Ok so I access this from inside the tank or outside of it?
HRT216SDA Won't Start
- Thread starter motaro38
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Ok so I access this from inside the tank or outside of it?
firedawgsatx
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The small screen is inside the tank next to the rear wall about midway. Find where the fuel line connects to the fuel tank. Now look down inside the tank with a flashlight and the brass colored screen is visible on the bottom of the tank right above the fuel tank outlet. I remove all of the fuel and fuel line and spray carb cleaner on the screen to clean it. Once in awhile I remove the fuel tank, dump the fuel and use Dawn dishwashing liquid and hot water to clean the inside of the tank and screen. I then use compressed air to blow out the tank and screen and let it completely dry in the sun before re-installing. I would suggest you add an in-line fuel filter between the fuel tank and fuel shut off valve. Very easy to do and it helps keep the carb clean.
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I will work on doing all this. I unscrewed the nut on the bottom of the carb and fuel came out so fuel is definitely getting to the carb.
firedawgsatx
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I once had a starting issue with one of my mowers. It turned out to be a plugged vent in the fuel cap. Another time I installed a brand new spark plug and after much frustration, found it to be defective right from the factory. Another troubleshooting technique for a no-start issue is to try starting the engine and quickly removing the spark plug. Is the spark plug wet? If so, that means you are getting fuel into the combustion chamber. If the plug is dry it means you have a fuel delivery problem. To confirm this on a COLD engine, remove the spark plug and carefully pour 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of fuel into the cylinder through the spark plug hole. Quickly re-install the plug and try to start the engine. Be extremely careful when using gasoline in this way and do not use on a hot engine. If engine does not sputter, ignition may be the problem. If it runs for a second or two, then quits, chances are the carb needs to be looked at again. It is rare, but possible, a new carb is defective. Double check the carb mounting bolts and gaskets are tight as you may have an air leak somewhere.
firedawgsatx
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Basically, the fuel is gravitu fed from the tank to the carb inlet. The carb bowl starts to fill up and as it fills it pushes the float upward. The float has the needle attached to it. When the bowl is full the float pushes the needle into the needle seat and the flow of fuel is shutoff from the tank. The choke controls the amount of air going into the carb. The main jet (the brass screw that you removed when you cleaned the carb) is how the fuel leaves the bowl and goes through the emulsifier tube (the brass tube with all of the tiny holes). The tiny holes in the emulsifier tube send fuel to the idle and hi-speed circuits (depending on the carburetor). The throttle controls the mixture of air and fuel required by the engine to properly operate. The main jet is the main culprit why the Honda carbs clog up and why sometimes all that is required is to drop the carb bowl, remove the main jet and run a small wire through the top hole and the two side holes. Of course, to clean it properly, the main jet and the emulsifier tube need to be removed and all holes need to have a small wire run through them and blown out with low pressure compressed air. I figured out a long time ago, it is much more cost and time efficient to purchase and install a new carb because of the low cost, Where a lot of people fail is they don't take the extra time and steps to clean out the fuel tank, the fuel screen, the fuel lines and the breather tube before installing the new carb. The "trash" that was in the tank or fuel lines and caused the clog in the first place go right back into the new or cleaned carb and the problem starts again right away. The other big problem is that people fail to get the carb gaskets in the right orientation. During carb installation you have to pay close attention to how all of the gasket holes line up, especially the air guide and the insulator. Failure to do causing "surging" also known as "hunting".
The air guide being the thick plastic washer type thing that goes between the carb and the engine? Has the little carved out pathway/tunnel in it?
firedawgsatx
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The air guide (#15 in attached diagram) is the metal plate with a gasket on either side. The insulator (#16) is the black plastic part with the pathway/tunnel carved out. It is important to get the tunnel in the correct orientation lined up with the hole in the air guide gasket. All of the holes need to line up as shown in the diagram. I have drawn a red line to the holes that need to line up. A lot of people get the air guide turned in the wrong direction or the insulator upside down and that is why the engine surges.
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firedawgsatx
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If you are getting a good flow of fuel from the tank to the carb and have good spark I would next look to see if your intake or exhaust valve is stuck. A stuck valve is a pretty common problem due to varnish on the valve stems from ethanol in the fuel. These engines can usually be freed up relatively easy.
Ok, can you give me a brief explanation on how to do this? Thanks