JD 185 Kawasaki 540 issues

[bowtieboy77]

I have a JD 185 hydro with the fc540v Kawasaki engine that I acquired a few years ago. It has always been alittle difficult to start it does not like much choke and easily floods. It has bee getting slowly worse. When cranking it over it will back fire up through the carb then if you continue to attempt to start it eventually it will back fire through exhaust (sign of flooding) Once it is running it runs well but it will go through about 3 spark plug per summer season.
I have the carb apart now for cleaning but don't expect it to be the issue. I have found the compression spec to be minimum 71psi and my result is 50psi. So it does shoe the engine has some wear but I geuss my question is will 20psi drop in compression cause the starting issue I am having? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Russ from MN]

It sounds like it's worn out, but I'm not sure if that engine has a decompression feature, that makes it hard to check compression. Have you ever set the valve clearance? We have a Kawasaki in a Husqvarna lawn tractor that we bought new, lots of hours on it, 20 years old, original spark plugs! Plugs should last forever now with the unleaded gas, and we only use E-10.

 

[bowtieboy77]

(quoted from post at 12:23:20 05/09/20) It sounds like it's worn out, but I'm not sure if that engine has a decompression feature, that makes it hard to check compression. Have you ever set the valve clearance? We have a Kawasaki in a Husqvarna lawn tractor that we bought new, lots of hours on it, 20 years old, original spark plugs! Plugs should last forever now with the unleaded gas, and we only use E-10.

Thanks Russ I agree with you the compression does show it has considerable wear. It does not have decompression. As I mentioned it has always been temperamental to start it does not like much choke and is easily flooded. I got it started today ran well so I cut alittle grass. Disengaged the pto and when to engage pto again and tractor slowly died. I checked spark with spark tester and found weak. Cleaned all connections and found loose power cable on starter ( this explains the pto clutch pulling power away from ignition. Good spark now but could not get it to run again.

It starts in choke but will only run at about half idle speed (just enough speed to keep running) when throttle lever is moved out of choke it will continue to run slow and start to back fire out the carb when the back fire happens the engine slows even more (due to backfire disrupting incoming fuel charge) the back firing will continue until engine dies. After repeated attempts the plug will be coated in carbon. I am at a loss as to why once in awhile I can get it to start and run but most of the time it will not. Last season it ran quite well and started decent most of the time. Valves were set about 3yrs ago and fresh fuel and carb cleaned.

I may just scrap it now as tomorrow I am picking up another jd mower that has no run in a couple years but has been stored inside since so if I can get it going I will give up on the 185 (it only cost me a coffee 3yrs ago so it really don't owe me a dime)

 

[Russ from MN]

Running that rich could of contributed to wearing it out, excess gas is always washing the oil off the pistons. It sounds like you have a serious carburetor issue.