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I got this tractor FREE:biggrin: from my grandpa and almost as soon as I got it it started leaking fuel out of the carburetor. We brought it to at least 3 fixit people and it has had visits to each guy twice. I cannot figure out what is wrong, we have bought a new carburetor and that one leaks, we have used the old one and parts off of new and it still leaks:thumbdown:. It is a nice tractor and I want it fixed!!We got it back from a guy and he did something with the seats, and it ran like a deere for a while, then I started it again and it ran like crap, and started pouring fuel again:thumbdown: But it ran great until it was like a "switch" and then there was gas again. Please, any suggestions would be great!
17hp kawasaki liquid cooled v-twin

claystroyer said:

I got this tractor FREE:biggrin: from my grandpa and almost as soon as I got it it started leaking fuel out of the carburetor. We brought it to at least 3 fixit people and it has had visits to each guy twice. I cannot figure out what is wrong, we have bought a new carburetor and that one leaks, we have used the old one and parts off of new and it still leaks:thumbdown:. It is a nice tractor and I want it fixed!!We got it back from a guy and he did something with the seats, and it ran like a deere for a while, then I started it again and it ran like crap, and started pouring fuel again:thumbdown: But it ran great until it was like a "switch" and then there was gas again. Please, any suggestions would be great!
17hp kawasaki liquid cooled v-twin

Click to expand...

:welcome:

Does grandpa have a funny sense of humour ?

Only a few reasons why a carbs leak fuel

1) dirty fuel preventing the needle seating properly
2) dirty or damaged needle and or seat
3) cracked or warped bowl
4) broken, cracked float bowl gasket
5) wrong carb for fuel pump- excessive fuel supply pressure.
6) bad seal on the cut off solenoid

As you got the mower for free, go to the JD web site and spend $ 60 on the JD manual.
You will save more than that on the first time you fix anything.
They are written for people who do not know which end of a screwdriver you hold

bertsmobile1 said:

:welcome:

Does grandpa have a funny sense of humour ?

Only a few reasons why a carbs leak fuel

1) dirty fuel preventing the needle seating properly
2) dirty or damaged needle and or seat
3) cracked or warped bowl
4) broken, cracked float bowl gasket
5) wrong carb for fuel pump- excessive fuel supply pressure.
6) bad seal on the cut off solenoid

As you got the mower for free, go to the JD web site and spend $ 60 on the JD manual.
You will save more than that on the first time you fix anything.
They are written for people who do not know which end of a screwdriver you hold

Click to expand...

My Grandpa babied it and did service for it all the time, and I just recently got a suggestion that the carburetor has a brass hookup fuel return line that should have a hose attached and the hose would return to the another brass hookup and that would explain the surging because of low pressure in carb. :confused2:

claystroyer said:

My Grandpa babied it and did service for it all the time, and I just recently got a suggestion that the carburetor has a brass hookup fuel return line that should have a hose attached and the hose would return to the another brass hookup and that would explain the surging because of low pressure in carb. :confused2:

Click to expand...

You will find the engine manual here
http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Kawasaki-Service-and-Repair-Manuals/

No return line shown, just an in & out on the mechanical fuel pump and a fuel inlet on the carb

I watched it without the heat shield over the carb and the overflow tube shoots gas out of it:thumbdown:

claystroyer said:

I watched it without the heat shield over the carb and the overflow tube shoots gas out of it:thumbdown:

Click to expand...

Picture of what you are calling overflow tube please.

http://jdpc.deere.com/pimages/MP14/MP14962________UN08SEP95.gif
This is a diagram of the carb, sorry I cannot get a pic of it right know.
Clay

Don't matter where it escaping from, it can only come from the float valve because the float needle is not shutting off the fuel.

I'm having the same problem. Replaced carb twice with new Chinese made ones, they both shoot a steady stream of gas out of the overflow. Tried bending the tab on the float a bit to set fuel level lower but a slight bend resulted in needle valve not opening at all. The needle valve has a spring loaded actuator, so it seems there should be a range of float adjustment that would work. Engine runs fine, so I'm thinking of running the overflow line back to the tank if I can't figure anything else out.

What was that dad used to say ?
"he who buys cheap pays thrice"
So why not replace the carb with an original one or if that is beyond your means then a guaranteed after market one from a real vendor or heaven forbid, a mower shop .

Do you think that a carburetor purchased from a John Deere dealer is not made in China?

Yes but they, like the ones from a REAL MOWER shop have a warranty so if they don't work you get a refund or exchange
Around 1/3 of what is bought cheap from Amazeazone & Evilpay were bought as scrap metal then sold to cheapskates as "oem" or "fits".
However nowhere do the adds say they work.

The first replacement carb worked all last year mowing about 8 hours a week. Then started it late in the fall and fuel poured out the overflow. Seems like I should be able to find something wrong.

have you replaced the fuel lines and cleaned out the tank?
it could be trash from fuel lines internally falling apart, or trash in the tank getting stuck where the needle seats and letting it stay open some.

+1 on what Scrubbie said .
Not meaning to be agro , but it will sound that way
How the hell do you expect people on a forum, who have nothing to use to diagnose your problems to that if you only tell them 10% of the story ?
There is a massive difference between "this is the second time I have replaced the carb for flooding over the past 2 years " and "I have replaced the carb twice"
Both of course are factually correct but they tell a totally different story.

So knowing that the diagnosis would be trash as per scrubbies post and the fix is to remove the fuel tank & clean it , then replace the fuel lines with new ones & while you are there fit a button style Briggs fuel filter at one end of the fuel line .
Cut open your old fuel line to see if it is crumbeling or gone jelly inside.
Also have a close look at your fuel can as a source of contamination.

And people wondering why I am so nitpicking about having all the equipment numbers. With all the replacements of various parts it can be a small wonder if we even get any thing 100% right. IF oem carburetor it came with a soft seal float needle valve which can be even more prone to trash holding it at a point of seepage.

Tank and fuel lines are clean and in good shape. There is a filter between the tank and the fuel pump, and the line between the pump and carb was replaced when the problem first surfaced. I've had the float bowl off several times and haven't found any crud in it.

the bowl does not stop the fuel, the needle & seat do
Only a few reasons why this happens
Crud preventing it forming a seal.
Wear preventing it forming a seal
Float not pushing hard enough or far enough.
Float problems can be leaks, bad manufacturing, deposit build up, friction at the pivot, gasket fouling .

StarTech said:

And people wondering why I am so nitpicking about having all the equipment numbers. With all the replacements of various parts it can be a small wonder if we even get any thing 100% right. IF oem carburetor it came with a soft seal float needle valve which can be even more prone to trash holding it at a point of seepage.

Click to expand...

oh come on, you should know what it is, it's painted black and says it's 6HP with OHV's....

Okay it the one with hand brush on paint job. I got it. <LOL> Now back to task at hand. Awaiting OP findings.

I found a small depression in the rubber tip of the needle valve from replacement carburetor #1, the one that worked fine for six months. The tip of the other needle looks fine. The seat is evidently not replaceable and doesn't appear to be conical. Wondering if t could touch up the seat with a drill and get a better seal. Won't be out much if it doesn't work.

If the seat is metal you can chuck a Qtip in a drill and use FINE valve lapping compound or regular toothpaste to lapp in the seat. Then clean the carb till you are sure it is clean then clean it again. The rubber tip on a lot of the chineesium carbs don't like ethanol. Take the rubber tipped needle and put it in some gas for a day or two and see if if swells or seems softer. The biggest issue i see on AM carbs is the float needle tip sewlling and getting soft. Also make sure the leak is the carb and not the fuel pump. There was an issue with some Kaw engined JD mowers where fuel pump near carb actually leaking and not the carb. Does it do it right after you shut off the engine? They also had problem of fuel boiling in carb from heat soak from very hot engine and muffler.

I thought it was the fuel pump initially but after replacing it found that it was definitely the carb overflowing. It's kind of amazing that we haven't read about a bunch of these mowers catching fire as the carb overflow dumps right onto the muffler.

Thanks for the suggestion about the lapping compound. I hadn't thought of that. The seat on the original Mikuni carb is just a hole drilled in the main casting. The Chinese replacement actually looks better, with a machined brass seat pressed into the main casting.

The needle tips have been in fuel for some hours without any noticeable deformation, other than the slight depression in one that I mentioned.