No Compression.

[Eugene]

102 CC, it quite running after mowing about 1 1/2 acres. Block is not damaged.

Good thing I buy Cadets for parts. The replacement head has been in a parts box for about 18 years. New head gasket should be in the auto parts store tomorrow afternoon.

[Froghunter]

The wife's eight horse CCO did the same thing, but I caught it before it errored the head.

Good Luck!

Bill

[dgrapes59]

Yikes! What would have caused that?

Just another testimony why to not throw anything away!

[JimT]

The 129 I am using for the front of Artie had the similar problem. Seen a puff out of it and pulled the head and the gasket was just starting to go. Replaced gasket and it is good to go now.

[Eugene]

Yikes! What would have caused that?

Really don't know. Tractor was running fine when we hauled it last Sunday. Yesterday son was mowing when tractor quit. He had mowed about 1 1/2 acres of fairly tall grass when the tractor quit. Guessing the head gasket went quite rapidly.

Trying to think back. I do not belive I have ever had the head off of this tractor. Owned it for 10 or more years. Engine gets regularly serviced. But never removed the head to remove carbon. Not an excessive amount of carbon build up on the piston or head. Replaced the main tractor clutch and drive shaft last year. No engine work.

[dhermesc]

I had a 1450 do the same thing. The engine was rebuilt in 2004 and ran fine until last winter when I was getting an aircompressor sound. I pulled the head and the gasket looked just like that while the head was still fine. I guess I should have retorqued it after a couple hours of running but I never did - all that tin works makes that simple job a PIA on a Quietline.

[grumpy]

I would have thought it would quit running before it damaged the head that bad. I've seen lots of gaskets blown but nothing like that. Grump

[Paul B]

Yikes! What would have caused that?

It's a Kohler. Blown head gasket are a common problem with the Kohler "K" series engines, and always in the same place regardless of what model (horsepower) the engine is. When you replace the gasket, make sure the head surface is flat (it will probably need to be trued up). If it is not warped too bad you can true it up by rubbing it on some sand paper taped to a flat surface such as a piece of plate glass. Move the head in a figure 8 motion. Sand it until the "black marks" are gone using 220 and 320 grit paper. When you put the head on the block, torque the bolts in the sequence Kohler specifies in the service manual, then run the engine until it reaches operating temp, let it cool down, then torque the bolts again. Not torqueing the bolts the second time will just about guarantee the gasket will blow again in fairly short order.