change hydro oil

[jcworks]

This was Dec 2019 through to march 2020
Not many Aust stories make it to USA news but Cal did send over 300 volunteers so it may have .

Bert, I ran a search for this question on here but didn't find what I'm looking for. Instead of starting a whole new thread I thought I'd ask you (or whoever else wants to comment). I was going to clean my cooling fins (Kawasaki FR691V 23hp) as I've never done that in 10 years. Just looking at the small part of the fins I can see they aren't very dirty, maybe a very thin bit of dust is all I can see, and very thin at that. So, I read the manual and it says loosen 3 bolts. I did. The shroud won't budge. There's a "CAUTION" about bending the regulator side no more than 70 degrees. I have no idea what the regulator side is, and besides, bending that plastic up to 70 degrees seems way more than I feel comfortable with. I thought that plastic shroud would just lift right off easily, but nope, it doesn't budge. I'm thinking maybe since I don't see but only a very thin bit of dust to just spray up in there with some Dawn and water, let it sit a bit, then rinse it out with a garden hose. Any ideas? I won't do anything till I hear some comment.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The regulator is the thing with 3 wires attached to it
There are 6 bolts from memory on the blower housing 3 on each side
Usually they all have to come right out
And some times the fuel pump also has to come off
Check under the air filter as some have a screw under there as well.
Depending upon which exact variation of the FR691V you have some have a finger guard that has to be removed over the flywheel while on others it is under the housing so stays in place.

 

[7394]

Kawasaki FR691V 23hp

1st: remove plastic center cover on blower housing, 3 plastic push pins. (carefully).

2nd: remove the metal (swiss cheese looking) center air intake of blower housing. 3 cap screws, & pay attention as there are shims under it usually.
Then lift Air filter lid & remove air filter & put clean rag in intake to be careful..

3rd: ONLY loosen the bolts enough around the housing base. Since the housing holes are slotted, so full removal of bolts is not necessary. Remove the 2 or 3 screws on the electric fuel pump, on Left side standing behind mower. Just leave it there, then. Then carefully pull up on blower housing, paying attention to everything. Like by the dip stick.

I use a clothes dryer vent brush to rub between the cylinder fins. It does great & has length to go all the way. I do NOT use water on the engine, you will see the coils & wiring so that's why for me.

Just take yer time. Once ya do it, you will see how simple it is. I do mine at end of each mow season.

Remember even a layer of dust can cause additional engine heat.

 

[jcworks]

The regulator is the thing with 3 wires attached to it
There are 6 bolts from memory on the blower housing 3 on each side
Usually they all have to come right out
And some times the fuel pump also has to come off
Check under the air filter as some have a screw under there as well.
Depending upon which exact variation of the FR691V you have some have a finger guard that has to be removed over the flywheel while on others it is under the housing so stays in place.

Thanks, I didn't know what the regulator was, now I do. Anyway, its already bolted back down now. Here's what I did. After I got the "screen" removed off the top of the fan I cleaned the fan off even though it had only a very minor amount of dust. Then I realized there was two small square holes in the air filter compartment that allowed me to see a portion of the engine cooling fins that wasn't visible from the outside. I'd seen videos showing how clogged the fins could be with grass and gunk. Looking through that small square hole with a flashlight (or torch as the British say) I could see no clogging at all. So, seeing none there and none in the fins visible from outside I just tightened the bolts all down and put the air filter back on. I tapped the air filter against a tree and got some dust out of it, which is always the case, and cleaned the foam pre-filter. So, I didn't do any clean the cooling fins at all since I didn't see anything that needed cleaning. I was a little surprised to see no gunk at all in those fins, being the mower is 10 years old; but thats what I did.

 

[7394]

After mowing, I always use my leaf blower on my Z, & do blow down thru those square holes you mentioned as well as the center.
And I still remove the housing end of mow seasons.. It stays pretty clean.

 

[7394]

Filter guard screws tighten to only 65 INCH lbs, or 5.4 ft lbs ONLY.

Additionally, doesn't hurt to coat the Hydro filter guard bolts w/anti-seize
or similar.

 

[jcworks]

Thanks, good idea 7394.

 

[7394]

I have heard of the steel bolts into the aluminum can gauld, & break off being removed.

 

[jcworks]

I have heard of the steel bolts into the aluminum can gauld, & break off being removed.

7394, I did not know that. Thanks again. Hope that doesn't happen. I will use the anti sieze. I've put off doing this job till winter or early spring just in case I have an issue and have to take the mower in. Right now I have other issues (home related) to deal with.

 

[StarTech]

I have heard of the steel bolts into the aluminum can gauld, & break off being removed.

Apparently you haven't worked many mowers yet. Deck spindles are the worst at seizing. Muffler screw seizing the cylinder heads, transaxle screw seizing, even rocker cover screws on Kohler like to seize. Currently I got both 5 speed transaxle with screw broken and Kohler CV20 with a rocker cover screw broken off. I digging out the carbide bit to remove the broken pieces. The Kohler will get resized to 7mm and the Splicer will get heli-coiled.