Cannister air box cover

KerryB,

That's a tough one.

The Exmark warranty, like most warrantees covers defects in materials and workmanship. The engine manufacturer covers the engine and all related components (including the filter assembly) for defects in materials and workmanship as well.

While I have not seen any of the canisters with defects in the molding it is possible. You may want to examine the area to determine if there was a problem with the mould. If that is the case get it back into the dealership we’ll both go to bat for you with the engine manufacturer. If you don't find any signs of a defect the engine manufacturer will probably assume that it was either installed wrong (easy to do) or has been damaged from an impact (sometimes easier to do). I know I've clipped them in place with the filter cap not installed correctly and it does put quite a strain on the clips and the mounting points.

Generally when something is missing from a mower the process started long before the property the part actually fell off at.

I'm assuming this is a Kohler on a full size Lazer Z?

Let me know what you find when you examine the filter cap.

Thanks

Terry

I have to weigh in here:

1. The cannister air filters are in a vulnerable spot, sticking out so far about the engine, unlike the more recessed older standard filters. I cracked a piece on mine while backing up and hitting a limb. They also can be hit by the handlebars of a walk behind that just rolls against your mower lightly. Lazers are built to be bullet proof. The air cleaner should be just as strong. I think as designed it is a weak link in terms of durability. This is commercial use. If I, a careful owner, have hit mine twice already, imagine what employees will do. Maybe a simple cage for it would suffice?

2. If you do have a plastic cannister assembly that is prone to breakage (even by merely straining the clamps, as you said), then there should be a way to order replacement parts and not just a whole new assembly. I broke just the small plastic mesh that holds the lid on the top of the precleaner. My dealer was unable to find any replacement parts and charged me nearly $100 for a new assembly. So a $1 part breaks and it requires a $100 repair. These things have seperate parts, you should try to get dealers in touch with the manufacturer to get spares available. It's one thing if it's a throwaway $10 item, but at $100, component parts need to be available.

3. Any chance my 21hp kawasaki engine power-loss problems could be related to the new air-cleaner design? Is air-flow somehow obstructed? I know air flow has a big impact on engine performance in cars.

Yes, it was the mushroom part, specifically the mesh part that the top itself snaps into. Mine was slightly cracked and not rigid anymore and so no longer held the top on tightly. The cannister and top itself were still usable. Seems a shame to junk the whole thing for a little piece of plastic.

I suppose the use of these is still fairly new on mower engines, so I was unable to find a replacement part listed with Kawasaki at their website, and my manual only shows the standard old style filter. Since the cannister assembly itself is made by another company, Kawasaki may not even be directly involved, I dunno. I even emailed the manufacturer of them, but they said they couldn't help me w/o a part number or model number for the assembly, neither of which I could come up with.

Thanks, it would be helpful if in the future these parts were available as replacements. I have a feeling that until users get used to them, you'll see several of them get ripped off or just damaged from time to time.