Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

my 12.5 hp kawasaki on my mower goes into surging after 1 minute of running. I took carb off and cleaned very good but didn't take off any weltch plugs ( this right word?) thou. it seems better when I open up throttle. more noticable at lower rpm's.  power doesn't seem to be hurt at all.  is this a common thing for Kawi motors? any ideas on fix?    thanks     Gene

Sounds like you need to adjust your low speed screw on the carb. Try turning it counter clockwise to see if it gets better at low idle or close to. If not, turn the screw clockwise and see if thats better. NOTE... When you turn this screw, make only 1/2 turn increments as that is all it takes to make a difference! I don't know the model of your engine, but if it has the type of carb with adjustments, thats what you need to do.

thanks on response Termy..I only saw one adjusting screw- tried adjusting that, did very little except when it was way out..then would kinda overload.  anyone know at what I should turn out from seat position to put me close?   thanks again terminator and anyone else for help here.

Geno,

I don't know.  But I would be a little concerned about the engine running too lean  Sherri posted some link from Kawasaki.  Nothing good there?

You could use the method i have always used. Start 1 1/2 turns out and turn in or out a little bit until you get max rpm, when you do, turn out about a 1/4  turn.  You can tell buy the plug if the mixture is right.  Of couse with me and my fixation with maintaince, as long as the muffler is not glowing in the dark, everything is fine.

Geno - heres the carb parts breakdown from my FB460V shop manual...

I had a problem with my engine surging a few weeks back, heres what I did: Leave the carburetor on the engine. Remove parts #28 & 19. Take a can of carb cleaner & spray upwards into the jet (part 26), and spray it well. Then clean out the bowl (part 19) with carb cleaner. The idle setting is: "Turn idle mixture screw in until it lightly seats, back out 1-1/8 turns. Adjust screw to obtain peak idle speed, then back out 1/4 turn more".

HTH,

Marty

thanks Marty- appreciate the schematic print. I thought I cleaned it well..but will do as you did.         Gene

I know the answer to this and it is simple to fix. I have corrected this problem many many times I have the same motor.

While looking at the carburator I can explain how to do this fix. It requires a straw or The drain tube (thats what I use) that coms off the top of the carb.

Anyway with the engine off look at the carb ...you will see just above the alluminium bowl the main body of the carb...on the edge facing you you can see a small spot that looks like a Bee Bee to the left of it you can see a small hole facing you. By what ever means blow pressure into this hole. I use the tube and mouth pressure.On the top side of the carb just up from this tiny hole you will see a bigger hole facing up to the sky ...this is exit hole to the tiny one. grass dirt or crap falls into this causing surging, I do not know the reason for this pathway (but the design is very poor do to clogging twice a year or so) but I do not care I discovered the fix and stop my surging every time...some times I have twirl a strait pin down in this holethen blow it out useing the smaller hole...in fact after a few years you can recognize slight surginging ahead of time. This carb is also very very easy to take apart and clean. gently screw in your needle counting the turns to shut...do not do this tight ...screw out and take all apart with fairly standard screw driver. use carb cleaner or brake cleaner and you are goo to go.

I know this fix sounds dumb...but I am a McGuiver kinda guy and this is the fix.

Good post Bomax. You deffinetly pulled a Mcguiver allright lol.

PS: I really like that show...

Thanks, for posting your technique for fixing this issue.  Geno is the type of guy that would appreciate this.