Kohler 4 cylinder engine.

nutgone wrote:Yeah, I often like to try & run before I can walk.

Anyway, it'll be 4 weeks next Wednesday since the parts were sent off, apparently the post office in Canada said they would take about 4 weeks to get here, so if customs have left them alone I might be very close to getting them now.

Trouble is I got bored & have pulled out my Stuart Turner P6. I've started the ball rolling to get the parts needed for that as well, so I'm guessing it will all turn up at once. That's usually the way with these things. Think the Kohler will take precedence over the Stuart though.

Hello Nut,

Just arrived back home and off again Sunday @ 7Am sheesj!

Anyway I wouldn't trust those parts to be there too soon, as customs can be very slow moving.
I'm not trying to put a damper on your energetic personality, but I hate to see you dissapointed!

I would say that 6 weeks is a good guess for parts like that to show, it is my experience with my own things gotten through customs.

Just trying to soften the bumps my friend, John.

i have even known parts to take 10 weeks to get to me in the past ! but thats the longest ever been . Normally around 6 weeks is a good guess .

Im waiting for some packages from hit and miss they was ordered 4 weeks ago but they probally wasnt shipped until a week or 2 ago .

so im playing the waiting game too .

Matt

Yeah, secretly I know those bits are going to take ages.

I expect some customs blokes are pulling the piston rings about as we speak!

& probably playing cricket with my piston!

Look what dropped on the mat this morning....



I had a couple of people contact me to ask if I had spotted it (which I hadn't) on eBay. I saw the bidding started at a fiver, but never spotted a buy it now price. I don't know if the seller added the buy it now later or if I just didn't spot it until later, but once I discovered it I thought I should snap it up (for a tenner).

It's basically the exact same book that I have on PDF format in my computer (which someone from America very kindly emailed to me), but the PDF isn't very good, much of the text has been touched up (quite badly) & many of the pictures are so grainy they are unrecognisable.

This book is in very good nick on the inside (not too bad on the outside either). The photos are lovely & clear....



Also, it's a complete maintenance manual, including complete strip-down instructions & a full parts catalogue....



The only trouble is this is from the later engine, which is of the same basic design, but has a few differences. The engine number from the engine which this book was supplied with, is still written on the front. If I've got it right this is from 1948, which was pretty much the last year they made these plants.

Still, a very useful book & goes really well in the collection, alongside the engine.

Looks to be a good buy, I'm sure you'll still find it handy with the finishing off the engine.

Stu.

Now you know what every thing should be set at now to get the best from your engine
A good find Nut's
Andrew

Look what finally arrived in the post this morning....



That's right, it's the long awaited bits from Canada!

I've been busy with it all afternoon/evening but have now had to come in after pulling a muscle in my arm (I was cranking the engine over, trying to get the rocker shaft filled with oil, I know it's getting up there, but it's very slow pumping when turning the engine by hand).

Anyway, I started by carefully dismantling the engine this afternoon, then I realised I never put a coat of red oxide primer on the underside of the sump! So I did that, I also did some other bits of painting, including the back side of the flywheel....



Then I put the final valve in the head, gave it a quick lap in & put the spring & collet on to complete the head....



I got all the pistons out & put the rings on which I got in the package. The replacement one is different, but will run just as well....



I started to get it built up on the new trolley, in the usual order, coating all gasket faces with wellseal as I went & applying all the new gaskets I had already cut....







So far I've got the head & rockers on, done the tappet clearances as best I can (they're supposed to be .006" hot, so I've done them to .008" cold & will re-do them once she's run up to temp). I've got everything but the bottom radiator pipe, exhaust manifold & fuel tank on. I will do that tomorrow, if I can move my arm by then.

If I hadn't injured myself I would've been attempting a fire-up in the morning. It's probably not such a bad thing to pace myself though.

Funny you should say about the parcel yesterday. Well it wont be long before we hear the bark from the exhaust!

Funny also it's exactly 6 weeks to the day that the parts were posted.

Anyway, I've put some ibuprofen gel on my shoulder, that & a good nights sleep, I should be ready to go again tomorrow. It's just the kick up the arse I needed to get me back out to the workshop after my flu last week (still not feeling 100%, but getting there).

I forgot to add; the mag is on & (hopefully) timed up. Also the rad is on, & fan belt adjusted. Just the final part of the cooling system, the exhaust & something for fuel to go in, then I suppose I'll have to go to the local garage & get some petrol!

nutgone wrote:...then I suppose I'll have to go to the local garage & get some petrol!

Yep, better empty the bank first! Mind you I did pick up some Diesel for 139.9 at Pevensey on the way home. Cheapest for a long time.

Sorry to hear your out of action again Nuts, hope your feeling better soon.

Engines looking well, can't wait till you have her up n running.

Stu.

Well my arm's not too bad today so I've finished off putting her together. I've had a quick go at firing her up but so far not even a pop. I'm just off out there for another try, maybe the timing's out or something? It can't be much.

Knowing you Nut's see will soon see her sorted and running again.
How are fueling her? firing order correct?
Andrew

It's all a bit of a mystery. I re-checked the timing & found it to be slightly out (it was well too far advanced, but should have at least coughed & kicked back).

For the fuel system I have mounted the original tank that came with the engine. This is only temporary though. The only petrol I had was a little dribble in the Briggs & Stratton tank, but it was enough to reach the tap & fill the carb.

So I've re-set, checked & double checked the ignition timing & it seems correct. I even tried a squirt of easy start down the plug holes, although I expect this would have evaporated by the time the plugs were back in & connected up. I've pulled number one plug a few times & it's not getting wet, but if I stick my little finger in the hole it definitely smells of petrol.

I've also filled up the rad & cooling system with water. There was one small leak from a stud in the block, I've tightened it up & it's now just a very occasional drop. When I drain the system I will seal it in properly, but I want to leave the water in there over night to make sure there are no other leaks.

I think tomorrow I will take the carb off & make sure it's OK. I will also get to the local garage & get some more petrol. I have noticed the carb is dripping from various points, so maybe the addition of some fibre washers wouldn't go amiss either.

Apart from that, I really can't think what else could be wrong. I reckon an impulse mag would probably help, but it should still be sparking enough to fire it up.

I must admit, I've been over there this evening and I can't see why she isn't firing either, there's fuel getting through and a spark. It must be something stupid. I suggest you go back through it all from scratch, not the whole rebuild just the timing and carb etc.

Been reading the book tonight & it seems these engines don't much care for cold weather & low octane fuel.

Well, I can't do much about the weather, but I can get some super unleaded tomorrow.

Believe me, I've even thought about filling up the coolant system with water from the hot tap. I'm hoping it won't come to that. I'm right at the beginning of this little problem, so I still feel like there's plenty of avenues left to explore.

Will concentrate on fuel system tomorrow.

Nut's are the plug leads the correct way. That was always a problem after a rebuild, getting the distributor in correct as one tooth out it wouldn't start and making sure it's no1 plug firing first at the correct time. I know yours isn't that new but just trying to explain how difficult if just a fraction out.
Hopefully it's just a small problem and a quick look at the carb will sort it.

Good luck,

Stu.

Yeah, I've checked & double checked the plug lead order. I know the firing order is 1-3-4-2, which is quite common. As far as the distributor goes, well I've never rebuilt one of these mags before, I just arranged it so that just as the points were opening the distributor brush would be positioned directly over (or under) one of the pick-up points. They are quite large pick-ups on this one, so I think there's room for error. When I tested it on the bench with a drill all 4 plugs were sparking, & as it's ultimately the points which determine the firing, I would guess the distributor is correct as long as the plugs spark.

I'm being a bit slow today, I haven't even got my overalls on yet. It's pretty miserable weather out there, & bloody cold, but I will get out there again soon.

What speed was the drill going. What speed is meant to do on the engine. I was thinking if the magnet's are weak with age it might not produce enough leccy for the lower rev's but spin faster with drill you get spark's.
Andrew

Well, when I had it on the bench I was getting sparks at quite low speeds, but I've been playing about with it this afternoon, with my dad's assistance, & we think the problem is magneto based.

I even managed to rig up the electric drill to turn the engine over. I got it going as fast as the drill would go & still it wouldn't fire (it's a 1000watt drill & was pretty much up to it's limit with this job, I had to put it on the lower speed for the extra torque).

Anyway, I took the mag off & dismantled it for testing....



It seems I'm not getting very good readings through the coil....



This could end up being expensive. It's a moving coil magneto, so not easy (read: practically impossible) to convert to battery & coil system. Also it has a built in distributor, which would be just as impossible to convert.

Looking at it though, I may have had the distributor gear out by one tooth, but I was still getting sparks, just not very good ones.

So, until I'm in a position to re-wind my own coils, this one may have to go on a back burner. I will ask my local mag bloke if he could do just a coil re-wind & how much it will cost, but I may well just have to keep my eyes open on eBay.

It's bloody typical, when I first had this engine in my sights I had a feeling it might need a new mag. There's an eBay seller up near Stu who had a 4 cylinder Wico A which sold for about £15. I was going to buy it "just in case" I ended up getting this engine, but I decided not to as the bidding was going up on the engine.

Anything like that would do though, a Wico A or similar, best bet would be a rotating magnet type, as it's easier to convert them to coil/battery or my favourite "Energy Transfer" system.

If anyone knows of any old 4 cylinder mags going cheap, let me know. Because until I get either a replacement mag or some kind of distributor to fit in there, this engine ain't gona be running.

Oh bugger, is probably not the phrase going through your head.....

nutgone wrote:Look what finally arrived in the post this morning....



That's right, it's the long awaited bits from Canada!

I've been busy with it all afternoon/evening but have now had to come in after pulling a muscle in my arm (I was cranking the engine over, trying to get the rocker shaft filled with oil, I know it's getting up there, but it's very slow pumping when turning the engine by hand).

Anyway, I started by carefully dismantling the engine this afternoon, then I realised I never put a coat of red oxide primer on the underside of the sump! So I did that, I also did some other bits of painting, including the back side of the flywheel....



Then I put the final valve in the head, gave it a quick lap in & put the spring & collet on to complete the head....



I got all the pistons out & put the rings on which I got in the package. The replacement one is different, but will run just as well....



I started to get it built up on the new trolley, in the usual order, coating all gasket faces with wellseal as I went & applying all the new gaskets I had already cut....







So far I've got the head & rockers on, done the tappet clearances as best I can (they're supposed to be .006" hot, so I've done them to .008" cold & will re-do them once she's run up to temp). I've got everything but the bottom radiator pipe, exhaust manifold & fuel tank on. I will do that tomorrow, if I can move my arm by then.

If I hadn't injured myself I would've been attempting a fire-up in the morning. It's probably not such a bad thing to pace myself though.

Can anyone see the pics? I have all blanks Nut, wonder why?
John.

i can see the pics ok, well two thirds of each pic. think there to big for my screen