Hello Folks,

I have a 10 year old Honda Harmony lawn mower, model HRM215SDA (1993).
Recently, I have noticed that every once in a while the mower will
start to run rough and lose power. I also noticed that I could smell
a different sort of exhaust smell while it was going though this
"rough" running. Note that I didn't see any change in the exhaust
color, meaning no smoke at all, either black or white, just a
different smell and rough running. At times the mower would even
die...like I hit the kill switch. I have looked for a fuel filter,
but I for the life of me can't find one. All I see is a screen in the
fuel tank where the gas exits and that appears as clean as can be...

The other day I was experiencing rough running from my Honda mower and
remembered the float sticking in an old motorcycle of mine years ago.
I found a screwdriver and tapped the carburators float reservior with
the screwdrivers butt end. To my surprise the mower responded
immediately and began to purr like a kitten... Now I think I have the
problem pin-pointed but am not sure what the remedy is. I suppose I
could replace the float...clean the float...clean the float
reservior...replace the pin? Is there a remedy in a bottle? (yeah
right)

Any suggestions?

Jason

Hello Folks,

This is a follow up to my own post...

I ended taking the carburetor off the Honda HRM215SDA mower. I took
it apart, removed the float and the center pin. No adjecting screws
to mess up, just remove the screw at the bottom of the float bowl and
the two nuts that run horizonal from the carb. Slide the carb off
horizonally and disconnect the control wires.

What I found in my 10 year old Honda mower's carburetor was an orange
liquid that was, I believe, water. I guess you would call this
varnish as I had to rub the bottom of the float bowl with some steel
wool. After all was said and done, with the carb clean as a whistle,
I put it back on the engine and tightened all the nuts and screws.
Opened up the gas, and pulled the rip cord, started on the first pull
and purred like a kitten...I was amazed, I thought I was going out on
a limb...all worked out well, my mower runs like new again!

Jason
TC, MI

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like a bad batch of gas. Do you fill
your mower with a screened funnel? That'll catch dirt and ambient water.
I've a 20 year old Honda HR214 SX that starts and purrs like a kitten (even
after standing around all winter with a full gas tank - which you're
supposed to drain). Starts on the first pull in the spring. It always has.
I do find that synthetic oil (5w-30 Mobil 1) keeps the engine cleaner than
petroleum. Starting is easier (in the cool fall) when regular oil gets
thick. Compressed air works well to blow out the paper filter and any
detergent works on the foam filter wrapper.

Bill

"Jason" wrote in message
om...
Hello Folks,

This is a follow up to my own post...

I ended taking the carburetor off the Honda HRM215SDA mower. I took
it apart, removed the float and the center pin. No adjecting screws
to mess up, just remove the screw at the bottom of the float bowl and
the two nuts that run horizonal from the carb. Slide the carb off
horizonally and disconnect the control wires.

What I found in my 10 year old Honda mower's carburetor was an orange
liquid that was, I believe, water. I guess you would call this
varnish as I had to rub the bottom of the float bowl with some steel
wool. After all was said and done, with the carb clean as a whistle,
I put it back on the engine and tightened all the nuts and screws.
Opened up the gas, and pulled the rip cord, started on the first pull
and purred like a kitten...I was amazed, I thought I was going out on
a limb...all worked out well, my mower runs like new again!

Jason
TC, MI

Hey there Bill,

Wow, good deal on your 20 year old Honda mower... Yeah, I'm going to
start using "STA-BIL" and a full tank of gas this winter. I should
have done this years ago, this is my Honda Harmony's 10 season. I am
really please with the performance of my mower after I cleaned out the
carburetor. It made all the difference and I was surprised how easy
it was to take the carburetor off and clean it without messing it
up...if you know what I mean! There really isn't anything to mess up
on the carb. it has to adjustment screws besides the idle screw. The
float and pin, are easy to disassemble and reassemble.

I would say a good way to check to see if your Honda has some gunk in
the float bowl is to unscrew either of the two screws in the bottom.
The screw that is at an angle is to drain the float bowl. When I
unscrewed this screw, orange liguid rushed from the loosened
screw...upon further inspection, I found the very bottom of the carb's
float bowl to have a ring of rust? or something that had been sitting
in the bottom. Varnish-Wather?, I don't know but it was the root of
my "rough" running Honda at times....

I still can't believe how well it runs again...

Happy Mowing

Jason
Traverse City, MI
















"Bill Freeman" wrote in message ...
Thanks for the advice. Sounds like a bad batch of gas. Do you fill
your mower with a screened funnel? That'll catch dirt and ambient water.
I've a 20 year old Honda HR214 SX that starts and purrs like a kitten (even
after standing around all winter with a full gas tank - which you're
supposed to drain). Starts on the first pull in the spring. It always has.
I do find that synthetic oil (5w-30 Mobil 1) keeps the engine cleaner than
petroleum. Starting is easier (in the cool fall) when regular oil gets
thick. Compressed air works well to blow out the paper filter and any
detergent works on the foam filter wrapper.

Bill

"Jason" wrote in message
om...
Hello Folks,

This is a follow up to my own post...

I ended taking the carburetor off the Honda HRM215SDA mower. I took
it apart, removed the float and the center pin. No adjecting screws
to mess up, just remove the screw at the bottom of the float bowl and
the two nuts that run horizonal from the carb. Slide the carb off
horizonally and disconnect the control wires.

What I found in my 10 year old Honda mower's carburetor was an orange
liquid that was, I believe, water. I guess you would call this
varnish as I had to rub the bottom of the float bowl with some steel
wool. After all was said and done, with the carb clean as a whistle,
I put it back on the engine and tightened all the nuts and screws.
Opened up the gas, and pulled the rip cord, started on the first pull
and purred like a kitten...I was amazed, I thought I was going out on
a limb...all worked out well, my mower runs like new again!

Jason
TC, MI

I have a Honda 215 too. Got it at Home Depot about 3 years ago, end
of season sale. The salesman wanted to give me $200 off for the floor
model, which was ok. So, while I'm standing there thinking, the mgr
comes along and says to the salesman "what are these still doing
here?, how come they're not marked down more?" I got it for $275.
You should have seen the saleman whining, like the diff came out of
his pocket. LOL




(Jason) wrote in message om...
Hey there Bill,

Wow, good deal on your 20 year old Honda mower... Yeah, I'm going to
start using "STA-BIL" and a full tank of gas this winter. I should
have done this years ago, this is my Honda Harmony's 10 season. I am
really please with the performance of my mower after I cleaned out the
carburetor. It made all the difference and I was surprised how easy
it was to take the carburetor off and clean it without messing it
up...if you know what I mean! There really isn't anything to mess up
on the carb. it has to adjustment screws besides the idle screw. The
float and pin, are easy to disassemble and reassemble.

I would say a good way to check to see if your Honda has some gunk in
the float bowl is to unscrew either of the two screws in the bottom.
The screw that is at an angle is to drain the float bowl. When I
unscrewed this screw, orange liguid rushed from the loosened
screw...upon further inspection, I found the very bottom of the carb's
float bowl to have a ring of rust? or something that had been sitting
in the bottom. Varnish-Wather?, I don't know but it was the root of
my "rough" running Honda at times....

I still can't believe how well it runs again...

Happy Mowing

Jason
Traverse City, MI
















"Bill Freeman" wrote in message ...
Thanks for the advice. Sounds like a bad batch of gas. Do you fill
your mower with a screened funnel? That'll catch dirt and ambient water.
I've a 20 year old Honda HR214 SX that starts and purrs like a kitten (even
after standing around all winter with a full gas tank - which you're
supposed to drain). Starts on the first pull in the spring. It always has.
I do find that synthetic oil (5w-30 Mobil 1) keeps the engine cleaner than
petroleum. Starting is easier (in the cool fall) when regular oil gets
thick. Compressed air works well to blow out the paper filter and any
detergent works on the foam filter wrapper.

Bill

"Jason" wrote in message
om...
Hello Folks,

This is a follow up to my own post...

I ended taking the carburetor off the Honda HRM215SDA mower. I took
it apart, removed the float and the center pin. No adjecting screws
to mess up, just remove the screw at the bottom of the float bowl and
the two nuts that run horizonal from the carb. Slide the carb off
horizonally and disconnect the control wires.

What I found in my 10 year old Honda mower's carburetor was an orange
liquid that was, I believe, water. I guess you would call this
varnish as I had to rub the bottom of the float bowl with some steel
wool. After all was said and done, with the carb clean as a whistle,
I put it back on the engine and tightened all the nuts and screws.
Opened up the gas, and pulled the rip cord, started on the first pull
and purred like a kitten...I was amazed, I thought I was going out on
a limb...all worked out well, my mower runs like new again!

Jason
TC, MI