How to Fix the Recoil Pull Rope Starter on your Kohler Courage Lawn Mower

This should be a simple job. But the replacement part I bought online required some adaptation.
Here's a link to the genuine Kohler Part on Amazon: amzn.to/2gRVMZL (affiliate)
Thanks for watching!

[@Buckwsr]

Genuine Kohler Recoil Starter here - amzn.to/2gRVMZL

[@JohnMcDuffieSr-x7r]

I can't get my three screws out for my pull cord

[@patgiblinsongs5]

Major props for adapting to someone else’s poor craftsmanship!

[@rogerroth9536]

Yet another smart mechanic who's also a good teacher. The country needs more like you. Thanks.

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks, Roger!

[@Dentropolis]

You are a good and fast worker. I’m an armature and maybe by bits are cheap and get dull faster. For this reason when drilling a hole I start with a small drill and maybe go through 4 sizes. Cuts like butter but takes a second or two to change small to larger bits rather than trying at one go.

[@LordFaramire]

What would I do if the nuts you are removing around 2:40 don't come loose from the bolt itself. Only 1 of the 3 nuts actually came off. The bolt turns when I turn the nut. I tried holding it with a clamp wrench to turn, but it doesn't work either. Is there a way to get a tool underneath to hold it from the bottom some how? Seems like a simple repair that I can't do because the nuts won't come off.

[@Buckwsr]

I think the top nuts are connected to studs that themselves thread into the engine block down lower. Just keep turning the nuts and you will either loosen the nut itself or the stud below it.

[@winstv98]

Next Buy Made In China! ! ! ? ? ? Ha, Ha, Ha.....

[@gregorycasey2271]

Thank you sir . Shame all these once reliable small engines have become cheap junk . They probably saved $ 00.10 and turned a lot of people off of their motors in the future .

[@victorangeles7938]

Thanks for your help good job

[@mrodriguez5259]

Te felicito

[@jmc2510]

Any ideas on how to break loose those bolts (3 of them) that hold the pull cord assembly on?

[@Dentropolis]

I’m with this problem too with 2 of the 3. This is a big problem

[@davidderolph2845]

Maybe I'm missing the point of your question, but, as shown in the video, just removed the nuts on those 3 bolts.

[@donniecoleman1324]

Hey buck, I have a question on the Kohler courage recoil starter, wouldn't it have set on top of the stand- offs on the mounting bolts. I'm sure there was enough catch on the starting dogs to work. But still I think they sent the wrong part. They make little changes in the middle of the production year, and they don't get it appalicatable to all models. I've had that happen to me on Kohler engines.

[@johnhobbsjr4248]

Just by a new recoil, it comes with the string and new recoil already atached. All you will need to do is unscrew the old one chunk it in the trash and replace with the new one. Cost about 15 bucks on ebay

[@ahmedfazzaa5573]

That’s what is always happening when you buy a generic parts , you have to modified , thanks for post this helpful video , all the way from the land down under .

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you so much!

[@KeithB417]

Nice job of adapting on the fly. Just a suggestion for people who have not had much experience with small engine repair. Always a good Idea to disconnect the spark plug wire before attempting any repair. Rather be safe and just remember to plug the wire back to the plug when finished. And I just want to say that it is much more informative to show what can happen during a repair than just opening the part and snap boom in it goes. Real world mechanic repair is not always plug and play.

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks Jerry!

[@michaelandersenjones]

Just outside and have the same issue! Arggghhh! Oh well, first world problems. Thanks for showing that all does not always go as planned. Also, is the link posted the same one you bought?

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks for the note and good luck with the repair. I don't recall where I bought the new part, if it was amazon or elsewhere....

[@andymckenna7524]

Very helpful I have the exact same problem could not have asked for better instructions on how to fix my mower great job thank you for taking the time to share this with us. Probably saved me about $85.00 per hour for a small engine mechanic . Right on!

[@Buckwsr]

Good job. Thank you for the kind words.

[@MatthewBetzen]

Appreciate the walkthrough. Fixed in no time!

[@JKoz-sf2ei]

Thanks much....I see what I am looking forward to.

[@Buckwsr]

Have fun!

[@JKoz-sf2ei]

I lucked out and found one that worked great,. 1-2-3..boom, the beast(I call the mower that) came alive. Took two day, thunder storms, I was doing two repairs on two different lawnmowers. Great video

[@ronnietxspurdrury]

Well I was doing it right but here is my weird problem. When I go to loosen the 3 nuts the bolts move with the nuts? WTH

[@Buckwsr]

Yeah, what a pain! Maybe there's a way to try to hold the bolt from the top while breaking loose the nut below.....?

[@davedetroit6475]

Some models 2 of the 3 nuts are attached to the bolt, so you are really unscrewing it just doesn't seem like it until you try to pull the cover off.

[@gregschroer2314]

I think if you look your boat as looking from the front of the lawn mower the one at 6:00 and the one at about 2:00 if the boat is turning with the nuts they're probably the ones that hold your Magneto in place if that helps you you'll have to reset the air gap

[@davidcollins3906]

Thanks for showing how to buy a new part from Amazon. Very unhelpful

[@geoffjahns8870]

Title says how to FIX, not how to buy. Waste of time

[@Buckwsr]

Machines are repaired by replacing defective parts. Let me know how you make out with yours.

[@bearknuckles100]

Thank you Sir. I have exact same issue and now I see clearly what I need to do.

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks for watching the video, and good luck with the repair.