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Bought a used Snapper Pro s200xt with the FX730V 26.0, it had 700 hrs when I got it and still less than 800, it has been running great for 2 seasons, but today it started running rough all of a sudden but then seemed to smooth out some, but has lost a lot of power.

I checked compression and it has 100 psi in one cylinder and only 80 in the other, wondering what the compression should be, even the 100 psi on the one side seems like it might be a little low, any one know what the compression in this motor should be?

Looks like I'll be tearing into this motor and getting to know it better.

There is no "should be". 80 to 100 is good compression. The minimum for this engine is 64psi. 100 is more normal. You might check valve lash it could bring the 80 up a little. Check this first and retest before tearing anything apart. I would also run some Seafoam in the fuel for several hours to see if it clears up.

txmowman said:

There is no "should be". 80 to 100 is good compression. The minimum for this engine is 64psi. 100 is more normal. You might check valve lash it could bring the 80 up a little. Check this first and retest before tearing anything apart. I would also run some Seafoam in the fuel for several hours to see if it clears up.

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Yeah I'm real good with Harley Shovelheads but I don't know much about these kawasaki's, I guess I need to get a service manual and start learning. I have never ran anything but 91 octane non ethanol in it since I have had it. Will try the seafoam, always ran it in my Mercury Outboard.

Highly recommend you keep using that fuel. Typically the low power is from an issue with a cylinder. Like, an ignition coil. Running poor, then better may be a fuel quality issue. Low power, coil or valve lash possibly. Good luck.

Water in the fuel. Valves out of spec like txmowman said. Wrong oil type or level.

I would dump the fuel tank, flush it out then blow out with compressed air both ways.

How about some cooling fins? Got any mice apartments going on under the shroud?

Engine manual was availible from Kawasaki directly as a PDF , pretty good
There is very little difference between your Shovel & your mower engine wise other than the governed throttle & fixed ignition timing
Like your shovel, they are high torque low reving engine set to run just past peak torque
Check your air filter for signs of engine oil contamination and check the oil level is not rising
The former is one sign of a blown head gasket.
The other tell take is smoke rising from the dip stick tube with the engine off .
Rising oil is a sign of a stuck float because the overflow on these carbs are internal .

Valves on low compression side were at about .010 (didn't check the other side) adjusted them to .004 motor was cold, no increase in the compression.

Something I noticed when I pulled plugs, (Had never checked them before cause it always ran great) Plug on the higher compression side was a BPR6ES and seemed to be running rich, plug on the lower compression side was a BPR4ES which is what the motor calls for, but that one seems to be running very lean.

I did pull the engine shroud and blew it out but it was pretty clean only a couple small spots of crud.

The BPR4 is correct. But, pf course would have nothing to do with compression. Valve lash is good at .004". What were the compression numbers?

txmowman said:

The BPR4 is correct. But, pf course would have nothing to do with compression. Valve lash is good at .004". What were the compression numbers?

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After valve adjustment compression didn't change. However I am using a compression tester that I have had for about 50 yrs and haven't used in about 30 yrs, when I retested the other side that had been at 100psi I now get about 80 on that side also.

Do you think that one plug the BPR4ES on the right in picture looks too Lean?

It does look lean in the picture, yes.

jhm757 said:

After valve adjustment compression didn't change. However I am using a compression tester that I have had for about 50 yrs and haven't used in about 30 yrs, when I retested the other side that had been at 100psi I now get about 80 on that side also.

Do you think that one plug the BPR4ES on the right in picture looks too Lean?

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A gauge that old, might need a new o-ring.

Plug on the right. Center section looks good. Main jet looks rich at outer ring. Guessing BPR4?
Plug on left. Cold, looking pretty rough with deposits. BPR6?

Motor back together after adjusting valves both sides. All valves were .010 to .012 adjusted to .004, also pulled carburator and checked seemed to be all clean and good, reinstalled with new gaskets. Before this problem started I had ran both tanks to almost empty and then it took almost a full 10 gallons of 91 octane non-ethanol to fill both tanks, so I added a little dry gas and seafoam to both tanks. Also changed fuel filter. When I first started the engine it sputtered a little at first but then smoothed out nicely and seemed to be running very well at full throttle, but when you engage the PTO it runs rough again but then seems to smooth out but definitely bogs under load, it will mow but bogs in heavy grass or on even slight hills. I was only able to mow for about 15 minutes as it started to rain hard. Also after running that 15 minutes I pulled plugs, both BPR4ES now, the plug for left side looks good to me, the plug on the right side still looks kind of lean.

Any thoughts as to what I should do next?

Thanks for all the help!

Jim - jhm757

Ignition coil. Disconnect the ground wire from the coils and then pull one plug wire. If engine still runs, replace that coil. If it quits, its the other.

Found coils on Amazon, 2 for $35, should have them tomorrow and then will just replace them both.

They are likely not OE parts. Good luck with them.

txmowman said:

They are likely not OE parts. Good luck with them.

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No not OE, but reviews of them are good and the price is right. I got a coil for my stihl chainsaw from Amazon, cost was about 1/4th cost of Stihl, been running it for years, no problems.

Received coils from Amazon installed them both, mower running great again!!!
Thanks for all the help!
Jim - jhm757