I have a 23 HP Kawasaki vertical engine FH680v that is not running right once the engine is run for 4 or 5 minutes it starts to mis fire and blows a small amount of black smoke each time it surges this engine has been well serviced for 4 years I have changed several parts . New carb, new plugs new coils, new air filter new fuel pump . Also the plugs are jet black after just a few hours of use when i installed new ones . The engine has 1500 hrs of use could this thing be ready for a new engine . All help would be great ! Thanks Im losing sleep over this one.
Was this engine acting the same way with the old carb. ? The reason I ask is there are multiple size main jets for Kawasaki carbs. depending on the spec. number, Its possible the new carb. has the large jets. Also what air gap spec. did you set the new coils at ? I have seen a few belt drive engines shear a flywheel key from hitting things, Not many but it is possible. Does the engine surge continuously while running ? With that many hours it may need the governor adjusted.
The engine is doing the same thing as with the old carb. choke is not on. What does adjusting the governer do for this engine and can I do this at home my dealer is 50 miles away Thanks for all the help Guys!
The governor wears in time and the proper adjustment is lost, Hence a hutting problem as you discribe, Given the parts you have already replaced this is the next step. The carb. throttle linkage is hooked to the gov. arm, The gov. arm slides onto the gov. shaft coming out of the engine and is held with a pinch screw. There is a small hole in the gov. shaft where it sticks out past the gov. arm. Get a small drill bit or something that will pass through this hole. Run your throttle control to full wide open position, slightly loosen the pinch screw and insert the object in the hole and rotate the shaft counter clockwise until it stops and hold a light tension on the shaft while you re-tighten the pinch screw and be careful not to let the arm move while tightening. This gov. shaft only moves a little to begain with so any movement at all while adjusting is a benefit. Also do this adjustment cold. Give this a try and post back the results. BTW, There is a small spring hooked from the carb. to the gov. arm correct ?
Dont see anyway you could adjust that gov. without taking the plate off that holds all of the cables I did not see a hole in the gov. shaft .
According to the service manual and the parts break-down and past experience there is supposed to be a small hole close to the end of that shaft. Possibly you can't get into the right position to see it or the arm had slid off enough covering it. If you can't get to it to make the adjustment you can remove the throttle plate assembly to do so, BUT!!! This throttle plate has slots where the screws hold it to the engine. You MUST mark the plate so it goes back on in the SAME position or your high speed RPM will be affected. With the plate off you will have to hold the gov. arm so that the carb. is at wide open position to make the adjustment. Once the plate is off and you still don't find a hole put a pair of small pliers on the end of the shaft to adjust but remember only a slight pressure to rotate it. You may use a small piece of wire to hold the carb. open so you have one hand to hold a slight tension on the shaft and the other to tighten the gov. arm screw.
Sorry about being so long I finally took the mower to dealer and not good news according to him he said he did a leak down test and i have leakage in both cylinders 10% in 1 and 30% in 2 Would this be causing the problem and would i be just as well off just to run it until it blows or bite the bullet and install new engine Thanks for all the help Lawnsite is Great!
It's baffling me why in the world a shop would do a leak-down test for a governor problem. A surge problem in most cases is either a carb. leaning out due to trash ect. or a warn governor assembly which throws the adjustment out. You have eliminated the carb. with the new one so that leaves the governor, Each time the engine surges the carb. dumps more fuel and is not being burnt properly because of the surging, Adjust the gov. to repair the surge and the black smoke and fouled plugs will be eliminated. All I can do is voice my 14 years experience, Had you brought your unit to my shop you would be on your way out of the gate. It's your money so you can do as you like.
Well got the mower back from dealer and decided to go ahead and try to adjust the gov. well it took me a while to do it and it still is doing the same thing as before Im not sure what is left to do ! Thanks
