Experience shared.

[Boit4866]

My Exmark is a 2007 Lazer Z HP with the Kawasaki FH580V. I’m about to hit 1,300 hours and the mower is still going strong. In mid March I did a lot of maintenance in preparation of the mowing season. Along with new ignition coils, plugs, oil/filters, and valve lash set at .005”, I removed the engine shroud to clean the engine and replace the breather with the upgraded kit. The old breather cover was leaking a little which made an oily/debris mess all over the engine cases and cooling fin. I had to remove the flywheel and lift the stator to replace the breather. If I hadn’t done this cleaning, I ran the high risk of overheating and damaging the engine. Now, it starts easily without the choke and runs very strong. Use this info and experience as you see fit.

 

[Auto Doc's]

This was a bad design on many of the "FH" Kawasaki engines. The breather cover plate has a poor gaskets design that fails with high hours of run time.

I try to catch them before it is too late, but many customers refuse the repair. All I can do is document it on the repair order and wait until they come back with a blown engine or one that smokes badly due to overheating and being run low on oil on a regular basis.

Of course, memory is short when they come back mad from not listening to reason, but I simply show them the previous workorder stating that they refused to repair the leak. Several required a new engine, while others just decide to walk away and abandon the machine.

At that point I give them the option to haul it away or sign a release so I can scrap it out or rebuild it myself with a new engine. That way no one can say I "stole their machine". People will often abandon a machine in a heartbeat if you let them.