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Kawasaki 23 HP engine

L

lenray

Well-known Member
Maybe asked before not sure. This engine is on a Zero turn mower. 450 hours. Always good maintenance. Runs perfect on some days and the next time it will barely pull itself. Let in run with the blades off a few minutes and then it will run perfect again. New plugs-new fuel filter-fuel pump pumps a lot of fuel-clean fuel. I don't know if it is fuel or electrical....What do you guys think???
Len in Michigan...
 
Despite my doubt about foreign made stuff, I've had good luck with Kawasaki. They're in my 6 John Deere Gators an all of my 10 Club Car golf cars. Check your fuel filters, air cleaners, carbs and all the common stuff before you drop dead with despair and give up. With Club Cars, make sure the air filter box is closed up. Poor engineering by Club Car but I've had two Club Car Kawasaki engines trashed because the air filter box was not latched closed and very dirty, dusty air got in for just 25 hours.
 
Check your fuel lines, they may be deteriorating, collapsing and shedding rubber on the inside, cracking and sucking air from the outside.

If there is a dual tank change over valve it could be causing problems.

Do go through the carb. Usually it can be eased apart without needing any parts. Carefully scrape the jets with a stiff wire or torch tip cleaner. Just spraying and blowing is not enough to clean ethanol residue from the jets.
 
I love my 2011 4010 kaw mule. only 850 hours. Runs great after I got the throttle position sensor adjusted properly.
Have a 17 hp kaw on my old JD garden tractor.
Both are great engines. Don't use oil. Starts and runs great. Last me my lifetime.
I think they are better built than a Briggs and Kohler, which I have on lawn mowers and terramites. Honda 20 hp is a good engine too.

Tell me what small engine is made in the USA?

All engines have problems. Just need to figure out what your problem is.
Sounds like engine is running lean of cold starts.
Pull spark plugs. Spark plugs are a window to what's happening, rich, lean, or just right.
 
I have a 22 hp Kawasaki in a toro zero turn. It has served me well the last ten years with I'm guessing 600 or so hours on it. Last year it gave me trouble, running ok then falling off and losing power. Maybe not the same as you are experiencing. Could it be that one cylinder isn't firing? I've ended up changing coils, one last year the other one this year, it's made a new machine out of it. Google the issue. There's a fair bit of info on checking coils. I've read where these motors are known to need coils after about this amount of time.
 
Let me ask this....IF IT IS A COIL PROBLEM...Starts good and maybe runs good for the full mow. More likely-starts good but doesn't have full power. Disengage the blades and it seems to run normal. Engage blades again it it usually runs good for the full mow.. The next time a week later usually the same deal. WILL A COIL ACT LIKE THAT????
 
Why not invest in two of those in-line spark testers from Harbor Freight and put them between your spark plug wires and the spark plugs.
Then the next time your mower pulls this half-power stunt, look and see if both the light bulbs are still lit. If they are, that should eliminate the spark question.

If one is 'off' that coil on that side is not firing that cylinder. (But with certain Kawasaki engines the real problem may be in the opposite coil. The diode in the coils on some of their engines is in the coil instead of in the 'kill' or stop wire between the coils. Like it is on Briggs and Kohler. So a bad diode in one coil can stop the spark in the opposite coil.)

It apparently doesn't matter if those testers are left on there. I left a couple on one mower and only got them back several months later when that mower returned to the shop for some other repair.
 
Yes coils WILL act exactly like that. They can be a pain to change depending on the mower but that is what I would do.
Dave
 
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