Kawasaki 17HP problem
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Garden Tractors
Forum Description: A great place to discuss the Simplicity and Allis Chalmers Garden Models
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=125349
Printed Date: 30 Nov 2024 at 6:10am
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Topic: Kawasaki 17HP problem
Posted By: LeonR2013
Subject: Kawasaki 17HP problem
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 5:53pm
| I working on a lawn mower that has a kawasaki 17 HP motor on it. It starts and runs pretty good, but when blades are kicked on it doesn't go ahead and open up like there is a problem with the governor. Today with the air filter of I noticed it was spitting gas out of the front of the carb. Not a lot, but would wet your hand pretty quick. Could it be an intake valve leaking or some internal gasket? If someone can help me on this I'd really appreciate it. |
Replies:
Posted By: Gordy
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 6:50pm
|
A lot of those engines have had valve problems I have one that had sticking valve trouble I started adding a little mystery oil to the gas every time I fill it and it seems to be ok with that, If you goggle Kawasaki valve trouble you will get some info on it. ------------- “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough” |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 8:14pm
| Thanks Gordy. That's where I thought I'd go next, but I've noticed that on here you can get a variety of ideas because just about everything happens to a Allis owner. LOL But thanks again. |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 8:38pm
|
The clue you provided tells the story- reversion... intake flow is bouncing backwards. This is either valve leaking, or not opening or closing properly. Another issue that will cause reversion, is having crud plugging up the exhaust system. First thing I do, is yank the exhaust and try again, if it runs better, either shake out or replace the exhaust system before trying any more... and don't expect it to run great with no exhaust, just expect no reversion. ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 9:30pm
| Thanks Dave. You've just proved my point. Everything has happened to an Allis owner, and that word reversion seems reasonable also. Well I'm going to tear it apart tomorrow and we, see what we will see. Going to try a compression test first and check the valve adjustment before I tear into it. Thanks again guys. |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2016 at 10:59pm
|
Actually... I never had that happen to an Allis... It was a '79 CJ-7 with a 304 w. 2 barrel... it started and idled fine, and as long as one babied the throttle, it was fine, but as soon as you got on it, it would fall flat on it's face. I was messing with carb adjustments, and it made absolutely NO difference, 'till I noticed that there were little droplets of gasoline jumping up out of the carb. I took a sawzall to the bolts of the flange joint just downstream of the manifold Y pipes... it got really loud, and ran perfect. The catalytic converter was totally plugged up.  ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: Les Royer
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 1:45am
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I have the same problem with a green tractor that has a little 12-1/2hp motor, An this little fellow won't even start. All this tractor does is pull a lawn sweeper around so it isn't really missed, but I've been tinkering around with it for a year off an on. I checked everything I could think of and the only thing that stood out was the fact that it only had 50 lbs compression. Then read somewhere that number is normal. Normal? So I was planning to lap the valves and try it again. I had someone tell me about some kind of Chevron product that was supposed to help that Kawasaki valve problem. But he didn't say they were sticking, he mentioned carbon build up holding them open. but I'm not sure about any of this info. I'm saying what I've heard, right or wrong. ------------- I still gots my A/C but it's clear out in the barn now. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 6:17am
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re: 50#.. could be,IF the engine has Automatic Compression release you'll not get a true reading. Now one way is to spin the engine backwards(yeah.fun....) but it will give the real number. re: valves.. I had a green machine with a 17 kawi in it, replaced engine as valve guides couldn't be replaced/repaired CHEAPER than tossing another engine in ! just food for thought, points to ponder, stuf to read while coffee's being made... Jay ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 11:18am
| Les, several yrs. ago when I worked at Gasper's Trk. Plaza we had a litle green machine like you're talking about that had the kawasaki engine and the crankcase gasket blew. When I tore it down to replace it, actually I made it from a manila folder, I thought at the time this is the best built dang little motor I ever saw. I think they ran that little booger at least 15 yrs. with no major problems. From what I've been reading it seems our sorry over rated gasoline is a major culprit in our having these kinds of troubles. But thanks again for the continued ideas and I'm going to try them all until one fixes it. Leon R Cmo |
Posted By: SHAMELESS
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 11:37am
| man-o-man....everytime Les talks about engines and tractors....he comes up with yet ANOTHER green thing he has....how any does that ake now Les? 5 ? hey Fixer...you want sum more stuff to blow up? I need sum more powder! |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 3:13pm
| Did you check valve adjustment? |
Posted By: Ryan59
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 5:17pm
|
My dad has a JD rider with that OHV Kawasaki engine. It's no longer available and parts are dwindling to few and fewer every passing year. Dad's is starting to go through oil so it's coming to an end. Dad doesn't like Harbor freight but those Predator engines they carry is actually a very good but inexpensive replacement. What causes the valves to not close is wear. As the valve and seat wear, valve lash decreases. Dad's engine would run great cold but act like it was running out of gas after it warmed up. He would let it cool down, mow some more until it quit, let it cool, mow etc. Who knows how many months or years he mowed with it like that, never said a word. I picked it up one day and let him use my Hustler Fastrac while I serviced his JD and found all the issues he had been coping with. Being a "green" tractor guy he was happy to get his "green" mower back and enjoy mowing at a much slower pace. |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 8:35pm
| Yes, I checked the valve adjustment. RH side the Ex. valve was tight, tight, tight. In. was way to loose. No compression on that side. LH side had 90# comp. but valves were very loose. So it looks like we've found the problem. I also checked the air gap on the coils and they were off bad. The magnet and the coils were rustiest I've ever seen. So it looks like the thing can be saved. I'll let you know. |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2016 at 11:56pm
| make sure none of the push rods have got bent that has been my experiances with the twin kawasakis |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2016 at 1:52pm
|
Just to make sure we're not comparing apples to road-apples to pomme-de-terre... The thread and issues are for a Kawasaki V-twin... so specific in nature to a model and type. If the 'green machine' tractor has a different engine, please tell us which one SPECIFICALLY. GENERALLY speaking, valve lash on one series of engine will drift differently from another based on many factors as part of design, manufacture, and original assembly. MOST of the issues I've seen with my Kawasaki V-twin lawn engines, and singles as well, came back to the carbeurators' float pivot bracket cracking, causing the float to jamb, overflow the bowl, and dump large volumes of gasoline down the intake, which inevitably fills the lower cylinder and hydraulically locks it while the other is still breathing, and unfortunately, screaming wildly, the locked cylinder goes catastrophic, and ventilating the block with a twisted-up connecting rod. The singles tended to stall out soon enough to just stall and flood. The note on automatic compression release should be taken strongly- many of these engines' compression release concepts will make typical test readings inaccurate, unstable, or moot. A messed up exhaust, intake, or head gasket will do the same, and leave the technician baffled. Another thing that frequently happens, particularly on engines with low compression or wildly varying burn temps, is the 'coking' up of unburned fuel and oil around the exhaust valve stem... and the end result, is that the stem starts to bind in the guide... causing power loss, and eventually, killing the engine. On Kohler K-series flatheads, adding some Marvel Mystery Oil to the gasoline will help clean that out, and I've used same technique on other engines to varying amounts of success. But whatever... just make sure that if you're describing a problem with a specific engine, that you make sure that it's either exactly same as that identified in the thread, or you identify exactly what engine it IS, because engines are not categorically all identical in their specific weaknesses... jumping to an immediate conclusion of one, does not assure any success with another. ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2016 at 9:37pm
| Well guys got to problem today. I think all of us were of the consensus that it was a valve problem. Sure enough, it's stuck open close to a 1/8". I don't know yet whether it's bent or carbon, but I imagine it's carbon. Good idea on the push rods but I had already checked them.(OK) So I'll get out early tomorrow before it gets too hot and tear the head apart. Then call Jacks and see what they've got for parts. This has been an interesting thread, so thanks everybody for you input. Now I'm going to go check and see if they've got that little "B" running. |