Topic: Honda mower help - won't start

[RAFster122s]

Center punch your spot you want to drill, the depression left from the tip will allow you to drill in that spot much easier.  Yes, you are correct on the sq footage, realized my mistake afterwards, tablet is old and browser won't let me correct a post...

[Duke McDukiedook]

No problem, I am a civil by trade so those kinds of conversions get imprinted in the back of your brain for the kind of work I do.

[Don R]

 X2 on the flywheel key, we used to race jr dragsters and used offset keys to change the timing for methanol. They sheared easier than stock ones but if it sneezed once it could shear the stock key.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Once I bought a two jaw puller for the flywheel I checked that and no problem there. I wallowed out too much of the old bolt and the hole so the helicoil wasn't the best but it holds for now. The big problem was once I got the new carb on was it was backfiring out of the intake and not running. Off came the head cover and it seems the intake valve dropped or broke because it was not moving at all when I moved the blade.

After all this work I think it is new mower time. 

Any recommendations on what I should be looking for a push mower in the $500ish range? Another Honda?

[RAFster122s]

Tear it down and see if it is rebuildable. If the piston and cylinder came out unscathed or only light piston marking you could lap in new valves and file level any raised edges on the piston and breathe life into it again.  But, you have to weigh the ups and downs of doing this...
Cost, other wear, etc.  You can actually build a small compressor out of an old mower or other motor with some odds and ends of piping, valves and the like.  Don't expect great things out of it, like 125 psi and high cfm but for a hobby compressor for an airbrush or inflation, etc.  You do not use the valves but epoxy or other glue them closed and the plumbing for compressed air comes out of the  spark plug hole.  Need a tank and a drive motor to rotate your piston and some other stuff.  I can send you an article if you like...

Check and see what a rebuild on it might entail if you want to tackle it.  You have a new carb, you could take the head or block where the helicoil is out and have a good tig welder to weld that area closed and then you drill and tap it with a bottoming tap.  Naturally you are going to want to locate it properly for your intake and exhaust flange this is securing in the correct spot.

It is likely to be repairable, depends on the effort you wish to expend upon it.  Or if you want a new mower to leave any issues with this one behind.

Just a thought...

David

[Deerslayer]

A lot of manufacturers use the Honda motors on they're models, so I guess farkles are what will decide your choice. I have a Cub Cadet, with independent front wheels which I like for tight turns (rear Drive ). Brother in Law just bought a personal pace mower from Toro, but Briggs & Straton motor. Husky makes 4 wheel drive model too.



Bob

[Duke McDukiedook]

Eh, after giving it some thought last night and this morning I think the intake valve is just gummed up open from the old gasahol. It was trying to fire up but it kept backfiring which made me think the valve is just stuck.
I saw a video about someone cleaning up the valve without tearing the head apart so I'll see if I can try that method.

[evinrude7]

at this point roll it out into traffic and head to the local mower shop for a new one.  or like i would do in my old hood, leave it out by the driveway.  someone would steal it then it's their headache. 

[eigenvector]

Unless this is now a personal challenge - you might just want to dump it.

I do know that for my old Sears mower - it wouldn't start for nothing, had to use ether. 

turns out it was just a case of really really bad gas (took it from the tank of my CB750) clogged with water, rust, other things.  After cleaning and rebuilding the carb just like I would any other carb - it took about 4 times before it started running just like it always did.  Like I went through 4 gallons of decent gas before it started running reliably and as it should.

[Duke McDukiedook]

After looking more at that stuck valve when I did get it to pull out I put back on the rocker arm and rotated the engine and the valve made a bad squeaky noise and did not want to move in easily making me think the valve got bent somehow.
I think a new mower is definitely looking more real but I am going to tear down this engine to see what actually happened to that valve since I have spent a decent amount of time on it already.
I have to know what happened.

[RAFster122s]

You could always fix it and buy a new one this weekend as some have them on sale. After you fix it then sell it on Craigs List or a facebook regional for sale board.  Lots of things being advertised and sold there these days oddly enough.  There is one hear for three modest size cities of  50-80k people (guessing) and they have one for this tri-cities area as well as one for each of the cities, lots of cross posting between tri-cities and the city it is closest to...

YouTube has also become a for sale vehicle with, yes you guessed it, video clips of the wares being sold...

So, you learn what is up fixing it and it is another thing that doesn't intimidate you...
I like to use a bit of seafoam in the fuel to help with carbs...seems to have fewer issues as a result.  Marvel mystery oil is not bad either as it can lube some things but I don't know if it cokes if concentrations are very high...

If it were stuck open then it kissed the piston and bent the valve and probably the shaft...  recommend you yank that valve out and check the guide for wear/excess play.  It is likely to have guides, some cheap motors may not...

Squeaking is a very bad thing when it comes to valves or other toleranced parts with a sliding fit.

Saw one mower that was kaput get the motor off leaving the deck with wheels ( non- self propelled) and they put a platform on it to serve as a small cart with that platform above the wheels being larger than the mower deck.
Putting that platform at a level for working height when seated could increase its utility.  Reoriented the push handlebars to be vertically anchored and quickly removeable or even put at a slight angle for pushing...
it just takes up space.  But making a slot for it beneath a bench and storage is less of an issue.

Good luck!

[Duke McDukiedook]

Yeah, I think the stuck open valve probably got kissy kissy with the piston. Found out my dad had a slightly newer version of that mower in his possession that mostly ran sans the transmission working and he could probably get it to me this next week.
Told the wife that and she let me know she was not happy about that seeing she might have two old mowers not potentially working along with my 2 non-working bikes and my car in the driveway waiting for a healing and the dead plasma TV in the basement I told my parents I would look at but could not find a quick fix (thought one of the electrolytic power supply caps was bad with a bulge but it tested out fine).

New mower time, pop can have the old mower for parts and my working transmission and I still have other #$%* that needs repairing on top of all the other #$%* I gotta do... 

[RAFster122s]

RWhat is plasma doing or not doing precisely, how did you test that defective capacitor?  You have to pull it to take an accurate reading with a benchtop lab grade capacitance meter. If it is bulging it needs replaced.  Online electronics suppliers for a replacement.  They go bad with time...  buy a good brand and find out exact specs of the capacitor in there to replace with same.

Where are you getting power?  Do you have any test equipment such as a signal generator or cable drop there...how about an oscilloscope?
Then are you equipped with more than a good multimeter?

Getting lines in display, audio issues? Is tuner external to plasma TV?
Will a local retail store who sells plasmas let you see if your tuner is good?
Not sure if current crop of plasmas have a bolt on tuner for TV or it is built-in.
Last one I worked on was in 2004 and they had a bolt on tuner on the back.
Be extremely careful removing bezels, very very easy to strip holes or break the tabs/posts for the bezel and case.

If it has a stand with legs that bolt on, make sure you have at least one screw in each leg to the chassis or a gentle bump of bench or tv can VERY EASILY SEND IT crashing to the floor,  it is recycler/electronic junk yard then.

Good luck with car repairs/mtce.  What is it's trouble?

[Duke McDukiedook]

No power at all. Tested the buldged cap off the power supply board with  Sencore LC-53 that I verified on good electrolytics. I haven't had much time to hook up the O-scope up to try and track down the issue since I have other crap that is broken that I actually need to work (car and bikes).

Since all this broke crap is starting to pile up on me that is why the wife was apprehensive about me taking pop's mower to make a frankenHRR216mower that runs.