"can the valve guides be fixed and if so how much work is it?"***** That is something that you will need to ask a small engine shop that is near you. I don't think you would have much trouble finding valve guide seals, but valves and valve guides may be a problem (if needed) because the Kohler site has this engine listed as "retired". I believe that means Kohler no longer supports this engine with replacement parts. But, "New, old stock" parts might be available, or aftermarket parts may be available, but you would have to beat and shake the bushes to scare them up. Your valves and guides may be "OK" and new seals may be able to end that problem. There may be problems in the cylinders themselves (and pistons) due to the abrasive nature of the carbon particles shedding after building up. Having this much carbon, and a "renewable source" of carbon, is similar to running the engine without an air filter in dirty/dusty conditions. Because the crankshaft (by nature) imposes a lateral load on the pisto and cylinder walls during a portion of each revolution. This cause the cylinders and pistons to wear more at the bottom of the cylinder and the bottom of the piston skirts. This is called "Taper wearout". Tapering of the cylinder makes the cylinder larger at the bottom but it makes the piston skirt get smaller. All this wear means that eventually the piston is sort of wobbling in the cylinder instead of gliding straight up and down. All this extra movement (and in the wrong directions) makes it impossible for good compression and oil control to take place. Looking at all the things that can plague an old engine, you may find it cheaper to replace the engine, than to address and restore/replace all the problem areas on an old engine. Or you could take the engine completely apart and have everything cleaned out good and put in new seals, gaskets and rings. If you decide to go the "cheap route", I stress that the cleaning out of all parts should be done "professionally" using powerful solvents. Piston cleanliness is a step that often gets "skimped on". If reusing old pistons, they need to be cleaned in a dip carburetor cleaner. If the pistons are not cleaned this way and thoroughly, carbon particles in the ring grooves and oil holes are right there where they will do immediate damage. I have thought about your engine and I think that it is likely the valve seals leaking oil could well have been the original issue 4 years earlier. Couple that with the typical shade tree re-ringing procedure, and the effort put into that "repair" may not have solved anything. It just delayed and prolonged the inevitable.

Thanks Weed Cutter I have download the file and going to read it later tonight. That ok about the model airplane, this is more fun and useful. I can play with the motor and get something done. Believe it or not, this is cheaper than the model plane engine stuff if you get into the real fancy brand. I bought some used glow engine on ebay cheap and open it up, I know what you mean about gum. The ring stuck in the grove, ball bearing balls don't run at all!!! Yes I actually went on Navada Walrus (Bob's) page and look at his history, very interesting. How about you, are you very involve in this field also. I am surprised that people in this business like Bob, Canguy, they been in this field for so many years and still have the interest to get on this kind of forum and help people ( newbys) like me. I am an electronic engineer by trade, into gas engine as hobby( model planes cars and now lawn equipments) Anything smell gas, I like it!! I gave my wife all the excuses to buy the best toy for a tiny little 5000sqft yard!!!! BTW, to everyone: I start to do the experiment of putting 30:1 ratio in both my Echo HC150 hedge trimmer and my Shindaiwa EB3410 4 cycle blower. I pull out the plugs and inspect it. I'll do it again after 2 months and see whether it foul up or not and I'll post the result. I am using Shindaiwa One with Sta-Bil in 91 Octane Gas from Chevron. We'll see. I heard about too lean a mixture on 2 cycle or hybrid 4 cycle will hurt the engine because of high temperature and lack of oil in lean mixture. Then the ones with separate oil like Honda trimmer will fare a lot better if the mixture is too lean because the oil supply remain the same and oil will carry heat out even the mixture is too lean. Is this true from your experience? Have a nice evening

I have grown Crassula ovata for the past 20 years recently. Take them out of the pots and examine the mix and roots. Cactus mix is not good for Succulents or Cactus. It holds too much water, and I am going to repeat my self, Succulents are from Africa, they grow on rocky outcrops, they do not like water, unless it drains fast. How much white stuff is in your mix? any rocks, if not put some stream rocks into the mix. "Jade" grow by the thousands on Rocky Hills sides, so the rain goes down rapidly through the rocks, they grow into the cracks. They do not get the care that you are giving them. In the summer they lose leaves, they don't like the heat they are winter growers. I have a wonder full book from Charles Glass and if you don't know who he is your are a beginner. Fianl words from his book. It's just plain common sense. "There is an illusiion of comfort in rules such as 'Water when dry" (what is dry?") 'Full sun" CA sun or New York Sun. African Sun'" Water ever two week, in CA we must water once a week. We have low humidity except this week. here are no rules concerning good culture which may not and and occasionally whould not be broken; there are principles and guide-lines which when followed with interest, Common Sense is the most important factor in growing plants." CActi and Succulents for the Amateur. Jade leaves are not supposed to crack, the plants are not supposed to ooze. I use Saffer's Soap, which is nothing but soapy water, and not detergent, with maybe some alcohol added. You can wash off the spider mites, if you water on a regular schedule, and get rid or soil mealies. When was the last time you changed the soil, perhaps the roots need to be cut back 1/3 and theh plant topped 1/3 not now but the first of October, just remember rules are just guide lines and use them as such. How large are your Jades ? When is the last time they were trimmed, soil changed? Does your hair fall out. So do their leaves, are they getting good air circulation? Are they getting cool nights and plenty of air circulation. I wash mine down once a week because it makes sense to me. I follow how the Huntington Gardens takes care of their plants, it workds for them and it has always worked for me since I was a child. We use no pesticides for the 100,000 plants that we have documentated growing in one green house and outside on benches with no heat. The proof in in the plants. The above suggestions are excellent I would listen if I were you. All of us have tricks in growing. Good luck, love your plants and they will love you. Randy I didn't even need to look at the photo, you are right on and so are the rest of the suggestions from others. Norma

Okay. This is spring of 2016 in CO (got hit with some snow storms already). Anyway, I had vole infestation in 2014-2015 winter. I noticed the google maps of streets (runways) on my backyard in Spring of 2015 after snow cover had disappeared on my north facing backyard. Thought that some pipes had burst, only to see a small pipe running around in the runway. Then I found out what a vole was. Being softy and all, I didn't want to kill them. So I happened on this webpage and waited for Fall 2015. I applied castor oil (from laxatives at walmart) along with dish soap, 2-3 times on a weekly basis. Hoping that these critters would go away and I'll have a good lawn in 2016 spring. Here we are. 2016 spring and I have more runways than last year. So it definitely didn't work for me. I'm gonna man up and Kaput the heck out of these guys in fall 2016 now. These guys need to die.