rings

[curtisbyrne]

how would or do u know when the rings are gone on your piston? my tundra skidoo sputters and barley starts only after rising a while when the engine is hot... what causes rings to get bad... how do u replace them? do i soon need to replace my kohler piston and rings?

[dirtdobber]

when the rings are gone on your piston

low compression and oil consumption are two signs. But these same signs can be caused by other things also.

what causes rings to get bad

Usually just normal wear and tear on an engine. The life of the rings and piston are affected by many factors such as frequency of oil changes, quality of your oil, air filter maintenance, operating environment, excessive heat, driving/operating habits.

how do u replace them

On these lawnmower style engines it usually means splitting the engine and giving it an overhaul. By the time one goes that deep into an engine it's worth examining all the other parts for wear and replacing what's needed (unless it is more cost effective to just buy a new engine). On motorcycle style engines, you can pull the head and cylinder without getting into the bottom end of the engine - much easier.

do i soon need to replace my kohler piston and rings

Not if its running good and strong, and maybe not if it's not running good and strong. If you are having engine problems start a thread for your specific problem and let's see if we can figure out what's wrong before you dive into an overhaul.

[curtisbyrne]

the engine runs great. no sputters or hard starting.changes my oil recently and new oil filter. she purrs very nice,i think these kohlers actually run smoother than my dads 2005 yamaha 1000 4 stroke.