Engine swap on zero turn

[ucfireman]

So I blew the engine on my mower.
Its a 2015 Worldlawn King cobra (used to be Encore, and an Exmark knock off), not wanting to hear jokes or put downs.
It has a Kawasaki FX730V with the hydro gear 5400 transmissions.
I am looking to replace the engine.
How hard is it going to be?
I'm thinking if I can get the pulley and clutch off, everything else should be plug and play.
From what I can tell there are a few shaft diameters and lengths.

Am I thinking right? or missing anything? From anyone that has done it? Was actually thing of a Briggs motor, about 1/2 the price and 5hp more.

 

[WayneB]

I'm on my 5th engine on my big ole 1985 Ferris mower. Lemme find you some links.
Engine swap is a no biggie event, measure from oilpan/case to end of shaft, and diameter of crank, should be 1 inch with a 1/4" keyway.

 

[WayneB]

http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com...tegory_2_s:Engines&fq=manufacturer_s:Kawasaki

 

[WayneB]

If your muffler and clutch are still good, it may be worth replacing with same. Mufflers for twins rarely fit without modifying or paying an insane amount. I just buy what's cheap and cut it apart for header flanges and can, and fabricate new tubes and TIG it all up. Brazing or MIG can work as well, depends on what you have or can borrow. Quick research shows 3 different diameters of shaft and many lengths.
Swap out is 4 fasteners to frame, a fuel line, cables to starter and ground, wiring to alternator, throttle and choke cable, and fuel cutoff wire at carb bowl, and pulling the drive pulley. Engine is about 150 lbs of awkward, a strong kid or second person will help.

 

[WayneB]

http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/49T777-0004.html
26HP Briggs 1-1/8"x 4-5/16" Shaft, 16Amp alternator. Price is MUCH better, but you'd need a muffler..
I've purchased about 15 engines from this site with zero issues. I usually get mufflers from here as well, but it always pays to shop around. If you find better pricing, please let me know. I have two more to get over the winter.

 

[Bigtimber]

Briggs is not as good of a motor compared to the Kawasaki but I guess it all depends on how much your going to use it and how often its serviced. Swap out is fairly easy.....IF clutch and tranny pulley will come off...USUALLY they will. Sometimes its a nightmare. Talk with a sale representative about what engine will be a plug and play with the wiring....thats a biggy if your not very well versed in such matters. Try to get one with a muffler already on it. No way a briggs muffler is just gonna work on the other.. Mufflers are lots of times made for the mower as much as they are the engine....depending on application. Cutting and fitting new mufflers...aka...making it happen...just not worth it imo. Think direct replacement engine.....you'll be happier. Burns up time and work yourself to death trying to rig it.

 

[ucfireman]

Yeah I thought about the "make it work" angle.
I have done some of that but really don't like doing it.
Was just thinking I could replace the briggs twice for 1 Kawasaki.

Wayne, I also saw that engine has a couple of different drive shafts. I guess I need to talk to a shop or folks on the phone to see hat it is and make sure I get the right size.

throttle and choke cable, and fuel cutoff wire at carb bowl, How difficult are these things?

 

[Bigtimber]

Troddle cable and choke cable stuff aint that bad even if they are short. You can usually pick up long conduit and wire and "make you own" with the old control handles. Kind of a pain getting the materials and cutting it all to length. Thats a breeze compared to slip up in wiring and burning up a coil or stator or just overall creating a wiring troubleshooting nightmare. Muffler wouldn't be any fun either...but it might just fit great....depends on application. Any one selling you a replacement engine should know and its there job to know whats what. Jmo.

 

[WayneB]

Yeah I thought about the "make it work" angle.
I have done some of that but really don't like doing it.
Was just thinking I could replace the briggs twice for 1 Kawasaki.

Wayne, I also saw that engine has a couple of different drive shafts. I guess I need to talk to a shop or folks on the phone to see hat it is and make sure I get the right size.

throttle and choke cable, and fuel cutoff wire at carb bowl, How difficult are these things?

if you post up the model and serial, we should be able to cross reference it. As far as the stator/alternator wire, it's ONE wire. the regulator on these engines is mounted to the block, and only 1 wire connects to the battery. It's typically yellow too, white wire for the carb. The connectors are 50/50 going to swap over. Excluding a muffler, this is a 30 minute swap, no matter the engine, if you have done it before, maybe an hour if you haven't. It's not rocket surgery.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

if you post up the model and serial, we should be able to cross reference it. As far as the stator/alternator wire, it's ONE wire. the regulator on these engines is mounted to the block, and only 1 wire connects to the battery. It's typically yellow too, white wire for the carb. The connectors are 50/50 going to swap over. Excluding a muffler, this is a 30 minute swap, no matter the engine, if you have done it before, maybe an hour if you haven't. It's not rocket surgery.

At least you are an optimist. I have spent 3 hours just getting the clutch off of one. There is not a good way to pull a clutch, and they are real easy to ruin if you pry on them in the wrong place. Add in the fact that they are several hundred dollars, and it pays to take your time.

If it were mine, I would be spraying that crankshaft down with some penetrating oil every couple days starting last week

 

[WayneB]

Pappy, 1 pound of dry ice, halved and sandwiching the crankshaft and that puppy is off like a young brides... uhm, shoes.
My favorite tool is actually a valve spring compressor styled clamp, big C clamp with a forked end to surround the inner sleeve and bear down while the threaded rod goes against the crank bolt. Some things require more than thinking outside the box, more along the lines of alongside the box.

 

[poohbear]

All you have to do is remove bolt from center of shaft that’s holding it . Remove the washer and reinstall bolt and get a air hammer and hit on the bolt head while applying pressure with other hand and it will come right off. Have removed many this way.

 

[ucfireman]

My engine info. Kawasaki FC730V. Shaft length and diameter?
What site are yall using to find the info? Last pic is what I thought about using.

 

[Jeff C.]

Good thread...

 

[NE GA Pappy]

All you have to do is remove bolt from center of shaft that’s holding it . Remove the washer and reinstall bolt and get a air hammer and hit on the bolt head while applying pressure with other hand and it will come right off. Have removed many this way.

apparently the ones from this section of north Georgia are more tenacious in their grip on the shaft. I have done everything in the world except the dry ice ( I don't see how you can get it to the back side of the clutch for it to cool the shaft anyway) and some of those puppies just won't come off. Maybe it is the chicken litter from mowing around all the chicken houses up here.

Or maybe I just don't know what I am doing.

 

[poohbear]

apparently the ones from this section of north Georgia are more tenacious in their grip on the shaft. I have done everything in the world except the dry ice ( I don't see how you can get it to the back side of the clutch for it to cool the shaft anyway) and some of those puppies just won't come off. Maybe it is the chicken litter from mowing around all the chicken houses up here.

Or maybe I just don't know what I am doing.

I’ve never had the hammer trick not work. But there is always exceptions . If the engine is still on the mower the weight of the clutch is there and you are driving the shaft upwards and the is enough play in the engine to allow the shaft to move up a bit.

 

[Ray357]

So I blew the engine on my mower.
Its a 2015 Worldlawn King cobra (used to be Encore, and an Exmark knock off), not wanting to hear jokes or put downs.
It has a Kawasaki FX730V with the hydro gear 5400 transmissions.
I am looking to replace the engine.
How hard is it going to be?
I'm thinking if I can get the pulley and clutch off, everything else should be plug and play.
From what I can tell there are a few shaft diameters and lengths.

Am I thinking right? or missing anything? From anyone that has done it? Was actually thing of a Briggs motor, about 1/2 the price and 5hp more.

Not hard so long as shaft and bolt pattern are the same. By Briggs, do you mean Vanguard or a regular Briggs? IMO anything Briggs other than the Vanguard is just junk, junk, and junkier junk. That's coming from someone who used to be die hard brand loyal to them.

 

[ucfireman]

I don't know if its a Vanguard, its the one I put in the pic above. Looks like what I have seen on some decent zero turns when I was looking.

 

[WayneB]

My engine info. Kawasaki FC730V. Shaft length and diameter?
What site are yall using to find the info? Last pic is what I thought about using.

I linked www.smallenginewarehouse.com above.

 

[WayneB]

I have done everything in the world except the dry ice ( I don't see how you can get it to the back side of the clutch for it to cool the shaft anyway)

I've not seen one with less than a couple inches between the crankcase and clutch, some are tight, but if there's an inch or so to pack dry ice in, I pack it. 0.005" shrink is usually enough.