Fixed your pic. Plan on pulling that. If the Gov shaft is leaking that is not the only leak.

Thanks for fixing that.

I've already planned to pull it and tear it down and replace seals and gaskets. I ordered a genuine Kohler gasket and seal kit, and a tune up kit for it. I just hope it doesn't bite me in the rear when I get inside and find any damage or excessive wear. There is no smoke from the exhaust and it runs nice and smooth, so I don't anticipate anything at this point. The muffler bolts look a little scary.

:Pray:

I better start soaking them with rust penetrant.

You probably don't need a complete gasket kit. I could see maybe head gaskets, valve cover seals, crank seals, intake gaskets and exhaust gaskets. For what it's worth I use Permatex Ultra Copper instead of exhaust gaskets, if it's good enough for Nascar Cup engine headers it's good enough for a mower engine. Soak the exhaust nuts, they are a Major PITA on the CH's

Agreed, I just took the exhaust off my ch20 and even with the engine out and on the bench just getting to the inside nuts is a bit of a challenge. I used an open end wrench and patience as you can only get about 1/8 of a turn each time.

I bent up a special wrench just to get to the hard to get nuts.

I decided to order the kit, I may not need all of it, but it wasn't that must more expensive than picking and choosing what I might need, and I'd rather have too many gaskets and seals than not enough. I don't have it pulled yet to take apart but to minimize the chances of parts getting lost or forgotten where they go, I like to have everything on hand when I do the job so I can put it all right back together at the same time.

Well, I started the disassembly, it's not as bad as I thought.
Attachment 83432

Sams picures definitely looked worse. Mostly oil soaked and dirt. I don't see any grass in there. Definitely needs a mag end seal. I don't think the wetness down from the crank transferred up to the top by the governor seal. So I think I probably can get by with just gaskets and seals being replaced and not have to crack her open and replace head gaskets, valve seals, etc. Or, if I'm this far in and have the parts should I just do it?

If it were me and that far into it, I would replace the head gaskets without blinking an eye.

I have had a number of Vanguard and Commands in my possion in the last couple of years that have had the fins packed full of dirt, grass, oil and other debris and they also had leaking head gaskets.

You, of course, are free to do as you please but when those engines run hot, in my experience they get hot enough to start the head gaskets leaking.

Leaking head gaskets show up in a number of ways. Engine smoking, engine burning oil, runs lean to the point the choke needs to stay on, etc. Your choice.

You should give it a bath an determine where the leaks are occurring, run it an see if there are leakages in areas you cannot see.

That's kind of the way I'm leaning too. It isn't showing those signs but I might as well do it since I'll have them.