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**bluebruin** · 01-19-2015, 03:24 PM

hi John
Lee here. I have the 1999 conquest that I bought from the guy in Grand Junction. I don't know what jet number it has yet. How do I tell? I have the 20HP kawasaki engine. But, I ran it at my cabin this weekend 11,000 ft. It has virtually no power. I almost couldn't get back up my ramps onto the trailer. When I got home, I ran it some more (8,000ft) and found it ran much better with more power. But, I am thinking I need to replace the jets for altitude. This post was a long time ago, what did you end up doing?
Thanks

**JohnF** · 01-19-2015, 05:22 PM

Hey Lee.

The number is stamped on the jet itself so you'll have to pull the carburetor to find out.
I know what you mean about power being an issue. Some things to consider: The drive pulley may be engaging too soon and lugging the engine - fix this by increasing drive pulley preload by getting a stronger spring or adding shims, look for a description by Rock Doctor where he used a loop of welding rod, I used a stack of snap rings. The drive pulley mass is too high to get into the RPM range where the engine is making power - fix this by using smaller masses, and I bet your are already drilled out, I bought a complete set and found that even smaller than the drilled out worked better.

The engine does run better jetted for the elevation but the difference isn't earth shattering. At the elevation you mention I couldn't really run around on tracks and especially so in high gear.

So, What I did. I haven't had it to higher country yet. (I should finish that thread...)

But, Here's an option that I think has merit.

**bluebruin** · 01-19-2015, 07:04 PM

thanks John
that is depressing. most of those modifications are beyond my skill set and the time or money I have available. If jetting won't add much power (10%), I don't know if the argo will work for me. I planned to use it exclusively at my cabin at 11,000ft. how much do you think your engine swap will cost in the end? wondering if I should cut my losses and sell the argo before I tear into it or spend more money. Please let me know if you get up to elevation to test yours out. If it works great, maybe its something I could pay someone to do? Are there any argo dealers in Denver? I saw something on facebook about a place in Craig, CO, but that's it.

**Mike** · 01-19-2015, 07:36 PM

bluebruin, I know your question is in regards to a Kawasaki but I remember reading the Briggs and Stratton literature on high altitude performance and it said that you loose something like 3-4% power from the engine for every 1000ft of elevation above sea level. So 3.5% x 11 = 38.5% Your 20HP motor would be making 12.3HP using those numbers. That's not much HP to move you along.

**bluebruin** · 01-19-2015, 08:11 PM

yeah, especially with tracks and a hardtop I wanted to build. Anyone in the market for a 1999 Conquest with 350hrs, an aluminum top, and tracks with powder extensions? Thanks

**thorn** · 01-19-2015, 09:25 PM

Blue,
I hate to see you throw in the towel so quickly. I don't know how long your machine was sitting prior to you getting it, but when I bought my Conquest with only 20 hrs on it was suffering some very common problems with the Kawi 20hp if they have been sitting with old gas. These engines hate old/gummy gas and the needle on my carb solenoid was stuck/gummed in the forward position and was restricting fuel flow. All it took was un screwing it and letting it set in carb cleaner and then working it back and forth. And Bingo! Much more power. I also would recommend pulling the secondary clutch and putting the spring in the #1 position. This is easy and free. There are videos on you tube on how to do it and it will give you more low end torque. The previous owner of my Conquest used it for accessing their cabin on Grande Mesa and I assumed the secondary clutch spring would have been set up in the #1 to begin with. Well it was in the #3.

I just posted some pics and a short video of my Conquest at 9,000-10,300 feet above see level under the Chanel track thread. In the video I am breaking trail in some fresh snow with my wife,daughter, and 200 lbs of gear in it. I am assuming that your machine has the low geared 3.3 or "GU" stamped in the top of the tranny. If it does not than I would not blame you for selling it.

If you ever need some more input feel free to send me a p.m.

**bluebruin** · 01-20-2015, 12:17 AM

thank you for the information. I am not throwing in the towel. just venting, I suppose I am just frustrated.

I spent a lot of time (I guess not enough) considering what my best and most affordable option would be for cabin access. Our cabin is 500 yards past the end of winter maintenance sign in our neighborhood near fairplay. The real estate agent who sold the cabin to us told us all we had to do was call the county to get added to the plow route.... wrong. the county refuses to add our road to the list of plowed roads, even though there are literally over 100 in our neighborhood alone. Its at treeline and gets VERY wind swept. The only company in town that has heavy machinery capable of plowing the road, wants $4000 a winter to plow 500 yards and our 100ft driveway. So.... I looked into ways to do it ourselves, but its just not feasible. We need a way to get over the snow. Its either some type of snocat, tracked vehicle, or walk in snowshoes. Not too fun with a 4 and 2 yr old, and bedding, food, bags etc. especially when you arrive at 10pm on a friday night in pitch black with 30mph winds and 0 deg like it was this weekend.

anyway, I am not throwing in the towel yet. but it seems pretty daunting. the machine could barely move in low gear (maybe 1-2mph?) on a slight incline, and could not maintain an idle, it would always pitter out. At home, at 8200ft, it runs ok. I can go up my icy driveway which is steepish, and even climb a 2ft tall ledge/embankment covered in snow. Hard to believe 3000 ft makes such a difference. when I test drove it at 5000ft, with no tracks, I didn't even know that altitude and tracks would be a factor.

my machine has a "H" and a "L" on the dashboard at the gear lever. I will check the tranny for the GU if I can find it. maybe if I combing jetting, a treatment of seafoam or something like that, and the drive pulley preload JohnF suggested, I can get some more power.

oh, and one my maiden voyage the crosswinds blew my hood off while the argo was being trailered. I didn't realize it until I got to the cabin. Came home to look them up to find out they cost $650 or $350 on ebay. for a piece of plastic? wow.

another question, would a newer argo with EFI be better?

**bluebruin** · 01-20-2015, 12:21 AM

i just checked, the last letters on the top of the transmission are "GU". so that's a step in the right direction!

**bluebruin** · 01-20-2015, 12:27 AM

Originally posted by JohnF View Post

I purchased a '98 Conquest from a fellow that used it for accessing his high country cabin. When it got to my house (Thornton CO - elevation 5342ft) it
ran a little rough and wanted to die when hitting the throttle. This is a typical symptom when the carburetor is under jetted or dirty so I started at the carb. Pulled it and found it has jet 108. Looked clean. (I'll still run some seafoam through it just because I have no history with this carb yet.)

For reference:

My use will be at the following locations:
Pollock SD - 1654ft
Rushville NE - 3740ft
I live at Thornton CO - 5342ft
And elk hunting in the mountains can easily get me to 10Kft

So I hit google etc. looking for a jetting chart. None. My dealer tells me that Argo doesn't have one. Not to be detered, I combed through the parts manuals for conquests and compiled the following:

HTML Code:

Kawasaki FD620D-_S12 Jetting information


(Gleaned from parts documents)
PART#      : DESC.    : SIZE : ALT.     : ENGINE VERSION
-----------:----------:------:----------:----------------
92063-2219 : JET-MAIN : #108 : 6560 ft. : FS12-KS12
92063-2239 : JET-MAIN : #110 : 3280 ft. : FS12-KS12
92063-2241 : JET-MAIN : #112 :      ft. : AS12-MS12
92063-2354 : JET-MAIN : #114 : 3280 ft. : MS12
92063-2491 : JET-MAIN : #116 :      ft. : MS12


There does not appear to be engine versions: ES12, IS12, LS12


Jetting for engine versions AS12-KS12
-------------------------------------
#112 for 0ft and above
#110 for 3280ft and above
#108 for 6560ft and above



Jetting for engine version MS12
------------------------
#116 for 0ft and above
#114 for 3280ft and above
#112 for 6560ft and above

I confirmed the above with my dealer.

The part number above is the Kawasaki part number. Argo part numbers are something like 92063C and vary depending on the parts chart (grouped by engine versions). You can order these from Kawasaki small engine parts retailer online like this one or this one by the Kawasaki number. If I were ordering from an Argo dealer I would let them know the engine version and the jet#.

I will be getting the other two jets for the set. I did consider a dial-a-jet and I'll post another thread to talk about that.

John

John
I am not an engine person... how many jets do I need, and where did you buy yours? I am just trying to look them up to see what kind of cost I am looking at. thanks!

**PaSean** · 01-20-2015, 12:39 AM

I live in Pa., about 1200' asl but have a house in Arizona and may take my Conquest there one day so I checked the carb jet info not long ago since there is about a 3000' difference. This is what I used for reference:

Redirect Notice

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CD4QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argoadventure.com%2Fuploaded%2Ffiles%2FArgo%2520Parts_Service_Operators%2520%2520Manuals%2FService%2520Manuals%2FFD620D%2520Kawasaki%2520Service%2520Manual.pdf&ei=gNm9VJaCBbONsQSBjIHwBA&usg=AFQjCNHuaqYx79o4kgWNHpSgzJfqBTqXMQ&sig2=EJ53SvVSxhTRxdX9iZWDAg

Hopefully this link will work for you. D/load the PDF and go to page 28.

**bluebruin** · 01-20-2015, 12:45 AM

also, what about a turbocharger?

Forums - 6x6 World

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/engines/20309-turbochargers.html

6x6 World Forums

**bluebruin** · 01-20-2015, 01:17 AM

Originally posted by PaSean View Post

I live in Pa., about 1200' asl but have a house in Arizona and may take my Conquest there one day so I checked the carb jet info not long ago since there is about a 3000' difference. This is what I used for reference:

Redirect Notice

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CD4QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argoadventure.com%2Fuploaded%2Ffiles%2FArgo%2520Parts_Service_Operators%2520%2520Manuals%2FService%2520Manuals%2FFD620D%2520Kawasaki%2520Service%2520Manual.pdf&ei=gNm9VJaCBbONsQSBjIHwBA&usg=AFQjCNHuaqYx79o4kgWNHpSgzJfqBTqXMQ&sig2=EJ53SvVSxhTRxdX9iZWDAg

Hopefully this link will work for you. D/load the PDF and go to page 28.

thanks, the link worked. looks like I need a 108, which seems to match JohnF's info.

JohnF, what do you think of the dial-a-jet from thunder products? maybe I could dial it in for even higher altitude since the 108 is really only for 6,000ft "and higher" so maybe they didn't have 11,000 ft in mind when they designed that jet?

**JohnF** · 01-20-2015, 02:22 PM

Good morning Lee.

What Mike said is true. I usually figure 3% per 1000ft and it's pretty close. Later on when you start looking up clutch tuning information this will get you pretty close to clutch weight figures too. (So, when you are in the 16HP realm with your engine the clutch weights used for the 16HP engine at sea level is a good starting guess.)

I was going to mention that you should also get thorn's story as he's worked through the same issues on the other side of the divide. Good to see he's here.