Kohler 26 hp problem

[BMAN]

I have a craftsman riding mower with a kohler 26 hp engine. It starts and runs but doesn't sound right and doesn't have the power it should have. It's a twin cylinder and I noticed the left exhaust pipe hardly gets hot while the right exhaust gets really hot which would be normal. I took the valve cover off and the valves open and close normally. I wonder if the valve seat has maybe moved some and the exhaust valve is not opening as far as it should. Any other ideas as to what could be the problem?

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 18:13:20 07/11/21) I have a craftsman riding mower with a kohler 26 hp engine. It starts and runs but doesn't sound right and doesn't have the power it should have. It's a twin cylinder and I noticed the left exhaust pipe hardly gets hot while the right exhaust gets really hot which would be normal. I took the valve cover off and the valves open and close normally. I wonder if the valve seat has maybe moved some and the exhaust valve is not opening as far as it should. Any other ideas as to what could be the problem?

easuring the cylinder pressure on each side would get you started in the right direction.

 

[RogerinIowa]

Spark plug or its wire would be among first, if no spark to that side.

 

[Southern Ray]

My Husqvarna with a B&S engine started doing that. Coil went out.
Engine had just over fifty hours on it. New coil fixed it.

 

[Gene Davis (Ga.)]

The cylinder with the cold exhaust is not firing/running. The 2 cylinder Kohler will run smooth on 1 cylinder but will not have any power.

 

[Russ from MN]

NO! Troublshoot the simple things first, like checking for spark. You are way more apt to have an ignition problem than an internal engine failure. If you have spark at the wire try switching the spark plugs around, if the other cylinder becomes the cold one then you need a new spark plug! Troublshoot first, buy parts last!

 

[tractorguy2]

Some two cylinder engines have a diode between the coils in the ground wire. If the diode burns out one coil will ground out the other one.

Remove the top cover unplug the wire from both coils and then. Check for spark.

 

[BMAN]

Thanks for the help. It turned out to be a bad coil