Brand New Honda Mower Runs Lean

[Merkava_4]

I posted this in the chainsaw section by mistake. Sorry.

Model Number HRN216VYA

I didn't take a picture of the mower because it pretty much looks identical to the factory picture below.

Mower runs beautiful until the choke pulls off. It as one of those thermowax chokes.

I've had the brand new carb off for cleaning and I sprayed all the ports that the service manual says to do. The carb is CLEAN.

Mower runs fine with the blade engaged. It only runs lean at fast idle after the choke pulls off.

Idle mixture needle is already set to the far left at the limiter stop.

The obvious question is why does it run lean at idle?

 

[EchoShindaiwaMakitaDolmar]

My score of your post is based on you being guilty of PUI- because only a drunk person would post with no actual question or point.

 

[Merkava_4]

My score of your post is based on you being guilty of PUI- because only a drunk person would post with no actual question or point.

What's PUI and why do you hate me so much?

 

[EchoShindaiwaMakitaDolmar]

What's PUI and why do you hate me so much?

"Posting Under the Influence".

 

[Merkava_4]

"Posting Under the Influence".

The only influence I'm under is insanity. I don't drink alcohol and don't smoke. Gave up on drugs.

 

[Woodslasher]

My score of your post is based on you being guilty of PUI- because only a drunk person would post with no actual question or point.

I've noticed a rash of folks like that on here.

 

[beaglebriar]

I've noticed a rash of folks like that on here.

guilty

 

[beaglebriar]

I posted this in the chainsaw section by mistake. Sorry.

Model Number HRN216VYA

I didn't take a picture of the mower because it pretty much looks identical to the factory picture below.

Mower runs beautiful until the choke pulls off. It as one of those thermowax chokes.

I've had the brand new carb off for cleaning and I sprayed all the ports that the service manual says to do. The carb is CLEAN.

Mower runs fine with the blade engaged. It only runs lean at fast idle after the choke pulls off.

Idle mixture needle is already set to the far left at the limiter stop.

The obvious question is why does it run lean at idle?

View attachment 444772

If it’s brand new why are you working on it vs a certified Honda mechanic?

 

[Merkava_4]

If it’s brand new why are you working on it vs a certified Honda mechanic?

Because I'm a damn good mechanic. I'm 60 years old and I've been doing this stuff a long time. I'm not a kid like you think I am.

 

[bogieboy]

How fresh is the fuel, and how much ethanol content? The newer GCV170 is far less ethanol and stale fuel tolerant than the gcv160/190 arcitecture...

Does it still surge after its warmed up to full operating temp, or just when the choke opens at first?

Also, was this mower subject to the camshaft recall? If so it may not have been reassembled correctly, are all the gaskets in place and intact on the intake? Should be a metal core paper gasket between the airbox and the carb, paper gasket between the carb and the thermal isolator, and a paper gasket between the isolator and the cylinder block..

 

[Merkava_4]

How fresh is the fuel, and how much ethanol content? The newer GCV170 is far less ethanol and stale fuel tolerant than the gcv160/190 arcitecture...

Does it still surge after its warmed up to full operating temp, or just when the choke opens at first?

Also, was this mower subject to the camshaft recall? If so it may not have been reassembled correctly, are all the gaskets in place and intact on the intake? Should be a metal core paper gasket between the airbox and the carb, paper gasket between the carb and the thermal isolator, and a paper gasket between the isolator and the cylinder block..

Fresh fuel and brand new mower. Not subject to cam recall because it has the green dot on the box I'm told.

Surges when fully warmed up and choke off. The choke is the thermowax type therefore it's automatic.

After doing some poking around on the internet, I'm finding out that the orifice in the idle jet may be too small. The fix is to "clean" the jet with a special Honda jet cleaning kit with wires in it. The kit looks exactly like a torch tip cleaning kit you would get at your local welding supply store for $6.99. The Honda kit is $70. I'm in the process now of trying to determine if in fact the Honda kit is not a glorified torch cleaning kit.

 

[EchoShindaiwaMakitaDolmar]

Though I don't know if this applies to your mower, in general Honda engines with the wax part have been a known issue for years. If memory serves, some people solve the problem by modding it to have a conventional manual choke.

 

[Merkava_4]

Though I don't know if this applies to your mower, in general Honda engines with the wax part have been a known issue for years. If memory serves, some people solve the problem by modding it to have a conventional manual choke.

When the choke fails, it fails in the open position causing a difficult cold start. This mower starts up quick and runs beautifully until the choke opens up.

 

[beaglebriar]

Because I'm a damn good mechanic. I'm 60 years old and I've been doing this stuff a long time. I'm not a kid like you think I am.

Okay dude…I assumed it was under warranty.

If you’re so fukkin great why are you here asking for help??

 

[Joe Kidd]

 

[bogieboy]

Fresh fuel and brand new mower. Not subject to cam recall because it has the green dot on the box I'm told.

Surges when fully warmed up and choke off. The choke is the thermowax type therefore it's automatic.

After doing some poking around on the internet, I'm finding out that the orifice in the idle jet may be too small. The fix is to "clean" the jet with a special Honda jet cleaning kit with wires in it. The kit looks exactly like a torch tip cleaning kit you would get at your local welding supply store for $6.99. The Honda kit is $70. I'm in the process now of trying to determine if in fact the Honda kit is not a glorified torch cleaning kit.

View attachment 444804

Just because the choke is open does not mean that the engine is fully to temp..... which can cause surging with no load....

That aside, theres a screw in the top of the carb, under the throttle plate screw, remove that, and the pilot jet is under there, make sure thats clean... if it is, and it still surges, take a dental bit and ream out the pilot a hair....

Side note, green dot box is just that it was sent to honda and repaired in a honda repair facility for the recall, not that it was not affected under the recall... seeing that you have the box, i assume you purchased from a big box store like home depot?

 

[Wonkydonkey]

I’d like to see a vid of this mower with it demonstrating the problem,

As it think it’s just the automatic throttle (load or no load) just bouncing a bit.
If it is. Then it should be an easy tweak

 

[Merkava_4]

Just because the choke is open does not mean that the engine is fully to temp..... which can cause surging with no load....

That aside, theres a screw in the top of the carb, under the throttle plate screw, remove that, and the pilot jet is under there, make sure thats clean... if it is, and it still surges, take a dental bit and ream out the pilot a hair....

Side note, green dot box is just that it was sent to honda and repaired in a honda repair facility for the recall, not that it was not affected under the recall... seeing that you have the box, i assume you purchased from a big box store like home depot?

I have a feeling that if I bought a brand new Genuine Honda carburetor for a $100 it would come with the same exact idle jet that's too small.

What is a dental bit?

Yes I bought the mower at the big box store because it's one of the few credit cards I have left.

 

[RCBS]

Fresh fuel and brand new mower. Not subject to cam recall because it has the green dot on the box I'm told.

Surges when fully warmed up and choke off. The choke is the thermowax type therefore it's automatic.

After doing some poking around on the internet, I'm finding out that the orifice in the idle jet may be too small. The fix is to "clean" the jet with a special Honda jet cleaning kit with wires in it. The kit looks exactly like a torch tip cleaning kit you would get at your local welding supply store for $6.99. The Honda kit is $70. I'm in the process now of trying to determine if in fact the Honda kit is not a glorified torch cleaning kit.

View attachment 444804

What I'd try. Enlarge those pilot jet holes a little with a tip cleaner. If you want to skip that, look up a carb for same engine pre-2010 and order the main jet.

 

[Merkava_4]

What I'd try. Enlarge those pilot jet holes a little with a tip cleaner. If you want to skip that, look up a carb for same engine pre-2010 and order the main jet.

I think the main jet is doing fine. It's the idle jet that's being too restrictive. Once the blades start whirling, the engine runs fine. I assume it's running off the main jet with the engine under load and with the blades engaged.