manant 57 #1 Posted April 23, 2017 I have a 1973 or 74 C160 (Kohler k341) with hydraulic lift for the 48" mower deck. Recently the lift has lost lifting power after mowing for an hour or so. It seems OK when I first start up - lifts fast and does Ok for a while. Eventually it becomes slower to lift and seems to take more engine revs. I have changed the transmission oil filter and 10w30 oil in the sustrand transmission. On occasion I see oil on the left foot rest, near the hydraulic cylinder (under the lift control) but the last time this happened there was no oil there. There is always oil near the rear hitch mechanism. Any idea what the problem might be? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,744 #2 Posted April 23, 2017 How is the transmission? Does it slow down or lose power after awhile? Are you using a genuine WH hydro filter or a WIX/NAPA 1410 filter? If everything else is working okay, I'd be inclined to say the lift cylinder needs to be rebuilt. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KC9KAS 4,741 #3 Posted April 23, 2017 11 hours ago, rmaynard said: If everything else is working okay, I'd be inclined to say the lift cylinder needs to be rebuilt. Or fluid bypassing in the cylinder control valve and it needs rebuilt. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manant 57 #4 Posted April 23, 2017 I am not using the WH hydro filter. I recovered the C160 from my neighbor's shed where it had sat for 5 or 6 years without running. He was going to send it to the dump, but gave it to me to play with, and I restored it somewhat. It had the NAPPA 1410 filter on it then and I have replaced it several times over the six years I have had it. No problems up to now. It does seem to slow down in reverse after mowing for a while, but I see no difference in forward. I did notice that the drive belt had been rubbing against a 12 gauge copper wire caught up under the belt guard. I wonder if the belt got stretched or is not tight enough. Would that affect anything since there is the "idler pulley" that engages when the brake is pushed down. When you mention the cylinder are you talking about the seal in the lift control or seal in the cylinder at foot rest level. How hard is it to rebuild or replace "O" rings in either one. Should the hosed be replaced also? Thanks for you replies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
