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My Kaw FR651V has only 76 hours on it. When I start it & warm it up @ idle 1650 rpm, it is quiet as new.

After 20 - 30 minutes of mowing, I idle it down to 1650 rpm (before shut off to clean it) it sounds like the lifters need adjusting. Or low oil pressure ? Oil level is full of 10W-40, & kept well.

But to me, if lifters needed adjusting, I would hear the light clatter hot or cold, like my former B&S engines did. I have only 20 days of warranty left. Help.

Why not pull the valve covers when it's making the noise and check the clearance? That will answer your question and surely that wouldn't void your warranty.

There would be oil everywhere. That would be a hot check, lash specs are for cold. I think it needs an oil pressure gauge hooked up to it. Only 20 days left of warranty.

I'm hauling mine in to my Dealer Wednesday, I was out there today (only 6 miles away) & I'm gonna let them sort it out, & use my Warranty.

Course I may have to rent goats to eat the grass in the mean time.

7394 said:

There would be oil everywhere. That would be a hot check, lash specs are for cold. I think it needs an oil pressure gauge hooked up to it. Only 20 days left of warranty.

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Yes, that's what catch pans and rags are for. The difference between hot and cold lash is not enough to make a clatter; if anything the hot lash is less, not more, so you'd be looking at tighter valves, not looser.

Clatter from low oil pressure is normally associated with hydraulic lifters. Yours isn't a hydraulic lifter engine.

Agreed, & Yes mine have steel solid lifters, least I got it documented I had it checked out at Dealer on a ticket, from what the head tech heard he said it sounded good.

We couldn't actually replicate the sound , like after mowing, but that is documented as well. But having the ticket covers me on warranty even after it runs out.

Today I mowed, engine was quiet as new cold as usual, then after mowing 30 minutes, then idling it down a bit before shut off, I was hearing the clatter again.

If it is valve lash issue @ only 77 hours, wouldn't the valve train be quieter when the heat expands valve components ?

Sounds like valve adjustment is needed. Be sure you have the valves completely closed when gauging and adjusting. I think they open the exhaust valve a bit at the start of the compression stroke to lesson compression for easier cranking when starting the engine. The valve clearance (lash) is quite tight and after mowing, with the engine up to temperature, the oil will be thinner than when first started.(cold engine) which may allow the tappets to make noise.

gregjo1948- Thanks, yes that makes sense. Valve lash spec is for I. & E. = .002 ~ .039

But .039 sounds like a typo from the Kaw Repair manual. I'm thinking the widest spec should be more like .0039

And wouldn't slightly loose tappets cause the timing to retard a bit, possibly making it run hotter

Loose tappets won't affect the timing and shouldn't make it run hotter either. A little loose doesn't hurt anything but, too tight can.
When I adjust tappets, I remove the spark plugs and fan guard. Using a socket with a ratchet, I turn the engine over watching to be sure the valve to be adjusted is completely closed. I turn the over in the running direction and if I go past the closed valve position, I do not back it up. I continue around to the correct spot.

How could loose tappets NOT affect timing ? It slightly delays the valve event.

And I agree better a bit loose than too tight. We'll see what happens, after a long talk with my Dealer. They convinced me to bring it out to them, as I still am under warranty.

It changes duration, not timing. Peak lift still occurs at the same position.

THank you for your reply.

When you performance tune side valves you grind the cam for a delayed and slow opening, substantially higher lift and early rapid close just before BDC.
you also increase the inlet tract to get better velocities .
Timing is 100 % a spark thing .
the only difference valve timing makes is what % of theoritical fill you get and how much fresh charge gets sucked out the exhaust.

Well, when my Dealer gets done doing a valve lash adjustment (warranty) job, I hope to be good again.

Kawasaki says adjust @ 300 hours, which I only have about 77 hours, but they agreed let Dealer adjust the valves, it is fully coverd under warranty.

7394 said:

Well, when my Dealer gets done doing a valve lash adjustment (warranty) job, I hope to be good again.

Kawasaki says adjust @ 300 hours, which I only have about 77 hours, but they agreed let Dealer adjust the valves, it is fully coverd under warranty.

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I thought the Kawasaki manual wanted valves adjusted at 50 hours.

Not my engine family. And this was confirmed by my phone call to a Kaw Tech there. Plus my periodic maintenance chart.

Got my Z back Monday, mowed with it today. So Sweet.

Changing the oil back to 30wt this weekend.