Kohler 23hp lifter noise

Fordlords · Nov 6, 2006

Time to raise ****! I said it fairly early on in this thread that that engine needed to be replaced, it is a lemon that has machining issues beyond the lifters, possibly the lifter bores or the cam. Tell the dealer that if this is what they are hearing from the Kohler rep or any more oil foaming nonsense, the Kohler rep and your dealer, Kohler Corporation, and Cub Cadet Corporation will be recieving a letter from your attorney. Just start as an empty threat, and you'll start seeing some more eyebrows raise.

I went through this with Mitsubishi Corp. many years ago. It takes some time, but if you don't get the ball rolling ASAP, you will not win.

-Fordlords-

turbojerk · Nov 7, 2006

Fordlords said:
Time to raise ****! I said it fairly early on in this thread that that engine needed to be replaced, it is a lemon that has machining issues beyond the lifters, possibly the lifter bores or the cam. Tell the dealer that if this is what they are hearing from the Kohler rep or any more oil foaming nonsense, the Kohler rep and your dealer, Kohler Corporation, and Cub Cadet Corporation will be recieving a letter from your attorney. Just start as an empty threat, and you'll start seeing some more eyebrows raise.

I went through this with Mitsubishi Corp. many years ago. It takes some time, but if you don't get the ball rolling ASAP, you will not win.

-Fordlords-

I'm actually going to take it to a "Kohler Dealer" to be fixed. He said that if there's something wrong with it that he can fix the problem and Kohler will stand behind it as far as the warrantee is concerned. So now I guess that I’ll need to take a day off work on top of all of this BS…..

You know, it's a shame that anyone would have to go through this schitt with a brand new tractor with less that 40hrs on the clock....Very disappointed I am.....

Fordlords · Nov 10, 2006

Now here is the funny part. After all will be said and done with three repairs and all the parts and labor costs, it will have well exceeded the cost of just putting a new engine in to begin with LOL! Tell the Kohler shop this is it, and you simply don't have any more time to spend messing around fixing your new tractor. I can totally understand the disappointment, I would feel exactly the same way

The 16 HP single cylinder Command we have in our little Craftsman with hydraulic lifters is a little rappy sounding when started cold for a few seconds after it has sat for a few weeks, but the noise always goes away quickly and I rate it as a very quiet small engine, have been very satisfied with it. Kohler has had a great reputation for quality small engines, hopfully this ongoing problem of yours will get solved more sooner than later, as the Cub 2000's really are an excellent machine.

-Fordlords-

turbojerk · Nov 10, 2006

Fordlords said:
Now here is the funny part. After all will be said and done with three repairs and all the parts and labor costs, it will have well exceeded the cost of just putting a new engine in to begin with LOL! Tell the Kohler shop this is it, and you simply don't have any more time to spend messing around fixing your new tractor. I can totally understand the disappointment, I would feel exactly the same way

The 16 HP single cylinder Command we have in our little Craftsman with hydraulic lifters is a little rappy sounding when started cold for a few seconds after it has sat for a few weeks, but the noise always goes away quickly and I rate it as a very quiet small engine, have been very satisfied with it. Kohler has had a great reputation for quality small engines, hopfully this ongoing problem of yours will get solved more sooner than later, as the Cub 2000's really are an excellent machine.

-Fordlords-

Yeah, that's what amazes me. Especially since the problem hasn't be resolved. Now I've got a brand new tractor with a 40hr motor that has (or will be) taken apart 3 times. Seems kinda dumb to me...

Like I said before, I really like the Cub Tractor itself. It's just a noisy motor problem and really has nothing to due with the tractor....

turbojerk · Jan 1, 2007

I think that I'm finally at the end of my rope with this tractor and I'm contemplating to just take it back and ask for a refund. I was going to take it myself on my own time to a Kohler certified mechanic to have the problem fixed, but I have since re-thought this and figured that I shouldn't have to do that. I paid good money for this thing and taking a day off work to run it around to get fix on my own time and gas money is not what I paid for.

To make things worse since I've gotten it back for the 2nd time and the problem wasn't fixed, I've mowed once with it and now the trans is "freewheeling" now and I'm constantly going for the brake pedal. It wasn't like that before cause I hardly ever touched the brake other than to set the parking brake. To top it off when I had to pulled the tractor back in my shed the daum forward pedal didn't return back up and I ran into my snow blower and the handle put a gouge in the headlight lens.....Needless to say I've officially HAD IT with this thing. It's been a PITA from the very first minute and that's no joke....

Does anyone know what my options are for returning it and asking for a refund? It's only got 50 hours on it and it still looks like new cause I take care of my stuff so it's not like I abused it or anything along those lines......

T

vtcress · Jan 1, 2007

Wonder if anyone ever pulled the pistons ?? It would not be the first time something was left in the cylinder. It does not sound like a lifter problem if they have been changed that often. They could use a bore scope as well, or rent one to look inside. In the long run, I would go after a new engine or tractor as others have said.
charlie in vt

DieselPower · Jan 1, 2007

Sorry to hear you are still having troubles with your tractor. Somehow I boubt they will refund the full purchase amount. Have you written to Kohler's corporate office about the problem? Alot of times if you address a letter to the CEO or President of a company and explain your problem to them heads start to roll. Many times I think the high ups just don't realize the problems the end users are having. It's worth a 39 cent stamp to find out. I know the few times I have had problems with tools and equipment over the years thing's seem to get done when I finally write the letter to the "boss". My last letter was to the CEO of Snap-On tools about some problems I was having with some diagnostics equipment. In the end, I ended up meeting the CEO and their enginering head and my problem was resolved in no time.

turbojerk · Jan 2, 2007

DieselPower said:
Sorry to hear you are still having troubles with your tractor. Somehow I boubt they will refund the full purchase amount. Have you written to Kohler's corporate office about the problem? Alot of times if you address a letter to the CEO or President of a company and explain your problem to them heads start to roll. Many times I think the high ups just don't realize the problems the end users are having. It's worth a 39 cent stamp to find out. I know the few times I have had problems with tools and equipment over the years thing's seem to get done when I finally write the letter to the "boss". My last letter was to the CEO of Snap-On tools about some problems I was having with some diagnostics equipment. In the end, I ended up meeting the CEO and their enginering head and my problem was resolved in no time.

I could do that, but I guess that I'm just tired of this thing. I really don't like mowing all that much anyway and having a tractor that I don't like really makes it all the worse. I'm just going to take it back and see what happens. I've been stressing about this thing since the moment that I backed it off the trailer last spring and I've just run out of patients. At this point I wish that I had my GT1554 back cause even though it was a cheaper machine it ran great and I really liked it...

turbojerk · Mar 26, 2012

Just a huge FYI on this topic... and closure to this problem.

I had the mechanical fuel pump fail on me while the tractor was sitting over the winter months. No big deal but I decided that I wanted to switch to an electric fuel pump so I did and everything works great! Heres the thing, guess what? No more lifter noise! As I thought to myself several times since this problem occurred I always wondered if that mechanical pump was putting too much stress on the lifter under idle, low oil pressure conditions and as of yesterday I found out that my thoughts were correct? It only took several years, 2 trips back to the dealer and a short block replacement for no reason