Fd731v

[Luffydog]

Anyone had the rocker arm bracket bolt to back? This here has done it twice. Just wondering what you have done to keep it from doing it over and over. Also like to know the torque specs of the bolt if I could. I havent worked on it personally but I do know the mower. The owner said its been in another shop 2 times with the same prob so I take it this is the third time. Like to help him out if could since they haven't got him going but for only short periods.

[KE4AVB]

17 ft-lbs

Can use blue Loctite (a non-permanent locking agent to the threads) if they keep loosening after properly torqued but shouldn't need to.

[Luffydog]

He did tell me that the shop used some loctite but didn't say what color. It supposed to come in my shop Saturday and didn't really want to try something that they have tried and it not work again for him. I'll have him to ask the shop to see if they torqued it to spec and see what he says in morning when I here from him. Thanks for your help and the specs I'll keep you posted as to what they tried and what I find as well.

[KE4AVB]

Understand as your rep is on the line.

Don't like using the Red Loctite as I had so much trouble with bolts breaking where it was used especially the smaller ones. It is option as well as having well as having to replace the head. Sometimes you just can't avoid going the replacement route. I know customers don't like going that route but sometimes it is necessary for permanent fix.

Working on someone else work can be a hit or miss as you simply don't know what been done until you get in there. Once you get it in there you should be able tell what they used and what damages are there. Some of things I have seen over the last few years just didn't make sense. I even had one mower to come in the blade duct taped on and a tiller with a bolt head bolt JB Weld in place, neither of which worked.

Gook Luck with inspection.

If you need the service manual for the 731 you can download it from K&T
They have most the Kawasaki engine SM available for download.

[KE4AVB]

I do have one comment about other shops. This my personal opinion. Some don't need to even working on equipment until they have confident techs.

I have been dealing a customer with a Z925A that the local JD shop tech told the customer the engine doesn't have an oil pump. It clearly does as it has an oil filter and the engine IPL also shows it. I have been fighting the bad electrical connections on this mower for sometime now but finally got most them straighten out. The last one was a flakey oil pressure light that would come randomly. It turn out to be the sensor which according to the same JD tech that the engine also didn't have either.

[Luffydog]

I was told this morning that they used the red I can't confirm until in the morning when it gets to the shop. Thanks for the manual link. I was looking and it said that bolt was torqued at 11ft lbs. I had a scag to come in last week that would start sometimes and the sometimes it wouldn't. So it comes in and when I saw it I was shocked by the way the wiring was cut and spliced. It looked like it had been thur a chicken factory. I told the man he needed a harness for the machine and the engine. He asks how much they gave him a price and for labor to install. He said that was to much and he wasn't paying it. I told him then the problem would only get worse and cause more problems. I am a silver scag tech and I would be just wrong not to sell the harness to fix it right. I would be gold but I was sick during the classes and couldn't attend. I nicely told him to take it back to who done the machine that way and have them to fix it that I wouldn't do such work to cause that kind of issues and that it was a safety issue more than a trouble shooting. But sometimes I rather loose that job than to half way to it to start with plus if u do that and let's say something safety goes wrong than you more less said it was ok and in working order with no issues. I wouldn't even tell him how to start it and he was upset and then he left. Sometimes the quick fixer is not the way to go. So I guess he left and took it back to point a to the under dog who don't need to be doing what is wrong. Sometimes we just have to vent,rant and rave.

[Luffydog]

Update on the Kawasaki it is not what I was told it was when I started the post so here is what it is. It is a fr730v. But the man said it was the number 1 cy. That has failed this will be the 3rd time. I just got it in and for sure the valve cover has been off in the number 1. So I do a compression test right off test showed to be very high one #1 so I pulled #2 off and lower rod which is the exhaust has dropped out but has bent the intake push rod. Bad news is the push rod for the exhaust is missing and dropped into the engine. Not in sight. Don't hear it inside the engine rubbing or no binding. Same thing with the #2 has happened. The push rod bracket bolt had backed out and caused failure to the rods and possibly internal damage. So about the wrong engine post but I only had the info that I was giving. I'll keep you updated as I can and what happens to the engine. I know this man has spent a lot of dough trying to fix the #1 and now #2 has caused his failure. A lot dough and can't roll to mow means he might surrender.

[KE4AVB]

That why I don't give repair quotes over the phone as I need to see what I am in for first. Customer like to try to pin me down but I won't fall for that trick especially after 30 yrs of servicing equipment; just too many varaibles.

Rocker Arm Bracket Bolts torque drops to 11 ft-lbs with non hardening thread lock agent such as Blue Locite is what the SM suggests so Red may be needed.

[Luffydog]

Thanks for reply. I also looked at the push rod pt# one is 13116-7007 and 13116-2057 and others as well which one is for the fr730v-eso4-r. They reason why I asked the ? Is because gave the numbers and they gave me 13116 and when I look them up it shows different. Didn't know if the pt# has changed or replaced. Thanks ahead.

[KE4AVB]

I don't find an IPL the lists the -R so going by the FR730V-ES04 spec but did compare 3 different sources IPLs and all three had the same part number for both intake and exhaust push rods.

13116 just tells you its a push rod. Part number system is similar that of Stihl where the first part what it is or what is for. The suffix narrows it to which engines it fits. Just because I could give just any 13116 push rod doesn't mean it will fit because all Kawasaki push rods I believe starts with 13116. It the -7007 the tells it for the FR730V.

BTW the 13116-7007 is superseded to 13116-0725. The 13116-2057 is for about 150+ model/specs of the FD and FH series.