Trouble with my Kawasaki Motor

[caddyss]

Hello Everyone...great forum. A couple guys at work referred me to it, I've been looking around the site, and its amazing how much info there is here.

I have a Yazoo Kees with a 52" deck and Kawasaki motor. I think I bought it new in '06 or '07. It has developed this problem where it starts just fine and runs strong for a few minutes (4 or 5), and then it will lose power slightly, kind of "correct itself" and keep running, then lose power slowly, cough, and then die. But before it dies, it kinda revs itself to keep itself from stalling a couple times. It almost feels like a computer jumps in right before it dies and raises the rpms.

When it finally dies, I start it again with the choke (starts fine), and it does the same exact thing over and over. I checked the air box/filter, looked ok. Fuel is getting to at least past the filer. I did a search on this to try and find an answer myself, but had no luck. Can anybody help??

Thanks very Much, Dave

 

[dodgefate]

sounds like it is starving for fuel, when it revs up that is is running lean and then the fact that you have to choke it (cuttung down air supply) to start it back up reinforces this fact. I would start by replacing the fuel filter if it has one, then check the main jet to see if it is clogged...... the new ethonal fuel destroys carbs be sure to use stable.....

 

[caddyss]

thanks dodgefate,

i pulled the filter, its fine. i'm wondering if the fuel pump is bad (its the original). that's the most accessible part and easiest to replace, so i might go that route if its cheap, and if its not solved i'll take off the carb and check it out.

if the pump is expensive, i'll check out the carb first. thanks for the advice...

 

[caddyss]

i pulled the carb, cleaned the hell out of it, runs even worse now. fuel filter is fine. could it be the pump? the shop said they hardly ever go bad. but i noticed there is only a tiny amount of fuel at the bottom of the filter, not enough to even clear the opening to get into the line. is the fuel filter supposed to be full of gas? maybe the fact that there is hardly any in there indicates it really is the pump. any ideas?

i'd really appreciate any thoughts on this.

thanks again.

 

[Lawnranger]

Have you checked the fuel pump output?

 

[caddyss]

No, how do I do that?

 

[Lawnranger]

I don't have the spec for your engine but maybe someone on the forum can help with that. I remove the fuel pump line from the carburetor and put it in a glass jar while an assistant sits in the seat and cranks the engine. Some pump specs. are a certain volume in a specified time but I can tell by eye what is sufficient to operate the engine.

 

[Parkmower]

I'd check your gas tank vent too. It's cheap and only takes a min. I'd also take the fuel line off after the filter and hold it down low into a container to see if flowing good.

 

[hitmanharleyk]

Give it a dose of this a couple of times a year :biggrin:

Blaster - Lawn Mower Tune Up

 

[dodgefate]

When I was a car mechanic, fule filters looked good all the time. The real test (that I would do for the hell of it) is to leave the filter filled about half way with fuel. Shake the thing up and dump the fuel out the intake side of the filter into some clean container. If it is dark and cloudy then its bad. Also try just disconecting the filter run it withought it. Or try running another tank instead of yours, last if you have a spare fuel pump from somthing laying around try that. If anyone of em fix the problem well then there is your answer. Also as it starts to die, or rev up spray carb cleaner inside the intake (No air Filter) and if it normals out for a few then you know its a fule problem. Also try riding it and timing it for when it starts to act up. Then let it cool off all the way and do the same thing but at half throtle or idle, if it takes longer or does not do it at all, i would say fule for shure.... If you lived in NJ I would look at it for free for ya.