Topic: How big can I go?

[thirdroc17]

Too much is never enough for me.    I've been collecting some old K-341's, and now even a K-361.

Snow blows really hard, and I'm on the verge of building a Super Single.  16 or 18, or even 20hp might blow snow, but the more the better!

One way, is follow the old rule, "There is no substitute for cubic inches."  Which I tend to agree with.   It would make power, while maintaining a "usable" powerband.  It would not be the only way I would go though, cam, carb, etc. all the usual tricks would be included.

All that said, what is the MAXIMUM bore and stroke I can use in a K-341 and K-361 stock block?  Or even a K-321, I got a couple of those out there too...

Thanks for insight,   Dale

[thirdroc17]

Now I could have sworn I put this under Kohler where all the other Kohler questions are...  Sorry if I messed up.

[birdman_express]

If questions are not race related, they belong in the coffee shop.

[LasTnProuD]

i cant answer the question, but i like your style hah.

[thirdroc17]

If questions are not race related, they belong in the coffee shop.

Ok, again, sorry.   I'm on a lot of forums, and I do read all their rules.   This time I went with what sounded logical.   It seems like an engine question is an engine question, but things are not always as they seem!   

[FlatheadPuller]

Third here is what i know of the kohlers. If you have a good stock block to start with. You can take the bore to 3.937 safely with a head hold down. Any bigger and it will pop. As far as stroke you can go 4 inch in a stock block but it requires a cam change. Have to run a steel cam butterfly cut for stroke and dowel pins to support it. You can use the cam pin. I think you might get away with a 3.50 stroke and a pin thru cam. Not 100% sure. If you go that big use the flathead. Easier to hold the block together with a head strap. You can go smaller on stroke and not require so much work. A good combo for a snow blower would be 3.937 bore with a 3 7/8 stroke and a good 4000rpm governor grind on a steel cam core. You can get used steel cams on ebay cheap and then just send it back to a grinder and have it changed. Usually the cams with a huge lift go cheap on ebay. Then send it back to vogel to have it changed to a governor grind. You could probably go to a 1.500 intake valve and stock exhaust valve. A good 30 carb. It would make a ton of torque. You would have a aftermarket crank, rod, piston, cam basically a pulling engine on the governor. You can put a bigger heavyweight flywheel on it and bolt a set of briggs 12hp vertical plastic fins to it to cool it. 30lb flywheel would help after you get it up to speed it would eat small cars. or blower sheer pins.

[thirdroc17]

Thank you VERY MUCH, Dennis!!

That gives me some real information to work with before I go pestering people.  I'd hate to tie someone up on the phone for an hour only to decide on a different route or something.  I've done a little engine building along the way, some motorcycle, some Kohler, so I'm not totally uneducated on the basics.

All those parts sound expensive, and they are, but snow is a tough critter to get rid of, I see from your state you have a pretty good idea what I mean.  I've blown snow with engines as large as a 20hp Onan, as small as a 10hp Kohler, with a couple of 16 Kohlers in the middle.   There IS a difference.   The bigger the column of snow, the better it blows, not to mention the quicker I'm back inside where it's warm.

Right now, the biggest I have running is a 16hp.   I'd really like 24 or more.   Those engines get expensive, and besides, where's the fun in the tinkering?   With a couple of K-341 blocks just waiting to have something done to them..........