supplied with improper either material or heat treatment to their cylinder head bolts. Kits are available on ebay. OEM Kohler kits.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If it is using that much oil, it has to be smoking or seeping out somewhere. If no smoke (not burning it due to piston ring failure) then you should be able to find a leak some where on the exterior of the engine. IH344 suggests a head gasket failure so look for lots of oil around the engine head. Have you checked underneath, it could be a crankshaft seal that has cratered on you and the oil is dropping out under the engine. They would normally leave a oil stain under the mower when parked but it may also only leak when running . Just another item to look at.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Thanks very much for the replies!

I think maybe this isn't the big problem I thought it was.

When I bought this machine I researched the engine quite a bit. At that time, I was aware of the headgasket problem with the Kohler Command, but it was said that those problems did not apply to the Kohler Command PRO.

Since I bought it several years ago, I have run 10W30 synthetic with no oil usage. This was after carefully consulting the factory manual which allowed for 10W30 for my temperature range and also approved synthetic. Last year, at the end of the season, it was sucking oil as I described. A few weeks ago when preparing for the new season, I got it good and warm before draining the oil and removing the filter. I then installed the new filter and filled it with non synthetic.

The other evening after mowing for over an hour, I shut it off and a couple of minutes later, pulled the dipstick and it appeared to be on the add mark. It was after that I started the thread. This morning, with it cooled off, I pulled the dipstick and it shows exactly on the full mark. In the course of preparing for the season, I washed the entire machine thoroughly, so I was prepared to look for leaks. Without the oil usage of course, it showed no leaks of any kind.

So with all that said, I again offer thanks for the responses, and I will check back in a few months from now with a report after some long term observation.