started the mini hoe up and its blowing oil every where.. Stuck rings???? not sure what else would pressurize the crankcase like that.

Stuck rings or hole in piston, BUT if massive blow, ----gotta be big to let that much blow-by.
What engine does it have in it? I assume also its a diesel?
Exhaust back pressure? Can't think of much else that would cause that. Head gasket wouldn't cause anything like that, I don't think.
Crankcase vent ?

blown head gasket allowing combustion pressure into crankcase

Kohler TH18-S. (gas) this triad has been declared a crap engine.. I haven't had any problems at all up till now. purrs like a kitten but crank case is pressurizing all of a sudden. ran fine when I took it out back after putting the fresh painted covers back on the tractor. went to move it yesterday & it just started blowing oil out every where. I repowered the tractor with this thing because it was given to me. got a lot of hours out of it so I cant complain But I'll need to find a bolt in replacement if I can't get it figured out. Need a shaft on both ends. Flywheel side drives the hydrostatic trans. Was looking at the 22Hp predator. looks like this guy did it.

https://vimeo.com/142404898

crank case presser bad rings from sitting , or piston melt down from detonation it is time for a leak down test

I've got a air cooled Deutz diesel that does the same thing. It came in the case trencher that I made the back hoe from. Before I cut it up I rigged the engine up and hot wired it to start. It started right up but was blowing out out the exhaust like crazy. I was running around in a rain shower of oil pulling levers and trying the hydraulic like a chicken with my head cut off. Seemed like 5 minutes but it was probally only 30 seconds.

Sure was an exciting 30 seconds. When I hit the kill lever it kept running for a few Seconds, thought it might run away. I have the engine sitting out under the shed but haven't messed with it since.

Went and got the predator 22 horsepower today. I messed with the Kohler a little bit more. thought I had it figured out but I did not. I'm over it.... time for a repower.

I'll set the TH18-s aside for now. I've been having one issue after another with it and parts are no longer available for it. I got a lot of use out of it so I definitely can't complain. The footprint for the Predator is only 2mm different from the Kohler. Just have to see what I need for the adapter shaft mod on the flywheel side. thought that I had an extra one laying around but I cant find it so I need to pull the kohler off to get the shaft off it..

Sounds like the way my sunstars are set up. 917 drives that way too, as does the cub cadet, 14hp. all shaft drive from the flywheel end of the motor.
My 917 had a 17 in it and the former owner put an 18 in it. one Sunstar is 18 and the big one is a 20. --- all Kohler twins.
I got the old 17 motor with the 917, --he said it needed overhauled but he found the used 18 and put it in instead of fixing the 17.
I think its kinda expensive to re-build one of these, so I never got into fixing the 17. I like it better than the 18 cause the ignition is on top and not behind the flywheel housing. The ignition module went dead a couple years ago and to get to it you have to take engine loose and slide it forward and up to get air shroud off! --A real problem for sure.

Mine been sitting in the shed all winter, might have to cross my fingers when I try to start them! lol!
The problem I have with the 18 in the 817 is that it backfires a lot when I first start it and takes a while before it quits. ---put in new plugs once, helped for a while, now it's back to its old tricks!

The mini hoe is framed up on a old Jacobsen.. I swear if it wasn't orange and said Jacobsen I would have though CUB CADET.... original engine was a Kohler K321.. 14HP single cylinder with what they called granade gears ( counter balance) I took them out and it ran great. Still have that engine....I put the TH18 on because it was free and a lot quieter.. this is one hell of an upgrade... Click on the pic and you'll get the video. e

Looks good

Great lookin motor! --- My 14 in the cub cadet shucked the balance gears a long time ago and I keep running it without any! ----noise? ---ya a little, shakes a bit but keeps on pushin! --It is one heck of a dirt pusher! --- The 917 with the bar tires and wheel weights pushes a lot of hard dirt too for its size! ---it's one of the 18 motors.

Well time to make an adapter plate unless There's a engine that had a three bolt pattern on the flywheel I can get a dive shaft from. At Least I have a pattern.. I would make a whole new shaft but I don't believe I have what I need to mill the keyway in the shaft...

all my round stock is crazy big or too small.. Time to get a new chunk of stock.. Shaft is 1 1/8" dia. and my smallest stock over 1" is 1 1/2". I would be spending a LOT of time in front of the lathe with that. Can't take big cuts ..I really need to put a bigger motor on it.

Ready to go in the mini Hoe. tried to set it in earlier today but the bolt holes are different that on the Triad. was getting too dark and I was over it for today. I found some parts at my work shop that came out of a Sonic Slush machine that worked for me. And It turns out that one of the two Keyway cutters I had was the right size.


This ones a video if you click on it

This ones a video too.

Turned out great! ---- just gotta get creative! --- Still makes for a lot of extra work!

Wasn't really all that bad. Most of the work was in making the flange. Piece of 4" X 1/2" flat bar stock I had for making receiver hitch vises. Drilled it out with a hole saw. The tolerances were tight enough that I had to press the collar into the flange and after turning the 1 1/4" shaft down to 1 1/8" left a little extra there too and pressed it in as well. after welding the shaft in I did a clean up cut.

I got the engine mounted yesterday. Need to hook up the wires and modify my tensioner a little for the hyd. pump drive belt. took the loader off the front to make it easier.. Guess I'll paint that too while it's all apart.

That would be the time to do other work while you can get to stuff! ----easier to paint if its apart!

Much easier...