Troy Bilt Kohler Horse quits after 10-15 minutes operation

[MechE1]

Does the engine die only under load or it just stops even when not engaged?

 

[kencunningham]

Try a new plug, i had a tiller that would cut off like that. By the time i would get the plug out and check it for spark it would cool off enough to fire. Finally found the problem after awhile.

 

[dandywit]

Hi, I went back to the shop today. The mechanic tried to start the tiller while I was there. No spark.
He took the carburetor bowl off, cleaned the gunk out and gas flowed through the line and when the carburetor bowl was lifted, gas stopped flowing.
After several cranks, he tested the spark with an in-line spark indicator. After more fiddling and testing, there was still no spark. He tested the condenser and said that it was holding the correct amount of charge properly. He said he had tested the spark plug wire itself and it proved good. He checked the points again, cranked and got no spark. He advanced the spark somewhat as a test and still got no spark. His buddy held a screw driver in the spark plug cap while he cranked - no spark. He said that the push rod was actuating the points properly, the fly wheel tab was not damaged.
There was no difference with the case to the points on or off. The kill switch button did not appear to be malfunctioning.
Earlier he had replaced the rope pull mechanism, but says that the tiller had started at that time, although it picked up the stalling habit sometime in there.
The guy is stumped. I need help to get this going.

Does anyone know if there is a web site for Troy Bilt Kohler motored tiller owners that I could check with to see if there is any new thoughts there? I'd appreciate it. Thanks, Dan DeWitt

 

[arrow]

I asked my small engine/chainsaw fix it guy about this when I saw him this past weekend. He stated to me that Kohler has a bulletin out for its ignition problems. He changes out ignition modules for some of these problems. He also does not have high praise for Kohler but that's another story.

 

[dandywit]

I asked my small engine/chainsaw fix it guy about this when I saw him this past weekend. He stated to me that Kohler has a bulletin out for its ignition problems. He changes out ignition modules for some of these problems. He also does not have high praise for Kohler but that's another story.

Thanks for your post. I'll tell the mechanic. Would you have a parts source for kohler? I'm about ready to pull the tiller out of the shop and see if I can get it to behave. Because 15 minutes of good tilling is livable. Just means more beverage breaks.
Or I could just make it a lawn ornament.

 

[davehowell]

Hi folks, this sounds like a problem (Kohler) I had with a generator, and it turned out to be a fuel tank cap that was not venting properly. I think a rubber diaphram in the cap is supposed to deform enough to vent air into the gas tank, but over time it got so stiff that this was not happening. After ten minutes, the engine would quit. Of course, when you take the cap off, the engine started and ran fine again. I went looking for something overheating. My son discovered the problem within seconds andhe is seriously worred about the gene pool he inherited. Maybe useful.

 

[arrow]

Thanks for your post. I'll tell the mechanic. Would you have a parts source for kohler? I'm about ready to pull the tiller out of the shop and see if I can get it to behave. Because 15 minutes of good tilling is livable. Just means more beverage breaks.
Or I could just make it a lawn ornament.

Try here: Kohler Engines and Kohler Engine Parts Store, Genuine Kohler Engine Parts. I ran into a similar problem with a rototiller that needs a new carb. Kawasaki states they have discontinued this carb so in effect, I have a perfectly good rototiller that indeed is a lawn ornament.

 

[arrow]

Thanks for your post. I'll tell the mechanic. Would you have a parts source for kohler? I'm about ready to pull the tiller out of the shop and see if I can get it to behave. Because 15 minutes of good tilling is livable. Just means more beverage breaks.
Or I could just make it a lawn ornament.

Try here: Kohler Engines and Kohler Engine Parts Store, Genuine Kohler Engine Parts. I ran into a similar problem with a rototiller that needs a new carb. Kawasaki states they have discontinued this carb so in effect, I have a perfectly good rototiller that indeed is a lawn ornament.

 

[JimRB]

I have a 60+ year old rototiller that runs on the original engine and carb. What would cause a carb to be bad that it has to be replaced? All a carb is is a bunch of jets and ports that might get clogged. If the float does not leak and the needle valve works and th eports are not clogged you are good to go. If they have a fuel pump diaphragm like on a 2 cycle you might need a gasket kit, but a new carb? Heck my 1967 Beetle had a worn carb base where the butterfly throttle valve shaft elongated the bore on the return spring side. I could have bushed it but a slightly bigger jet adjusted for the slightly lean mix. My limited experience with small engines has not turned up a carb that was worn out. That would take a fair bit of use not a few hours or tilling every year.

Any back to the story which was no spark. I thought I read points and a condenser. One other part which is the coil that is mounted close to the flywheel. If indeed the kill switch is not killing things, if the condenser is indeed good (why not replace for a few bucks), if indeed the points are good, then the only thing left is the coil assuming the flywheel still has the magnet in place. Of course there is the gap between the coil and the flywheel as well as the gap in the points. HowStuffWorks "How does a magneto work?"

 

[arrow]

I have a 60+ year old rototiller that runs on the original engine and carb. What would cause a carb to be bad that it has to be replaced? All a carb is is a bunch of jets and ports that might get clogged. If the float does not leak and the needle valve works and th eports are not clogged you are good to go. If they have a fuel pump diaphragm like on a 2 cycle you might need a gasket kit, but a new carb? Heck my 1967 Beetle had a worn carb base where the butterfly throttle valve shaft elongated the bore on the return spring side. I could have bushed it but a slightly bigger jet adjusted for the slightly lean mix. My limited experience with small engines has not turned up a carb that was worn out. That would take a fair bit of use not a few hours or tilling every year.

A diaphragm can easily soften and be made useless by ethanol. I am glad in your limited experience, that you have not confronted this problem. Rubber compounds for diaphragms can also effect longevity of this element. Length of use of the implement itself may have no bearing in this situation. There is no kit available for this carb presently on the rototiller.