smoking Honda harmony 214

[GMCDURAMAX]

I GOT THIS MOWER FROM MY DAD(ITS PROBABLY BEEN ABUSED). IT RUNS GREAT, BUT IT SMOKES REAL BAD. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT IT SMOKES TERRIBLE. AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES IT SMOKES OFF AND ON. IF YOU IDLE IT IT SMOKES THE WORST. I HAVE 15W-40 MOBILE DELVAC IN IT NOW TO CLEAN IT UP SOME, BUT AFTER RUNNING FOR ABOUT 30-45 MINUTES IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE MADE MUCH DIFFERENCE. ALTHOUGH I ALREADY DRAINED IT ONCE AND IT WAS DIRTY.

IS THE SMOKE FROM:

A. A STUCK RING
B. A BROKEN RING
C. A BAD VALVE SEAL
D. SOMETHING ELSE

I'M TALKING SERIOUS SMOKE TOO, NOT JUST A LITTLE. IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF FIXING IT WITHOUT TEARING IT APART???? I HAD THE HEAD OFF AND THE BOAR SEEMED SMOOTH. SHOULD I TRY TO FIX IT OR CHUNK IT AND GET ANOTHER ONE?

 

[Schmoe]

If it's the OHV kind, then I'll take B for 200 Alex. If valves are on the side, I'd pick C.

 

[Propflux01]

Check the breather element on the side of the engine, usually held on by two bolts/screws. I am assuming this is a B&S engine? If so, remove it, and you will see a circular hole in the metal interior, it should be covered by a phenolic disc. If not, get a new one and should fix it. those things when they go bad really make an engine smoke. this is assuming, of course, that the engine is basically sound condition. more info would be helpful

 

[NThomas]

Tim - he gave most the info in the post and topic. Honda 214. and honda would not put another engine on their mower so it would not be a Briggs

some of the 214 series had OHV and some were L-head engines

but i would also say a ring problem.

[ July 23, 2003, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: NThomas ]

 

[Cujet]

Make sure not to fill it to the max. Those OHC engines have a problem with oil level and smoke.


Chris

 

[Bror Jace]

Mine lets out a healthy little puff of smoke at start-up and then clears up completely. The longer it's sat, the larger the puff of smoke.

Just started doing this in the past year or so ... and it's 15 years old.

--- Bror Jace

 

[harbor]

I've got a 1996 Honda 215 walk behind mower that emits one puff on start-up, but also burns oil pretty quickly.

After a cut on a one acre lawn, the oil level goes down one hatch mark on the dip stick. Using 10-30, 30W or 15-W40 doesn't matter; consumption is stil the same.

 

[cryptokid]

pull the valve cover iff your 214. its 6 10mm bolts. 4 for the valve cover, and 2 for the cooling shroud which only needs to be tolted up slightly.

see if theres and sludge in it. also it would be a good idea to adjust the valves while the valve cover is off.

 

[94MaxGXE]

My 18 year old 214 was blowing a HUGE blue smoke screen at startup. This spring I used one of the HIGH MILEAGE 10w30 dino oils for its spring oil change. {old quart of Valvoline I had arround}
Takes me about one hour to cut my lawn. By the fourth cutting, only a small puff of blue smoke at startup!!!

Try some Pennzoil High Mileage 10w30 next.

 

[Ken2]

Neutra works great in these small engines. An ounce per quart in the oil (tablespoonful in a half-quart oil sump), and an ounce per gallon in the fuel, including 2-cycle mix. Unless there's a serious mechanical reason for the oil smoke, you'll have less smoke, more power, and about 25% fuel savings.


Ken

[ August 05, 2003, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: Ken2 ]

 

[Bror Jace]

"Try some Pennzoil High Mileage 10w30 next."

Good recommendation ... but in mine I'm running Schaeffer 15W40. I figured the slightly thicker oil would be better in an older machine. I said above that it's 15 years old but it's actually somewhere between 15 and 20.

I also like the anti-corrosion protection found in the diesel/fleet oils as I only change the oil in this little bugger every year or so.

Still, this mower never burned a drop of oil. In that entire time I've never had to add oil to it between changes ... even when we used it to mow the fields currently handled by our 18hp, twin-cylinder tractor with a 3-blade belly mower. It took a handful of hours each week to get the mowing done.

And during that time, I used ultra-thin Mobil 1 5W30!

It was both the Tri-Synthetic as well as its predecessor.

--- Bror Jace

 

[Bror Jace]

Was using the getting-ancient Honda Harmony today and putting up with the intermittant "running-out-of-gas" thing it does ... but I also thought I heard the wheels squeaking a little as I puttered along.

Never having ever done anything with the wheels/axles, I figured taking them off and giving them oil/grease/whatever might be in order.

Well, the front wheels came off easily, but I was pretty surprised at what I found. Each wheel had an inner and outer roller bearing. I couldn't believe it. Is this over-engineeing or what? I expect to see the wheels turning on a teflon or some other material bushing ... not a pair of roller bearings.

Anyway, the bearings barely moved. The axles were in good shape. Definitely used-looking but no heavy scoring. I suppose after 15+ years, this was to be expected. I popped all 4 of them out (rear was a different design because it's self-propelled) and dunked them into some cutting/penetrating oil.

The oil turned from a medium-dark brown to dark grey ... almost black ... in a couple hours. I guess that's the oil and solvents dissolving all the grease ... even the hardened stuff.

Aftre 2-3 hours, I pulled them out of that nearly-black soup and tossed them in a jar filled with a few ounces of ATF and about a half ounce of Neutra. Soaking them like this for a couple days should clean them up nicely. At the time of the switch, they all turned but still had too much "grit" to them.

Once clean, I will have to re-lubricate them properly before re-installing. How to do that?

Method #1 - Soak them in gear oil (75W140) and put them back on.

Method #2 - Attempt to re-pack them in some type of wheel bearing grease before re-installing. I have Schaeffer #238 on hand. I'm just afraid that I won't be able to actually force the grease into these small units which are probably not designed to be re-packed.

--- Bror Jace

PS - This thing doesn't usually smoke at all at start-up. I've been watching it since this thread was created. It only does it at certain times ... like after the thing has been sitting for a long period of time (months) or perhaps after the machine was tipped.

 

[Pablo]

Bror - I'd use grease on the bearings

My Harmony will occaisonally puff smoke. Not much really, no noticeable oil consumption either....oh yeah, must be the 100:1 the wife poured in the tank

No kidding she does mow...but she just picked the smallest gas can - which does say "premix, etc" written all over it...

New spark plug and new fuel and she runs like a champ.....OK OK I really didn't notice a difference in power.

 

[Bror Jace]

Pablo, yeah, I'm gonna try and hand-pack grease into the littl things. Doesn't look that easy though.

Still wish my mower sounds/feels like it's running out of gas after mowing for 20 minutes ... depsite being full.

--- Bror Jace