Have a Dixie Chopper Classic 3160 2014 model with a FX921 Kawasaki in the shop that we were doing a service on the mower. Heard the valves rattling and went to adjust the valves. I was amazed at the clearance it had on the exhaust valves. One was about .030 and one was .075 and it ran just fine. Found it was an early model engine and the heads were a poj. Needs new heads at the price of over $500.00 each. Wow over a $1,000. just for the head kits plus other parts it might need and Labor. Looking at well over $2,000. to do every thing he wanted done to the mower. They had a recall on the same engine where they replaced the heads and cam but it was on earlier model engines built before 2007. Might need to check with Kawasaki and see if they might do something about. Engine only has 345 hours on it.
Valve clearance
- Thread starter hlw49
- Start date
2014 purchase and you think Kawasaki will do something? Good luck. The warranty is 36 months. Doesn’t matter if the engine has 10 hours or 10,000. There was a parts bulletin not a recall (learn the difference) on the redesign of the cylinder heads back in 2011. Before this engine was built.
You bring up a good point. Most people don't know the difference and tend to equate one with the other. Parts bulletins are a fix as failed under the normal warranty guidelines, or a heads up this may be a problem and normally have an actual expiration date or the equivalent due the product being no longer in use. A recall involved the possibility of property damage or bodily injury heading to serious injury or death, and is normally ordered by a government agency and don't expire
Tiger Small Engine
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What is a poj?
Why are you posting this situation, was there a question?
Why would you spend $2000 on parts and labor on a 10 year old Kawasaki FX series engine, when you can buy a new one for another grand?
Good post, you’re pretty close. Parts bulletins just advise that the part has changed. They do not imply warranty. Kawasaki, for example, has a factory authorized repair which states if the engine is in warranty and the part fails, it is authorized to be replaced per the terms of the FAR (fix as fail). Then there is factory directed modification which is fix before or so that it doesn’t fail. Both scenarios are for engines within the warranty period. Would require Kawasaki authorization before repairing out of warranty. Sometimes you get some results a little past warranty. But not 10 years. For recalls, your description is very good. Recalls only involve consumer products, not commercial products.
Didn't say I would just what it would cost if decided to fix it.
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Actually you said $2000 was about it would take to do everything. Yes it is judgement call on both the mechanic and the equipment owner. But if working on a $10K mower with a replacement cost even more then not that bad. Especially if the cylinder wear itself is low. I just did a head and starter replacement on a FX751 and the heads are nearly as costly. Now grant me this that the engine had close to 3000+ hrs on it and probably needs the other head too. But customer just wants it running.
BTW the head here had intake and seat nearly worn out. Exhaust with carbon rebuild up cause exhaust valve guide damage, and a blown head gasket.
Detail FX1000V [Carburetor and DFI Models] andFX921V Engines may experience broken exhaustvalves and/or camshaft lobe wear. Cylinder headand camshaft kits [with related sub-assemblyparts] have been made available to eliminatethe possibility of part malfunction during engineoperation.
Kawasaki ActionKawasaki has initiated a Factory DirectedModifi cation (FDM) campaign to replace thecylinder heads and camshaft on all eligible unitswithin the serial number range according to the“Required Action in Field” section of this ServiceInformation Bulletin.EligibilityUnits within the engine serial number ranges listedin the “Eligible Engine Table” below are eligible forthis FDM. The “Eligible Engine Table” lists the enginemodel, specifi cation and serial number range foreligible units. Eligible units will require replacementwith the updated cylinder heads and/or camshaft.All further engine shipments from Kawasaki will havethe updated cylinder heads, camshaft, and relatedparts. Some engines will only require cylinder headreplacement.Eligible Engine TableRepairItemModelNumberSpecifi cationNumberEngine SerialNumber RangeCylinderHead(Valvebroken)FX1000VAllFX1000VA00001 ~FX1000VA06171FX921V FX921VA00001 ~FX921VA07127CamshaftFX1000VAllFX1000VA00001 ~FX1000VA04280FX921V FX921VA00001 ~FX921VA04288*S
Kawasaki ActionKawasaki has initiated a Factory DirectedModifi cation (FDM) campaign to replace thecylinder heads and camshaft on all eligible unitswithin the serial number range according to the“Required Action in Field” section of this ServiceInformation Bulletin.EligibilityUnits within the engine serial number ranges listedin the “Eligible Engine Table” below are eligible forthis FDM. The “Eligible Engine Table” lists the enginemodel, specifi cation and serial number range foreligible units. Eligible units will require replacementwith the updated cylinder heads and/or camshaft.All further engine shipments from Kawasaki will havethe updated cylinder heads, camshaft, and relatedparts. Some engines will only require cylinder headreplacement.Eligible Engine TableRepairItemModelNumberSpecifi cationNumberEngine SerialNumber RangeCylinderHead(Valvebroken)FX1000VAllFX1000VA00001 ~FX1000VA06171FX921V FX921VA00001 ~FX921VA07127CamshaftFX1000VAllFX1000VA00001 ~FX1000VA04280FX921V FX921VA00001 ~FX921VA04288*S