New Carburetor

[EddieWalker]

I have a 2010 Scag Wildcat zero turn mower with a 26hp Kawasaki engine that I bought brand new. Last year it started running poorly and I assumed it was a fuel issue. I changed the filters without any success, and sort of just got by with it losing power or just stalling out on me, then starting and running again until I finished mowing.

This year it's been a lot worse. I watched too many YouTube videos on how to fix it, that all seemed to make it better, but not really. New fuel lines, new filter, new fuel pump, cleaned the tank and even removing the carburetor and cleaning out every opening with carb cleaner. Everything I did made it better, but it still didn't have any power and struggled to mow the grass.

My wife kept telling me to take it to the shop and have the "experts" fix it. I don't want to deal with putting it on a trailer, hauling it there when they are open and when I should be at work, or paying them whatever they charge to fix it, and then having to haul it back home again. I have several clients that have done this, and it's become a yearly $600 expense.

Out of nowhere, I wondered what a new carburetor would cost for it. Kawasaki and Scag want $478 for a genuine Kawasaki Carburetor. Do they actually make them? On Amazon, I found them for under $100. I gambled on one with 5 stars and some positive reviews. That's how I buy everything on Amazon.

The difference is night and day!!!! It has power, it runs smooth, it even seems to cut better!!!

I'm kicking myself for not doing this sooner. I just assumed a new carb was being ridiculous and super expensive. I spent too many Saturdays' working on it and wasting my time. If you're struggling like I was to get it to run right, this might be a simple and affordable solution.

 

[Quaffer]

Sometimes a new carb is the only way. Nice job and nice result!

I removed, thoroughly cleaned, and replaced a carb on a near-new motorhome generator twice. But it still didn't run right. Finally bit the bullet and bought a new carb from Cummins/Onan. Come to find out, the batch of carbs manufactured had a defect-- a rubber part would disintegrate internally, clog things up, and it was in a place not accessible.

When I walked into the Cummins shop and described what was happening, the first thing the guy asked was: "Is this from a 2021 year motor home?"

 

[gstrom99]

I have a 2010 Scag Wildcat zero turn mower with a 26hp Kawasaki engine that I bought brand new. Last year it started running poorly and I assumed it was a fuel issue. I changed the filters without any success, and sort of just got by with it losing power or just stalling out on me, then starting and running again until I finished mowing.

This year it's been a lot worse. I watched too many YouTube videos on how to fix it, that all seemed to make it better, but not really. New fuel lines, new filter, new fuel pump, cleaned the tank and even removing the carburetor and cleaning out every opening with carb cleaner. Everything I did made it better, but it still didn't have any power and struggled to mow the grass.

My wife kept telling me to take it to the shop and have the "experts" fix it. I don't want to deal with putting it on a trailer, hauling it there when they are open and when I should be at work, or paying them whatever they charge to fix it, and then having to haul it back home again. I have several clients that have done this, and it's become a yearly $600 expense.

Out of nowhere, I wondered what a new carburetor would cost for it. Kawasaki and Scag want $478 for a genuine Kawasaki Carburetor. Do they actually make them? On Amazon, I found them for under $100. I gambled on one with 5 stars and some positive reviews. That's how I buy everything on Amazon.

The difference is night and day!!!! It has power, it runs smooth, it even seems to cut better!!!

I'm kicking myself for not doing this sooner. I just assumed a new carb was being ridiculous and super expensive. I spent too many Saturdays' working on it and wasting my time. If you're struggling like I was to get it to run right, this might be a simple and affordable solution.

There's a couple of jets, hidden under two brass plugs that get gunked up on these (otherwise great) Kaw motors. Pull the plugs, clean the jets, replace the plugs and it's good to go. New carb was/is the easy way.

 

[EddieWalker]

I looked at those plugs, but I didn't trust myself not to make things worse. For less than $100, I have an engine that's running like brand new after owning it for 15 years.

 

[flyerdan]

Now you've got the old carb to experiment on, if something goes awry it won't be a big deal. Most small engine carb issues I've run across are from a partially plugged main jet (in the housing that the bowl securing bolt screws into), and cleaning it out with a tip cleaner sorts it.