# Kohler Courage 26HP engine bad on a Craftsman 917.289470



## pblanton (Mar 17, 2015)

I have a Craftsman 917-289470 with a 26HP Kohler Courage Kohler Courage SV735-0016 that has bit the shed. I was mowing with it recently and it seems very weak. I changed the fuel filter and spark plugs. I also checked both plugs and they are getting good spark.
Took it to a local small engine guy with a good reputation and he said it's only running on one cylinder. It also needs a new starter and flywheel.
His best guess on a price for a rebuild was just shy of $2k. Of course that makes the little tractor totaled. Everything else on this tractor is in perfect working order so... I decided to just replace the engine. There's no sense in spending ANY money on a disposable, Kohler engine - but I repeat myself - so I am not going to rebuild it. I'll just replace it with the following Briggs...

Briggs & Stratton 49T877-0004-G1 Commercial Turf Series 27HP 810cc V-Twin
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUAYGVG
~$980 Amazon Prime

The shaft diameter and length are the same as the Kohler's.
I expect to have to either mod or replace the muffler, but will be pleasantly surprised it if bolts up.
I also expect the wiring harness to be a little different, but that's an easy fix.
I expect the mounting bolt pattern to match, so there shouldn't be any issues there.
Does any body have any experience doing an engine swap on this tractor (or one like it)? I expect it to be relatively straightforward.
Also, does anybody want a ~ten year-old Kohler Courage SV735-0016? Half of the time, its cylinders work every-time!

Old but still good tractor with a bad engine (the little one on top):









New engine candidate:


----------



## pblanton (Mar 17, 2015)

Well lacking any warnings from the members here, I ordered the new B&S engine from Amazon. It was $1009.24 after taxes. 

I maybe could have saved the taxes by ordering directly from, Northern Tool, who is the Amazon seller I bought it from, but I wanted the Prime 2-day shipping.

The Amazon reviews on this engine are overall, pretty good, but the Northern Tool's reviews on the same engine are abysmal. let's hope I have Amazon luck with it, and not Northern Tool luck.


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I cannot believe that looking at the photo of your mower which shows this to be in good condition, why would the engine be stuffed, did the engine burn oil and smoke bad ?, signs of a crook engine, did you ever check the valve settings in the cylinder heads, seeing that one cylinder was weak, anyway you have got yourself a new engine.


----------



## pblanton (Mar 17, 2015)

The mower is in near perfect condition. There is a small crack in the seat cushion, which will get worse, and there are a few recent hail dents in the hood.

The problem with the tractor is it came with a Kohler engine. They are widely considered to be low-quality engines.

I really didn't want to get a new tractor though, because this one has a 54" mowing deck which is impossible to find for under $3k. I also have a snowplow and a snowblower for it and didn't want to have to get new implements. A $1000 new engine seems a no brainer.


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I much prefer the Briggs big singles and V twins and never liked the Kohlers neither, mainly because the only Kohlers I saw was when a mate or a mate of a mate would bring one to me and ask to have the blown engine replaced and always with Briggs.

I wasn't criticizing you, I was only curious about the condition of your old Kohler, alls good.


----------



## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Sorry for the late reply... I run a small engine shop in Mississippi and do engine swaps all the time, mostly in zero turns. The thing I always run into when switching between Briggs and Kohler is the exhaust manifolds rarely match up. New manifolds run about $75 wholesale, but if you have a TIG welder you can usually fabricate something that will work. Sometimes, you can go old school if you know how to braze, but a manifold that has been run any length of time at all it is tough to braze because of the corrosion. I'd take a close look at the exhaust manifold, I'm almost positive it's not going to be a direct match.


----------



## Mark 1940 (May 29, 2019)

Just my 2 cents worth, I agree that the Briggs & Stratton is the best choice from experience with other machines powered by them but I have had a previously owned Craftsman 48" powered by a Kohler 15 HP eng for over 10 years now and have used it a lot here in Florida with all the rain, I have just done standard maintenance, never had a problem with the engine so I guess they arn't all bad.


----------



## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Both Briggs and Kohler have produced some bad engine designs over the last 15 years. For Briggs, it was the Intek Series of engines. For Kohler, it was the Courage Series. Both of these less than stellar performing engine series is what gave Kawasaki a foothold in the OPE market. Call me old school, but I think it's hard to beat a Kohler Command Pro. Another outstanding engine for durability and long life was the B43 and B48 series from Onan. Overhauled a B48 Onan this summer for a customer that was in a 1979 Case 446 that had 4,700 hours on it and still ran fairly well. They don't build them like that anymore.... Downside is that genuine Onan overhaul parts for the B-series engines are VERY expensive and you've got to find an old fart like me that still has a dwell meter in his tool box to have any chance of getting it done right so it will run another 4,000 hours


----------

