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My dad has an '83-84 Bolens 1700 hydro eliminator. He has a snowblower attachment for it and uses it to clean off the driveway. Well he when to do it last night and grenaded the engine.
My dad loves this tractor. He just spent $500 on a new pto clutch for it too and now this. So my question is, are any of you guys involved with these types of engines? Know what could be used as a replacement? Know of a place that sells used engines? Its a kohler kt17 twin. I did some searching around online and found a place that sells reman engines. $1500, but it requires a good core. I dont think they'd want this one....

Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry Scr8p, I am a lawn tractor repair guy for Sears but that Kohler doesn't look familiar at all. All the twin Kohlers that I work on are a "V" twin- that looks like a flathead boxer, correct? Ours are a vertical shaft. The only horizontal shafts we used were many years ago and most all parts are discontinued

I'd just retrofit a 283 in there or maybe the engine from the henry j?

Seriously don't know too much on the lawn tractor side. Good luck with it.

Actually now that I think about it, it shouldn't be too hard to retrofit any engine on that Chassis as long as you get the same layout (vertical) rough equivalent horsepower and shaft diameter.

I think the horizontal shaft will be the stumbling point.

Too bad you weren't hot rodding it, a motorcycle engine would be pretty sweet hahaha

HI!... Looks like a horizontal shaft to me. I've been running one of these 15H.P ones on my snowblower (Snowzilla) for 5 years with no problems.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Engines/15-HP-420cc-OHV-Gas-Engine-with-Electric-Start/8449019.p

Or if you want to stay twin cylinder :

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Engines/22-HP-653cc-OHV-Gas-Engine-with-Electric-Start/8514267.p

That's a bargain on that single, I bet it would have the grunt of a 20 year old twin just fine. Is it a taper shaft or straight?

gomachv wrote:That's a bargain on that single, I bet it would have the grunt of a 20 year old twin just fine. Is it a taper shaft or straight?

HI!... Straight. I put it on a 1978 MTD snowblower. Still has to be takin apart and powder coated. But all steel construction, full ball bearings everywhere. 6 speed forward, 2 reverse, drift cutters. I changed all the gearing in it for the 15H.P. It originally had a B&S 8H.P on it. I can easily go through 1-2FT of snow in 4th gear. With shoot straight up it throws snow about 60FT in the air. My neighbours luv me. lol.

I believe this to be the correct engine for the tractor...

http://shop.kustomlawnandgarden.com/JOHN-DEERE-317-KOHLER-KT17-HP-ENGINE-LONGBLOCK-REMAN-CORE-REQ-JD17.htm

Why don't you just buy the parts off of eBay and rebuild this one or have it rebuilt? They're all on there as I just checked. It's either that or wait for a complete running one to show up on there or on Craigslist.

Lowgear wrote:Why don't you just buy the parts off of eBay and rebuild this one or have it rebuilt? They're all on there as I just checked. It's either that or wait for a complete running one to show up on there or on Craigslist.

HI!... Look at his pics. The old engine now has a window in it. lol

Just needs a Chevy emblem

gomachv wrote:Just needs a Chevy emblem

HI!... Exactly. lol!

gomachv wrote:Just needs a Chevy emblem

Sorry, a blue oval would patch up that hole much better.

THE H.P FREAK wrote:
HI!... Straight. I put it on a 1978 MTD snowblower. Still has to be takin apart and powder coated. But all steel construction, full ball bearings everywhere. 6 speed forward, 2 reverse, drift cutters. I changed all the gearing in it for the 15H.P. It originally had a B&S 8H.P on it. I can easily go through 1-2FT of snow in 4th gear. With shoot straight up it throws snow about 60FT in the air. My neighbours luv me. lol.

I actually burst out with a big belly laugh causing my kids to run over thinking I was watching a movie without them or something.

That is so cool, our airens (spelling) is getting really tired.