predator 212cc compression release failed

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meep

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Anyone ever seen this? 10-month old predator 212cc, probably has 10-12 hours on it tops, in pressure washer use. started great and ran in one sitting for about 3 hours saturday. I shut it down, screwed the pump protector bottle on and went to pull the starter cord, and !ouch!. I fiddled with it a bit, put it away, thumped it a couple of times against the ground, and tried to pull it again the next morning. Nope - spins right into compression stroke then springs back hard.

I went back and checked the warranty - 2 years emissions, 90 days on everything else.

Is it worth taking apart to attempt to repair, or is this thing just a waste?

-Meep
 
If I remember right the compression release is a little spring loaded dealy on the cam that pulls in when engine rpm's come up to just under idle speed. Could be that the spring broke.

I've got a 13hp on a mud motor that I intentionally disable the compression release so I could run the motor down slower and help with cold weather use when the grease in the shaft is thick. Never caused me much trouble, just had to roll the motor around to the compression stroke and pull like a man. Helps to eat your wheaties in the morning.
 
That's an odd one meep. I haven't heard of compression release issues with any chonda, although like anything mechanical, it can happen. I'd want to pull it apart and see. If not, maybe try calling your local HFT store and see if they'll exchange it?
 
The 212 cc Predator is on sale for 99$. I am tempted to buy another to back up the perfectly running engine I have now. That way if I have trouble I can swap the engine out in a few minutes.
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
The 212 cc Predator is on sale for 99$. I am tempted to buy another to back up the perfectly running engine I have now. That way if I have trouble I can swap the engine out in a few minutes.
grin2.gif


Actually, that's not a bad idea. Especially if you are limited in allowable down time.
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
The 212 cc Predator is on sale for 99$. I am tempted to buy another to back up the perfectly running engine I have now. That way if I have trouble I can swap the engine out in a few minutes.
grin2.gif



That doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in those Chinese engines if you feel you have to keep a backup engine around for it. Despite the low initial price, I don't think I'd ever want one.
 
I wrestled with that too. I don't think I can buy another. Not with such a gloriously short life out of this one.

Once I have time to fool with it, I guess I'll cover and look inside. If it's a simple parts swap, filing an edge, whatever, then great. If it's more than that, I certainly won't buy another predator. Would rather locate a honda or B&S.

It's a $400 cat pump with a $99 engine attached to it. sigh....
 
Originally Posted By: meep
I wrestled with that too. I don't think I can buy another. Not with such a gloriously short life out of this one.

Once I have time to fool with it, I guess I'll cover and look inside. If it's a simple parts swap, filing an edge, whatever, then great. If it's more than that, I certainly won't buy another predator. Would rather locate a honda or B&S.

It's a $400 cat pump with a $99 engine attached to it. sigh....


Check your valve clearances. If the valves are out of adjustment it can be hard to start and mimic a compression release problem. Take the 10 minutes to check them and I bet you will fix your issue.
 
I bought one 5 years ago and mine did the same thing in the first year of ownership. I took it back to Harbor Freight with the receipt. They brought me a new one out still in the box. The new one is now 4 years old and runs perfect.
 
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If it was me, I would remove the spark plug to confirm the compression release is the problem. Just a loose rocker arm can cause this problem to.
 
Originally Posted By: sweezy722
I bought one 5 years ago and mine did the same thing in the first year of ownership. I took it back to Harbor Freight with the receipt. They brought me a new one out still in the box. The new one is now 4 years old and runs perfect.


Did you pay extra for the extended warranty when you bought the first one?

Whimsey
 
If it is giving you a big reverse kick like the cylinder is firing before TDC then it could be a broken sheer pin.

Compression release relies on the gap for the valve clearance. If the gap is too large the compression release will not work. I think you want the exhaust to be set to the minimum specs; probably something like 5/1000 of an inch. It is a little tricky because if you make the clearance too small you can burn an exhaust valve.
 
Based on the advice in this thread I'm going to start with valve clearances. If they seem ok I'll split the crank case and see if it's a reasonable fix. I'll just wait until it's winter and I'm looking for a project. I'll pick up the B&S pressurized pump saver to treat the pump in the mean time.

Thanks for the pointers!
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Valve adjustment can cause hard starting - check the valve clearances on it.


This. On my 21HP Briggs the compression release is tied into the exhaust valve lash clearance. If the clearance is even .003 to .004 over, it can cause the CR not to work. Is your engine a flat head or an overhead valve engine?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: tig1
Is your engine a flat head or an overhead valve engine?


These Predator engines are OHV -- generally Chinese reverse-engineered copies of the Honda GX.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: tig1
Is your engine a flat head or an overhead valve engine?


These Predator engines are OHV -- generally Chinese reverse-engineered copies of the Honda GX.


OK, then the problem probably is in the exhaust valve lash clearance. Easy fix.
 
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Update: I finally got around to looking at this.

The valve clearances were spot-on. I pulled the cam out and found the weighted arm and associated linkages to merely be binding. Unfortunately, the whole mechanism is press-pinned in to the gear and the camshaft, so removal wasn't an option. The best I could do what to exercise the mechanism until it seemed to free up. The return spring isn't that strong, but I would be hesitant to change in since it should be sized according to weight and rpm. anyway, the it's pull-able now, so it should start next year.

-Mike
 
People buy these engines, tear them apart when new, and sell the parts on eBay, so if you ever need a single part, start there.

I have over 100 hours on my Predator 212cc and it has been 100% thus far.
 
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