Kawasaki 27hp

[Hideous 4x4]

I bought a Max IV with the Kaw. motor in it. When you go to start it you have to use the choke, now matter if its a cold start or hot start. Also it seems like it idles to fast, when I set the idle down it dies. I don't have a tach so not sure of the rpm. It almost sounds like the idle jet could be plugged and the PO just raised the idle speed to compensate for it. Any thoughts?

[msafi65]

Sounds like may be a piece of trash in the idle circuit all right. I've spent a lot of time in the max with that engine and they are all cold blooded. At almost any temp they need choke to start. At near freezing I start and hold choke until I get a rich miss, if still won't idle I repeat. Once warm they run great. I've been told the lean idle and start were for passing emissions. Stock idle is usually about 11-1200 rpm. For winter use where carb ice is a problem remove the fresh air hose and turn aircleaner to face exhaust.

[tbone9]

Mine is cold blooded also. Needs choke always. At -20 it won't fire even with a shot of happy gas.

[Hideous 4x4]

Sounds like may be a piece of trash in the idle circuit all right. I've spent a lot of time in the max with that engine and they are all cold blooded. At almost any temp they need choke to start. At near freezing I start and hold choke until I get a rich miss, if still won't idle I repeat. Once warm they run great. I've been told the lean idle and start were for passing emissions. Stock idle is usually about 11-1200 rpm. For winter use where carb ice is a problem remove the fresh air hose and turn aircleaner to face exhaust.

Thanks for the info, I ordered a tach to check the rpm when I get the max back together. Never had a motor that you had to choke to start when its up to temp.

[Canadian_Zuk]

My Kawasaki 650 V-twin ATV is actually the same way...always wants a little choke to fire up.

[Hideous 4x4]

Sounds like I shouldn't try to fix something that's not broke!
Thanks again.

[luffydog]

welcome to the epa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hideous 4x4]

I got the engine back in and checked it with the tach, it was idling at 1650rpm! I pulled the carp off and cleaned the idle jets, both were plugged solid.
Found out I wouldn't of had to pull the carb, there is access on the top of the carb to the jets. I also found out the crank case vent was never put back from the last person
that had it apart, that can't be good. Anyway I put it back together and she purrs like a kitten, rpm about 1200. Still have to choke it to start but thats OK.
I have one question on the top of the carb there are 2 screws wrapped in black plastic, they turn 1/2 turn each then they hit a stop. One will make it sputter when its turned the other doesn't
seem to make any difference. Are these air/fuel screws?
It's smells like it's running rich, but we are at 8500' so that's probably why.

[Mike]

You are correct, those screws wrapped in plastic are your mixture screws. The plastic pieces are limiters so that there is a very limited range of adjustment. Some people just pop those off to get a wider range of adjustability. It may be necessary with your altitude.

[Hideous 4x4]

Thanks Mike, I'll run it like this for a while and see how it works.

[marauder]

Now you know why fuel injection was invented, and surprisingly, you can thank the EPA for modern road going vehicles using it, it was their strict emissions rules that forced the automakers to switch to fuel injection in order to meet tailpipe emissions limits.

[oztrax]

Kawasaki needs choke to start because fuel solenoid has closed fuel supply in carb, choke bypasses the solenoid and allows engine to start