# Kawasaki FE120 Carburetor Repair Kit



## WarEagle26 (Sep 14, 2017)

I have a GM1000 with the Kawasaki FE120 engine and am trying to find a carb repair kit online. Anyone purchased one of these for this engine before?

Took the carb apart last night to clean it out and after I put it all back together it was leaking gas out of the overflow tube on the carb. Took it apart again and noticed the spring on the float valve was missing. Don't remember ever seeing it when I took it apart, but it must have fallen off somewhere and now I can't find it. Trying to find a kit with new seals and float valve and spring but am having trouble. If anyone has tracked one of these down before I would appreciate the help. Thanks!


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

I would check Jack's Small Engine Repair.

https://www.jackssmallengines.com/Products/Kawasaki-Engines/Engines/s


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## wartee (Mar 27, 2018)

WarEagle26 said:


> I have a GM1000 with the Kawasaki FE120 engine and am trying to find a carb repair kit online. Anyone purchased one of these for this engine before?
> 
> Took the carb apart last night to clean it out and after I put it all back together it was leaking gas out of the overflow tube on the carb. Took it apart again and noticed the spring on the float valve was missing. Don't remember ever seeing it when I took it apart, but it must have fallen off somewhere and now I can't find it. Trying to find a kit with new seals and float valve and spring but am having trouble. If anyone has tracked one of these down before I would appreciate the help. Thanks!


I had the same issue with my 220. Wound up going to a local repair shop and asked to see their box of random carb parts, and found a used spring that fit. It was probably from some kind of Briggs. Paid a dollar for it.

Parts for those Kawasaki's are really hard to find, and those carburetors are no longer available as a complete part.


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## metro424 (May 26, 2017)

There isn't a spring on that float, I have a couple toros with that engine. Do make sure that when you put the float back on you have it right side up.


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## WarEagle26 (Sep 14, 2017)

metro424 said:


> There isn't a spring on that float, I have a couple toros with that engine. Do make sure that when you put the float back on you have it right side up.


Well, at least I'm not crazy for not remembering seeing one when I took it apart the first time. I guess it's possible I had the float upside down. When I put it back together the second time (after thinking "oh well, maybe it got stuck. I'll just try it again without the spring.") I made sure I had the float pointing the right way. No leaks this time. It ran great and idled perfectly all the way down on low throttle, which it wouldn't do before.

I was confused about the spring because the Kawasaki service manual for that engine shows a spring and talks about making sure the spring is seated correctly on the float.

Guess I still need to find a few sets of extra carb gaskets for when I will inevitably need to replace them.

Thanks for the replies everyone.


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## metro424 (May 26, 2017)

WarEagle26 said:


> metro424 said:
> 
> 
> > There isn't a spring on that float, I have a couple toros with that engine. Do make sure that when you put the float back on you have it right side up.
> ...


Glad you got it working. If there is supposed to be a spring I didn't have one on the 4 Kawasaki engines that I have but then again things go missing after a decade of use. I did buy one replacement carb float from jacks small engine since I killed the little rubber seat on the carb needle. Can't buy the needle separate so make sure to be very careful with it, I think I paid $70 for a new float? Those parts weren't kept in stock I think it took about 2weeks for me to get the carb gaskets air filter and other little parts from jacks small engine.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I remember going through the service kit thing on my Kawasaki carb as well. Ended up buying a whole new one on eBay. It still leaked after the needle and all seals were replaced. Can't have fuel dripping all over the place.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

The Japanese engines are really BAD about repair kits for carbs. I've not seen an OEM repair kit for either Mikuni or Nikki carburetors that are typically used on these engines. At least there are a ton of aftermarket options s for Honda, Kawi, not so much.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

If my FE 120 ever acts up again, a Honda GX 160 I stripped from a Tru-Cut with a failed transmission system is waiting in the garage.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> If my FE 120 ever acts up again, a Honda GX 160 I stripped from a Tru-Cut with a failed transmission system is waiting in the garage.


I would totally be inclined to buy a new one from Northern Tool. It's a tad bit over $300 for a brand new one, with warranty. But if you wanted to go on the cheap, you could always go with the Hazard Fraud Predator and have 52 cc of more displacement for just $119.99. You know the old adage, "No replacement for displacement."


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Colonel K0rn said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > If my FE 120 ever acts up again, a Honda GX 160 I stripped from a Tru-Cut with a failed transmission system is waiting in the garage.
> ...


:thumbup: Or I could fit on a GX 200. Money is not a problem for me. My GM is frequently asked to do things like scalp down Zoysia that has been incorrectly maintained for a long time. No frost, ice, or snow here, so an incorrectly maintained lawn just adds more thatch every year. The FE 120 handles that like a champ most of the time, but I know that is supposed to be enough engine to mow regularly maintained Bent and Bermuda. I am taking it beyond its intended limits.


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## fp_911 (Apr 10, 2017)

Is there an aftermarket carb that can be fitted on to the FE120 engine?

I know for conventional lawnmowers I've seen carbs sell for $20 or so which makes it a no-brainer to just try and replace instead of spending time to repair.


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## metro424 (May 26, 2017)

fp_911 said:


> Is there an aftermarket carb that can be fitted on to the FE120 engine?
> 
> I know for conventional lawnmowers I've seen carbs sell for $20 or so which makes it a no-brainer to just try and replace instead of spending time to repair.


I haven't found one other than the oem keihin carb and that thing is not cheap


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Not cheap indeed. Thereafter, my mower saw nothing but 0 Ethanol fuel. E10 and high humidity are not a good idea. The water condensing into the Ethanol phase of the fuel turns into something that eats holes in the aluminum carburetor body.


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## raymond (May 4, 2018)

What do y'all think about these eBay type non-oem replacement carbs?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15003-2718-Carburetor-for-Kawasaki-FE120G-NS00-FE120G-PS00-FE120G-QS00-Carb-Assy-/402779475773?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

raymond said:


> What do y'all think about these eBay type non-oem replacement carbs?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/15003-2718-Carburetor-for-Kawasaki-FE120G-NS00-FE120G-PS00-FE120G-QS00-Carb-Assy-/402779475773?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0


Put one on...didnt have the same performance, float was stuck. Ended up deep cleaning/sonic cleaning the original and stole the pilot jet from the ebay carb to replace the one on the original carb and had no issues.


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## sam36 (Apr 14, 2020)

raymond said:


> What do y'all think about these eBay type non-oem replacement carbs?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/15003-2718-Carburetor-for-Kawasaki-FE120G-NS00-FE120G-PS00-FE120G-QS00-Carb-Assy-/402779475773?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0


They are extremely hit or miss. In many cases they are reverse engineered and no where near OEM spec. I've had some that worked "alright", and others that didn't work at all. I would try hard to find one from the original OEM or an old stock model.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Unless purchasing from an aftermarket company like Stens, Rotary, or Oregon that backs the parts they sell, I'd steer clear of aftermarket carbs.

Kawi/Mikuni did not generally sell a "kit" for these carbs. The parts need to be sourced individually. Many of the Japanese engines used similar carburetors so if going dumpster diving - I'd check Hondas and Subarus for parts in addition to Kawi.


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