Small engine/Mower Help

[mtnboomr]

When I was doing small engine repair as my side gig, I found out very quickly that Hondas are great mowers....................when they run. Of all the Hondas I tried to repair, I got none of them to operate properly. My advise is that if you have one, take good care of it - DON'T USE E-10 FUEL - and hope you never have an issue.

 

[ramco]

It won’t solve this problem but when I have trouble starting a gas engine after winter storage, I add about a tablespoon of Seafoam to the average size lawnmower (not a rider size mower). It has never failed to start an engine for the last 40 years.

 

[kroberts2131]

Well it’s def this carb i believe. Got it run and stay running with starting fluid. It’s run rough and will die after a few minutes. Getting closer but working on it 10-15 minutes at a time isn’t helping much LOL

 

[dlbleak]

Drain the bowl. There are 7 things that have to line up when you take a Honda carb off. Most of them surge when I reinstall them. If you can avoid taking it off, you might save some more frustration. You might even take the bowl off and move the float up and down maybe freeing up what’s plugging it up. Spray down what you can get to with carb cleaner

 

[Okie4570]

Carb in an over night solvent bath for the win.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Drain the bowl. There are 7 things that have to line up when you take a Honda carb off. Most of them surge when I reinstall them. If you can avoid taking it off, you might save some more frustration. You might even take the bowl off and move the float up and down maybe freeing up what’s plugging it up. Spray down what you can get to with carb cleaner

I work on many small engines. Steve is the go to guy for me.

 

[mtnboomr]

I never had a Honda come to me with a "surging" problem. Every one either only ran with the choke fully engaged, or wouldn't start at all - even if primed by spraying carb cleaner into the venturi. Both of these problems stem from having an air leak somewhere after the carb. I'd never been able to find the leaks.

 

[swampratt]

I had a 10HP briggs rider that did not have good enough ring seal to suck enough air through the carburetor.
Worn out was an understatement.

I made it run by using a carburetor off a 5HP push mower and made the adapter with heater hose.

It ran great but used a lot of fuel.
I loaned it to a buddy I told him DO NOT put an original carb on it as it will not run and he used it for most of the mowing season.
I was at his house and asked about the mower as his grass was tall.
He said it will not start.

I went out and looked at it and he put an original carb back on it.
I told him.

He has a fuel injected Nissan 4X4 that has less than 60,000 miles and they could not figure out the issue.
Spray starting fluid at it and it ran.
Fuel pump is working.

They thought it jumped time???
Ok .
I took his 2 barrel off his CJ5 and cut a log he had with a saw and drilled a few holes in it and mounted that carb and used radiator hose to hook it to the air intake on that 4X4.

Filled the carb bowl and it fired up and ran nicely.
Revved it a few times and ran the bowl dry.
Filled it again and fired it up and told him nothing wrong with the timing chain.

Come to find out with more conversation the fuel lines completely deteriorated and filled the injectors with crud.

 

[Cowcatcher]

I never had a Honda come to me with a "surging" problem. Every one either only ran with the choke fully engaged, or wouldn't start at all - even if primed by spraying carb cleaner into the venturi. Both of these problems stem from having an air leak somewhere after the carb. I'd never been able to find the leaks.

I use brake clean with engine running to find air leaks

 

[mtnboomr]

I use brake clean with engine running to find air leaks

Tried similar. No bueno.