Model - Specification - Serial Numbers
Before asking for engine parts or information about your Kohler engine please try to have your Model, Specification and Serial number of your engine.
It will make it much easier identifying the correct parts.
About Model, Specification, Serial Numbers:
Kohler Engine Identification Numbers are the most important pieces of information when searching for replacement parts or a replacement engine, short block or information about your engine.
Look at it as if you were to going into an auto parts store and you said “I need an air filter for my Ford F350 truck". The sales person would then ask you ”What engine do you have in it? What year is it?" and so on. Be prepared when you look for parts, engine replacement and information about your Kohler engine.
About Specification Numbers:
The Kohler Company produced approximately 9160 different variations of the K-Series engines.
The K Series consist of these models, K91, K141, K161, K181, K241, K301, K321, K341, K361, K482, K532, K582, K660, K662, KT17, KT19, KT21, KT17 Series II and the KT19 Series II engines. Of these 9160 K-Series engines, about 2119 of them were the Model K161, of different variations and about 1267 different variations of the Model K301 engine and so on. And that not even counting the variations of the different models of the Magnum Series and Command Series engines.
What is a variation? Why so many variations?
When the Kohler Company designs an engine for a particular piece of equipment or even a basic engine, that engine will be given a specification number. The specification number identifies specific features about that engine. Different from others within the same model number. For example, the crankshaft will have a specific length and diameter or the oil pan will be a certain design not like another engine of the same model number. This is where the specification number comes in, it identifies these variation of that particular engine from other engine with the same model number. For example, look at an engine specification number of 24198. When looking up that specification number the Kohler Parts Lookup System tells us the 24198 is a KT17 without even knowing it was a model KT17 and it was made for a Gravely tractor with specific features to fit that tractor.
The Specification number of a Kohler engine identifies these differences or variations from one another of engines with the same model number. That is why the specification number or spec number is so important when searching for Kohler replacement parts, replacement engine, short block or information about your Kohler engine.
I feel the specification number is the most important number to have of the 3 sets of numbers. Also with the specification number you can lookup what the model number is. The Serial number helps identify what year the engine was built and the factory code. So if you have a K321 engine, spec number 60393 with serial number 14011085, the year it was built would be 1984 (140) and the rest of the code (11085) is the factory code. There are other benefit to having the serial number when searching for parts. Kohler may have had an update or a change to a particular part that falls within the serial number of your engine. Example, use again the serial number 14011085, when looking up the oil fill tube, the Kohler Parts Lookup System shows that before serial number 14011087 uses an oil fill tube part number 4718003S and after serial number 14011086 uses a 4718004S.
If you do not have a Spec number we will both have our work cut out for us. 
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