ok I need help. I have a 1990 KLF300B bayou. Good machine with Carb problems. I purchased an aftermarket carb and its terrible. It starts fine on choke like it should, taper the choke to off when its warm and it runs terrible. backfires, can't seem to get the idle correct, the idle screw is the same seems it doesn't matter which way i turn it. Valve tappets are correct, new plug, fresh gas etc. Am I going to have to buy a Kawasaki carb from a dealer? Possible flywheel keys is partially sheared messing up the timing? I'm stumped.
in search of ideas
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You really need a Service Manual. If you have one, you need to really delve into it. A sheared key could be throwing things off balance, which is not good. Why didn't you rebuild the original carb? Too many "if's", not enough information.
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Getting a service manual and rebuilding the OEM carb are good suggestions in my opinion. We often see complaints on here about aftermarket carbs. It seems hit and miss, some of them work ok and others are crap.
But before you throw it in the garbage, check for vacuum leaks.
But before you throw it in the garbage, check for vacuum leaks.
Well, it is the carb. Chinese ones are not all good. the original has been trashed. Can new carbs still be obtained through Kawasaki?
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I've seen person build a manifolds and put them it on Honda Goldwing Engines, and use a Volkswagen Beetle carb, and get it running fantastic, and the final vehicle was a trike. You look for a carb that matches the c.c.'s of the total displacement, and be honest with yourself about your fabrication abilities. You could probably get a flat slide carb for the machine, but they cost around $800 or more bucks. I don't know why you would go through all of that when Amazon has pages listing that exact vehicle. They go for around $50 bucks +/- 
search link = https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kawasaki...585135&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_9cfsrris0c_b
search link = https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kawasaki...585135&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_9cfsrris0c_b
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I have purchased many carbs off of Amazon, mostly because they still have all the adjustments that the EPA has taken out, and have never returned one. I also use "Jack's Small Engines", a Google search will show the website, and I have also purchased carbs for engines that I have made manifolds, and got them running excellent. I rarely have spent more than $80 bucks. Carbs are not easy to set up if you don't have the knowledge. Setting up an OEM carb may be easier since it's usually sent with factory settings (but not all the time).
If you have the money to spend, then always go the OEM route, you save yourself a lot of trouble. I don't know if he still has the OEM carb, but I would think that would be rebuildable. At $670 bucks,, it should be.. I think that there's more going on here. The fact that Amazon has the EXACT carb replacement, and so many of them for that Mule means that it is a common part. Some of those Chinese parts are made very well, and that's because they were Chinese made to begin with. No carb will work if you do not know how to set it up.
If you have the money to spend, then always go the OEM route, you save yourself a lot of trouble. I don't know if he still has the OEM carb, but I would think that would be rebuildable. At $670 bucks,, it should be.. I think that there's more going on here. The fact that Amazon has the EXACT carb replacement, and so many of them for that Mule means that it is a common part. Some of those Chinese parts are made very well, and that's because they were Chinese made to begin with. No carb will work if you do not know how to set it up.
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Oh, that does make a big difference. Thanks.
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