C-175 won't start and flywheel won't turn

[pfrederi 17,741]

after the setscrews are loosened the pulley slide off (can you remove the sleeve from the PTO bearing that is showing in your picture)? The you can get some penetrating oil in the pulley to help things along

[whalenkm 0]

after the setscrews are loosened the pulley slide off (can you remove the sleeve from the PTO bearing that is showing in your picture)? The you can get some penetrating oil in the pulley to help things along

I was searching around in old posts and saw someone mention a drive pulley with two set screws in a single hole....like a double set screw? I am not sure what to make of that. I will check it out when I get home. The set screw is soaking since last night in PB Blaster. The sleeve did not slide off with ease....I did not push it as I didn't know if there was something else holding it on. Thanks....will have another crack at it tonight.

Edit....this is the reference to two set screws in a single hole.....see reply

[Rooster 191]

Never seen anything factory with 2 sets screws, but alot of guys do that. First set screw holds the part in place, second set screw keeps the first on from backing out.

[can whlvr 993]

my magnums have 2 set screws,i find the best way to get these pullies off is a proper puller that bolts into the pulley where the factory screws bolt into,never broke one that way,i did drop one after pulling one and broke a chunk out of it :banghead:

[whalenkm 0]

I've got no experience on that engine, but an engine is an engine. If the connecting rod was seized, there has to be a reason. Penetrating oil is not a fix. I would pull the cap from the bottom of the rod and see what's going on. Lack of lubrication can cause the connecting rod to fuse aluminum to the crankshaft journal. If that is the case, you've got some rebuilding to do.

OK, so with some persuasion I managed to get the other set screw off, the sleeve and then used a puller to remove the drive pulley. I cracked the crankcase and removed the connecting rod. There is definitely an issue....so I suppose this means I have to get a new connecting rod (undersized) and have the crankshaft machined? Where does one get a crankshaft turned and how much would I expect to pay? Have a look at what I found....

Thanks to all for the advice getting this apart.

[smoreau 658]

In my area I like to use Car Quest machine shops as they have a good reputation with the car quest name. Make sure that what ever machine shop you use, make sure they have done small engines before. I have a friend that had a briggs engine bored by a friend of his that does automotive block boring and has never bored a small engine block before and it was bored at a slight angle for a .010 piston.witch caused premature rod failure. My car quest shop found and fixed the block with a .030 piston. and a .010 undersized rod.

[Rooster 191]

That crank is not real bad, you MIGHT get away with polishing it.

Many times on theses engines the crank is not scored at all, but rather just the aluminum is galled onto the crank. Remove the aluminum and they will polish up fine.

I would try that first, or have the shop try it...I have saved many engines this way. Too many guys see a galled rod and immediately grind the crank.

If you do have to have the crank ground price varies by Shop.

I just sent my race crank off to be offset ground, More Power Inc in Sparta Michigan is doing it for $150, other shops wanted $300...

Like Smoreau mentioned, find a shop that has 2 things;Experiance with Small engines and a good reputation.

I am a machinist, do almost all of my own engine work, but I send Cranks and Cams to the guys who have the equipment and knowledge to do them right!

[whalenkm 0]

That crank is not real bad, you MIGHT get away with polishing it.

Many times on theses engines the crank is not scored at all, but rather just the aluminum is galled onto the crank. Remove the aluminum and they will polish up fine.

I would try that first, or have the shop try it...I have saved many engines this way. Too many guys see a galled rod and immediately grind the crank.

OK, so having no experience here, can you try and talk like you are explaining to a third grader. How/What would I polish it with? How do I remove the aluminum? Should I get a new connecting rod or can this be saved? How would I do that without damaging it? If I get a new one, should it be original size or oversized? Thanks!

[Rooster 191]

What ever machine shop you choose could do it for you .

If you want to do it your self.

To remove the aluminum there are a few options....the best of which in my opinion is acid. Every other method involves some type of scraping, scrubbing, grinding or brushing which improperly done could scratch the crank. You simply brush the acid on and it eats the aluminum off of the crank.

Someone help me with the type of acid...I always forget the name. I have had the same bottle for several years, lol!

To polish the crank, you need some Emery cloth, The easiest way is to use a lathe...but if your not experienced with that have someone show you how to do it. There are special procedures for polishing on a lathe that make it safer.

You can do it by hand, it just takes longer, simply wwrap the emery cloth around the crank pin and polish it up.

Now, the crank pin needs to be VERY round and within size tolerance, so if you do not own a set of mics, this makes it really hard to do. I have seen it done with plasti-gauge...but I am a machinist...I hate plasti-gauge, lol!

If done correctly, you should be able to use a standard size rod.

As for your rod, no it cannot be saved.

[Irv 115]

I don't know much about these motors but might polishing the crank and a new rod be a futile attempt if the motor is not going to get proper lubrication after it's back together?

[whalenkm 0]

I don't know much about these motors but might polishing the crank and a new rod be a futile attempt if the motor is not going to get proper lubrication after it's back together?

The tractor is 28 years old.....if I can get even a few years out of it for the cost of a new rod, I am happy.

[Rooster 191]

I don't know much about these motors but might polishing the crank and a new rod be a futile attempt if the motor is not going to get proper lubrication after it's back together?

Well he is going to need to find out what caused the failure.

[pfrederi 17,741]

I don't know much about these motors but might polishing the crank and a new rod be a futile attempt if the motor is not going to get proper lubrication after it's back together?

Well he is going to need to find out what caused the failure.

A series 1 KT-17 doing what his did is all too common. They will not tolerate being run low on oil or run for an extended period on an incline. Keep it full (or slightly over) and don't mow ditch lines and hill sides with it and it may last over 2000 hours like the one I have in my C175 (it came from JD317)

[tunahead72 2,424]

... I then realized that the oil drain pipe was loose and despite having topped off the oil not long before, the oil was not reading on the dipstick. I am wondering if I seized it up due to lack of oil??

Just a reminder that whalenkm probably knows why it seized, and how the insufficient lubrication came to be.

And whalenkm, make sure that drain plug is sealing properly after you have this engine all together again. I've been putting a little bit of high temperature thread sealant on mine recently, which helps with minor seepage, anything more serious than that will require a more serious solution.

And check the oil level religiously, before every start is not too often, at least until you're comfortable that you don't have any leaks anywhere.

But you know all that. :)

[tunahead72 2,424]

Like Smoreau mentioned, find a shop that has 2 things;Experiance with Small engines and a good reputation.

My 2 cents worth, experience with Kohler engines in particular is a big plus.

[546cowboy 301]

I bought a C-175 last year that supposedly ran with a K-17 in it. When I got it home I could see right away it was never going to run again. I had bought another C-125 that had a good Kohler 16 in it and swapped them. If this is your first experience with an engine problem you could not have got a worse one to try and fix. They are an absolute nightmare to disassemble and reassemble correctly. My advice is to look for another engine or whole tractor that has a good engine. You would have to do a some wiring mods but you will be running again in no time.

The one I have with the 16 hp. Kohler runs much better than another C-175 I put another K-17 in. Here's what the C-175 looks like with the 16 in it

[can whlvr 993]

to day i paid for my 10 over bore,turn the crank10 under,and they polish the crank where the bearings ride,150 with our high taxes and thats canadian,usually things are cheaper in the us,i use our local auto,electrical supply and they do have a state of the art machine shop

[whalenkm 0]

The one I have with the 16 hp. Kohler runs much better than another C-175 I put another K-17 in. Here's what the C-175 looks like with the 16 in it

What model Kohler is that 16 from the C-125?

[Dockfishin 51]

The one I have with the 16 hp. Kohler runs much better than another C-175 I put another K-17 in. Here's what the C-175 looks like with the 16 in it

What model Kohler is that 16 from the C-125?

That would be a k341 I have a 417a that I put the same k341 in, as the previous owner had a engine failure with the 17 horse kohler also. Not the most reliable engine kohler made from what I've read and seen. The K341's are a much better engine IMO if you can get one but there not cheap.