HRN216 Engine Issues

[chevyman142000]

Hello - I picked up a Honda HRN 216 mower off Facebook marketplace for $20. The person said the engine had issues, but they weren't sure what was wrong. Basically it was hard to pull. I put it back together, they had the motor off of the deck. I was able to get it to run for close to a minute, and then it died. I took the spark plug out and it is still hard to pull. I checked the flywheel brake and that is definitely disengaging properly. Other weird thing is I think it got hard to pull after it ran the one time. Wondering if anyone has had a similar issue with this engine? I haven't flipped it over to check and see if the shaft is bent or not yet. By the way, the blade and the drive belt are removed. Let me know if I can provide any other details. Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Oil level good/full?

 

[chevyman142000]

Yes, oil level is good and looks almost new.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Probably is brand new, replaced just after it siezed because there was none in it .

 

[chevyman142000]

Probably is brand new, replaced just after it siezed because there was none in it .

Unfortunately that might be the case. Is it even worth digging in further?

The rest of the mower is really nice...tempted to see if I can take the briggs motor off of my old mower and put it on this one.

 

[HurstGN]

Harbor Freight makes a Honda clone that can be had for cheap with a sale and coupon. It might be easier to install. I used one on an Airens to replace the original motor. It ran for about 5 years before the drive mechanism broke on the mower. I sold the mower for parts, less the engine. I have it as a spare in case I need one again in the future.

 

[chevyman142000]

I took a look at it again when I got home from work. The shaft is bent. Also, I can hear a fairly loud click when turning it over. I would say motor is shot. I’ll look into the clone at HF. Might try swapping my Briggs on since that is free other than my time trying. If it doesn’t work, oh well.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Uo to this point all it has cost you is only your time and a couple of beers
So pull the engine out and pull it apart to see what is actually damaged beyond repair and what price the parts are
You might get a pleasant surprise and end up with a $ 500 mower for $ 200 and 5 hours .

 

[chevyman142000]

Well, I tried to swap the motors tonight but unfortunately that fit wasn't correct. That said, I'll keep the motor and rip into it when I get some more free time and see if I can't repair it. Thanks for the help and suggestions!