HRX 217 Needs starting fluid to start.

[patrickpresti]

Hi Guys,

I have a Honda HRX 217 that won't start unless I give it a squirt of starting fluid. I did take off the carb and gave it a full cleaning. One thing I noticed is that when the engine is not running, the throttle plate is at wide open throttle. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[pugaltitude]

As rivets has said in your other post clean the carb thoroughly.
What did you exactly do to the carb? What did you clean?
You have a fuel flow problem.
When its in the off position the throttle will be wide open position.

 

[reynoldston]

It would seem to me you still have a carburetor problim. Could your float level be off. It sounds like a bad fuel pump but I am going to guess there isn't one on your mower. If your RPMs are OK after it starts your governor is working good and that throttle plate is normally being open unless you hooked your linkage up wrong.

 

[reynoldston]

Just remenbered I had a repair job in my shop about a mounth age that would only start that way. It ended up being a bad head gasket. I had a hard time finding the reason it would only start that way. Check for low compression?

 

[patrickpresti]

As rivets has said in your other post clean the carb thoroughly.
What did you exactly do to the carb? What did you clean?
You have a fuel flow problem.
When its in the off position the throttle will be wide open position.

When I took off the carb, I took it apart and cleaned the entire thing. Bowl off, float off. Everything was spotless.

Like I said, It'll start with half a pull with a shot of starting fluid. After I have it running and I shut it off and then I try to start it right away, it'll start without any fluid, When I let it sit for 5 minutes or longer, then it will only start with a shot of starting fluid.

Thanks again,

Pat

 

[pugaltitude]

Just remenbered I had a repair job in my shop about a mounth age that would only start that way. It ended up being a bad head gasket. I had a hard time finding the reason it would only start that way. Check for low compression?

Dont think it can be headgasket if its the Honda gcv engine as it dosent have a cylinder head but joined at the crankcase.
Wierd setup. absolute pig of an engine to stripdown.

 

[pugaltitude]

When I took off the carb, I took it apart and cleaned the entire thing. Bowl off, float off. Everything was spotless.

Like I said, It'll start with half a pull with a shot of starting fluid. After I have it running and I shut it off and then I try to start it right away, it'll start without any fluid, When I let it sit for 5 minutes or longer, then it will only start with a shot of starting fluid.

Thanks again,

Pat

Is the choke set up right?
Has yours got the automatic choke system.

 

[patrickpresti]

Mine has the automatic choke system.

 

[pugaltitude]

Mine has the automatic choke system.

When you say throttle plate, do you mean choke plate?
The throttle plate is closest to engine.
Choke plate is closest to air filter.
If the choke plate is wide open then that can cause bad start as it should automatically close when getting cold.

 

[patrickpresti]

When starting, the throttle plate is wide open and the choke plate is closed. The choke plate seems to be closed all of the time. It never seems to change when it's running or if it's not running.