Gator 6x4 - A Few General Questions

[smarley]

Thanks to all for the helpful advice!

I had a chance to inspect the gator today and play with the idle a bit. If the online information is correct, I have a 1997 vintage 6x4 (liquid-cooled, S/N W006X4X025215).

I has seen intermittant operation by the previous owner lately, so the idle is a bit rough until well warmed up. I just ordered oil and air filters and will clean up the engine compartment a bit more over the weekend. I also noticed that the spark arrestor is still in place. Some say that should be removed, but I will research more on the forum before taking it out.

The engine also seems to be leaking a bit of oil from the valve covers, so those gaskets probably need freshening as well.

Once I had it warmed up today, it certainly was a lot of fun blasting around the horse arena. I can see that it will be used extensively in the years to come just to generate some grins

Hopefully with a bit of a tune-up, the idle will smooth out a bit and I can adjust it low enough that the neutral/forward and neutral/reverse transitions are reasonably grind-free. Right now, it wants to stall when idling down that low.

Thanks again,

Steffan

 

[smarley]

With a bit of idle speed/idle mixture adjustment, I got the idle down to an acceptable level and sure enough, shifting now can be done with almost no grinding.

It still is running in a very rich condition (you can smell that heavy aroma of partially burned gas), so I am going to rebuild the carb and check to see if the high-altitude jetting option is installed. I think with a bit more work, it should be running just fine.

Thanks to all for the help!

Steffan

 

[MrChris]

With a bit of idle speed/idle mixture adjustment, I got the idle down to an acceptable level and sure enough, shifting now can be done with almost no grinding.

It still is running in a very rich condition (you can smell that heavy aroma of partially burned gas), so I am going to rebuild the carb and check to see if the high-altitude jetting option is installed. I think with a bit more work, it should be running just fine.

Thanks to all for the help!

Steffan

Check or just replace the spark plugs. The rear cylinder is notorious for running richer. When you pull the plugs you'll see what I mean. I'm assuming you checked the air filter. Make sure its a clean pathway from air filter to carb. Restricted air flow causes a rich mixture. Most carb issues are clogged orifices which usually means a thinner mix.

 

[smarley]

Thanks Chris,

I have checked the plugs and as you note, the rear is much darker than the front, although I would not quite categorize it as fouled. It just looks like it exists in a cylinder where burning is incomplete (light carbon buildup).

I have also replaced the air filter, fuel filter and changed the oil and filter. Gearbox oil is next week.

Some have mentioned using a slightly hotter set of plugs, but I have no good data on whether that works or not. Most likely best to stick with the Kawasaki NGK spec'd plug.

Either way, a good cleanout for the carb isn't going to hurt. That's on the plan for next week as well.

All in all, the Gator is running pretty darn well and much better than when I bought it. Now at least it idles well and my wife can use it without worrying about keeping it idling or getting into gear. Just a few more adjustments and it should be good!

Thanks again,

Steffan