Recent content by Enrico8n47

I began mowing again, and the valvetrain clatter went away, as Randy advised. I did see smoke coming from under the hood (not from the exhaust), looks like an oil leak. Is this engine prone to oil leaks?

Thank you for the manual, very helpful.

Thank you for the information, that saves me a lot of trouble. I will run it and keep listening for changes in valve train noise. Hydraulic lifters, that is good, I don't want to tear down and engine just for that. I have the manual from Carl_NH which has been helpful as well.

I recently purchased a 2008 GT2550, and I have no experience with the Kohler CH670-0011. The engine ran a little rough, but evened out when it warmed up. Recent oil and filter change, along with hydraulic fluid. About 700 hours usage. Fresh gas and some fuel system cleaner, and it seemed to be...

You're probably right.

POSTSCRIPT: started backfiring and losing power, again. I did a compression test, #2 is much lower (45-50) than #1 (80), #3 (70), #4 (70). Spark plugs, which were worn but OK 2 weeks ago are now dark, #2 being the worst. Something else is going on here. More diagnostics to come. If anyone...

What is the procedure to polarize the 6v generator? I replaced the generator, and was told it has to be polarized in order to work properly, somehow Via the voltage regulator. There are 4 wires going into the voltage regulator: 2 on top, one on the left (from seat position), and one below...

UPDATE: I replaced the points and condenser, reset the timing. It's a PITA due to the distributor's location, but worth the trouble to have a good running engine. I'll do this every other year instead of every 3.5-4 years. Also since I was unable to mow due to rain, I changed the engine oil...

UPDATE: After reading contributions in this forum and others, I'm thinking this may be a heat-dissipation-related problem, so I'm going to 1) clean the radiator fins with compressed air and water from the hose (from the back of the radiator); 2) drain and flush the cooling system, replace 50/50...

Not yet, I've just seen a youtube on how to do that and will check it as well.

I'm also going to try some Marvel Mystery Oil to see if it can help free any stickiness in the valvetrain.

I did that.

The 8n has a flat head, no rocker arms. I'm guessing the clearance is between the lifter and the valve stem.

No, I don't know how to do that. I'm checking Youtube for a video, it appears a special tool is needed to lift the spring, only then insert can you insert a feeler gauge. Have you ever done this job? Any tips?

UPDATE: The coil was replaced, all 4 plugs were checked for color and gap, all normal and not worn out. Still harder to start, backfires and runs rough when warm. I just pulled the distributor to check timing and dwell, they are as close as I can get to spec using Tim Ponn's Grand Valley...