Kohler CH18-62588

[KE4AVB]

Here is a question about the mechanical pump on the M18. Currently the M18 pump and engine are working fine so I haven't pull the rocker cover. Just curious how the pump is driven. Is drive by the intake rocker? If so it probably explain why the engine started running poorly as the engine lost 1 quart of oil through the failed PTO side seal.

I just recently rebuilt the carburetor as it was causing the exhaust manifold to turn red at the muffler and a couple inches back on the exhaust manifold.

[bgsengine]

Twin Opposed? they'd drive fuel pump off camshaft just like the KT twins ... only one I know of that drives fuel pump off a rocker would be one of the Overhead Cam engines? All the magnums and K series were driven by an eccentric lobe on the camshaft in between the valve lobes... as far as I recall.

[KE4AVB]

Sorry a mis-thought on my part it is a CH18 Horizonal V-twin. Engine is in a CC shaft drive model so the pump is on the #2 cylinder head.

Dang why did I post the M model prefix.

[bgsengine]

Yeah, and good luck finding parts - I saw one of these some years back and the valve cover (which had warped) and gasket was already NLA. Luckily for me the warp in the cover was minor enough I was able to flatten it out a bit and make my own gasket to fit things up. if it was me, I might consider (if I could prove fuel pump issue) retrofitting a vacuum pump and seal off the valve cover (or just leave old pump there, but plugged off... which would be a crude hack.) But if I recall the one I was working on was overhead camshaft (one of those one-off flops Kohler put out that never had many of them built) so it would have had its own lobe for the fuel pump as well. (It's been at least 6 to 7 years since I saw it last, so memory's fuzzy)

[KE4AVB]

Understand the fuzzy memory. When I was working in the office and bank equipment there was equipment and problems that I would only see about every 7-10 yrs. Back then it was a written notebook that got me out of trouble.

Here I am just curious about the operation of the fuel pump. This one seems to driven by the rocker arm from looking at the IPL. The engine had lost a quart of oil when the PTO seal blew out so I am thinking I had a lifter to partially drop out due to lack of oil. I thinking that cause a lack fuel flow. It seems to be fine right now.

Anyways I know I would need to convert to the vacuum operated pump due the $124 retail price of the replacement rocker cover fuel pump. Heck a plain rocker cover with fill cap is only $6 plus the vacuum pump and the reroute lines. There is about 5 notes about the old fuel pump on Partners where it has been changed several times. The customer is about to kill off the Cub Cadet as he done spent several hundred getting in working condition to just the oil seal to blow out (just normal old age failure) after a couple hours mowing. It is actually my second shaft CC to have this failure but the other one was a Vanguard engine.

I think winter is here already as it was sleeting yesterday morning and it was doing it again a few minutes ago. And this losing weight isn't helping. I shivering right now so the heater is turned on as my natural insulation is missing. . I intentionally losing the weight to get a better handle on my blood pressure problem. Boy I hate taking pills every day just to keep walking. I have lost enough weight my customers are noticing it and I definitely feeling right now; Burrr.

I finally got around to start ditching those Sterilite storage containers. I was having problems even finding the same shape boxes so I could stack them plus weight was becoming a problem too. I found a source for the commercial grade parts bins. Fairly reasonable price wise other than the shipping costs. They are so bulky that costs extra to ship them. I had found a few several years ago on the roadside and had been using them. Just ran out space in them. These are the ones that are used to cube out a pallet. The three large and three medium size ones cost about $52 to ship so my bill was $203. There is a couple smaller ones that I can get if desired. I will ordering another six to nine medium ones later this month as I have time to move things around. I will cut some 1/4 inch plywood for stiffing the bottoms a little more as I just feel better about flat bottoms holding up those heavy pulleys. I do the same with the milk cartons here that I got bearings in. Now internal Rubber made storage boxes only last a few years but they not designed for parts storage but they help breaking down my search times. A lot easier to find small parts in one gallon containers. But I still recovering from the software in induced problem of where parts are stored. I can only rely on the locations and amounts if after they are have been check May 2020 or later. At least I no longer showing $750K in parts, its down to $36K which about right. It hovering there for about a year now as move out and in parts.

At least I keep the mice and dust at bay with closed up boxes. I did get a little jump the other day when I was searching for a roll of 12/2 wire. I found a four foot snake skin close by. Maybe that why I haven't seen any mice lately. Still not as bad as that snake that tried crawling up my pants leg back in the Summer. Now that one got my heart pumping a lot faster.

[hanz63]

Yeah, those kits are pricey. The Triad I just put an impulse pump couldn't have gone easier. I pulled out the mechanics and slid a right angle fitting kept from a mechanical pump package with a tad of adhesive. A dab on the screw holes. Looked practically factory.

[KE4AVB]

Glad yours went well.

Considering the CH18 here is a 1998 model it is very good shape for 23 yr old engine. No wonder the seal failed.

So far the only fuel pumps had seen until now on Kohler engines was the mechanical pumps on M8 and vacuum pumps. Oh well just another one to add to the list. I have only been at this line of work for 12 yrs now.

[hanz63]

I see these very rarely. Last one that I installed had to be at least 2-3 years ago.