Small engine repair question
 

I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end

Small engine repair question
 

"Hustlin' Hank" wrote in message
...
I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end
A new spark plug will sometimes cure this problem even if the old one sparks
when removed and will run the engine. I thought for many, many years that if
a spark was present that indicated everything was fine. I learned that
intensity of spark was important and that plugs can fail to spark only when
under compression in the engine. Spark intensity accounts for a lot of the
differences in ease of starting between different engines.

Don Young

Small engine repair question
 

On Jan 2, 9:30*pm, "Don Young" wrote:
"Hustlin' Hank" wrote in message

...



I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end

A new spark plug will sometimes cure this problem even if the old one sparks
when removed and will run the engine. I thought for many, many years that if
a spark was present that indicated everything was fine. I learned that
intensity of spark was important and that plugs can fail to spark only when
under compression in the engine. Spark intensity accounts for a lot of the
differences in ease of starting between different engines.

Don Young- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it starts right up using starting fluid (available at Pep boys,
Walmart, etc for under $5.00), then it is 99% likely a fuel problem.
If starting fluid does not ease the starting, then the spark plug is
the most likely problem. You don't say how old or if it was always
hard to start, etc.

Small engine repair question
 

On Jan 2, 8:51*pm, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end

I have heard some rumbles from owners of larger Kawasaki powered
machines that carburetion has been an ongoing problem. Warped
manifolds have been at fault in some. In the worst case it took a new
carburetor. Keep looking and maybe you'll get lucky with something
simple.

Joe

Small engine repair question
 

To All that responded:

The first thing I did was replace the spark plug because I also have
heard that they may work outside the engine, but not under
compression.

It has started on occasion with strting fluid, but not always.
Sometimes it will start without the starting fluid. This is the reason
I cleaned the carb twice. I am hoping the new pilot jet fixes it, but
not too hopeful it will. This pilot jet is different from the others I
have seen. I usually run a guitar string thru the pilot jet, but in
this case, the pilot jet is removable from outside the carb and
doesn't have a straight path thru it, just has a series of small holes
on the side of it. Confusing to me.

I am also wondering about the "automatic compression release" or stuck
exhaust valve.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Hank ~~~~getting ready to slit wrists :-)

Small engine repair question
 

On Jan 2, 8:51*pm, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end

You need a blue strong spark, the electric ststem may not provide
enough volts to ingite gas under load. If spart is weak it coild be
plug wire, coil, electronic ignition module or least likely magneto. I
have had coils and ignition modules go bad, usualy there are signs
like rough running or not starting warm on modules, a coil will just
make it hard to start. Try a bit of gasolene squired in the carb, if
it starts easy its fuel related most likely, if you have ever hit
anything the flywheel key bay be bent and its out of timing the could
make it hard to start. Does it work with either or gas. Low oil
cutoffs can go bad. Try squirting gas in carb and look at the color of
the spark, blue is what you want.

Small engine repair question
 

if its cold where you are and you have 30w oil in it,that can
make it hard to get started.try 5w30 oil. try it with the air filter off
, ive seen a bunch,the guy would oil the foam precleaner,it soaks right
into the paper and air wont go thru the paper.

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Small engine repair question
 

Does the choke close, for starting? Is there a good gasket between the carb
and the engine block? I've seen motors where the gasket is missing or dried
out. So, the engine sucks air through the gap, instead of drawing gas air
mix. You mention havinig the carb off, a couple times. Please try a light
bit of Permatex 2b non hardening gasket stuff on the gasket. Very messy,
removes from skin by using alcohol drygas. But much easier to be extra
careful, and not get it on you.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Hustlin' Hank" wrote in message
...
I hope I'm in the right NG.

I have a 36" exmark metro walk-behind mower. It has the Kawasaki 460v-
s14 engine. It is very hard to start.

First I dis-assembled the carb and blew out all passages. Carb bowl
looked clean and main jet was clear. Still no start.

I dis-connected the ground wire at the coil so that no safety switch
would affect it, altho I have always had spark.

I dis-assembled the carb again, this time removing the pilot jet. It
looked clean on the outside, but I blew it out the best I could. I
have a new one on order and plan on replacing it when it comes in.

I feel it is a carb problem, but I am not sure. It will start
occasionally and run great. But most of the time, it just won't
start.

It has an automatic compression release. I don't know how these work.
maybe that is the problem, I don't know. If you know, does it open the
exhaust valve a little while pull starting it?

I don't think it is timing since it runs great when it does start.

Any advise wil be helpful..........I think. :-)

Thanks,

Hank ~~~at wits end