Kohler Command Not Starting - Fuel Pump Replacement 

As always, James, nice work! And persisting with the short top fuel hose!

The extra gasket and flange is likely that the pump is used on multiple engines. It could also be a spacer that changes the position of the pump lever relative to the cam lobe to produce a different stroke length, which would result in different fuel flow levels.

The meat plate and gasket is for a machined surface mounting. The one that was on the pump is for a cast mounting as you found out. I had to replace my pump on LT150. The fuel filter was empty so took line off at pump and gas started running out right away. I an OEM pump and it had the instructions in it. It may have cost more but it saved a lot of time too. Glad to hear yours running again. Very good video.

Kinda curious to see inside the faulty pump

Followed this video yesterday. Very helpful. A couple of small process changes I made helped a bunch. In removing the fuel pump I took the bolts out before removing the small vertical portion of gas line and during re-attachment put the same line on before bolting to the engine. Made it much easier to work with. In determining what parts to use for the gasket, I just looked at how the old one attached.

I've had a few of those Commands over the years. I have always converted them to Briggs style impulse pumps when the mechanical pump inevitably fails. I gut the mechanical pump, plug the lower port, add barb fitting to the top port, connect that the impulse port on the pump. Fuel lines are self explanatory. Screw with tek-screws to the fan shroud. Tada! I've not had to replace an impulse pump and the conversion is (was) cheaper than replacing the mechanical pump. Just another bit of knowledge for the back brain!

Thank you for the video! I had this issue on a Kohler Command Pro 23, diagnosed the issue per your guidance then replaced the fuel pump and it's resolved. Much appreciated!

I have a 19hp craftsman gold engine... about 3 years old. Just had to replace the camshaft because the decompression trigger broke... from what I understand a very common problem with these overhead valve engines. So my pro tip of the day is... after starting the engine dont let it idle ... run it at half throttle or more whenever possible to avoid beating up the decompression trigger... nice video... thank you for your time...

Great repair. Nice looking machine for 25 years old. Keep the vids coming.

Not always the fuel pump when the engine is starving for fuel. On the John Deere's especially, always check the air vent hole in the fuel cap. This hole will eventually plug up over time with dust and not allow the fuel pump to pull fuel from the tank. It starts out gradually like your problem and gets worse over time until it just won't run. Very much enjoy all your videos.

Another great video. I would have never thought of removing the spacer.

Just noticed the chapter title round the 20 minute mark. "We do it right because we do it twice." It suddenly feels like I'm watching a Mustie1 video....

I have a 15.5 HP Kohler Command that is 20+ years old on my machine too. Used your head gasket video (my FIRST JC video ever btw) to do that job. Yours has the same hydraulic lifter tick that mine does and I have replacement lifters ready to go in this winter as mine ticked quite loud for about 20 min the first time I ran it back in the spring. Same ones used in a Chevy engine as I understand it and pretty inexpensive too. Anyway, mine is gravity fed so I don't have a fuel pump, but a JC video will not go unwatched no matter. Glad you got your quasi leaf machine running again. Mowed for the last time here in NC on black Friday so my lifter job will be under way after the holidays. Keep em coming JC!

Nice fix James: You can put a blank off plate on the pump outlet and drill a 1/4" hole in it for a brass hose fitting and then run a Kawasaki or Briggs pulse pump instead of the Kohler one. I have changed some and Taryl has a video on changing it to a pulse pump. Thanks for great video's.

This is a great video James. Thank you for this as I've fought with my L110 that has the 17.5 HP engine on it and I've replaced the carb and the fuel pump on mine and was about to tear into the fuel tank to diagnose further problems but I think you just solved my problem as I did what you did with the pump at first but I over looked that. THANK YOU AGAIN SIR!!

I just went through this! 3 pumps later i finally bought the oem pump and it works great! Save money and time by buying factory pump.

As you said the words, I'll put it on and if the oil leaks I'll know it's wrong. I was thinking if that changes the position of that actuator you won't get gas. Or even worse you do but not enough. Then you go crazy looking for something else. Lots of times you get stuff for different models. Just going back. There was no plate so.... Great job have binged watched almost every episode. I'm in South Fla. Lots of generators here. Just finished my first carb. rebuild. Wen 5500. Starts first pull. THANK YOU. Keep up with videos. Very Helpful!

Machine is running very well nice diagnostics and repair replacing the fuel pump and looks like alot of maple leaves ya got there @James Condon

Great video as always. I have to say that I like you avoiding your face in contrast to most people which make us watch twice the size of their real life faces on our big screens frequently. Calming and therapeutic, carry on :)

Excellent video and diagnosis. If I may make a suggestion, stuff a small clean rag or paper towel in to opening while using the Roloc bristle disc to prevent old gasket material from entering the crankcase.

Very well done! I probably would have converted it to an impulse style pump but it’s nice to keep things in their original state when you can. A simple Instruction sheet would be nice, especially with a universal item that can be used on different engines!

It would be real nice James if they had instructions on what that metal plate is for. I think your good for another 25 years! Great video as always. 💲👍🇺🇸

Have same mower, easy to convert to electric fuel pump with a block off plate. Love the mower overall, a real workhorse

Great job James 👏 looking forward to seeing you and ken's next live stream 👍

Some mechanical fuel pumps will leak fuel into the crankcase when they fail so always check the oil level. Parts that have green paint are twice the price. :-)

Thank you Sir for your time and effort on this repair, it helped!

Darren Mustie of Mustie 1 makes good tractor videos.... Nice job James, now do a forensic autopsy on the old pump...

Nice video James, those Kohler Commands are hard to kill.

Good troubleshooting tips. Interesting process to fix. Thanks.

Great video, that Kohler engine is one of the best they ever made, great work James!

I think the metal piece is a shim to allow the pump to fit on two different engines. Without the shim. It pumps more fuel because it engages the lobe more. Likely there are like a 16 and an 18 hp engine that it would fit. The 18 will by necessity take more fuel.

"Dad" mower, "dad" shoes, "dad" hobbies, "dad" work ethic. You are 100% dad and we love you for it.

You definitely have the magical touch. And of course another great video.

Same thing with my friends L110. Ran horrible, smoke pouring out of exhaust. I pulled the breather hose off the valve cover, and gas was pouring out of the valve cover...!!!! JD wanted $46+ for the fuel pump, which had a torn pumping gasket, and gas was filling the crankcase. I bought a close match from ebay for $11 , and used the bottom half of the old pump. Presto, problem solved, changed oil and filter. You sometimes bring out problem solutions, I wouldn't have thought of. BTW, your pump was listed for $14...

Perfect, just the video I needed to see. You said everything I needed to here. Thank you

Great video and very well laid out and explained /cheers ScrapBongo

Hello James From Mark In Ky. I have a John Deere 165 hydro with the FB460V Kawasaki engine in which I recently had a fuel delivery issue. I replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump and pulse hose in which normally would probably fix a delivery issue. Unfortunately I was having the same exact issue as before in which I removed the screw on the fuel bowl to drain out any possible impurities which still did not work. At that point, I disconnected the section of fuel hose coming from the fuel tank underneath the seat to where it feeds the fuel pump and hooked up a test tank with a heavy mixture of SeaFoam in which the engine immediately started and ran as it should. The hose going to the fuel tank had some obstruction that was not letting the fuel flow in which I used compressed air to back flow the fuel tank with about three quick blasts of air. After that, The fuel flow was considerably better in which I removed the test tank hose and replaced the regular fuel hose. The John Deere has been running strong ever since. I guess over a period of time that sediment transferred from gas can had accumulated inside of the fuel tank into the fuel line. The John Deere 165 has a pickup line that sticks down into the fuel tank with a 90 degree turn where the fuel tank valve is mounted. Dealing with the IH metal fuel tanks and other farm equipment over the years kind of taught me to always check for good fuel flow from the fuel tank. Thanks for your great video, James.

Enjoyed the video. The diaphragm probably worn out in the oem pump. I have 2008 JD X540 with the 14 bushel bagger. It picks up the leaves nicely. JD makes great tractors.

Nice video 👍 This is something new for me. Thanks a lot for the explanation.

You have great videos thanks for teaching us and saving us money.🙏🏻

Good work sir. Thoroughly enjoyed 👏🏻👍🏻🔧

I love that rubber wheel to clean gasket material. Gotta get one of those.

Best small engine repair guy on RU-vid my favourite channel all the best from Sydney Australia

I had a cam driven fuel pump on an old car years ago. Until it gets some fuel in there, they don't feel like they are working much. We had this happen to a Kohler years ago, and my innovative father bought a cheap electric pump at the auto parts store (intended for a go cart). That saw the tractor through the rest of its useful life.

You can facilitate gasket removal using common household paint remover or Goof-Off. Some of the bubbling paint removal sprays will eat it almost to the point of wiping the remaining gasket off with a rag. This is, of course; provided someone ahead of you didn't glue it on with 3M yellow or the like.

I have a feeling that metal plate may be for spacing it out so it can be used in multiple instances. Its probably to clearance the lever arm a hair away from the cam lobe sometimes to bring it into spec.

“close enough”. My favourite bit!

Awesome job

8:00 just take it easy with that pad it’s a fine abrasive so the longer you sit the more you take off. As long as the gasket is gone your ok. You don’t need to remove any staining otherwise your taking off extra material.

Many years ago I owned a 16 year old car with exactly the same problem and the mechanics tried everything but they found that the camshaft had a grove worn in it because of the pump arm, in the end they just put an electric pump on it and blocked off the old pump hole.

Your customer should be happy with your persistence. :) Great video.

great/productive/clear video

Whoa! Big help! Thank you so!

I encountered the exact same thing with a spacer plate on my 1993 Ford Sierra Sapphire. It's an "either/or" arrangement that allows for multiple applications for a single pump kit, but in the case of the Sierra, to allow for one pump kit to replace two different OEM fitments. The critical factor is that you should turn the engine to bring the cam lobe to the point where it fully deflects the pump lever arm, then install the pump and push it manually against the block face. If the pump flange will not sit against the block flange under hand pressure, then you need to install the spacer - Otherwise, omit the spacer. Remember though, this must be done with the cam lobe at the point of maximum lift.

Great video like the magic at 23:25 carb/aircleaner assembly tool that places the nuts

Thank you for your video.

I have that same tractor over the years I’ve had to replace the fuel pump and the coil and rebuild the carburetor other than that it runs good😊

I would of attached the short top fuel line before bolting the fuel pump on but that is me very entertaining video @James Condon

my feeling is spacer is there to make the amount of travel of the cam liver, so it changes the pulse of the pump.. no correct pulse pump will not work correctly ... however I enjoy your blog.. keep it up.. Merry Christmas .. be well and be safe..!!

I've got similar engine on old craftsman lt4000. Changed pump once. I use it for plowing snow only. I've had to get it running on carb cleaner after it sits a long time but eventually it pumps and runs ok.

A lot involved than a B&S fuel pump. Good job.

Slip the upper hose on before putting bolts in.

It would have been nice to see the old pump dismantled and failure cause investigated. I hope you would follow-up with another video.

Nice job

Put the short hose on the pump first and then move the pump up into position. Not sure why you cut it to begin with. Thanks James

perfect job thank u

I thought you would change the fuel filter while you had it apart.👍🏻👏🏻

Thanks James. Regards from the land of men in skirts.

I got the same engine on my GT225. That spacer is not needed. If you do use the spacer it moves the arm too far away from the cam. It is only meant for some engines. Just the gasket and you are good to go!

Ive had a few of the valve cover mounted pumps just stick internal intermittenly,replaced with new Kohler pumps

Thanks for videos, James. I recently started watching your channel. I couldn't tell for sure if it was WD40 that you were using to lube tubing and such. I think WD40 has a solvent in it. Just a suggestion: you may be better off with a teflon or silicone based lubricant, more suitable for o-rings, seals and rubber.

Good video mate.. as always lots of good information.. stay safe mate

Good fix!

Try using Dielectric grease on paper gaskets , repels liquids and keeps the gasket from sticking .

You need to get a carbide tipped gasket scraper not just a normal one it's a life changer for removing those pressed style gaskets snap on makes one and I'm sure other manufacturers do as well

Nice work and interesting vodeo👍

Thanks

Definitely a spacer for pump level distance. the thickness of the metal gives that away and extra gasket.

Great video sir. Truly That new fuel pump connector(s) . . . . . . . . .🤣

I’m surprised that you didn’t open the original pump to see why it stopped working.

I have the same exact lt155 tractor this is very helpful video just incase this happens..i have 2 other problems ..the trans leaks but i cant see from where..and second it likes to backfire sometimes on startup and shut off...the electric carb shutoff solenoid is working as far as i can tell..so i dunno 🤷..thanks 👍

It's possible it works on multiple engines that some require the spacer

As soon as I saw that spacer I thought this isn’t going to work because the cam and pump actuator are designed for a specific tolerance and adding the spacer may cause a problem. Yup. Then fitting that new hose I kept asking you why you weren’t mating the hose first and then bolting on the pump, but you didn’t hear me! Then you did it the same way a second time because you didn’t have faith the pump was actually working! I get that but I would have bolted it on and gone with the second test, but that’s just me. On the other hand, I got to yell, “We struck gas!!!” 😉👍🔧🧰

Could the check valves be tested by blowing gently in the input side of the pump (air should flow) and into the output side of the pump (air should not flow)? Similar to how the needle & float is tested on a carburetor. Or is the pump different internally that might not work that way? I sometimes want to take broken things apart to see what makes them tick. I think putting the spacer in and find that it isn't needed than it is omit it and find out that it was needed because of a bent pump arm or more serious damage to the pump.

Ty buddy 😄

Good fix, only suggestion is place the hose on before bolting the pump on, yes short hose and more rigid but it will go for sure.

Thanks for the video. Who would know what the c-clip is for? It should come with instructions.

I'd never seen the fuel pump replacement on that tractor before; the way the fittings mount into the pump are very similar to SharkBite solderless plumbing fittings. Pretty cool! Thanks again James for another great video. God bless. Rev. D.

Nice

Had a John Deere this summer with similar issue. Turned out to be a blocked fuel cap.

RETAINNING RING trick was Great Idea

James I would like to see you pull apart that fuel pump.

In less than a minute you could’ve taken the four screws off of the OEM Pump. Most likely a little debris in the check valve. 25 year old OEM pump is better than a brand new Chinese one

For the love of God plug the hole with a clean blue shop paper towel when using roloc disc's. The plastic has abrasive in it, when you get that fine dust all over the place and it eventually gets in your oil, it turns your oil into liquid abrasive. Do NOT let any of that dust get into the engine!

Another interesting vid! I always learn something from your work. BTW, would it have been possible to install the hose/tubing on top of the pump before the mounting it. Maybe save some fuss/extra work.

James does the site that you ordered the Stens replacement carburetor have a place to input information? If so maybe you could suggest that they include that in the box when they send it. Or it is for a race cam engine that Kholer has a secret engine build. Thanks for sharing your video with us. Ed

The metal mounting plate is to fit the preformed gasket of the new pump. The existing engine block mount hole is too big for the preformed gasket.

The first person that I've seen use that snap ring to put those parts on other people didn't know what it was for

One of the other problems with the OEM pump is that the diaphragm tears and it sends gas into the oil. I just inherited a 150 and the case was full of gas. I went to our local power place and they sold me the chow mein one for 60 bucks I couldn’t find one local for 2 weeks

I would like to have seen an inspection of the old pump.