"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/12/2020 at 18:36 • Filed to: None
5
25|
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/12/2020 at 18:36 • Filed to: None | 5
| 25 |
[Update]
The rebuild kit was worked great for a couple of starts, then the starter revealed itself to be the source of the problem. At first, it looked like a bent shaft. After watching it try a few times, I think it may have been worn bushings. Either way, I ordered a replacement. Things must have been slow in their shop because instead of arriving next Wednesday like the receipt said , it showed up two days after I ordered it. Go figure.
Well wrapped to prevent infections (maybe).
Two 10mm bolts and one electrical connection was all it required.
And that was it! The new starter has tons of cranking power where the old one would just bog down and stop. The mower now starts on the first try!
[ Original]
Just a quick recap - the starter on my mower stopped starting and needs some repair.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
, I was trying to decide whether to buy a rebuild kit or a new starter. A package arrived a couple of days ago...
and it’s a rebuild kit! Time to start rebuilding!
It’s always a good idea to lay out your parts in a safe location where they won’t get lost or fall down into the deep dark crevices of an engine, never to be seen again. I’m not one to listen to good ideas. What we have here are a new drive gear, a drive washer, a retract spring, and a new bushing with a c-clip to hold it all in place. While I hoped I would have enough clearance to work on it without removing the starter, I learned I was wrong.
I had to break out the ratchet and go digging for a 10mm socket. Just two bolts hold the starter in place and both were easy to remove. It was shortly after that when the cursing began. I discovered that the threads at the top of the drive shaft were worn out and required some filing so the new drive washer would thread on properly. That required removal of the starter which required the removal of the ground wire the bolts for which were really stuck. For some reason, when I start cursing my phone stops taking pictures. Thus the jump to the end.
And as a final step, a freshly cleaned cover.
And it works! Sort of. Before I slapped the cover back on, I noticed that the starter was dragging and I thought the culprit was a low battery. After an overnight charge, the starter is still dragging. I pulled the cover off and watched closely as I tried to start it.
It’s clear that the starter shaft is slightly bent.
I loosened the bolts to create some room and managed to get the mower started. It looks like I’ll be able to mow this weekend, but I had to place an order for a new starter after all.
It should be here next week.
Keywords: Kohler; SV735-0016; Courage; starter
SpecsGTP
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:08 |
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Usually we just replace them unless they are unavailable. Small engine starters are almost all permanent magnet type starters, unlike automotive where they have traditional windings and whatnot. When they go bad there’s usually not much that can be done to fix them short of replacement.
The part that sucks the most is that permanent magnet starters are really expensive, sometimes more expensive than automotive ones.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> SpecsGTP
03/28/2020 at 12:29 |
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You’re probably the only one who read the whole thing! :)
I didn’t realize that the magnets are permanent . Now I’m wondering if I can take the starter apart and find a use for the magnets.
OEM starters are $180, aftermarket starters are about $60. The rebuild kit was $20. I’ve received enough feedback to feel comfortable going aftermarket.
Jayvincent
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:34 |
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yes! seeing that spring and tiny retailing clip sitting on the flimsy plastic bag above the squirrel cage of doom is giving me an itchy feeling! get a tray, a cup, an inverted hat, something, quick! Glad it all worked out
vondon302
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:41 |
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Let’s see how many hits this gets.
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vondon302
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:42 |
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Magent fishing!
VincentMalamute-Kim
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:50 |
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Last photo looks identical to my mower. Maybe I do have an SV735 instead of SV711. I’ll have to go check now.
I do know adjacent models will look extremely similar and I vaguely recall in a long ago post that you said our mowers were not the same.
Most recent issue on mine - a few weeks ago, I was losing drive power after about 20 feet of movement. Eventually turned out to be the belt to the transmission. It’s not a common size to find local. Found a belt that was close enough.
So the rebuild kit - NBD to install?
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SpecsGTP
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 12:55 |
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You’re spot on for OEM prices, and it’s because of the magnets inside. And those magnets are STRONG. Try not to break them if you pull it apart because even though they are curved they can hold up a LOT of weight.
Aftermarket is probably fine, especially because you can do two, several cases of beer, and still be ahead.
I miss teaching power equipment; it was a lot of fun. Especially with how many automotive guys are too intimidated to try tackling it!
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> VincentMalamute-Kim
03/28/2020 at 12:57 |
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If I recall, the model numbers on our mowers were different. That doesn’t mean the engines aren’t the same. I looked the engine up by the part number on the cover .
The rebuild kit was fairly easy to install. I had some issues with the C-clip getting jammed under the washer, but I solved that with a hammer. I did end up dropping the new c-clip, but I have a large magnet on a stick and was able to find it in the grass.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Jayvincent
03/28/2020 at 12:59 |
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Funny thing is that I do have a magnetic parts tray. I think it’s stuck to the side of my toolbox, but I’m not certain.
I did drop the new c-clip into the grass. All was not lost! I have a big magnet on a stick and it picked up the clip with just a few sweeps over the grass.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> vondon302
03/28/2020 at 12:59 |
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Perhaps I should add in the model numbers to help drive up the count.
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vondon302
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 13:01 |
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Do it!
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> SpecsGTP
03/28/2020 at 13:08 |
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We’ve always been willing to take on repairs, whether it was a car or small engine. My mom took a small-engines class when she was in her ‘50s. She was the oldest person in the room and the only lady. I can’t remember what she brought in to work on, but it had the biggest engine of all the projects in the class. She had to have help any time it needed to be moved. She was very proud of herself when she got it running.
I enjoy taking things apart and trying to repair them. If I can’t make the repair with a good cleaning and some new parts , it’s easy enough to bolt on a new assembly.
With minimal maintenance, m y Echo weed-whacker is still going strong after 20 years. My neighbor just tossed his to the curb. I grabbed it to see if I can fix it. The model number suggests it’s less than 10 years old. It’s a filthy mess, suggesting he hasn’t been mixing his fuel properly. Step 1 will be a good cleaning.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> vondon302
03/28/2020 at 15:45 |
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I will. I’ll also add a hyperlink from the first article to this article and see what happens.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/28/2020 at 16:07 |
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NVM. Same engine. I assume your transmission drive belt has/will wear soon.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> SpecsGTP
03/28/2020 at 16:09 |
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Especially with how many automotive guys are too intimidated to try tackling it!
Really? Surprised. Seems like it’d be up their alley.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> VincentMalamute-Kim
03/28/2020 at 16:33 |
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Thanks for the heads-up!
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SpecsGTP
> VincentMalamute-Kim
03/28/2020 at 17:20 |
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Nope. So many of them think they work on magic like the washing machine or vacuum cleaner.
I’ve given up trying to convince many to try it because the excuses get more and more crazy. My favorite was you have to have speciality tools and their too expensive.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> SpecsGTP
03/28/2020 at 17:35 |
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Maybe the personality types involved? They were trained in auto as a vocation and they are not actually mechanically minded.
Vs
people like us who are interested in how things work on a general basis. Cars, lawn mowers. Right now I’m working on a leaking pressure valve on my home’s boiler. Looks like the culprit is going to be an expansion tank full of water.
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> TheRealBicycleBuck
03/29/2020 at 09:01 |
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I’m surprised that bag of parts didn’t explode on contact...
No matter how clean the shed is when I tear open the bag...I always lo se a critical nut.
oldmxer
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/12/2020 at 21:07 |
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i had trouble with mine and forgot the neg goes through the contact with the block, it had a million hours so went ahead and repla ced it, i guess it’s a good sign for the engine that it still has so much compression a weak starter won’t spin it
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> oldmxer
04/12/2020 at 21:24 |
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I was reminded by my wife that my mom rebuilt this engine in a small engine class she took a couple of years before she died. It has enough compression that I can’t turn it over by hand. The old starter didn’t have a chance.
shop-teacher
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/12/2020 at 21:44 |
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Sometimes you've just gotta replace a sucka!
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oldmxer
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/13/2020 at 15:58 |
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i like that, my mom could do just about anything she put her mind to, sounds like something she would do
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> oldmxer
04/13/2020 at 16:04 |
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My mom was smart and thirsty for knowledge. When she passed, I inherited an impressive array of woodworking tools, air tools, socket sets and tools for the yard. There was the “ traditional stuff” in there too, from sewing machines and tatting needles to china paints and a couple of kilns that she used to fire the china. She was the first girl in her family to earn a degree (only one uncle earned a degree before her) and she put herself through college. She was amazing and I miss her .
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oldmxer
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/13/2020 at 16:19 |
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sounds like we both had a good DNA source