Kawasaki

[buzzzmeister]

I have a '97 JD F911 mower with a 23hp Kawasaki v-twin engine. I had an oil pump drive gear shear teeth at about 600 hours and the engine was given a top overhaul at the time. Fast forward a bunch of years and after another 1700 hours, I'm in the process of installing a new replacement Kawasaki engine.

Other than the oil pump incident, the only maintenance the engine ever needed was oil changes and valve adjustments & valve cover gaskets every 500 hours.

In my case, I'd say the engine was dead-nuts reliable.

 

[reynoldston]

I have a '97 JD F911 mower with a 23hp Kawasaki v-twin engine. I had an oil pump drive gear shear teeth at about 600 hours and the engine was given a top overhaul at the time. Fast forward a bunch of years and after another 1700 hours, I'm in the process of installing a new replacement Kawasaki engine.

Other than the oil pump incident, the only maintenance the engine ever needed was oil changes and valve adjustments & valve cover gaskets every 500 hours.

In my case, I'd say the engine was dead-nuts reliable.

I am sure the same can be said about different brand engines also. Yes that sound very normal to me. yes dead-nut reliable. The price of parts is what I am saying. I replaced a starter on a smaller engine Kawasaki, this pass summer, don't remember model the bill was 300 dollars. Pick-up and deliver plus labor I made 20 dollars on the job. Then it took the customer a month to pay me. This is the very reason I am getting out of the repair business. Parts are just getting too expensive and Kawasaki is the leader. I can make that much money delivering meals-on wheels and enjoy what I am doing and my only investment is gas.

 

[buzzzmeister]

I am sure the same can be said about different brand engines also. Yes that sound very normal to me. yes dead-nut reliable. The price of parts is what I am saying. I replaced a starter on a smaller engine Kawasaki, this pass summer, don't remember model the bill was 300 dollars. Pick-up and deliver plus labor I made 20 dollars on the job. Then it took the customer a month to pay me. This is the very reason I am getting out of the repair business. Parts are just getting too expensive and Kawasaki is the leader. I can make that much money delivering meals-on wheels and enjoy what I am doing and my only investment is gas.

I don't know if the new engine was overly expensive or not. I ordered thru my John Deere dealer so I know exactly what I'll be getting and engine was complete minus the exhaust system.

 

[reynoldston]

I don't know if the new engine was overly expensive or not. I ordered thru my John Deere dealer so I know exactly what I'll be getting and engine was complete minus the exhaust system.

A complete engine will be cheaper them buying it in parts. Nice part about buying it from the dealer everything fits better. You doing your own labor or is the dealer doing the complete job? I have changed some engines from Northern supply and find I need to use a lot of the old parts over.

 

[buzzzmeister]

A complete engine will be cheaper them buying it in parts. Nice part about buying it from the dealer everything fits better. You doing your own labor or is the dealer doing the complete job? I have changed some engines from Northern supply and find I need to use a lot of the old parts over.

Doing my own labor. As long as the engine is out its getting new bearings in the PTO prop shaft, a new deck clutch and there's a bit of reinforcing/weld work I need to do to the engine skidplate.

Still cheaper than buying a new $25k+ replacement. Hoping for another 15 years out of this mower.

 

[jakewells]

You want to raise hell about parts how about a Onan or a older Kohler, i have had john deere mulching mowers with Kawasaki engines and they have never gave me any problems and parts were no more expensive than a old Kohler or some other brand. all i run these days is Subaru,Honda,Kohler and i don't run Briggs because all they have been producing since 1999 is junk.

 

[Ric]

I don't know if the new engine was overly expensive or not. I ordered thru my John Deere dealer so I know exactly what I'll be getting and engine was complete minus the exhaust system.

Engines like Kohler and Kawasaki are all basically in the same price range, if you want cheaper prices on engines you buy the Briggs junk. As far as buying parts go for a Kawasaki or Kohler I couldn't say because in the years I have run the both I've never had to buy any.