surfran
Platinum Member
Last year I blew the engine in my Cub 1811 hence my Kubota BX replacement. Well I himed and hawed about what to do with the Cub when I found a used Kohler Magnum M18 on ebay so I bought it (this was last fall). Anyhow, I got the engine in and running, but it was running rough. I tinkered off and on for a couple weeks and decided to put up for Winter as I had too much else to do.
Well a few weeks back I got it back out thinking about getting it running good and selling it. I tried all the adjustments on the carb and couldn't get it to idle smooth. Seemed to run fine at full throttle. I ended up swapping carburetors with my old engine and it ran nice, although I did hear some hissing (like a blow by) which I attributed to the muffler that I had damaged while using a screw driver to drive it off (bad idea /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif).
Anyhow, two weeks after my son uses for mowing the lawn, I go to start it up and it doesn't want to start. Trouble shoot for a while and finally realize I have blown head gasket.
The heads seemed slightly warped, but the mechanic at the Cub dealer said that they didn't look to warped to work. The block (or jug) on the one side shows some signs of blow by that I can feel with my finger and that is what I am most worried about.
So here is my question, I had heard somewhere at onetime that using aluminum paint on the block, heads and new gasket can help to get a better seal. Do any of you out there know if that is true, and if so, is there a chance that it would be enough to "fill" the area I can feel?
The Kohler book says .003" but I don't have feeler gauge lower than .012".
I have a neigbor that is a machinest, and he said he could shave the heads easily for me if I wanted. So second question is that a good idea or should I try with new gasket and aluminum paint (if people think that is a good idea of course).
Lastly if aluminum paint is good idea, is it the paint brush style like at TSC? and does anyone know place to get less quantity than 1 gallon as the head won't take that much and I won't have a need afterwords.
Sorry this ended up much longer than I thought it would, but any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Well a few weeks back I got it back out thinking about getting it running good and selling it. I tried all the adjustments on the carb and couldn't get it to idle smooth. Seemed to run fine at full throttle. I ended up swapping carburetors with my old engine and it ran nice, although I did hear some hissing (like a blow by) which I attributed to the muffler that I had damaged while using a screw driver to drive it off (bad idea /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif).
Anyhow, two weeks after my son uses for mowing the lawn, I go to start it up and it doesn't want to start. Trouble shoot for a while and finally realize I have blown head gasket.
The heads seemed slightly warped, but the mechanic at the Cub dealer said that they didn't look to warped to work. The block (or jug) on the one side shows some signs of blow by that I can feel with my finger and that is what I am most worried about.
So here is my question, I had heard somewhere at onetime that using aluminum paint on the block, heads and new gasket can help to get a better seal. Do any of you out there know if that is true, and if so, is there a chance that it would be enough to "fill" the area I can feel?
The Kohler book says .003" but I don't have feeler gauge lower than .012".
I have a neigbor that is a machinest, and he said he could shave the heads easily for me if I wanted. So second question is that a good idea or should I try with new gasket and aluminum paint (if people think that is a good idea of course).
Lastly if aluminum paint is good idea, is it the paint brush style like at TSC? and does anyone know place to get less quantity than 1 gallon as the head won't take that much and I won't have a need afterwords.
Sorry this ended up much longer than I thought it would, but any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,