Honda HRR2169VKA not propelling

I recently replaced the clutch cable on my HRR2169VKA. The clutch is engaging the transmission, but it seems too weak to propel when it's flat on the ground. Just to test if the cable is indeed engaging, I lifted the handle to hoist the rear wheels and they are spinning pretty rapidly. However, when I sit the rear wheels back down, it wants to barely move, if at all. Also: no, the wheels are not spinning when it they hit the ground. Please know: I had to adjust the governor from when it saw a previous shop that did some pretty crappy work. When it came back from that shop, it ran a lot slower and didn't seem to cut as well. This adjustment was done at the same time I replaced the clutch cable. Did I not mount the clutch cable to where it pulls the transmission enough? Have bushings gone bad? Is the transmission defunct? Did me adjusting the governor ruin anything? Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

-Michael in Texas
Honda HRX217HYA
Honda HRR2169VKA
Honda HRS216SDA
Toro POS2008

I spoke to a buddy of mine: he said that the gears went bad on his rear wheels. I popped them off and they didn't seem to be visibly worn out.

fyi, The '9' in the model names is a version code (K-number) and is the most current version of the model. Honda has issued no bulletins, updates or recalls on the mower.

Here are a few snippets from the shop manual that might help.



If you do remove/clean the pinion gears, be absolute sure you get them on correctly. Can be fitted on the wrong side and backwards!

Inspect inside ring gear on rear wheels for damage too.

Robert- sorry for the late response. I replaced the transmission and I am still having the same problems. As for "P. 3-10"....readjusting the smart drive. I guess I'm lost on that one. Can the smart drive not pulling hard enough on the clutch keep it from propelling?

I adjusted the Smart drive actuator pin and setup. I used a screwdriver to push the cable all the way in, so that I could correctly place the cable. Same thing happens. Could it be the main drive pulley on the bottom of the engine? Now, I'm lost.

michaelhager6 said:

I adjusted the Smart drive actuator pin and setup. I used a screwdriver to push the cable all the way in, so that I could correctly place the cable. Same thing happens. Could it be the main drive pulley on the bottom of the engine? Now, I'm lost.

Click to expand...

On later production mowers, the belt delivers power to the input pulley on the gearbox by the tightening of the belt. The entire gearbox rotates to achieve a tight belt, and I've seen where it [A] does not move it enough (usually fixable with a cable adjustment) Something is binding / blockingthe moment, or (C) there's an internal fault inside the gearbox. and even [D], an oversized/incorrect belt was installed. So, lots of things to still check; a challenge over email for sure. Unless you live in snow country, I'll guess your local Honda dealer might not be too busy to do a complete nads-on inspection and evaluation.