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Hello. I have a new Honda Model HRX217HYA with hydro drive and pull start. When trying to start with the throttle at FAST and blades disengaged, drive speed at zero, all as instructed, the engine kicks back. It is as if the engine pre ignites or back fires and pulls back on the pull rope so hard and quickly, I hurt my hand. I removed the spark plug and found it to be dry. The engine turns easily with the spark plug removed. This is the second time I have tried to use the mower. The first time was on April 21 when I received the mower and it started fine and mowed the lawn without issue. I changed nothing between that use and this attempted use. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Lyle (papazig)

Nothing happened the first time you used it? Like hit an object? Did you buy it used? From a guy that works on mowers?

As Fish was getting to, I would look at the flywheel key.

I think it's the cam/automatic compression release problem I have been reading about. Take a look at the RECENT 1 star reviews on the Honda Site.

Wolfepack88 said:

I think it's the cam/automatic compression release problem I have been reading about. Take a look at the RECENT 1 star reviews on the Honda Site.

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I am a model engineer for Honda Power Equipment. We are experiencing a high volume of HRX "K6" camshaft decompressor failures. I offer this information as a gesture of apology, but I am not here as an official representative of American Honda. I am a fellow lawn mower owner.

We are currently working through a supplier issue, but we are on top of getting replacement parts supply to rectify the situation along with a service bulletin. If anyone has any questions, you are more than welcome to contact me directly, but I am not here officially.

Metallitubby said:

I am a model engineer for Honda Power Equipment. We are experiencing a high volume of HRX "K6" camshaft decompressor failures. I offer this information as a gesture of apology, but I am not here as an official representative of American Honda. I am a fellow lawn mower owner.

We are currently working through a supplier issue, but we are on top of getting replacement parts supply to rectify the situation along with a service bulletin. If anyone has any questions, you are more than welcome to contact me directly, but I am not here officially.

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Understood and thank you for the info. I just want to have a shiny new HRX that works.

Wolfepack88 said:

Understood and thank you for the info. I just want to have a shiny new HRX that works.

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We want you to do the same. Quality is very important to us/me, where we are doing whatever it takes to make you, the customer happy.

Metallitubby said:

We want you to do the same. Quality is very important to us/me, where we are doing whatever it takes to make you, the customer happy.

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How long do you think the parts backorder is gonna be? My dealer says its like trying to get blood from a stone.

Wolfepack88 said:

How long do you think the parts backorder is gonna be? My dealer says its like trying to get blood from a stone.

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We have already started to receive them in small quantities. PM me and I can get your dealer a counter-measured cam.

Metallitubby said:

We have already started to receive them in small quantities. PM me and I can get your dealer a counter-measured cam.

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Thank you and I sent you the information in a conversation. I think that's how it works.

Wolfepack88 said:

Thank you and I sent you the information in a conversation. I think that's how it works.

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Information received. Thank you!

Metallitubby said:

I am a model engineer for Honda Power Equipment. We are experiencing a high volume of HRX "K6" camshaft decompressor failures. I offer this information as a gesture of apology, but I am not here as an official representative of American Honda. I am a fellow lawn mower owner.

We are currently working through a supplier issue, but we are on top of getting replacement parts supply to rectify the situation along with a service bulletin. If anyone has any questions, you are more than welcome to contact me directly, but I am not here officially.

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Thanks for your rare Honest Report. Currently I am awaiting like hundreds of others for Side Detection Modules for my GM Acadia. None in North America. It seems everything is cheaped up to the point of useless. Blame offshore inventory. It is not just Lawnmowers.

Gord Baker said:

Thanks for your rare Honest Report. Currently I am awaiting like hundreds of others for Side Detection Modules for my GM Acadia. None in North America. It seems everything is cheaped up to the point of useless. Blame offshore inventory. It is not just Lawnmowers.

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Yeah remember when a refrigerator would last 25 years. The one my parents purchased in 1964 is still running at my brother's house and survived 4 moves!! Now they say 5-7 years. What a joke!!

Wolfepack88 said:

Yeah remember when a refrigerator would last 25 years. The one my parents purchased in 1964 is still running at my brother's house and survived 4 moves!! Now they say 5-7 years. What a joke!!

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Now for those of you who like to find conspiracies under your bed, this one is real .
Done by nearly all manufacturers .
Drop the price so low that Joe Too Stupid to think sees it as a bargan then make sure it falls apart in a short time.
And because they sell 99.9% cheap short life junk they then say it is what the market demands and to be honest they are correct .
Henry Ford & Henry Royce were contemporaries
Ford made garbage thta barely got out of the show room door ^ Royce made the best car in the world that would ( and does ) last forever.
Ford made hundreds of millions and Royce went bust .
or on a USA slant.
Indian made advanced motorcycles with many inovative features that agoin would ( and have ) lasted for decades
Harley made junk that no one would buy till Easy Rider Started a cult.
Indian went bust post WWII & HD has gone on the be the last USA motorcycle company standing .
People do not want to pay for quality and f you don't believe this have a real good look at the way cars are advertised
Usually penis extensions .

papazig said:

Hello. I have a new Honda Model HRX217HYA with hydro drive and pull start. When trying to start with the throttle at FAST and blades disengaged, drive speed at zero, all as instructed, the engine kicks back. It is as if the engine pre ignites or back fires and pulls back on the pull rope so hard and quickly, I hurt my hand. I removed the spark plug and found it to be dry. The engine turns easily with the spark plug removed. This is the second time I have tried to use the mower. The first time was on April 21 when I received the mower and it started fine and mowed the lawn without issue. I changed nothing between that use and this attempted use. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Lyle (papazig)

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I had the same kick-back problem with a 9hp briggs, on a log splitter. Mine pulled back so hard, i thought itbroke something in my hand. Not fun at all !! I adjusted the valve setting at 1/4" past top dead center, and that fixed my problem. However, after using it a few times the valve setting would change back to hand- jerk again. i putblue locktite on the adjusting screw and that seemed to solve my problem. I don't know if this will help you, but before taking the engine apart, try setting your valve lash. I hope this helps you !

bertsmobile1 said:

Now for those of you who like to find conspiracies under your bed, this one is real .
Done by nearly all manufacturers .
Drop the price so low that Joe Too Stupid to think sees it as a bargan then make sure it falls apart in a short time.
And because they sell 99.9% cheap short life junk they then say it is what the market demands and to be honest they are correct .
Henry Ford & Henry Royce were contemporaries
Ford made garbage thta barely got out of the show room door ^ Royce made the best car in the world that would ( and does ) last forever.
Ford made hundreds of millions and Royce went bust .
or on a USA slant.
Indian made advanced motorcycles with many inovative features that agoin would ( and have ) lasted for decades
Harley made junk that no one would buy till Easy Rider Started a cult.
Indian went bust post WWII & HD has gone on the be the last USA motorcycle company standing .
People do not want to pay for quality and f you don't believe this have a real good look at the way cars are advertised
Usually penis extensions .

Click to expand...

Rolls Royce was purchased by BMW in 2003. Ford made millions of vehicles for the Working Man. Not the same market as RR. HD is a quality motorcycle.

papazig said:

Hello. I have a new Honda Model HRX217HYA with hydro drive and pull start. When trying to start with the throttle at FAST and blades disengaged, drive speed at zero, all as instructed, the engine kicks back. It is as if the engine pre ignites or back fires and pulls back on the pull rope so hard and quickly, I hurt my hand. I removed the spark plug and found it to be dry. The engine turns easily with the spark plug removed. This is the second time I have tried to use the mower. The first time was on April 21 when I received the mower and it started fine and mowed the lawn without issue. I changed nothing between that use and this attempted use. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Lyle (papazig)

Click to expand...

Bad timing problem either key in the fly wheel or your valves are way off

Gord Baker said:

Rolls Royce was purchased by BMW in 2003. Ford made millions of vehicles for the Working Man. Not the same market as RR. HD is a quality motorcycle.

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Rolls Royce motors had been bankrupted 4 times before BMW bought it from Nettlefords
And it was not a buy out as per say
Rolls Royce had done a developement deal with BMW to design & produce the next series of cars .
originally the new car was sold as a RR the Silver Serif and after 6 years was also to be sold by BMW as the 800 series with a different bonnet grill & interiour , a masterpiece of badge engineering when you see the two vehicles side by side they look nothing like each other .
RR was going to pay their 1/2 of the developement cost by flogging off Bently as a large capicity high performance car and had spent a fortune promoting the Azure .
At the last minute VW pulled out of the deal & bought Lambougini insted .
RR attempted to do a share offer to get the funds to pay BMW but they could not so they defaulted and BMW became the owners of RR trade mark in EU & USA plus the sole rights to market the cars .
VW then bought Bently expecting to get access to BMW's new engine & transmission technology but ended up buying a pup.
So they discontinued the Serif and rebadged the Audi 5 as the new RR for the UK & Asia .
However along with what VW bought was the liability for all of the old RR's out there ( around 92% of all that were ever made ) .
Plus they hd to pay BMW royalties for putting the name RR on any of the parts that they were obliged to continue to supply.
Thus for 12 years till VW & BMW sored out their positions Rr parts were very difficult to get .
RR parts are now named "Crew Parts " but where necessary do have the RR logo
BMW put out the new Phantom a wonder ful piece of engineering ( yes I have driven one ) that unfortunately looked like a stam engine from a Flash Gordon comic ( the German impression of what an American would consider a British car to look like ) which failed massivly in the market place .
As for HD, they were junk from day one but they were cheap junk that every one could afford to buy if they could afford the price of replacing all of the bits that broke or fell off.
However the public would not pay the 30% extra to get an Indian which was a quality motorcycle that actually worked as it should and lasted a very long time , apparently near 1/2 of thrie production is still know to exist ( not necessarily running , but can be accounted for ) .
Eventually their sales became soo bad that they were sold off a few times till eventually AMF bought them .
Unfortunately AMF produced extremely good motorcycle that were properly made for the first time in history but had zero appeal to the public and again HD was floundering till the grandson of Davidson bought a controlling interest in the company and did a redesign to bikes that would appeal to a small section of the community then spent a fortune on inventing the HD culture.
You know caps, badges, belts, T-shirts , sloppy joes, jackets, shot guns, knives about the only thing he did not market as HD was a line of beers .
And if you want proof of just how bad HD were in the 50's, 60's, 70's & early 80's just look at their sales as compared to imported British motorcycles which carried massive amounts of import tax ( at HD's request )
Had the UK motorcycle market no collapsed then HD would have vanished along with al of the other US motorcycle makers but the fact that the UK could no longer supply motorcycles provided a window for the rebirth of HD marked directly to the sectopr of the community that hated Japan so could not condone riding an oriential motorcycle .
Yamaha sent the SR 500 ( designed in Australia ) to the USA to prove to the Californian government that you could make an aircooled motorcycle that complied with their proposed noise laws which HD had been lobbying Congress for over decade to prevent them being introduced .
So the stuff they make now is acceptable if you ignore them being overweight & mostly underpowered for their capacity thus achieving worse fuel consumption than a lot of 4 cylinder cars .
The reason why the CHopper & latter Bobber crazes happened was because there were thousands of HD's all ver the place that could be bought for peanuts .

Wolfepack88 said:

Yeah remember when a refrigerator would last 25 years. The one my parents purchased in 1964 is still running at my brother's house and survived 4 moves!! Now they say 5-7 years. What a joke!!

Click to expand...

Efficient engineering will design a product that spends no more than necessary for it to last through the warranty period. The exception is for a product that pays for the higher price through reduced failures and production downtime (i.e., Caterpillar, for example).

Many years ago, Black & Decker marketing promoted that people didn't want a drill, they wanted a hole, so they built drills that would last long enough to drill the few holes needed by the average homeowner. Similar to B&D's approach, GE decided that consumers wanted light, not a light bulb. GE began to build appliances using that same approach. There are exceptions to this, usually when only quality components are available for a specific part, and when the cost to produce a good item is competitive with lower quality competitors. But most manufacturers of consumer goods now cut costs as much as they can to reduce purchase prices to be as competitive as possible.

Goes way back further than that
Ford tested his cars till the first major componant failed then downgrades ll of the other so they all failed together .
RR also tested theri cars till the first major part failed end made it better and this was repeated at infinitum
A while back one of the RR forums did the maths comparing buying a RR and buying a large family car
The assumed the standard vehicle would last 10 years and the cost to the consumer ened up exactly the same after 50 years
If you bought a more expensive car then the brak even point reduced and visa versa
So all of the owners of Silver Clouds & Silver Dawns are now in the cost less in the long run category and some of the Shadows are getting there as well .
My daily ride motorcycles are all over 50 years old and will probably run for another 50 years if petrol is still available then

Gee, the OP had one post and never came back is how I read this.

papazig said:

Hello. I have a new Honda Model HRX217HYA with hydro drive and pull start. When trying to start with the throttle at FAST and blades disengaged, drive speed at zero, all as instructed, the engine kicks back. It is as if the engine pre ignites or back fires and pulls back on the pull rope so hard and quickly, I hurt my hand. I removed the spark plug and found it to be dry. The engine turns easily with the spark plug removed. This is the second time I have tried to use the mower. The first time was on April 21 when I received the mower and it started fine and mowed the lawn without issue. I changed nothing between that use and this attempted use. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Lyle (papazig)

Click to expand...

I have the same mower that I bought new in 2016. I’ve experienced what you’re dealing with several times. Each time required a valve adjustment to get rid of the hard pull and severe kickback. IMO my mower is an absolute lemon due to the never ending repairs I’ve had to make.

If it is new, return it to the Dealer.

Some of the Honda "stuff" sure looks "chinesey" these days

I joined here just to add a bit of information. So I purchased a “new” (returned) HRX217HYAA mower from one of those guys that gets pallets of Home Depot returns with the cam issue. It was a good price and I knew I could easily install a new cam to solve the compression release issue. Now parts are on back order however, I found that if you pull the cord with the blade engaged, the momentum of the blades will overcome the compression backlash and the mower easily starts. I’ll keep running this way until the part is readily available and fix it when it’s convenient. I hope this might help someone

Great Hack. Likely the parts will never arrive. Well Done.

I had same problem on a mower with kawasaki engine. Pulling rope very hard and nothing moved.
The problem was, fuel leaked into engine oil.