Kawasaki FR730V, one cylinder heavy oil?

[Arkie]

Kawasaki FR730V-AS22 code

engine FR730VC76406

Guy called and said this twin cylinder engine is smoking and one spark plug heavy fouled with carbon and oil.

Anyone had any experience with such on this type engine?

Do these type engines have any history of blown heads gaskets similar to the Briggs Intek OHV's weakness?

[bgsengine]

If they are allowed to overheat, sure , but then m ost any engine of a similar design with clogged up cooling will suffer the effects. I'd want to take a real close look at condition of unit and its maintenance before and during R&R even if it seems otherwise clean, I have seen a few folks that were almost always fastidious about maintenance forget to check their rotating screen during & after use, until I explained to them whey & how they got a blown head gasket.

[KE4AVB]

These FRs have an all metal head gasket. They can leak from overheating. Also I would checking the valve stem seals along with for valve being out of position. I all replaced several valve guide seals for missing garter springs. Of course head gaskets got replace at the same time so either one could had been of the extra oil in the cylinder.

With the use of all metal head gaskets the head and cylinder block has to be dead flat. It is very important to a stepped torquing method similar to the Briggs three step torque sequence or head warpage can occur.

As a note there one area where the gasket is particular thin around one bolt that centers the push rod gallery and the cylinder. This where it could be leaking (sucking in oil).

[Arkie]

I'm thinking if I do even check his engine I will first do a leak down test and compare the oily cylinder to the non oily one and if the non-oily cylinder has questionable leakage then he can just salvage out the engine for parts?????

I do know that most likely this engine has been rode hard and put away wet with little to no
TLC.

When I asked him if he knew any history of the engine:
He said it came off of a City owned zero turn with several different operators and he seen total neglect of the mower itself.
They (he) installed a new $4-5K engine and he is wondering if it might be worth a fix for re-selling if only a blown head gasket.

[SUKI]

Kawasaki engine are not your low grade Briggs engines. I have several customers that over a 1000 hrs on these FR/FX engines. So far I only seen a handful blown head gaskets. Now I did just replace a head on one of those FX751V that had 3000 hrs on it. And I only found it due his nephew breaking off the muffler and I seen oil dripping out the exhaust port. And for the same customer I did an oil pump replacement @ 3500 hrs on a FX850V due low oil pressure when hot.

I even had one FX-T00 with a blown gasket that didn't even smoke except at start up which is normal for most Kawasaki engines. It did use a lot of oil. When mower could cut waist without bogging down I knew the engine was strong otherwise. The Hustler dealer was trying their best to sell a new $4K engine to replace it when the customer decided to given a chance of a second opinion. He left the shop with less than a $400 bill for replacing the head gasket.

[Arkie]

Sadness due to neglect on this engine.

Engine arrived yesterday. Both spark plugs looked new but had raw oil on base of both plugs. Engine oil very thick and black. Left head oily due to valve cover gasket leaking. Thought maybe head gasket leaking but not so.

Leakdown indicated very bad on both cylinders 80 in max of 25 on right cylinder and max of 45 on left cylinder.

Lifted shroud over air filter air filter cover and air filter heavy coated in dirt and when I removed the air filter I immediately seen heavy dirt in the carb throat by the breather, heavy means 1/8 inch or more grit dirt coating in the carb throat and when I removed the air filter the bottom side of the filter element was sucked in and allowing dirt to by pass the filter about size of golf ball.

The fine wire screen was still in place that covers the element but the filter apparently got so clogged that the suckion caused it to collaspe behind the screen and got sucked towards the carb throat with a large OPENED gapping hole in the filter allowing dirt to bypass the filter.
This allowed all of the engine carb suction air to by pass the filter.

Really a shame that this was neglected and just a easy flip of the plastic shround to inspect the filter.

This neglect cost the City about $4-5k for a replacement engine.

Adds new meaning to the term RODE HARD AND PUT AWAY WET AND DIRTY.

Pay me now or pay me later.

[KE4AVB]

Ultimately cost the tax payers. The city will just raise the taxes if needed.