FYI (means: For your information) there are marks on the bottom end/ side of the dip-stick that show you when you have enough oil in the engine. This provided you have the machine on a flat, level surface! So, here's how we all do it: After you have drained out the oil, replace the drain plug, or turn the shut-off valve to "closed" position. Then sit down beside the engine, on the dip-stick side, and pour in several ounces of oil. Try the dip-stick check, by inserting it all the way down the tube, then take it out and look at it. If it needs more oil, put some more in it, then check it again. (By more oil, i don't mean the whole quart at one time !!!) add it sparingly, until it reaches the full mark on the dip-stick. You may have to wait between dip-stick insertions, until the oil has a chance to run down and settle. Just be sure you wipe the stick off between insertions. A question: Does anybody younger than sixty know how to check the oil in any type of engine that has a sump, or oil pan? Do they know, or even see those little marks on the dip-stick? Or, what they mean? Several folks have told me how their engine became "oil-bound". "Well, i just filled it to the top of the dipstick tube, until it wouldn't take any more!" Another "Rant by Rusty"

Preciate the input... I did try the compression test at about 3/4 throttle and with choke open....a friend of mine was standing by to help. It was his guage we were using. The oil level was checked a couple times to assure no overfill...my chum also checked it. It was at proper level. Can someone tell me what the reed is and are they sure I have one on this particular model? I have checked some similair diagrams on the kohler website and found no mention of a reed?/???? Thanx.....Mike.

Unless you typically park the machine with a cylinder inclined (tractor tilted or listing to one side) acutely, I would doubt "hydrostatic lock" or "hydraulic lock" being the culprit. I'm not familiar enough personally with the Kohler family to know which (if any) are equipped with a "compression release" or "unloader" to assist the starter in spinning the engine. Post some engine numbers and the Kohler guys will chime in with that info. I can tell you that valve adjustment is critical on engines featuring compression release because without the correct valve lash, the compression release can't act to prevent (momentarily) compression from building. One way to test if it is a mild case of "hydro lock" would be to park the tractor so that the open end of cylinder(s) is/are oriented downhill, or in other words, so the spark plug(s) is/are facing uphill. Another benign explanation for the "micro-second stall" could be that the engine "just happened" to halt in the beginning of the compression stroke (and that is nearly 100% of the time on single cylinder engines and 100% of the time for ONE of the cylinders if you have a multi cylinder engine). An analogy here would be understood by anyone that ever had to "kick start" an old Harley-Davidson. You never wanted to "stand" on the crank if the engine was coming up on a compression stroke (if you could avoid it) because if your "kick was just shy of being hard enough to "carry through".......it just might kick YOU over the handlebars. Same thing happens to the electric starter motor. If the cranking commences while the piston is heading into the compression stroke, the compression load might be strong enough to stall the motor (for a "micro-second). Go ahead and post engine numbers and see what responses the Kohlerites have to offer. :^)

you might try some SeaFoam in your fuel mixture for a tank or two if you don't want to tear the carb down. i don't want to touch the carb, i'll try the local auto parts store or mower dealerships for SEA FOAM. if that is not available is there another product or 2 you'd suggest? Did you replace the filter also? (with the correct color, Red) RED? no it was a generic gas filter that looked exactly the same as the one i took off. this was from a mower/tractor dealer in town. you mean i need to use a B&S filter? i have used generic filters for years without any trouble. tom