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Blown head gasket :(

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Orry Allison

Well-known member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
47
Location
Arkansas 72946
displayname
Obiwan
So yup blown head gasket and melted head gotta get another one.

When I got the 124 I didn't check to make sure the bolts were at torque spec and didn't check that gasket so I can't say if it was the original gasket or if it was replaced or if it's my operating error but, after taking it off I did see some other sections on the gasket were it rusted pretty bad so maybe it was weak in that area and finally burned through. What caused it? I guess I'll never know now, which will bug me for life.

Any thoughts on what I need to look for and check before I put the new one on? I have the manual for the 12hp K301A so that's what I'm going off of now.
 
melted head? how is it melted?? photos would help on that one..
melted is darn hot .. marble or piece of glass. feller gauge it... .003 of a inch max out. sand paper does wonders to flatten them back out.. i do it all the time.. depending how far off they are from the max out of .003 of a inch.
 
I would post a picture but, it says it can't open the file chooser. When I took the head bolts off it definitely didn't feel like I had to break torque on them. I didn't check that after I bought it.
 
I would post a picture but, it says it can't open the file chooser. When I took the head bolts off it definitely didn't feel like I had to break torque on them. I didn't check that after I bought it.
Orry, if it ran nobody would have checked torque on head bolts...don't beat yourself up on that one....
 
Orry,
if you want a reason to kick yourself about not checking headbolts, try having a KT-17II twin with one head loose, opening it, peeking in, cleaning up, resealing it, getting it running, and not even thinking to look at the other head bolts! That is my sad story of focusing on one problem too closely, and missing the big picture.
 
Thanks Gary. And Jim yeah that would be a day to kick the dog on. I guess that's why they say live and learn. There is lots to learn on these old girls but i feel they are easier and more fun to work on.
 
Thanks Gary. And Jim yeah that would be a day to kick the dog on. I guess that's why they say live and learn. There is lots to learn on these old girls but i feel they are easier and more fun to work on.

hahha he is done for lol .. hook line and sinker lol

if your unable to open the file thingy. turn popup blocker off if you have it or try a diff browser..
 
Ya know, that's screwed up and definitely not something most people think about when looking at buying a new-to-me cub (or whatever for that matter).
Never know what PO might have been doing before they decide to sell their equipment. Especially if they say it ran years ago but now they can't get it running.
Definitely something to check quick before trying to fire it up for the first time...🤔
 
Us "Ole Timers" that remember Reverend BOB and Kentucky KEN remember Bob torched the head (Yes, that's the technical term for blowing molten aluminum out of the head casting) A little trench right where the 1/4" bolt hole for attaching the cooling tin for the head on the "left side" of the engine as installed and sitting on the seat. The head was express mailed from the Great North-West, I forget which state Bob lived in, Montana maybe, to Kentucky Ken for repair. Two guesses where Ken lived, first one doesn't count. Ken TIG'd the torched area, surface ground the head to flatness and posted a picture and returned it. You run a Kohler hard enough long enough you will blow a head gasket. I believe a Kohler head gasket is a "Single Use gasket", meaning removing for cleaning carbon requires a new head gasket, and I've described a process of spraying water into a warm running engine that does an excellant job of removing carbon and many who didn't read the article in Hot Rod Magazine written by C. J. Baker refuse to believe works. Only Gerry Ide read the article and supported me.
Yes, best to keep head bolts tight. Check tightness in the order shown in the manual, gas tank removal may be needed.
I HATE Facebook, but I joined a Kohler Engine FB group, Those guys like working on them WAY more than I do, I try to rebuild them about every 30 years or so. It was hard finding parts for the K241 last time. I'm not looking forward to the next rebuild.
 
Denny, yep Rev lived in Montana. Here's the infamous photo where Rev blew his head gasket.

4376.jpg


Here's the actual head showing the torched area:

5972.jpg


Here's the head after KENtuckyKEN fixed it up:

5973.jpg


4532.jpg


Looks like KEN may have also converted it to an LP style head.
 
KRAIG - as usual, you supplying ALL the pictures proves that with the right skills and tools anything can be fixed. I was going completely from memory from WAY back when that all went on. Ken was a good welder! I just got the last piece to my TIG welder, I'm going to practice, probably never get "Good" but will try.

ORRY - I think I'd post a "Wanted to BUY" classified ad for a new or good newer used cyl head. I used to have a spare 10,12,& 14 hp head, bought it from Travis S. at PD#1. Yep, we were some of those bad people that bought/sold parts instead of just plowed.
 
This is a Briggs 23 from my Power King but I blew the gasket. I heard it and stopped so it wasn't horrible. It's hard to see from the pictures but if it's not too bad you may be able to resurface it. I used the cast iron table of my table saw but many people use glass as a flat surface. I used spray adhesive and tacked a piece of sandpaper to it and just slowly worked it back and forth. You don't use a lot of pressure, just move it around. Start coarse and move up as you get closer.

It's been fine since I fixed it. I did have to retorque it once though.
52011344_10213776672193164_6312461018597425152_o_10213776672153163.jpg52082289_10213770173750707_8262747509558870016_o_10213770173710706.jpg
 

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