A DIRT WHEELS FAN WRITES: I purchased a 2008 Kawasaki Teryx 750 from my neighbor who was leaving the area for a new job. He stated the engine had low compression and would not run. That is according to the small engine shop in town. I verified there was only about 50 psi pressure when tested with full throttle. I was told online to do a wet/dry compression test so I can see whether it is rings or valves. Boss, how do you do that test and what extra pieces of equipment do I need to purchase? – Bryan James, Coeburn, VA.

OUR PRO ANSWER: A couple things here Son, 1. Don’t take a UTV to a small engine shop and expect competent results. Normally, a four-stroke engine must have at least 100 psi compression to even start. Your small engine mechanic saw only 50 psi and assumed there was low compression. Problem is Bryan, your Teryx 750 has an automatic decompressor, so 50 psi is well within the factory specifications! A general small-engine mechanic may never have suspected that feature was on your wheeler. 2. I suggest you do a bit of mechanical detective work yourself. I would remove the spark plugs and lay them on the head and crank the engine over. If you see blue spark, your ignition is good. If not, then try a new set of spark plugs. If still nothing, then it is your ignition. Assuming you have a good spark and we already know you have enough compression to start, the last thing is fuel. Remove the air box assembly to gain access to the dual carbs. Pour a few tablespoons of gas down each carb’s intake. Crank the engine over and if it tries to run, then it is either a plugged fuel filter or the fuel pump is bad, not allowing fuel to reach the carbs. What you really need, Son, is a factory shop manual. Go here to get yours: https://www.quadcrazy.com/files/file/453-2008-kawasaki-teryx-krf750-service-manual/.

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