Kawasaki FD620D running poorly. Help?!

[JohnF]

File? Slow down. You haven't tried the hammer and the torch yet...

Once you get your new springs on we'll be able to tell if you need to adjust your governor. (I hope not! That adjustment is super touchy)

Yeah, butterfly is a common name for the throttle valve. Butterfly is actually a type of valve and the choke is a butterfly valve too. The throttle valve in this carburetor is slightly off center (I think) and isn't supposed to be perfectly horizontal across the tube. If disconnected from all controls (so you can feel it) it should move open to close smoothly.

[gimmegreens336]

Can I loosen the bolt attaching the governor arm to the pivot arm, rotate the governor arm clockwise slightly, then re-tighten? Will that hurt anything? It may or may not help.

[gimmegreens336]

I feel like the gov must be pulling the idle RPM up.

When I disconnect the control panel, so the only thing connected to the throttle valve in the carb is the governor arm, it's the same issue. The governor arm doesn't want to fully close the throttle valve in the carb. The result is a high RPM idle. A fix on the bench is to press the governor arm firmly towards the carb, using pressure to close that throttle valve more. This bring the idle RPMs down to an acceptable level.

Has anyone ever had to file the throttle valve in the carb? (I see people talking about a butterfly valve, is this same thing that I'm calling a throttle valve?) I was wondering if it should be filed to seat more fully. It seems like I have resistance in the butterfly/throttle valve prematurely when closing, is this possible? It's like the "vertical milled tube" in the carb is slightly too tight down there, or the valve is slightly too large.

[Rock Doctor]

[QUOTE=gimmegreens336;130281]The throttle is still an issue. The handle is binding up for some reason. I have free movement of the cable when it's disassembled. I guess I'll take it apart and clean it again. Talked to an Argo dealer about a new throttle assembly, worst case I guess I'll just order a new one.

QUOTE]

Maybe try some Dry Graphite in the handle assembly

As for the idle problem........... If you remove the spring that goes from the Gov Arm to the Throttle Arm, can you then get the engine to idle down? I'm wondering if it's a throttle/Carb issue or if the Gov is pulling the idle RPM up. If you can get it to idle down without the Gov Connected, you might not have that spring bent back to where it's supposed to be, or the Gov assembly is set up wrong.

RD

[gimmegreens336]

I spent a good amount of time with her running yesterday, not driving just tuning. One thing that seems weird to me is the idle mixture screw. If I seat it (tighten it) fully, it runs the best. It will run within a 2 full turn from tight but runs best seated fully. I figured, for good measure, I would open it 1 full turn just to keep it honest.

Also, I have to push pretty hard on the governor arm to get it to idle down low enough to shift gears. It doesn't naturally seat back to a low idle, I have to push hard on the governor arm to close the throttle valve on the carb to make her idle slow. I ordered all new arms and springs for the control panel to rule out crappy parts, best case they'll be in Friday.

The throttle is still an issue. The handle is binding up for some reason. I have free movement of the cable when it's disassembled. I guess I'll take it apart and clean it again. Talked to an Argo dealer about a new throttle assembly, worst case I guess I'll just order a new one.

Thanks for keeping up,

Appreciate everyone's help.

[Rock Doctor]

You should have said that earlier, I have 4 or 5 of those foam Outers for the Air Filters kicking around here. I don't use them on mine.

Tks for the tip on the repair kit, I'll look for one of those, next time I'm in a place with aWall Mart.

RD

[gimmegreens336]

I have 4 springs (all of them on my control panel) ordered, as well as the foam element around the air filter. My machine never had the foam element but all the manuals are showing one so I guess I'll get one.

I've read threads saying Walmart or Kmart have a $6 bike cable repair kit that comes with most everything I'll need to fix my throttle cable. I'm going to stop by and pick one up on the way to the garage this evening.

I didn't get to touch her last night but I'm definitely working on it tonight.

Thanks for everyone's help!

[gimmegreens336]

You can probably push the throttle linkage back to where it contacts your idle set screw with your finger, and your engine will idle down.

RD

See, this concerns me too. I cannot push the throttle linkage back to where it contacts the idle set screw. Even if I fully tighten the idle set screw the throttle linkage is still about a mm or so away from the idle set screw. When "fully closed" the throttle valve in the carb is still at a small angle, it doesn't become perpendicular to the carb bottom.

I can take pics or videos to better explain myself if this doesn't make sense.

Congrats on the good news,,,, It's a Girl!!!!! Now for sure, you have a valid excuse to buy another gun!! I bought two when my daughter was born!! Congrats

Man,,,that carbs looks like you went down to the Kawasaki factory and picked up it up off the shelf!! Good work!!

Glad that you got it fired up!!

RD is soo right about that spring. I just replaced my governor spring on my 23hp Kohler. Made a world of difference in response, idle, and rpm's. $4 at www.partstree.com

Thanks on the congrats! I do need to add to the inventory, I only own a Colt M4 .22 and a little conceal carry .32 - some punk stole my .380 from my glove-box in my driveway a few months ago. I def need to use this as an excuse to arm up!!

Thanks for the link - I am ordering springs now!

[fmints]

Nice, thanks JohnF for the link - was wondering about which bolt size I would need to cap it. For now, it's installed with a snipped solenoid. I gravity fed a little fuel Saturday night and fired her up. She sounds sweet, much much smoother than before. I'd attribute the success to the correct plugs more-so than the carb clean.

My biggest issue right now is the throttle cable. It's in a bind. It looks like there is a bend in the cable around the handle that's causing it to hang up. I understand I can get this cable anywhere but I was more concerned with the pieces on each end. One connects to the handle, like a small sphere that fits in the hole in the handle, the other is a flat metal with the S shaped or whatever that fits on the control panel by the carb. Maybe this is an easy fab? I'm not sure..

I also took the control panel? (the piece with springs and arms connecting the throttle cable and choke cable to the carb) apart and cleaned all the grime and lubed it real good. The springs seem loose. They may need replacement.

The "new" shiny carb.


I hardly had an opportunity to work on her yesterday, we threw (my wife's idea) a gender reveal party with friends and family. We are having a GIRL! I'm pumped and already wrapped around her finger.

Congrats on the good news,,,, It's a Girl!!!!! Now for sure, you have a valid excuse to buy another gun!! I bought two when my daughter was born!! Congrats

Man,,,that carbs looks like you went down to the Kawasaki factory and picked up it up off the shelf!! Good work!!

Glad that you got it fired up!!

RD is soo right about that spring. I just replaced my governor spring on my 23hp Kohler. Made a world of difference in response, idle, and rpm's. $4 at www.partstree.com

[Rock Doctor]

Oh, and get a spare spring to go from the Gov to the Throttle linkage.
Now that you've bent this one, it's compromised. It might last, it might not, but I can tell you "From Personal Experience" that you DON'T want that spring to break when your sitting on a frozen lake about 16kms from the nearest road.

Another point,
That spring is a very specific length, if you try to bend it back to where it was, and something still doesn't seem right, there is a chance that you don't have the spring bent to the right length.

RD

[Rock Doctor]

Jeez - I did bend/rig all of them to be tight before I started the motor... maybe that's why the RPM's are high at idle when I gravity feed the fuel? I think I can un-bend them. Hopefully I'll get to work tonight on it, I will report back tomorrow.

Thanks RD

Yes that will make your idle high. At an idle, your governor should not be trying to control your RPM.
When the engine is stopped, there is no tension on the Governor Linkage.
At an idle there is some tension on the governor linkage, but not enough to activate the throttle linkage
By tightening this spring, you have put a bit of tension on the throttle linkage when at an idle.
If you pull your air cleaner off, and start your engine, I bet you will see that your throttle linkage is pulled away from the little Idle Set Screw. You can probably push the throttle linkage back to where it contacts your idle set screw with your finger, and your engine will idle down. When you release it, the tension from the governor linkage will pull again and idle the engine up.

RD

[gimmegreens336]

Try not to mess with the springs too much yet. The one going from the governor linkage to the throttle linkage should be loose when the engines not running.
Which others are loose?

RD

Jeez - I did bend/rig all of them to be tight before I started the motor... maybe that's why the RPM's are high at idle when I gravity feed the fuel? I think I can un-bend them. Hopefully I'll get to work tonight on it, I will report back tomorrow.

Thanks RD

[Rock Doctor]

Try not to mess with the springs too much yet. The one going from the governor linkage to the throttle linkage should be loose when the engines not running.
Which others are loose?

RD

[gimmegreens336]

Nice, thanks JohnF for the link - was wondering about which bolt size I would need to cap it. For now, it's installed with a snipped solenoid. I gravity fed a little fuel Saturday night and fired her up. She sounds sweet, much much smoother than before. I'd attribute the success to the correct plugs more-so than the carb clean.

My biggest issue right now is the throttle cable. It's in a bind. It looks like there is a bend in the cable around the handle that's causing it to hang up. I understand I can get this cable anywhere but I was more concerned with the pieces on each end. One connects to the handle, like a small sphere that fits in the hole in the handle, the other is a flat metal with the S shaped or whatever that fits on the control panel by the carb. Maybe this is an easy fab? I'm not sure..

I also took the control panel? (the piece with springs and arms connecting the throttle cable and choke cable to the carb) apart and cleaned all the grime and lubed it real good. The springs seem loose. They may need replacement.

The "new" shiny carb.


I hardly had an opportunity to work on her yesterday, we threw (my wife's idea) a gender reveal party with friends and family. We are having a GIRL! I'm pumped and already wrapped around her finger.

[JohnF]

... clipping the end off the solenoid is, in fact, the right thing to do. ...

"... the right thing to do." - Now that really involves ones own personal weighing of risk -vs- reward.

The point of the thingy is to shut off the flow of fuel so it doesn't get sucked through an engine that has been shut off while there is still a good deal of inertia; only to be ignited by a still hot exhaust system. This will pop and make the unaware jump and the kids giggle.

But, there are other options. Makes the carb easier to take out if you need to rejet.

Oh, and let it idle down for a bit before you shut it off.