Honda 160cm3 self prop. lawn mower dies

notahandyman

Hi all. My lawn mower dies after 20-30 sec. of oper. I changed the spark plug. took off the carb. Didnt really do that great of a job with the gasket material reinstalling though. Anyway. I got the spring and bars back on the choke, and throttle.. all looks well but when I use it over med thick grass or after a 20 30 sec. running time, it dies and will not start until it has cooled off... Then starts right up like new again... What is going on with this thing. It is only 3 years old.. I do leave it outside over winter.. I changed gas and carb cleaned the carb.. What else can I do with it other than make a good boat anchor.. hjcass@gmail.com Thanks for any input..

DexterII

Sounds like a fuel problem. Not sure what your mention of the gasket means, but if you think that you did something wrong there, maybe you did. Go back and check it; a small tear, crimp, or whatever, can cause this problem. You mentioned "gasket material"; if you made a gasket, throw it away, and get the right one. Honda engines are generally pretty reliable, but because they are designed to run relatively clean, they can consequently be relatively finicky. I would inspect and clean the fuel cap, lines, and filter, if there is one. And, although I already mentioned it, don't overlook the cap. That is where the tank is vented, and a dirty cap can easily cause your exact situation. You might also try some carb cleaner, but I'm usually not too excited about that until I have checked everything else. Did you mark your cables before removing them? If not, maybe they are in the wrong place. If so, you may need a manual to get them back where they belong.

notahandyman

THANKS DexterII for your input.. It was the spring that was in the wrong place.. I decided to strip it down again and rethink it,, I figured it out because the spring wasn't strong enough to move the air? gate on the motor side of the carburetor but it was strong enough to move the choke side.. The arm goes closest to the motor... It is strong enough to do the job... I am sure I did butcher the gaskets though.. It is make a gasket material and it comes in a tube.. I dont know where to get the paper gaskets for the motor and the sears I bought it from doesn't support parts anymore.. Oh well.. Can you suggest someplace.. thanks for your help.. you hit the nail on the head,,

DexterII

Go to your local Honda dealer. My experience has been that Sears/Craftsman tend to prioritize parts such that you can't get them locally, but I imagine the Honda dealer has it or can get it. If not, you could try searspartsdirect,com. Not criticizing, you for making do with what you had, because I've certainly made plenty of gaskets over the years, but for 50's and 60's vintage automobiles, tractors, etc., and modern ones are not that forgiving. Now, when your gasket arrives, and you remove your Permatex RTV, or whatever, before installing the gasket, BE CAREFUL. Even a good, or bad for that matter, pocket knife is enough to damage the mating surfaces of the carburetor and engine, so make sure that you don't gouge it, or you will have another problem to deal with. Good luck!

notahandyman

cool thanks for the advice. 25 yrs or so I had to make gaskets for 18" water valves in the Air Force overseas.. We used paper gasket material and a ball paean hammer. Things sure have changed.. hahaha thx again