Kohler 440 Crank Seals

[Junkologist]

Hey Guys,
My 440 Kohler has become almost impossible to start, and if I do get it started, I can't get a good carb adjustment on it. It's all over the place. I first thought the carb was suspect, but it's been completely gone through and is like new. I have come to the conclusion that the crank seals must be bad. Is it a big deal to replace these? I can't imagine it would be. Any tips or tricks I should know before tackling this project? Never tore into an engine like this before.
Thanks.

[jpswift1]

Im not 100% sure about the crank seals, although it could be a very good possibility. I can tell you that the cylinder walls of the 440 Kohler are chrome plated and if you're going to be doing any tinkering on the top end, make sure you keep this in mind when shopping for pistons.

[Junkologist]

I've read about the cylinders being chrome plated. This engine has super compression, so I don't have any plans to mess with the top end.

This thing sat around for years until I got it running last Saturday. Ever since then it seems like it keeps running leaner and leaner. When I got home from work today, it took forever to get it started and then I couldn't get it richened up hardly. I had the idle fuel screw almost all the way out and it was just barely able to stay running. I gave up at that point. Lean running is not good for a 2 stroke. Hopefully, I'll have some seals on hand after the holiday and get the thing straightened out.

[liflod]

Did you try spraying starting fluid around all the gaskets and seals to see if the engine speed changed due to a leak?

[Don]

It's likely that it is the crank seals from what you said. When a two-stroke sits for a very long time and then is put back into use, many times the seals have gotten brittle and leak. You can check them like liflod said, by spraying ether at each end of the crank with the engine idling. When the engine revs, you know you've found the leaky seal.

You'll have to pull the clutch, ring gear and the flywheel from the crank in order to replace the seals, but it's not a huge job. I would mark the stator plate before removing it so that you can put it back on without messing up the ignition timing. If it's CDI iginition it should be fine if you put it back like it came off, but if it's point-fired, you may want to time it again anyway.

Good Luck with it.
Don

[Junkologist]

Thanks for the info, Don. Doesn't sound like a big deal at all.

I got a quote on some seals today, but I have to confirm whether or not they are the right ones. This is the message I received:
"Hi,

I believe I have the correct crank seals 30 – 62 – 10 @ 7.50 Each.

Let me know if these are correct & I’ll box them for you & let you know the shipping $"

I have no idea if these are the right ones. My engine is a model K440-2AMS. Can anyone tell me if these are the right ones.
Thanks!

[Don]

[QUOTE=Junkologist;5068]
I believe I have the correct crank seals 30 – 62 – 10 @ 7.50 Each.

QUOTE]

I don't have a seal to measure, but by the size of the crank surface and the housing the seals go into, that size looks right.

[Junkologist]

I got the seals out today. They were definitely the problem. The rubber had gotten real hard and just cracked when I tried to flex it. The seals were worn flat too. Got a new set ordered. My next step is some exploratory surgery on the T-20. Hopefully it's not too sick.