# Kawasaki V-Twin running on one cylinder



## Napi (Jan 2, 2015)

Got a 2006 Club Car XRT 1550 with a 23 hp Kawasaki model FH680D, Club Car rates it as 20.9 hp. I've had it several years and it's never run great. I finally decided to work on it over the holidays. I took the carb apart and noticed a pinched gasket under the needle/float assembly. Ordered new gaskets and seals, reassembled and it runs a tiny bit better but still on one cylinder. The coils looked to be producing a weak spark. Ordered 2 new coils, installed and still the same.

I have adjusted the valves to 0.005 on each. The coils have 0.012 clearance. New plugs. I checked compression today and have 95 lbs on #1 cyl, 155 lbs on cyl #2. BUT, cyl #2 is the one not producing. Kawasaki calls for 52 lbs minimum. I can pull the plug wire off #1 and it dies. I can pull plug wire on #2 and no difference. Both have a blue spark, both rockers on each cylinder are moving. I've also run it with the kill wires disconnected.

I'm stumped!  This is the same engine as the John Deere 737 zero turn.


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## rayjay (Jan 2, 2015)

When you worked on the carb did you completely disassemble it and poke wire through every jet [ 2 main jets and 2 low speed jets ]?

Random ideas-
Spray WD40 or something similar around all the intake gaskets to check for air leak.
Measure the valve lift to make sure you don't have a worn down cam lobe.
Swap the coils side to side.
Swap the plugs side to side. I know, you just replaced the coils and plugs. Do it anyway. Making the problem move would be educational.
If the cam lobes are good I would replace the head gasket on the low cyl. 
Some Kawis are prone to ex valve guides grabbing the valve stem and moving in the head. Bent pushrods and other issues as a result.
If you didn't buy it new you don't know if the carb is the right spec for the motor. I bought a used JD GT with this issue. The correct carb was supposed to have 135 and 137.5 main jets. The one on the machine had 115 and 117.5. Too lean.
If nothing wakes that cyl up then you probably need to pull the head. The excellent compression is weird. I wonder if there is an exhaust system constriction on that side???
Dribble some gas down the carb throat on the dead side to see if the cyl wakes up.

Good luck.


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## Napi (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks rayjay. Some good ideas. I can't find much service/tech info online about this particular cart, just general info. The carb looks to be factory but no idea on the jet sizes. This one is a 2barrel, but has a single bowl. I have swapped the plugs and coils. On the 3rd set of new plugs. Carb sits horizontal and in a tight, but I can spray something in it.

What's the best way to measure valve lift? I have a dial indicator with magnetic base but most everything on this cart/engine is aluminum and plastic. I'll improvise something!


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## Napi (Jan 4, 2015)

Hey rayjay, turned out to be a carb issue. I disconnected the air filter tube from the carb and sprayed some fluid in. The rpm's increased. Took the carb back apart. Everything looked good except a suspect gasket on top that wasn't changed before. I put it all back together and it seems to be ok now.

Thanks for the ideas. Sometimes I seem to overcomplicate things!


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## rayjay (Jan 7, 2015)

I had at least one motor where some PO was messing around with the pressed in core plugs on the carb body and had introduced an air leak. Devcon fixed it right up. 

On a side note, putting 2 bbl carbs on OPE motors is about the dumbest thing the engine makers have ever done. It's a quick and dirty way to make an lower hp motor into a higher hp motor on the cheap. Usually they can claim an extra 2 hp. The negative issue is that it lowers the air velocity through the carb which is bad for fuel metering.


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