Honda HRM215 HXA self propel issue

[seemoor]

Morning all. Been repairing mowers as a hobby off and on for aver 15 yrs but I am stumped with my own mower. The mower is a 20+ yr old (~2004) Honda HRM215K2 hxa which was down to 1 speed (slow). I changed the drive belt and drive cable. For the first 2 mows it worked great (no tranny issue I'm thinking) but now it is back to only slow again. Cable is adjusted properly and there is no fluid leak from the tranny. Frustrating. Belt slipping, pulley?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[slomo]

20+ years old. Maybe time for pulleys. Belt and cable got her going for a touch. Or your cable is not set proper??

 

[seemoor]

Have adjusted the cable in multiple positions but no change in speed--still slow. Why would it work fine for a few hours then go back to one speed? How can I tell if the tranny pulley is bad? Also belt rides on the engine spindle/shaft only, no pulley like the newer hxa's. Could the belts be slipping there?

 

[slomo]

To me there is too much slack in the belt. Maybe some Honda experts will chime in. You'd have to look at your parts list and see what all is involved. Then say tug on the belt and see if she slips.

Did you use an OEM Honda belt or something off Scamazon?

 

[seemoor]

OEM belt. Thing is new belt was the same as take off (part number wise) but was a bit wider. Put it on anyway and lt worked fine for those 2 mows. Is there a way to snug up the new belt?

 

[slomo]

If the new belt is wider then the old one is worn, guessing from my keyboard. If you've wore it down that far then the pulleys are suspect too.

 

[seemoor]

How to tell if a pulley is worn? Not seen that before. BTW, thanks for all your input.

 

[Auto Doc's]

Check for proper tension spring and mechanism operation. Grass clipping can build up in them and hamper proper operation.

V-belts grip on the sides of the V, so the wear you described on the old belt sounds normal.

 

[seemoor]

Put the old belt back on the other day with same result - slow. Like pushing a sled. Pulley clean and looked like new. What should i look for to tell .. if the pulley is worn out . I think we're close to solving my problem. Thanks again.

 

[Auto Doc's]

If is it a steel pulley, there should be minimal wear. If it is a nylon pulley, there will be a significant wear groove on the center of the chamfered area of the pulley, where the belt rides.

I question how the operation cable fitting in the bracket is. Also, the pull back spring. (Without the engine running) Watch the belt when the handle squeeze portion is activated for the drive to see if the belt tightens up like it should.

If the belt tightens, you may have to dig a little deeper into the drive transmission portion.