Fan to replace PTO assembly

[EdData]

Hi, Just checking out there to see if anyone has installed a fan behind the grill to cool the engine? I do not need the PTO and was thinking of removing it and installing a small fan on the shaft. Any thoughts or opinions? I checked this forum but only found a guy who installed a fan on the drive shaft which was pretty interesting. Thanks, Eddy

 

[dschwandt]

There is already a fan built into the flywheel to force air flow across the engine fins plus, on hydro units, there is already a fan on the rear of the driveshaft as original equipment.

In order to compliment these fans, yours would have to blow air out the front of the unit.
Redundant to say the least.

 

[EdData]

Thank you for the information. I appreciate it. I have a 69' 106 and am in the learning stage.. Great forum.

 

[hydroharry]

Hey Ed - Sounds like you really aren't familiar yet with the Kohler K-series single cylinder air-cooled engine, and how the air flow cools the engine. We've all been where you are at one time or another. Here's a pic of a K301 (12hp) flywheel so you can see what it looks like. It's basically a big cast iron fan and counterweight that is covered by that big shroud on your engine.
You can probably see part of the screen that covers the front of your flywheel right next to your clutch cover. (Some people call it a grass screen since it's suppose to keep grass and other small items from being sucked into the flywheel and blocking the air flow) The screen is where the flywheel sucks the air in, and then uses those big fins to blow the air up across the fins on the block and across the fins on the head, and then out towards the muffler keeping the muffler heat somewhat away from the engine. If the fins on the engine block and head get blocked up with grass and dust and crud it will inhibit the air cooling and the engine could overheat. All the fins should periodically be cleaned off, probably about every 5 years or whenever you de-carbon the head on the engine (which Kohler recommends every 500 hours). If you haven't got yourself a Kohler K-series Service Manual yet you should. I think you can get it thru the Manuals thread on the Forum. It's got alot of nice pics and diagrams that will help you.

 

[EdData]

Thanks Harry. The Cub came with (2) half moon clutch covers. One is a screen and one is solid. Does it matter which is installed? I don't plan to cut grass.

 

[hydroharry]

Ed - if I recall correctly the solid cover is for a gear drive tractor and the perforated one is for a hydro drive. It could be the reverse so lets hope someone else chimes in to confirm which is which.
And by the way, the covers only fit one way. (One side has a wider flat area). I believe the wider side goes towards the left side of the tractor (left as you sit on the tractor), but I could also be wrong about this.

 

[kharvey]

Check the fins and shroud more often as mice like to build nests in there. Then the engine overheats and blows the head gasket. The voice of bad experience or I learned this the hard way.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Hydro, you're memory is still good, the solid is for the gear drive, perforated is for the hydrostatic as it lets some air flow through to help keep the hydrostatic pump cool. And the wider side does go to the left.

 

[hydroharry]

Kraig - well by-Gollie, the ole brain cells are still working.