Probably seized Honda Engine, Need help PLEASE!

[Shane1981]

Have a push lawn mover with Honda GCV160 engine. The mower has proper amount of oil in it which is two seasons old and not dark so seams ok. I left the mower over winter with premium gas (half tank) in it. Darn, I should have properly winterized it and emptied the tank.
Now I can't pull the string. Nothing is stuck with the blade. I can rotate the blade with hand but it's not rotating easily and also it gets harder to rotate after a little bit of rotating, it releases, and then the same thing happens. I removed the spark plug and then I could pull the rope but rotating the blade is still the same and a little hard. The spark plug seems normal with no sign of oil or any other dirt on it. I read somewhere to add a little bit of penetrating oil and I added a bit of WD40 into the spark plug hole. Let it sit overnight. I tried again in the morning and it's the same thing. Any idea what could be wrong and how I can fix it?

 

[cpurvis]

Remove the spark plug, Squeeze the handle that releases the blade brake and pull the starter rope; the engine should rotate easily. If it doesn't, either the blade brake isn't releasing or you have internal engine problems. I doubt that you have internal engine problems if it was running when you put it away last year.

 

[Shane1981]

Thanks for your reply. You are absolutely correct. When I removed the spark plug, I could pull the starter rope easily. But when I reinstalled the spark plug, it was again the same thing and could not pull the starter rope again. What could be the problem from your point of view?

 

[cpurvis]

Hydro locked. Remove the spark plug and tilt the mower to see if any liquid will run out.

 

[cpurvis]

Also, your compression release may not be working. That IS an internal problem.

 

[Shane1981]

I tilted the mower but no liquid came out. the park plug was completely dry when I removed it. I added some WD-40 though trying to lube the piston. Could the problem be from a faulty spark plug?

 

[Scrubcadet10]

probably the reason it gets hard to turn by hand, then easy, then hard is you're feeling the compression stroke in which both valves are closed, and the piston is compressing the air and fuel for combustion.

 

[gainestruk]

It sounds to me like the blade brake isn't releasing, when you pull the brake handle down on the handle where you push mower do you feel resistance to you pulling it, if you don't feel any resistance something is broken or pulled loose from brake.

 

[Shane1981]

probably the reason it gets hard to turn by hand, then easy, then hard is you're feeling the compression stroke in which both valves are closed, and the piston is compressing the air and fuel for combustion.

I lubed inside the cylinder with WD-40 and now I could rotate the blade by hand easier without so much of that feeling of getting easy then hard then easy. But what you mentioned makes sense.

 

[Shane1981]

It sounds to me like the blade brake isn't releasing, when you pull the brake handle down on the handle where you push mower do you feel resistance to you pulling it, if you don't feel any resistance something is broken or pulled loose from brake.

Thanks! I checked the blade break and it feels like normal. There is some resistance like always nothing different.