question kohler kt17 engine

[wheeliepower 141]

hi,

 

I have a question to my kohler kt 17 engine in my wheel horse c-175.

 

Is it normal, that the kohler engine do "saw"  without load at stationary throttle ( It controls the engine speed up and down )?

 

If I give more gas this sawing is no longer audible.

 

The previous owner told me that that had always been. I don't know that from my other engines

 

regards

 

manfred

 

[pfrederi 17,741]

Not sure what you mean by "SAW"  If the engine surges (speeds up, then slows down then speeds up, slows down etc)  try adjusting the idle mixture needle.  Back it out a bit see if things  improve.

 

 

 

[wheeliepower 141]

the engine runs perfectly, takes on good gas and accelerates well.

 

There are only variations in engine speed in the stationary throttle, when the engine gets warm ( like when the engine regulates the engine speed up and down to keep the engine speed in a specific range ). 

 

If I then increase the throttle setting a little, these engine speed variations are no more.

[pfrederi 17,741]

Try adjusting the idle fuel needle turn counter clock wise.

[wheeliepower 141]

thanks

 

I try it tomorrow and I will report on the result

 

 

[953 nut 55,307]

Could also be an air leak at the throttle shaft or a vacuum line.

[wheeliepower 141]

but then it would not always be ?

 

It 's only at stationary throttle.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by wheeliepower

[The Gman 476]

It's possible the govenor is off. There should be no spring tension on the arm connecting the arm to the cross shaft of the govenor. If there is then the govenor might be tying to compensate it's position. Also look at the throttle arm that connects the the govenor to see that it is not distorted or hung up some how. It does have a series of bends as it works it way from the govenor arm to the throttle arm.

[wheeliepower 141]

ok, I watch this tomorrow too.

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

I don't know if this affects he Kohler twins,  but the Onan engines will surge if the carburetor is not perfectly clean.

[midpack 866]

I've had 3 running KT17's and none of them did that. Although I read somewhere that the Series I's with splash lube that it was a bad idea to run them extensively at low idle so I rarely do

 

but' having said that, I DO have one that decided to eat its rods...   :(  

 

 

[wheeliepower 141]

hm it is a serie one kt17

 

carburetor cleaned

 

the engine works great, turns up clean , except at low engine speed, the automatic readjustment

 

I made a photo of the carburettor, maybe someone will notice something unusual.

 

 

[pfrederi 17,741]

The surging may be due to it running to lean at idle.  The engine is starved for fuel slows the governor kicks into speed it up then it backs off and the cycle continues.  Did you try backing out the idle fuel mixture a bit to richen the idle mixture?

[wheeliepower 141]

yes I tried it (but even out to 2 turns, but no difference in the run)

 

Maybe I have to do a new basic setting, but it works the engine great otherwise

[pfrederi 17,741]

Idle mixture changes take a few seconds to happen. Turn a wait a bit then turn some more.  Other thoughts.  The idle circuit has some very tiny hole/passages.  The carb may look clean and the main circuit may be clean and work OK but the idle circuit could be plugged up.  it would not really affect full throttle operation.  One more thought.  idle speed is 1250 that is faster than you might think.  to low an idle speed is hard to maintain smoothly.

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

46 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

  The idle circuit has some very tiny hole/passages.  The carb may look clean and the main circuit may be clean and work OK but the idle circuit could be plugged up. 

 

                                                                                                  

 

When I bought my 520 the Onan surged badly at low rpm.

I gave the carb a good cleaning....it sill surged

I gave the carb a better cleaning....it still surged

I gave the carb a best cleaning ….it never surged again for 5 years.

      Just sayin.

[wheeliepower 141]

ok, i will check again

 

thanks

[Ed Kennell 38,216]

I just checked the linkage on one of my KT 17s.     I see the throttle link is is a different hole in my gov. arm.   I don't think this would make any difference, but you could try the inner hole.

Is your choke cable hooked up and could it be rubbing on the linkage rod?

[wheeliepower 141]

no, choke cable is free