HRX 217 HYA damaged/can't run

deckeda

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Previous owner's wife ran it into a fence. Some small dents in the exhaust, the valve cover is bent, some small braided tube above the air cleaner got nicked.

For the last YEAR he'd been pushing in on some bracket atop the carb with his finger to get it to run, prior to pulling the rope. Ran great when I picked it up. Didn't always run right tho back home, and I never got a chance to mow a full lawn as other projects came due.

At home I pulled the carb and could see nothing bent or binding-- even with the autochoke. That's said, the thermowhatever pin that activates the choke has a small target to engage. Dumb design. As many of you know.

Put it back together, got it started and noticed no difference between hi and low throttle speed. Blipped the governor by hand once or twice to hear it rev up. It died and wouldn't restart. I waited a few minutes and it started only enough to run until about the time I let go of the rope. Wait a few minutes, rinse and repeat.

This is a K3 but not within the range of the defective models. I may rig some bolts that'll hold the carb on without the air cleaner so I can freaking SEE what's going on with the linkage before throwing money at a new choke assembly and entire carb. Hidden mechanisms are so frustrating.
 

deckeda

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Came back to it a couple hours later and it started and ran. Mowed some lawn finally! So I suppose I was somehow caught earlier in the dreaded not warm/not cold no man's land of the autochoke.

That alone would interest me greatly in retrofitting the manual choke from the earliest 217 models. I mentioned that the "target" metal piece that the thermowax's pin must hit as it protrudes is oddly small. I'll buy a new choke for it and see if the design's been modified. Seems to bind there until it gets "the finger push" on the linkage.
 

deckeda

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Yesterday (the above post) it ran outta gas and I left it alone. Filled with gas and pulled and pulled the rope.

Today, I can't start it al ALL. Tried the push-finger-on-the-linkage trick. Nothing. Waited a while, pulled again and it did die like yesterday: began to start but died when rope was let go. Could not duplicate.

Thankfully, my working HR215 saved the day (and the lawn.)
 

deckeda

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I replaced the half-zillion carb gaskets and also bought a new choke assembly.

More of the same. It fires for about a 1/2 second and dies, or about the time it takes the pull rope to go all the way back. Then, not even that much, unless and until I let it sit for a few minutes. Eventually it'll wet the plug and won't do anything without a new spark plug. And then it'll fire for about a 1/2 second and die as before.

The new choke assembly is a different design, with a small added spring and some other details. It no longer seems to bind. I find that very interesting, given that my K3 supposedly isn't among the affected "defective" designs. Thanks, Honda?

My new Lisle inline spark tester can't be used on this mower. Honda's spark plug boot is so long that the tool won't click onto it; also, I'd need a tool that's a lot longer, so that I could SEE it while pulling the rope. But like I said, it fires right up if you let it sit awhile between attempts.

Based on how well it ran (i.e., flawlessly) earlier, I am reluctant to all-of-a-sudden suspect something like carb or coil or timing belt. The only known or questionable issue was the choke and that's new.

I may throw myself on the mercy of a Honda dealer for this one; none of the normal behaviors and checks are checking out here.
 

bertsmobile1

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Pull the rocker cover off and have a look at the inside.
The tin covers dent quite easy and then foul on the rockers.
 

deckeda

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Pull the rocker cover off and have a look at the inside.
The tin covers dent quite easy and then foul on the rockers.

I do also now have the cast aluminum upgrade parts from the pro engine (cover, gasket, bolts) so I might as well swap that over today. If I can find a way to pry the tin cover off. Couldn't budge it upon first attempt.
 
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