Honda Mower Seized Piston

[NJDan]

This a pretty good how to on the GCV's

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs29YrREpUJGL6pJ038OXCfCkzz2fWdX7

Thanks! We were both posting at the same time so this helps answer my last question.

 

[NJDan]

OK so I'm trying to take this lawn mower apart and after 2 bloody fingers and a strained wrist I am learning that there are some specific tools required for engine work lol.
I tried removing the crank shaft nut with my impact drill but no go. I am trying to avoid buying an impact driver but that seems to be the only way to get it off. I can buy a quarter inch driver for pretty cheap and use it for other things but will it be strong enough to remove the nut? The half inch driver is a beast but for $249 I don't see myself using it ever except to remove a tire.

I am also going to try and tap the fly wheel off before buying a puller because it seems like a lot of people are removing the flywheels with a not so gentle tap.

I am willing to invest a little to get the mower apart and see if it is fixable but I want to be reasonable about it too.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

to get the flywheel nut off, block the blade underneath with a 2x4 or similar object. to keep it from spinning. May need a cheater pipe or breaker bar to bust the nut loose.
Removing the flywheel, I thread the nut back on, to where its flush with the top of the crank threads, use a object suitable for prying, to pry up on the flywheel, then I like to use a block of wood on top of the flywheel nut to prevent damage to the threads, and strike it with a hammer until the flywheel pops off its taper on the crankshaft.

 

[bertsmobile1]

And 1/4" drive impact guns are a toy at best and a joke at worst so leave them on the TV adds spruking them to the public who have no idea.
A top end 3/8 driver ( $ 300+ ) is barely strong enough to be of any use
Even a lot of 1/2" ones do little more than round off heads .I have the highest power air gun I could get in 2011 and even it falls short .
However there is little that can not be done with noting more than a good set of strong spanners & 6' of water pipe or just a spanner & a big mallet .

 

[Scrubcadet10]

This sucker is where it's at (650 ft lbs of breakaway torque) so far it hasn't let me down, and it's super portable....https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-24-volt-Max-1-2-in-Drive-Cordless-Impact-Wrench-1-Battery-Included/1000738134
It doesn't wince at flywheel bolts or nuts.

 

[shurguywutt]

Here is another option if you want to go electric. But I think Bert's got the cheapest solution with using an "old school pipe extension" to a wrench or breaker bar.

https://harborfreight.com/85-amp-12-in-variable-speed-impact-wrench-with-rocker-switch-64120.html

Make sure you are strong and have room because it weighs 8 lbs ROFL.

 

[NJDan]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I picked up a half inch socket wrench (beefier that what I had) and found a 6' pvc pipe for a cheater bar... yes I said pvc. It actually worked! I didn't try to block the blades because this mower has a blade clutch and I didn't want to mess with that. After unsuccessfully trying to remove the flywheel with the hammer I'm going to pick up a puller. It didn't come loose after a few tries and I'm afraid of messing up the threads if I haven't already.

 

[StarTech]

I when first got my 1150 Air Cat it couldn't even loosen the lug nuts on my pickup. Now of the were a couple couplers, and 100 ft of air line involved. The problem was line restiction introduced by the couplers and plugs. They supposedly "M" style which mean they reduce the 3/8 line to under 3/16" This cause the psi at the tool to drop to 20 psi which is well below the 90 psi needed and that was without a load when operating the impact. I am using "V" style couplers and plugs and have near full line pressure at the end of the 100' 3/8" line under load.

There is still cases where even 1300 ft-lbs break away is not enough on some decks. On those I use a 5 ft cheater bar and all my strength to row boat the nuts and bolts loose. There are also times where an impact simply will not work loosening the fasteners. One example is the removal of the fan on a Stihl backpack blower.

 

[rustycat]

Hi. My first post in this forum!

I ran my Honda HRX217HZA with the GC190 engine dry of oil stupidly about a month ago. It seized up and I thought I was done until I started googling it. Apparently a lot of times the piston can be freed with some penetrating oil and a wrench. I removed the spark plug and the top cover where the pull cord is housed. This exposed a nut that is connected to the motor shaft. I was able to free up the nut and everything turns as it should. The pull cord now pulls. However, I am not getting any spark so nothing is happening.

In the process of figuring out the spark problem I noticed that I do not see any piston movement while turning the motor. I look into the spark plug hole with a flashlight and nothing moves. Does this mean I have a sheared part between the motor and piston, or is this normal? I'm not going to pursue the spark issue if I have a stuck piston.

Thanks for any comments!

Dan

The engine is junk now with a busted connecting rod with a hauled crankshaft

 

[StarTech]

The engine is junk now with a busted connecting rod with a hauled crankshaft

Just because the connecting rod is broken doesn't mean the engine is toast. I have repair many Briggs engines that had broken rods. It just depend what internal damage have been done. Most crankshafts just need a Muriatic Acid bath to remove the aluminum transfer. These are splash lubed engine so the top and bottom crankshaft bearings should be fine; unlike, the GXV620 had top bearing failure that I repaired earlier. Usually splash lube system loses the connecting rod first.

Rod at full throttle usually does the most damage but that depends on where the rod broke.