Those have no "courage", worse engine Kohler ever made, most become boat anchors.
DAC, I talked to a buddy who pulls with the flathead Kohler K engines, he was to make sure the condenser is good and that is attached to the Negative side of the coil. He's found this is usually the main culprit of running issues as long as coil and points are good. I slapped one on my Onan last week, it will now actually run decent and not die when I rev it up.
The flywheel has no effect on timing either, he said many don't even have a key in them.
Marty, I read this on my phone this morning. Not signed in on the phone on purpose, because me and touch screens are enemies. Your post was a real wake up call! Of course this flywheel doesn't have anything to do with timing! This thing has points and external coil not a mag! I said "DUH" to myself when I read that! it took someone to beat it into my brain I guess. Thank you for checking in with your friend for me and happy to read that your Onan seems to be running well again!
Even though I'm still feeling under the weather and we have crappy weather as well, I decided to tinker with it. Using Marty's info I decided to check the condenser with a multi meter like I should have done a long time ago. I checked the one I removed first and it tested normal. tested the one out of that Dual point automotive distributor still in place bolted to the coil, which in turn is bolted to the engine. It was intermittent. One time it would work, next time nothing. Didn't make sense, if a condenser is bad it should just be bad all the time not just now and then.
Then it struck me that I missed checking the most basic thing in electrical systems. Grounds. Hooked the multi meter to the negative post of the battery and started probing around. NOTHING! The ground cable is bad! I don't know how it even tried to start the engine much less make it run a bit.
Built a new one out of an old automotive cable. It is way overkill, but it is too damm wet and cold outside for this sickly old geezer to go rob one off a junk tractor out back.
Grounds tested good everywhere. This engine has rubber mounts and a steel braid ground strap to the frame. Everything read it had continuity.
Of course I had to start it even though opening the overhead door wasn't an option. Set the carb screws to the specs and it did fire right up at idle speed. It didn't want me to close the choke though. Let it warm up a minute and as long as I took it very slow I could get full throttle and mid range rpms pretty decent. If I opened the throttle too fast it would buck, backfire and die though. That was enough with a closed door.
At least now it will idle and rev up and run ok through the ranges if I am very careful moving the throttle lever. When the weather improves, I will tune the carb better and hope for the best. Think I could actually use it again like it is!
DAC
