NEGLECTED Ferris Zero Turn Mower with Kawasaki Water-Cooled Engine - Can I Fix It??

[@LukeLong-oi4uc]

Nice find and work!

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thanks!

[@rossrinkenbaugh4005]

I've got ferris is1000z from the 2010s, it's surging because of the idle ports in the carb are clogged or dirty It's actually the air/fuel ratio being off, ( likely lean) due to the clogged ports, and at full throttle the governor is trying to compensate. Also check the welch plugs to make sure they're sealed and not letting extra air into carb. Those things are finicky and I'm still dealing every now and then. Good luck man.

[@bigsonslawncare]

Very nice mower!

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thanks 👍

[@jamesstewart924]

As expensive as these are, it's a crime to neglect it.

[@RileyRowman]

Love it!!!!!

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thank you!

[@fiftyracer192]

Ive had a good few mowers with the needle stuck in the seat. One was so bad the needle snapped in half in the seat when i pulled it with pliers. Ended up scrapping that carb.

[@ALTractorPickers]

That is bad!

[@glennplungis5743]

Well worth saving, I love my Ferris! I have the next generation after yours and they didn't offer a liquid cooled engine option. I have a Vanguard with EFI and the Oilguard system. The suspension on these mowers makes a HUGE difference on bumpy ground. New subscriber. Is there going to be a part 2?

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thank you for the info! Yes, I am editing Part 2 and still might add more to the video. I'm still trying to get it running perfectly to try it out. Fuel system was just totally trashed from sitting up!

[@Rein_Ciarfella]

That’s one sweet ZT! Great score for a great price! Not a criticism, but you could improve your audio quality by trying to adjust all volumes to the same level. I was constantly adjusting volume throughout this entire video. I hope you’ll do a followup or Part 2 with the diagnosis of the hydro leak.

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I try to stream the video as I'm editing it to make sure volumes are constant. Given how soft I talk naturally, it can be a struggle to get volumes consistent. I have a New wireless Hollyland Mic set, but have yet to get them to work. I'm thinking they aren't compatible with my iphones. Using iMovie on my iPhone to edit since all the media is already saved there. PART 2 has mostly been filmed as of yesterday and should wrap it up tonight. Will take me a week or so to get it edited and posted. I do all of this in my spare time just because I enjoy it and love to share with all of you. Between work, (2) toddlers, and a wife; it takes longer than you'd think to edit a little bit of video.

[@deernats]

Did you happen to drain the old gas from the tanks?

[@ALTractorPickers]

Oh yes

[@TheIronDuke502]

Hello From Kentucky. I have a late 1980s John Deere 285 that has a Kawasaki FD590V liquid cooled engine that I think may be a smaller version of the engine that you have. My FD590V Kawasaki engine has a bad water pump which none of the repair people in this area wanted to work on unless they charged major $$$ to replace the water pump. In disgust on my part at that time period, I parked the John Deere out of the way and decided to deal with it at a later date. Since I have retired, I am strongly considering tearing into the John Deere. Luckily, The John Deere Gators use basically the same liquid cooled Kawasaki engines, So those engines are now fairly common. Those hydraulic leaks can be rather annoying and quite messy as you well know by now. Looks like you will have a really nice Ferris zero turn once you get everything situated.

[@ALTractorPickers]

Thank you sir! Yes it is a smaller version! 590cc compared to 731cc. I can get you oem parts should you need something

[@TheIronDuke502]

@@ALTractorPickers The John Deere 285 tractor has been sitting in the weeds for quite a while now, But I bet that I could hook up a battery and hook up a test tank and the engine would fire right up. Right now I am working on my 682 Cub Cadet with a KT17S Kohler Series 2 engine. I have removed all of the engine tins and have never seen so much crud and grass clippings caked up under the engine tins. I always thought that the KT17 ran really hot and now I understand why. My 682 has one of the nylon oil pressure lines which runs from the front of the engine to the oil pressure gauge on the dash console in which the line was leaking just above the compression fitting on the engine side. Between the old fuel pump being loose and the oil pressure line being cracked, I can understand why the engine would have accumulated all of the dirt and crud. I am going to run a copper line to replace the cracked nylon line just for a little peace of mind.

[@ALTractorPickers]

@@TheIronDuke502nice! I have several old cub cadets myself! One of which has a factory Kubota diesel.

[@johnhicks735]

That normally has A Indak ignition switch so A regular riding lawnmower key will work for that key ignition switch.,or it's like the newer style of sears Craftsman ignition switch keys.

[@ALTractorPickers]

You are exactly right! Once I googled a picture of the key, I recognized the key pattern as an indak ignition switch key. I got one the next day, and even found one with a plastic grip on the key.

[@brianeastman3547]

Hey man,Did Ferris quit building the liquid cooled Kawasaki engine for those particular models.

[@ALTractorPickers]

Kawasaki stopped offering that engine for the Ferris application, as well as other applications too. I know Bad Boy Mowers also offered that engine. It is a beast from what I can tell. We will see. Wait for Part 2.