GTX 1054 Garden Tractor Kohler Twin Courage 27HP

[RandyT]

The starter on the Courage twin are a serious problem child and the improvement of the starter never solved the main issue with the engine which is not big enough starter in combination of not having a compression release. So over time the starting either burns up the windings or the top bushing wears egg shaped and will bind to the point that the flywheel will break off the shaft even with the top of the starter

 

[5030]

Forgot, mower is about 14 years old and it's the original starter on it.

Had to replace the starter on my wife's Kohler Courage V twin as it was getting unable to crank the motor over even with a fully charged starting battery. I thought maybe it was the compression release so I checked the valve clearance and it was fine. The compression release acts on the intake valve, via the camshaft.

Anyway, I found out that Kohler offers a replacement high torque starter so I bought one from my Kubota dealer who also sells Cub Cadet mowers (have the Kohler engines as well as Kowalski) but my wife has the Kohler.

The replacement starter don't look anything like the starter that came on the engine but bolts right up anyway. What a difference in cranking speed and power, cranks it over like a toy now.

The replacement starter actually looks like a real (automotive type starter), not the puny one that comes on the engine and all issues were instantly solved.

The only issue for me was the price, the Kohler replacement starter was just shy of 200 bucks. Was it worth it, certainly was. I tossed the old one in the trash...lol

Least I don't have to hear my wife complain about the motor not turning over now. Like I said, spins it like a toy.

The replacement starter actually has a cast aluminum nosepiece that has a bearing in it that engages the starter gear end stub as well, so no more wobbling starter gear or binding up either. Well worth the price IMO.

 

[5030]

Randy... The replacement starter weighs about twice as much as the puny one that came on the engine FYI. Looks just like an automotive starter right down to the external solenoid and Bendix but it bolts right up to the threaded bosses cast in the engine block and employs the original bolts as well.

It's 100% plug and play.

I tossed the box so I don't have the part number, sorry.

 

[5030]

I did have to make a jumper wire from the original external mounted solenoid to the positive side of the solenoid on the new starter to energize it and engage the new starter, FYI. No big deal, just a short length of medium gage wire and a pair of push on spade clips.

Like I said, the 'real' starter spins the motor over like a toy now.

 

[RandyT]

I did have to make a jumper wire from the original external mounted solenoid to the positive side of the solenoid on the new starter to energize it and engage the new starter, FYI. No big deal, just a short length of medium gage wire and a pair of push on spade clips.

Like I said, the 'real' starter spins the motor over like a toy now.

You went from the original inertia drive starter with the separate starter solenoid which is the problem child starter to the solenoid shift starter that is used on the Command series. I know exactly what starter you have because I have done the upgrade on customers engines myself.

You went from the 32 098 04-S starter to the 25 098 24-S

 

[tomplum]

You went from the original inertia drive starter with the separate starter solenoid which is the problem child starter to the solenoid shift starter that is used on the Command series. I know exactly what starter you have because I have done the upgrade on customers engines myself.

You went from the 32 098 04-S starter to the 25 098 24-S

Does it sound better than the coffee can full of loose parts when it cranks like the 3209810s? It seems the original replacement buys them a few years anyways.

 

[RandyT]

Does it sound better than the coffee can full of loose parts when it cranks like the 3209810s? It seems the original replacement buys them a few years anyways.

Coffee can of loose parts sounds like the the top bushing is going out and possibly the armature is rubbing the internal magnets or starting to bind with the flywheel. The OEM style starter will buy some time until it fails again in a few weeks, months, years depending on use. The solenoid shift starter is designed to operate on the engines without the ACR like the Command. But they use the not as heavy duty on the Courage to save money, but most of those engines don't have ACR either.

At this point most of the Courage twins are getting long in the tooth so they will be dropping out of use before too many more years.

 

[5030]

For as much as my wife uses hers, it will last for decades. Since I got the F series Kubota, it sits 99% of the time.

 

[5030]

Amazing what a REAL starter can do...

 

[stormcom]

Clean all connections and put dielectric grease on them. 16 years without a cleaning is a very long time. I am having issues on a Kubota with the Kohler. Run a set of jumper cables from a good battery to the starter and see if it still overamps. Could also have a bad solenoid. 16 years is a long time. Also take a jumper cable and go from the ground on the battery to the starter directly. If wire still getting hot, bad starter.