Need Breakerless Coil for K301 Kohler Engine

[watertightmike]

Does anyone have a breakerless coil for an old K301 Kohler engine. It is on my Wheel Horse garden tractor. I have isolated the problem to the coil.

Thanks.

[K D Redd]

I have worked on a LOT of K-series Kohler but I have never seen one with the solid-state ignition system. It is my understanding that parts for this system are VERY expensive. I have also heard that you can convert them back to points and your standard automotive 12 volt ignition system much cheaper than buying the parts, if you can find them, for the system it is equipped with.

Kent

[Sky]

It is possible to go solid state but i forgot who sells the kit on here. If the coil is your problem and you think it's expensive, your right......if you go to a Kohler dealer. Go to autozone and get you an automotive coil for external resistor use (condencer) cost? a mere $25 but it's been a few years since i baught one. Price may have moved to 30 or 35. Still cheaper then Kohlers 65 to 75 dallor coils and they are vertually, the same deal.

[K D Redd]

Sky,

The original poster was asking about a coil for a K-301 WITH the factory solid-state igniton system. I think many poeple go back to the old points system because of that cost of parts for the factory solid-state system.

Kent

[Dempster]

I have a NOS (new old stock) coil 236826, nos trigger 237339 for your K301. NOS stator coil for KT series and KT series nos points sets all priced a lot less than list prices elsewhere, original Kohler parts just been around a while NOS. Send me a email or PM off here.

[Sky]

Ok. the description wasnt clear then. I took it he wanted to CONVERT to solid state.

[dkamp]

Just to fill an info-void:

You can put an automotive style resistor-type coil on a Kohler K-single.

It won't last long... (personal experience)

Automotive coils are designed around dwell characteristics of firing twice, three, or four times a rotation at common automotive engine speeds.

The K-single only fires once every TWO revolutions. It is therefore, fully saturated for a much higher percentage of time than an automotive coil. They get hot.

Also... the K-single, being air-cooled single, has much higher local heat and vibration than a common automotive coil.

Finally, automotive engines run ballast-bypassed in start mode, and run series ballast in run position. The K-single is full-battery-voltage, no ballast, at all times.

It is for these three reasons, and production volume, that the K-single's ignition coil is unique, and much more expensive than a standard.

One CAN take said automotive coil, mount it, and connect additional ballast resisitance... albeit with substantially less ignition energy and shorter coil life.

The stock Kohler breakerless system wasn't very popular, so everything related will be low-volume and pricey.

What CAN be done, if you have the ability to retrofit breakers, is to use them strictly for trigger-source, and trigger an automotive-style ignition amplifier (GM HEI or old Chrysler unit) into a non-engine mounted automotive ignition coil. This works incredibly well, especially when cranking speed is slow and/or battery voltage is low. There's also a little electronic device that will trigger from ignition points, and fire an automotive coil (mount it off the engine)... called the Points Saver (www.kirkengines.com). David has also found which coils will survive the thumpin' K's environment... it seems to be a much better alternative than the OEM breakerless system.

[K D Redd]

dkamp,

SORRY, I have to DISAGEE. I work on K-series engines ALL of the time. I have seen this "Automotive coils do not last very long on K series engines, You MUST USE A KOHLER COIL because the points stay closed longer than on a automotive engine" If one uses a INTERNAL RESISTOR COIL from ANY source, the coil will give years of service. Have you ever watch the action of the points on a K-series Kohler engine? I have. The points close at the beginning of the intake stroke and are closed until the lobe on the camshaft opens them for the engine to fire. THEN the point STAY open through the POWER AND EXHAUST stroke closing again at the beginning of the intake stroke.
Dad has a 1968 JD 140 with a K-301 engine. This engine was originally magneto ignition. After the third engine rebuild the mag packed in. I told him to wire in a automotive coil. He did not have an internal resistor coil but has a external one and resistor.. This coil served until the cylinder cracked and was blown away from the crankcase during a start cycle. I built another engine for this tractor and used the same coil. This tractor is in semi-retirement, it's only 41 years old, as Dad since Mom's passing has became some what of a JD L/G tractor collector. He has 3 JD 140's one of which is a H3 model and 2 JD 317 one of which he has installed the power steering from a JD 318 on. This is his primary yard mowing tractor.

Kent

[Anythingos]

Just a thought. You may try kirkengines.com they have, I believe, a solid state pointsaver and bosch blue coil pakage that is a lot less expensive than hohler parts as well I have a K161 7hp and this guy has been working on these engines for a while and might be able to steer you in the right direction. Hope this helps.