Breather rebuild

[haydendavid380 759]

Don't see this mentioned much, but how do you guys know when it needs to be done? I already bought all the stuff to do it on my K181, so it'll get done, but I'm wondering what are some symptoms that it needs to be redone?

 

The front of my engine was covered in oil without any obvious culprit and there is a puff of smoke when you change the rpms. Hoping to see some improvement with both if it's all gunked up.

[bc.gold 3,403]

3 minutes ago, haydendavid380 said:

Don't see this mentioned much, but how do you guys know when it needs to be done? I already bought all the stuff to do it on my K181, so it'll get done, but I'm wondering what are some symptoms that it needs to be redone?

 

The front of my engine was covered in oil without any obvious culprit and there is a puff of smoke when you change the rpms. Hoping to see some improvement with both if it's all gunked up.

 

[haydendavid380 759]

24 minutes ago, bcgold said:

 

I'm talking about the crank breather in the valve cover

[DennisThornton 4,770]

21 minutes ago, haydendavid380 said:

Don't see this mentioned much, but how do you guys know when it needs to be done? I already bought all the stuff to do it on my K181, so it'll get done, but I'm wondering what are some symptoms that it needs to be redone?

 

The front of my engine was covered in oil without any obvious culprit and there is a puff of smoke when you change the rpms. Hoping to see some improvement with both if it's all gunked up.

Years ago I bought a pretty nice 264 with blower for not much.  Owner said it was shot, burned oil bad and hard to start.  I paid him what he asked, loaded and drove home.  Next day I changed the air filter.  Been mowing the yard with it for years now.  Changing air filters?  Depends!  Ran a hardware with a repair shop.  Compactor came in that wouldn't run.  Filter was plugged up after one job.  Seems no one told them the spray some water over the gravel first.  Helps compact and keeps the dust down.  On the other hand, one might mow a lawn for years and not plug up a filter.  

 

The "Filter Minder" looks like a nice idea but I have no first hand.  I hold the filter up to the sun and if I can see through a lot of it I put it back on.  Of in doubt I replace it.  I don't go by month or years.

[DennisThornton 4,770]

25 minutes ago, haydendavid380 said:

I'm talking about the crank breather in the valve cover

Oh!  Guess my air filter comments I didn't help much. 

I've just cleaned the breathers in solvent.

Edited March 7, 2021 by DennisThornton

[bc.gold 3,403]

27 minutes ago, haydendavid380 said:

I'm talking about the crank breather in the valve cover

 

Ah ya mean the positive crankcase breather valve.

[ebinmaine 69,835]

I'm thinking the po is referring to the breather in the front of the engine block near the carb. 

 

I don't know what the actual recommended service interval is. 

If you don't know when was the last time it's been done, change it. 

Just peace of mind if nothing else. 

 

When you take it apart pay close attention to the orientation of the pieces. 

There's a drain hole in the bottom of a tray that must be put back right or you'll see what a smoke cloud is. 

 

What are you using for filter media?

 

[Mickwhitt 4,903]

Having just rebuilt mine after overhauling the engine i agree with Eric, take care that it goes back together correctly. That means as per the manual, not as you stripped it down as a PO may have built it up wrong. There are stamped in marking for Top on the cover and the leak hole must go down on  the inner plate.

The filter media looks like some kind of fibre mesh in a block. It was oiled and dirty but a wash in solvent restored it to clean and new looking. 

Take care about the metal Reed valves, they open and close to allow the engine to breathe, hence the term breather unit.

Also when I got the complete engine new gasket kit there was a piece of 1/4 inch inside diameter rubber fuel pipe about a half inch long in the bag. No mention of it in the contents and I couldn't think what it was for and it was going in the bin as a mistaken addition.

But as I built up the breather it became obvious the rubber tube went over the stud to act as a spacer cum seal between the two parts of the breather unit.

Not sure if this is in the manual but I didn't see any reference to it as I did my rebuild.

Hope this helps.

Mick 

 

[953 nut 56,836]

  @Mickwhitt has you covered. Here is an illustration from the Kohler service manual.

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,187]

Garry

[haydendavid380 759]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 What are you using for filter media?

 

 

NOS Kohler filter media I bought off the auction site for a couple bucks

 

[pfrederi 18,205]

If there is a lot of oil on the front of the engine you may have a worn engine with excessive blow by. 

[haydendavid380 759]

Is it possible to be leaking oil out of where the fuel pump goes in?  That's what it looks like to me now that things are starting to come apart

[haydendavid380 759]

Wow, that's gross. It also seems like a lot of moisture. 

[haydendavid380 759]

After cleaning the outside I found where it gets fresh air 😲

 

 

Completely packed both inside and out.

 

Here's the valves and the plate

 

[haydendavid380 759]

2 hours ago, pfrederi said:

If there is a lot of oil on the front of the engine you may have a worn engine with excessive blow by. 

 

Trying to eliminate the easy stuff first. Doesn't show any signs of being tired. Wouldn't increased crank pressure from not breathing lead to blow by? 

[lynnmor 7,501]

1 hour ago, haydendavid380 said:

 

Trying to eliminate the easy stuff first. Doesn't show any signs of being tired. Wouldn't increased crank pressure from not breathing lead to blow by? 

It's possible if there are no passages left for air to flow thru.  The larger question is that the original oil installed when the tractor was built? 

[haydendavid380 759]

6 hours ago, lynnmor said:

It's possible if there are no passages left for air to flow thru.  The larger question is that the original oil installed when the tractor was built? 

 The oil in the pan looks fine. Changed it right before winter and it has maybe 10 hours on it. I just think the condensation was stuck in the breather and it frothed up there.