Kawasaki compression question... (1 Viewer)

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MrMoMo

That's not rust, it's Canadian patina...
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Folks, I have a question. 1997 Kawasaki Mule. One day it just quit running. Read around online, and from what I could determine, when the piston rings go, that's what they do.

Got my compression tester out and I was only getting 30PSI. (Cold engine). Went online and ordered new rings, gaskets, and a few other parts. Quite some time went by before I go around to getting any further.

Pulled the engine apart, got the head off and found that the exhaust valve was stuck, and not going all the way up... Obviously this was a huge loss of compression, so I fixed this and put everything back together, in hopes that this was my soul cause. Much easier if I didn't have to rip the bottom end apart.

Got everything back together, cranked the engine over (before re-installing it!) and I got 40PSI. Ok, so apparently this was not my problem. Pulled it apart again today, pulled the piston out and the rings were nasty stuck. Got them out, cleaned everything up and put the new rings in. Everything looks nice and clean, cylinder walls are good, piston looks like new..

I have the FSM, so I properly torqued things, checked the valve clearances, piston rings are lined up properly.... Cranked it over again (with some oil through the spark plug hole) and I get 50PSI.

Here is my question... FSM states I should be getting 115PSI to 178PSI with a warm engine. I can't get the engine warm because it won't run. Is the compression going to double on a warm engine? What have I missed here???
 
Last edited:
Two things in my opinion are issues here:

The rings have not seated - So low compression

A warm engine will raise compression, how much...I don't know a formula.

Best I got.

I have Mule also, 2510 4X4.

Doug
 
Folks, I have a question. 1997 Kawasaki Mule. One day it just quit running. Read around online, and from what I could determine, when the piston rings go, that's what they do.

Got my compression tester out and I was only getting 30PSI. (Cold engine). Went online and ordered new rings, gaskets, and a few other parts. Quite some time went by before I go around to getting any further.

Pulled the engine apart, got the head off and found that the exhaust valve was stuck, and not going all the way up... Obviously this was a huge loss of compression, so I fixed this and put everything back together, in hopes that this was my soul cause. Much easier if I didn't have to rip the bottom end apart.

Got everything back together, cranked the engine over (before re-installing it!) and I got 40PSI. Ok, so apparently this was not my problem. Pulled it apart again today, pulled the piston out and the rings were nasty stuck. Got them out, cleaned everything up and put the new rings in. Everything looks nice and clean, cylinder walls are good, piston looks like new..

I have the FSM, so I properly torqued things, checked the valve clearances, piston rings are lined up properly.... Cranked it over again (with some oil through the spark plug hole) and I get 50PSI.

Here is my question... FSM states I should be getting 115PSI to 178PSI with a warm engine. I can't get the engine warm because it won't run. Is the compression going to double on a warm engine? What have I missed here???
 

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