Well done Greg:)

I'm not sure a GXV160 will fit. Did you swap out the rings?

Sorry 40Jack, I've been off the forum a long time. I think I do have a spare ratchet if you haven't been able to source one. However, as the guru (Mick) says all you need to do is remove the metal spring holder and then turn the two pawls the other way around.

My HR21 seems to eat the little metal spring holders.

Hello All,

I was given a side drive Harrier 48 Code 480. The Briggs engine is smoking and I have ordered new piston rings. Question is it possible to hone the Quantum cylinder (i.e. do they have an iron lining?

Thanks for any advice.

Tim

Quote from: Mick on July 25, 2021, 12:02:27 PMThe thing with buying a (used) replacement engine off ebay is you could be buying one with the same problem, it is quite common for them to smoke on start up as I mentioned. Usually though the smoke disappears after a minute or so.

I'm hoping Tim  @Swissqp will pop in and offer his findings, he's rebuilt a few of these engines lately with the exact same issue. He's also been very lucky finding / sourcing replacement parts for these older machines that I thought were long obsolete. 

Hi all, yes, I am completely self taught and changing the rings on the GXV120 is straight forward even for a newbie. I did one just last week on a HR214 which was smoking badly. They react very well to re-ringing. Thankfully Honda have made the full service manual available here https://www.honda-engines-eu.com/documents/10912/31969/1550/923b4816-9e57-4be2-9d82-e6efa7a24394

Now for a few tips:

1. Before you start ordering parts check you can get your blade holder off the crankshaft easily. Use a gear puller if needed.

2. Remove any fuel from the tank and drain oil. Remove the drain bolt from the carb and remove any fuel. Remove the fan cover and recoil.

3. Remove the engine from the mower deck. You'll need to disconnect any cables (throttle and rotostop if it has it) and the drive shaft.

4. Remove the cylinder head. Remove the sump bolts underneath and gently tap with a rubber mallet to get the oil pan off. Remove the camshaft and put it in to the oil pan for safe keeping. Look at where the piston connecting rod. Mark the conrod and the piece that goes around the journal with a permanent marker before removing the two bolts. These parts must go back together the right way. I also mark the tappets and remove them.

5. Remove the piston and push it out of the head.

6. The most time consuming part is cleaning the gasket off the two mating parts of the cylinder and oil sump. I use gasket remover which you can get at Halfords. Also remove any carbon build up from the cylinder head and valves. Don't scratch the machined cylinder head surfaces. I also remove the valves and lap them.

7. I also hone the cylinder gently.

Make sure to get any bits out of the cylinder and oil sump - I use brake cleaner to do this.

8. Install the new piston rings and install in cylinder with the arrow on the piston pointing towards the valves (and the rings gaps set at 120 degrees from each other) using a ring compressor. Reattach the conrod to crankshaft bolts and torque 12nm. Install the tappets and cam shaft (lining up the timing marks) Install new gasket, put a little grease on the lips of the oil seal and gently reinstall the oil sump - bolt the two bits together. Same with the head gasket. Follow remaining steps.


9. Parts diagrams can be found at Lings Honda parts...you'll need new rings, new head gasket, new sump gasket and maybe a new sump oil seal. New ring code: 13010-ZE6-013.

Any more questions please let me know. Take your time, take lots of photos, use little sandwich bags for any parts you remove and label them.

Quote from: Mick on February 01, 2021, 11:08:15 PMMy opinion.  Any oil as long as it meets the specifications should be fine.

thanks Mick - so can you vote!

And in action

Photos of the mower and the sheared key.

So I love most Honda mowers, but the OEM oil is a significant premium. So that leads me to a question!

So Mick, on my bench is this HRX537 with electric start. Leaking o-ring under the valve cover, new bbc lower bearing, new blades and new harness for starter motor to key start. Photos to follow.

So picked up a lovely 1994 Honda HR1950 with a 3-speed box at a good price. Owner complained that it was hard to start. Checked it over and indeed it took 10-15 pulls - it started and ran (badly) but wouldn't restart. Carb, coil? Then notice a slight snap back on the recoil! So after cleaning the carb, replacing a worn blade, changing a cracked tyre and respraying the recoil cover and air filter box, I decided to have a look at the flywheel key. And there's your dinner....sheared. Replaced it and she fired up magnificently. The big GXV140 purred to life... no smoke and strong drive. So just a decent service and there should be some margin in it come later this month or March.

Well Mick, there's a smokey GCV160 that needs new piston rings, a HR1950 which starts and dies....will post a few more learnings...

So I've restored this 35 year old Honda HR21-5 and replace the damaged crank (oil leak due to multiple gouges in the shaft right where the seal sits). Sonic cleaned the carb and stripped it down, resprayed with OEM paint, etc. She started first pull after rebuild. Gotta love Hondas

But in typical fashion and before I get too big for my boots, i have to admit she hunted and surged a little bit. It happened when I took the revs down but calmed down when i got to idle. If I then slowly added thottle it was fine.

I first thought the fuel/air mixture was lean so I fettled with the pilot jet screw and set it to spec (all the way in and back it off 1 and 3/4 turns). This is not a two minute job as to access the screw you need to undo the intake manifold. Anyway made no difference. So I took the carb off and cleaned it again. That's an hours job as the fuel tank has to come off as do all the linkages. A right pain. Anyway got it back together. Started hunting again.

So I then thought about the spark. I had put a new one on and it was gapped fine. But i noticed i had used a BMR6A rather than a BM6A.....could a resistor really make all the difference? Well the answer is yes it can and it did. The resistor is for non-CDI models with points and condenser. Apparently the spark is less powerful.

So it just goes to show always use the exact spark plug!   

Ok so to close this off, I found the reason the that crank seal was leaking despite changing it twice. Someone had gouged the crankshaft right where the seal lip sits. I managed to get a new old stock crank from the US (not bad for a 35 year old machine!), so swapped it out. All working fine and no more oil.

So changed the seal again. It's better but still leaking. The problem is a small gouge in the crank. Nothing will solve that other than a new crank..which I found on eBay in the US. So a winter project to swap that out. In the meantime, I'll restore the deck.