Im new to the JD world.
I have a 2000 LX 277 48C Front wheel steer. 17HP FH500V Kawasaki engine.
Just bought it ran with a surge in the engine and had bead gas it sat for a while bought it for a good deal. Got it home drove it around for a bit. Let it sit for about 2 hours and then it turns over and will not start. so I took the tank off cleaned it out had really bad gas so cleaned out the filter, carb, and the pump put new gas in. Thought it was gonna work .....nope The pump is pumping gas the electric gas stopper is working. I even pressurized the tank with a small amount of air to get fuel to the intake and still nothing. Any help would be appreciated. :confused2:
#2
EngineMan
Check the Solenoid Valve (fuel) the FH500v has one, not sure if you know that a fuel problem if you don't also see if it has spark.
Sorry yes it has spark, the solenoid made noise but I wasn't for sure if it was actuating enough or not so I cut it off shorter. still nothing. Im wondering about the fuel line lifter tube it is not sealed the rubber grommet that keeps it in the tank has diteriated.
I put an entire new fuel system and plugs on it and still nothing. But im happy to say when I got to working on it last night I took the valve covers off only to find a bent push rod. I straightened it the best I could got the lifter free and moving again then...... Bam fired right up. Thanks for all your help :thumbsup:
Do you mean you got the valve freed up? If you bent a push rod, it probably will soon stop running again. May be carbon built up on the valve, causing it to stick and bending the pushrod. gregjo1948
If you didn't pull the valve out to thoroughly clean it, it will most likely do it again quite soon. Once it's cleaned properly, run good gas or an addative in the gas, to keep it from building gum and carbon. gregjo1948
Most likely the valve guide move in the head very common for that model. Match up the valve guides they should stick out of the head the same length intake and exhaust by half-inch. You can try tapping it back in place and peening in and replace the pushrod. I just the valves to 0.02
Hey guys, I just joined and found this thread ... I have the 17 hp FH500V on my mower (ExMark Lazer Z 42") and have no compression on the left cylinder. Happened all of a sudden after Thanksgiving and 13 years on our lawn (wouldn't crank and everything else appeared okay). I think it too may be a stuck valve.
Can you work on a potential valve problem without pulling the engine and also if you do have to pull the engine, do shops hoist the mower up sorta vertical or put it on a rack and get under it? Don't know at 13 years whether I should start over.
Thanks for any help ... Poppy (that's what the grand kids call me)
#13
ILENGINE
Shops both hoist them on a lift, or lift them up to get under them. You don't have to pull the engine to work on the valves, unless you can't get the valve covers off without pulling the engine. Never seen that happen, but have had to remove guards, hoods, grills, on various mowers over the years.
Have had to remove engines to repair carbs on a few though.
Hey IE, thanks for the response ... it's a big help. Is there a simple procedure for zeroing in on stuck valve vs. something else? In 13 years I've never had this thing apart.
Pop
#15
ILENGINE
If you have confirmed no compression it wouldn't hurt to just pull the valve cover and take a look. If you have a valve stuck open, the push rod will be laying loose. Start there and see what you find.
If you have confirmed no compression it wouldn't hurt to just pull the valve cover and take a look. If you have a valve stuck open, the push rod will be laying loose. Start there and see what you find.
Hey ILENGINE, I adjusted the valves several times (.004-5) over the last few weeks around the bad weather but was still getting about 55 lbs on the right cyl and 0 on the left. Tried to follow the Kaw manual/youtube tapes doing it. As I rotated the engine, all the valve springs, push rods, valve stems looked like they were doing what they're supposed to do, but I'll have another look tomorrow to see if I missed something. Both cylinders were close to the correct tolerances before I started. Haven't pulled the plastic engine cover yet to have a look see. The engine wouldn't crank nor run on one cylinder with no pressure would it?
Thanks Mark, I have the Kawasaki 4-stroke air-cooled V-twin gasoline engine service manual but I'll check out K&T's.
Pop
addenda: Yep, the one K&T is showing in the download is it. Can a new 17 hp just like I have be bought if worse comes to worse? I see no listings for one yet.
#19
ILENGINE
With 55 on the good cylinder, you have a problem with both cylinders. I suspect this problem began before you noticed the no start issue, or when it quit. I would be going for a leakdown test at this point to find out where the compression is going. I would also find out if you have a broken rod on that 0 cylinder by determining if the piston goes up and down.
Both pistons seemed to be moving fine?? when I wrenched the flywheel around to find TDC but I'll check the bad cyl again ... and do some reading about leakdown tests, sounds like it's pointing toward the rings maybe.
Is an engine rebuild worth it on a 13 yo engine vs replacing it or trading it in?
Thanks again ... Pop
#21
ILENGINE
Unless you have a special engine on a piece of equipment that you don't want to part with, it is more feasible to just replace the engine if you want to keep the piece of equipment, and feel that it is in good enough shape to cover the expense of a new engine. New engine come with warranty.
trying to trade in a mower with a non running engine kills the value. Since the dealer that you are trading it into doesn't know what it will cost to repair, he will most likely assume he will have to put a new engine on, so that will come off your trade in value.
Rings could cause low compression, but doesn't account for the cylinder with 0. That is something else.
I'll delve into it some more today ... my wife wants us to go look at some Hustlers in a pretty close town to us, but the Exmark has been a pretty good mower for the most part. I talked to an Exmark dealer about a cost range on the valves etc., but he didn't want to give a range ... if it comes to $3k +, we're thinking it may be better to start over. It could be the hydraulics next.
Do lawn service guys routinely buy used mowers and refurbish or just buy new equipment?
Thanks again for all the help ... Pop
#23
ILENGINE
If it is a valve or head, head gasket problem then it is worth repairing. if it gets into a ring wear situation, then I would start looking toward new mowers, unless you are willing to replace the engine with something other than the Kaw that is on it. Even a kohler replacement could get into the 2500-3000 range.
Some lawn care services will purchase used equipment if they are starting out, or are a one two man self employed business. The larger lawn care services will purchase new, run them about 1000-1500 hours and then trade them in on new.
Well, we just got back from a Hustler/Deere dealer to see what they had outside ... the Hustler zeros look pretty good plus some of the higher end ones looked like they would match up with an Exmark. The only Deere zero didn't look so hot but some of the tractors did.
I'll let you know later what I discover about the Kaw engine.
Ok, here's the latest ... I don't have a leakdown tester but tried what "Eric the car guy" recommended on youtube - do it the old fashion way: pull the Schrader valve out of the compression tester hose, hook it up to an air compressor then listen at the tail pipe, carb and oil filler. Since I can hardly hear my wife said no noise at the oil cap just a little at the carb + smell of gas, and even I heard the noise out of the tail pipe and you could feel the air piling out of there too. So that's where we are.
What would you guess it would cost for an Exmark shop to fix, and I guess parts are still available to me if I wanted to take a swing at it?
Thanks again ... Pop
#26
ILENGINE
It looks like parts are available. the cost to repair will depend on the actual cause of failure. Like are the valves damaged, or is the head also damaged, and need to replace the head.
Thanks IE, I'll try to get some prices tomorrow ... do you know of a good youtube video of someone assessing and repairing valves, heads etc. on a Kaw? I haven't located one yet. Pop
#28
ILENGINE
Don't work on many Kaw's myself. When they do come into the shop, most have major issues. Like the 25 hp on a Z turn last year, had to replace the starter, both ignition modules, and the push rods on number 2 cylinder, because they were bent.
It will take all of 10 minutes to pop the heads off.
Then every thing will be laid out bare before you.
The Head gasket kit is about $ 120 down here but don't buy one till you have your heads off so if the motor is a write off you are not tossing good money after bad.
Take some photos and let us have a look.
Could be some thing as simple as a blown head gasket/s or crud stuck under a valve, burned valve.
None of them are hard to fix.
Just please be careful removing the head bolts.
Reverse the order for tightening them use a long breaker bar, loosen them all 1/6 th turn in order then another 1/6th turn in order.
Continue in this fashion till you feel no resistance then whip each bolt out.
Get an old carton lid and push the bolts through the lit so you can remember where each one came from
Kawaka do not do residual engines cheap through the replacement engine wholesalers but you can get engines up to 80 % discount and engines your size oft for $ 500 to $ 1000 so it is not a difficult job to keep the old mower going
Like Fish said, purchase a new pushrod if you intend to keep engine running, but first I would do a complete teardown, removal & disassembly, sounds like engine has major issues.
Hey Bert, thanks for passing that info along ... great rules about keeping every part straight and doing things in order. I'm half a wrench by necessity, not by trade so I listen to you guys carefully. Discovered a bent exhaust push rod early this am, should have a new one tomorrow. I guess once in, just run another compression test or try another leakdown. Still not sure if or when to call this engine a basket case but I'm trying to be careful not to kill the patient during surgery.
Like Fish said, purchase a new pushrod if you intend to keep engine running, but first I would do a complete teardown, removal & disassembly, sounds like engine has major issues.
Hey Mark, thanks for the link and advice ... if I don't get #2 cylinder's pressure I'll pull the #1 head and fetch a camera. I've talked to a few shops locally who've said repairing is a waste of time but they would drop in a newer larger engine. At 13 years of age they may be right. Major issues begin where? ... my ears aren't trained to hear a whole lot of engine problems like you guys.
I see the FH500V listed there... mine's also an ES10, I'll look at it after this funeral at 2pm I need to go to.
Well, I put the push rod in, adjusted that valve and tested the compression again and was still zero. But after turning it over I noticed inside the exhaust valve spring was a much smaller bright silver spring and a sleeve?? (I guess) right behind the rocker arm and was free to move up and down the valve stem ... didn't notice one of those inside the intake spring above. What's the story on that? Is it time to pull the head and get the camera? Thanks guys ... Pop
