Literally the best video. Showed the issue discussed issue discussed resolution and showed resolution. Great camera angles. Cut and direct. PLEASE 🙏🏽 keep your videos coming. Other people’s videos suck.
To prevent your carburetor from getting gummed up, shut off the fuel valve when you are finished mowing, then run the engine until the carburetor is dry and the engine stops. This is especially important at the end of the mowing season. If you leave the carb full all winter, it will be gummed up by spring. To be on the safe side, I always run it dry after every mowing. Some people also use gasoline stabilizer additives, but it's not necessary if you run the carb dry.
Been doing the same many years. only thing is you don't leave it dry too long & by too long i mean after sitting dry for a few months or a season you"ll need to get fuel going through again.
My lawn is under 1,000sf so my 2 gallon gas container lasts me many months, on top have having no snow and not needing to run the snow blower. My lawn mower started right up 1st pull this weekend using gas I got last summer. I credit the gas still being good to the seafoam I put in it.
I have the Honda 160 in a older mower and for the last few summers has been surging just like at the start of the video. I knew it was the carb, but was afraid to take it apart and break it. Thanks for the step by step - especially the carb disassembly. I have always used premium ethanol free gas to keep it from getting gummed up and fouled. A quick tip on getting it re-assembled is to tip the mower on it's side 90 degrees - I found that way easier and the gasket's did not fall while trying to re-attach the crankcase breather hose and getting the plastic housing into place with the two main bolts.
My man!!! Followed your directions to the tee and it runs beautifully!!! Thank you for taking the time to save us big bucks!!!!! Much appreciated sir!! Amazing how something in the carb can be so tiny as to cause this much pain and suffering! lol!
This was great! I just picked up this same mower from a neighbor for $125.00 and while it was only used about 8 times 2 years ago, it had this same surging issue most likely due to the fact they left the fuel valve open the entire time. Thanks for the detailed DIY video!
Yeah yeah yeah..not a mechanic by any means..watched this video because my lawnmower was doing this..same mower btw..u explained it perfectly..I did everything you did and in like 15 mins. was mowing again..so glad I found an ez diy video like this instead of pay someone..kinda feel dumb cause it was so simple..thank you for the help
Yes, this is the best video on cleaning the carburetor and the jets. No power tools were used in any part of it and you showed that it wasn’t that hard to reassemble without using temporary alignment bolts. I couldn’t see if there was only one opening to reattach the thin governor wire. In other problem areas you cautioned about using the correct size of screwdriver to loosen the emulsion tube a very good tip. Thank you for posting!
They actually make a special carburetor screwdriver for this. It has the right size shank to fit in... Briggs and stratton makes it and it does fit a Honda carburetor... 19061 and 19062 are the briggs parts numbers
Thank you very much for the part numbers for the Briggs and Stratton special carburetor screwdrivers. Used the mower today and to my dismay it was surging again. So I’m going to have to take the carburetor off and clean it after all.
Thanks! I watched several other videos to try to get my mower fixed and yours was definitely the most detailed and thorough, and finally got my mower working correctly (after 3 different tries with the other videos)
Great instructions!!! I followed video step by step and it runs great. I literally was about to buy a new mower right before watching. Thanks so much!!!
Excellent video, thanks! Agree with other viewers, keep it up! Cleaned carburetor and gas tank for a Hra214 Honda mower, but not the center tube. Mower was running for 20 min, then surging and dying. Will clean parts like you showed, similar design. Except this one may be 20- 40 years old and still runs!😅
I keep a welders' tip cleaning wire set in my box just for this purpose. Nice stiff multiple sized wires with a little knurling towards the end provides some good scrubbing action on the harder gunk.
Good morning from Canada. I just got my Honda lawnmower serviced, it had the same issued. I left a little bit of gas sitting all winter, until last week I try to re-start it. But no a go, I ended up paying $90 for carb cleaning and rebuilt. Now it's back to life 👍
My friend has a Honda engine in her push mower too. Ive rebuilt it 4 times now. The last time I pulled everything, fuel tank to carb, to stop the surging. It helps for a while, then starts doing it again. After last time I told her we're getting a new carb. I took the carb off and stripped it down to zero part's, cleaned it and put it on. Worked fine for about an hour, then started it again. Insane. I'm either missing something in cleaning it and the obstruction comes back,,not sure. But, like urs, it ran beautiful after each cleaning for about an hour sometimes longer, then started surging again. You're right, these carbs have no adjustment s, no internal gaskets, diaphragms,etc. Very easy to clean. And works great, for about an hour when first started after cleaning but its crazy that it still surges. I've fixed many mowers by rebuilding the carbs, never had this issue. Thanks, hope urs stayed fixed.
Another trick you can try is to get some tiny micro drill bits and drill open the main jet one tiny size bigger. I've done this one successfully with a Honda engine. It simply needs to get more fuel. There are videos on YT out there to show how to do this. Good luck.
@@Buckwsr The thing that i wonder is, the machine ran perfect for so many years,, I'm assuming. With the jet size as is. You'd think just making it,,,, factory?, Again, would make it original, again. Strange. Ive never had a Honda mower engine before, but have cleaned Brigg's and other's and they work fine. For 20 bucks u can get a carb, filter, plug, fuel lines etc. I'm gonna go that route . Drilling the jet, seems sketchy. Though ur right, it's been done. What sucks is, I clean the carb, runs great. I drop it off, she uses it 1 day works great next day , surge's again. 🤪. Another thing I found is the filter is, in the fuel line,,, inside. Thats new to me. Thanks
@@UserUser14880 Yeah, when i did it last time I pulled the tank, found out the fuel filter is in the hose and just put a new hose on with in tank filter. Ran great for me to mow about 20 minutes. I took it to the owner, she said it ran great for about 2 hours and started surging again.
@@jameschuke4104 Thanks. About ready to give up. Every time I bring it home, work on it for a couple of hours ,runs fine. Take it to her, runs great for a couple of hours, then messed up again. 😱 Frustrating, cause when I fix my stuff, works for a long,long time. I don't know what she does to it. Cause I do it for free. Aggravating. Thanks.
The first time I took the carb off I had to bring it to a shop for reassembly! Not my idea but I purchased two M6 bolts a little longer than the stock ones and cut the head off of each leaving a stud. Upon reassembly, thread the cut off bolts into the block and "hang" the related parts on the studs in the correct order (in to out). When you have it all together, unscrew one stud at a time and replace with the stock bolts. Tighten and you are done; no muss, no fuss.
Thanks for doing this video. My Honda mower was doing this today after I left fuel tap open for two weeks, presumably fuel has been evaporating for two weeks gumming stuff up... Now I know what to do.
Great video. I have a 2023 honda 170 and had this surge issue pretty much right from new. I also have and still run my almost 40 year old Honda HRA 214 and never once had to remove the carb for any kind of cleaning or tuning. It forever ran 100%. Come on Honda. You can do better than this on these new engines. Apparently, all these new ones are like this.
I have a Craftsman lawn mower actin the same way. I assumed there was a problem with the governor or the governor spring. Now I know what to actually check. I'll let you know if it fixes my problem. Thanks
Right. A surging engine is almost always due to sucking too much air or not enough fuel. Clean out that carburetor main jet, and you should be good to go!
I have learned Buck that if you work on enough of those Honda carburetors , you'll learn how to clean them and get them to running . The hardest part for me for putting everything back in line where they would run .🤣😂 And there video's out that will take you step by step , and that's helped me in those hard times 🤣😂Thanks for the video 👍
I have a Honda powered lawnmower that I have run for over 15 years. Its stored every winter and starts up readily every spring. I use non-ethanol premium gasoline and at the end of the season I add a few ounces of automatic transmission fluid and then run the tank dry. The ATF protects the jets and passages as the remaining fuel evaporates over the winter. The following season I add fresh gas and then drain a few ounces of fuel out of the bowl drain to get rid of any old fuel and the ATF. Starts right up, every time.
my low speed jet screw was on so tight the screw head stripped. i had to take a dremel tool with a cutoff blade and cut a slot in the top of it so i could use a slotted screwdriver to get it off. it was pretty tight!
Just fixed another one of those Hondas last Saturday. Main jet was sealed up with ethanol residue. You should add a good inline fuel filter on those. Plenty of room.
Can an air cleaner not installed correctly cause the sputtering? I bought a machine on Facebook and changed the carb and plug but it still sputters some. The air cleaner cover is screwed on only. Seems to need to be replaced..already in the mail though. Thanks for the video!
Right. It runs fine for a minute or two while the choke plate is closed, but as the choke plate opens, you're getting too much air and not enough fuel. I hope a good carb cleaning fixes this for you. Good luck!
It looks like to make it easier to reassemble, you could insert a non threaded pin in the bolt holes, put everyhing in place, then replace the pins one at the time while holding it all in place.
As a kid, we rarely, if ever, had trouble with Briggs and Stratton engines, but Hondas seem to have a lot of carburetor issues. Are they junk or is ethanol a real problem?
I would add to that if the choke plate is not fully open after warming up you'll have surging and stalling. The little wax operated auto choke plunger device may be failing or linkage problem.
Mine starts right away and run for about a minute and all of the sudden the RPM and engine speed just rocket up and running so loud where I had to shut it down otherwise, I’ll blow up. Can you advice what to adjust? I have the same exact governors arm and the lower spring.
Hello, thank you for a awesome video. I followed it to a T! Started my TB240 up and it ran great for about a minute then it started the surging again. It ha a new plug and filter. Do you have any other suggestions on what the problem is? Thank you so much for your time and help! I do appreciate it.
Youve got to physically scrape with some kind of tool that main jet, which is the first thing to come out when you use a screwdriver to remove the jet. Carb spray is not enough to break down the hardened varnish on that jet. Scrape it with some kind of wire, pick, needle, guitar string, bread tie wire, something hard and pointy to really ream out that jet and clean the hardened varnish. I don't think I made that point very strongly in the video. But I would try that. After the first minute, when your automatic choke opened up, it started surging again as it was getting too much air and not enough fuel. Some people use micro drill bits to open up that jet a little bit. I've done that too. But most people don't have micro bit. Good luck.
@Buckwsr I took it apart again and the only thing I did differently was I used a small drill bit on the low speed jet with my fingers and Berryman B12 and spent a few minutes spinning the bit around and cleaning it out. I didn't want to reclean everything at once so I could figure out what if anything worked. I put it back together and it runs like it's brand new! I was so happy I put new wheels on the front because they looked like slicks. Thank you again so much! I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to you my mower is running great!
Hi all! I have a Sherpa brand self-propelled mower that's 6 years old. I have to be honest during Covid I left it to go to seed with old fuel in it. This year I decided to try and undo my errors. I stripped the carb and cleaned it. Replaced the oil, filter and Spark plug. It starts great, however after it gets warm it hunts and seems to bog down somewhat. Still mows fine though. I suspect I may be the cause as I forgot the Choke plate spacer when reassembling the first time. I roughly tightened it down and then realised my mistake once I checked my workspace for parts left over. Could the hunting be down to me damaging the thermal choke? Any advice would be appreciated.
Sounds like the bowl may be loose - tighten up the 10mm on the bottom and it will tighten the carb and it won't be pulling in air from around the fuel bowl. Had to do it on my Honda Today - I also had a fuel lock too.
Had the same problem with my Honda mower, replaced the carb and it worked fine for one mow session, about 45 minutes, then started surging again. Guess I'll clean the old carb jets and swap the carbs, see if that works.
Did you every figure out the problem? Exactly what happened to me. Clean the carb, runs great for an hour or so, then starts surging again. Frustrating.
@@peterford9369 I just bought a new thermowax and choke control, I haven't installed them yet, hopefully that will fix it. I'll post again when I get them installed and let you know.
@@stevecarey5918 Thanks. I'm curious if it could be something else. I know small engines have a device that increases the speed when under load. In a lawnmower, it would be hitting high grass. I'm wondering if that has a reaction to the surging issue. Thanks again.
So I had the same problem did exactly that even before I caught your video and still surges after I warmed it up so I bought a new carburetor put that one in and it surges.😢
Thanks for video. Followed along until you got to the jet and cleaning the various holes. I don’t seem to have that piece in my carb. Is that possible with a Honda troybilt 160cc? I cleaned the rest and still surging…
Thank you for doing this video. Very clear instructions and I know this is going to fix my mower. I’m pretty good with car engines but never have gotten into small engine repair. I figured something was clogged just didn’t know what and how to get to it. Thanks again!
I’m just a girl who doesn’t feel like she’d be able to get it back together if I take it apart. Is there something I can buy to add to the fuel that might have clean it without taking it apart?
Fuel additives are usually considered to be a means to preventing carburetor problems, but if your engine is already surging I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to clean out that carburetor, and specifically, use a sharp pointed instrument to clean that main jet. Carb cleaner alone won't do it. Use a paper clip, pin, guitar string, awl, or something hard and pointy to clean that main jet. That's your best bet to getting this running nicely again.
Would it make sense to run it dry before opening it to clean, so there's no gas in the "bowl" to drip out? Or is there some reason to avoid that? Thanks!
The Hondas usually have a fuel shut off valve, so close the valve, and than have a rag handy to catch the remaining fuel in the bowl that will spill out when you take it down. It's no big deal.
THANK YOU MR. BUCK!! Thank You for making this video and sharing it. Just fixed mine today following your video and wow....all ready to get back to the grind. THANK YOU AGAIN!!
Recommend CLEANING the engine prior to opening her up. That block is filthy. It's also in your engine manual as a YEARLY maintenance item. Clean the bock and cooling fins YEARLY. All mowers require this as they are AIR COOLED.
I’ve cleaned all the jets but cannot get the idle screw out. It’s frozen and will not budge. It’s really soft also and strips easily. Gonna have to dremel the head I guess. Honda’s aren’t built like they used to be. Very problematic in just a few years of use.
Haven't had this problem for years. I switched to non Ethinol gas years ago for everything I own. Now more crumbling fuel lines on weed eaters as well.
Ok so my Toro recycler has new carb ( everything attached properly ) , new gas line , new filter g=housing and new coil. Was running good , surging a bit to start and leveled out to cut half the lawn before the drive control wire snapped. Fixed the wire with a bicycle brake cable and started up the beast to have a racing engine well above normal. So anyone out there know what other cure there is?
Use a wire, guitar sting, fine pick, metal bread twist tie, or something to physically clean the small hole of the main jet. Carb cleaner alone, or other solvent, is not enough to remove the hardened varnish built up on that jet which impedes the flow of fuel. You've got to physically clean it.
Grease is not a good option. Carb cleaner is easily available at walmart or any auto parts store. You could also use brake parts cleaner, maybe even mineral spirits (paint thinner).
There are no adjustments on this carburetor. And that's why it surges....emissions regulations have it set too lean from the factory, with no adjustments, so that you and I don't destroy the planet....
you know that there is a fuel filter in the fuel line from the gas tank to the fuel on off switch take the line off the tank and you will see it sticking out of the line.
To fix it right you've got to use some kind of pick or wire to physically clean the small jet. Carburetor cleaner itself....or any other solvent...will not alone adequately remove the hardened varnish built up on the sides of the jet that restrict the flow of fuel. You've got to do some scraping or rubbing, in addition to the carb cleaner, to properly remove it.
Since I have zero aptitude for this stuff how much should I expect someone to charge me to clean out the carburetors in my mowers? I have 8 mowers and only one of them working right now. The guy I go to charges me 100 bucks to clean the carburetors but then I get the mowers back and they are still not working properly.
I got this same engine and it runs too fast..have to walk too fast to keep up with the self propelled feature ..I tried slowing it down by adjusting at the governor/shaft arm but it would make it worse with low idle surging...could my carb be too lean.?...help
This engine should run at a set speed. There is no real engine speed adjustment. And forcing a surging engine to run faster by tweaking the governor arm/throttle would be an incorrect solution. I would definitely recommend cleaning the carburetor as I demonstrate in this video, and be sure to use something hard like a pick or wire or bread tie or safety pin to clean the built-up varnish off the tiny passages in the main jet. Carburetor cleaner spray alone will not cut that. You gotta get physical with it! Once that is done, it should run well again. I have another video in which I talk about minor adjustments to engine speed, although I do not specifically mention the honda engines in that video. Either way, you might want to look at that. Good luck. ua-cam.com/video/sD6_2aa1viw/v-deo.html
@@Buckwsr I didn't have a surge problem originally. I have a high rpm problem which force me to lightly jog behind mower when I engaged the self propelled lever..I watched a UA-cam video which explained I needed to adjust the governor arm forward to slow the idle..This adjustment did not help. It caused a lower rpm with surging..Therefore I set the governor arm back to the original position and it returned to an excessive high rpm...Info I've gathered online points to a possible lean carb condition..Was just curious about your input. Thanks for your time.
@@jaytodd5809 Okay, gotcha. Well, surging is definitely due to a lean condition. In other words, getting too much air and not enough fuel. Often, cleaning the main jet in the carburetor fixes this. I'd be curious exactly how fast your engine is running. I have a cheap $15 or $20 small engine tachometer I bought on amazon. YOu just wrap the wire a few times around the spark plug wire, start the engine, and take a reading. A lawn mower engine should run about 3300rpm, max 3600rpm. Can I tell you something else? My personal favorite push mower I now use does not have self-propelled wheels at all. And I love it. It's easy to maneuver, and easier to use. And I can go at my own pace. I've found that pushing a mower that is designed to be self-propelled can also be cumbersome. I don't know why. Anyway, good luck. Just think of the calories you're burning as you jog behind your mower, ha ha!
Update..never could figure it out..went over everything..must be an air leak somewhere cause if i close the choke(which was previously disconnected) she runs at the correct rpm..WTH..
The thin wire that comes inside a twist tie is great for cleaning out the tiny holes in the emulsion tube.
Welding Tip Cleaner wires work great. A kit is very inexpensive and comes with a dozen different size wire diameters.
Saved me, brother. Went from “idk what is wrong” to a $6 bottle of carb cleaner and fixing it within an hour. Appreciate you!!
That's a great report! Good job putting the "Do" into "Do-It-Yourself"!!!
Literally the best video. Showed the issue discussed issue discussed resolution and showed resolution. Great camera angles. Cut and direct. PLEASE 🙏🏽 keep your videos coming. Other people’s videos suck.
Thank you so much, and you are, of course, correct on all points. BUT....did you get your mower fixed????
To prevent your carburetor from getting gummed up, shut off the fuel valve when you are finished mowing, then run the engine until the carburetor is dry and the engine stops. This is especially important at the end of the mowing season. If you leave the carb full all winter, it will be gummed up by spring. To be on the safe side, I always run it dry after every mowing. Some people also use gasoline stabilizer additives, but it's not necessary if you run the carb dry.
Been doing the same many years. only thing is you don't leave it dry too long & by too long i mean after sitting dry for a few months or a season you"ll need to get fuel going through again.
I always use Ethanol free gas as well. Doesn't gum up while sitting
I mix in seafoam in all my gas containers and never had a fuel related issue.
I always run the mower dry at the end of the cutting season.
My lawn is under 1,000sf so my 2 gallon gas container lasts me many months, on top have having no snow and not needing to run the snow blower. My lawn mower started right up 1st pull this weekend using gas I got last summer. I credit the gas still being good to the seafoam I put in it.
I have the Honda 160 in a older mower and for the last few summers has been surging just like at the start of the video. I knew it was the carb, but was afraid to take it apart and break it. Thanks for the step by step - especially the carb disassembly. I have always used premium ethanol free gas to keep it from getting gummed up and fouled. A quick tip on getting it re-assembled is to tip the mower on it's side 90 degrees - I found that way easier and the gasket's did not fall while trying to re-attach the crankcase breather hose and getting the plastic housing into place with the two main bolts.
My man!!! Followed your directions to the tee and it runs beautifully!!! Thank you for taking the time to save us big bucks!!!!! Much appreciated sir!! Amazing how something in the carb can be so tiny as to cause this much pain and suffering! lol!
Thanks, Robert. Glad you got your machine back in business.
@@Buckwsr is it also worthwhile just to replace the whole carburetor assembly? Cost of it seems quite cheap under 20 bucks.
This was great! I just picked up this same mower from a neighbor for $125.00 and while it was only used about 8 times 2 years ago, it had this same surging issue most likely due to the fact they left the fuel valve open the entire time. Thanks for the detailed DIY video!
Yeah yeah yeah..not a mechanic by any means..watched this video because my lawnmower was doing this..same mower btw..u explained it perfectly..I did everything you did and in like 15 mins. was mowing again..so glad I found an ez diy video like this instead of pay someone..kinda feel dumb cause it was so simple..thank you for the help
Thanks, Bud. Glad you got your machine running good again!
I emptied the gas and added seafoam to some fresh fuel and let it run for a few minutes. Got it working like champ.
Yes, this is the best video on cleaning the carburetor and the jets. No power tools were used in any part of it and you showed that it wasn’t that hard to reassemble without using temporary alignment bolts. I couldn’t see if there was only one opening to reattach the thin governor wire. In other problem areas you cautioned about using the correct size of screwdriver to loosen the emulsion tube a very good tip. Thank you for posting!
They actually make a special carburetor screwdriver for this. It has the right size shank to fit in...
Briggs and stratton makes it and it does fit a Honda carburetor...
19061 and 19062 are the briggs parts numbers
Thank you very much for the part numbers for the Briggs and Stratton special carburetor screwdrivers.
Used the mower today and to my dismay it was surging again. So I’m going to have to take the carburetor off and clean it after all.
Thanks for the video! This is the second time I watched and second time I fixed two lawnmowers with your help! I really appreciate you
Thank you so much, Caleb!
Take a picture of the linkage connections prior to removal to ensure proper reassembly. You’ll be glad you did
he ain't lyin'
I have the exact same engine with the exact same problem. This video taught me how to fix it. Thank you.
Thanks! I watched several other videos to try to get my mower fixed and yours was definitely the most detailed and thorough, and finally got my mower working correctly (after 3 different tries with the other videos)
Awesome! Now if only you had watched my video first....
Great instructions!!! I followed video step by step and it runs great. I literally was about to buy a new mower right before watching. Thanks so much!!!
Great job doing it yourself!!!
Excellent video, thanks! Agree with other viewers, keep it up!
Cleaned carburetor and gas tank for a Hra214 Honda mower, but not the center tube. Mower was running for 20 min, then surging and dying. Will clean parts like you showed, similar design. Except this one may be 20- 40 years old and still runs!😅
I keep a welders' tip cleaning wire set in my box just for this purpose. Nice stiff multiple sized wires with a little knurling towards the end provides some good scrubbing action on the harder gunk.
Good morning from Canada. I just got my Honda lawnmower serviced, it had the same issued. I left a little bit of gas sitting all winter, until last week I try to re-start it. But no a go, I ended up paying $90 for carb cleaning and rebuilt. Now it's back to life 👍
Thanks, Ed. Next time you'll save $90 by doing it yourself!
The best video on this particular issue of surging. Thanks for clearly explaing and sharing.
Thank you so much!
My friend has a Honda engine in her push mower too. Ive rebuilt it 4 times now. The last time I pulled everything, fuel tank to carb, to stop the surging. It helps for a while, then starts doing it again. After last time I told her we're getting a new carb.
I took the carb off and stripped it down to zero part's, cleaned it and put it on. Worked fine for about an hour, then started it again. Insane.
I'm either missing something in cleaning it and the obstruction comes back,,not sure. But, like urs, it ran beautiful after each cleaning for about an hour sometimes longer, then started surging again. You're right, these carbs have no adjustment s, no internal gaskets, diaphragms,etc. Very easy to clean. And works great, for about an hour when first started after cleaning but its crazy that it still surges. I've fixed many mowers by rebuilding the carbs, never had this issue. Thanks, hope urs stayed fixed.
Another trick you can try is to get some tiny micro drill bits and drill open the main jet one tiny size bigger. I've done this one successfully with a Honda engine. It simply needs to get more fuel. There are videos on YT out there to show how to do this. Good luck.
@@Buckwsr The thing that i wonder is, the machine ran perfect for so many years,, I'm assuming. With the jet size as is. You'd think just making it,,,, factory?, Again, would make it original, again. Strange. Ive never had a Honda mower engine before, but have cleaned Brigg's and other's and they work fine. For 20 bucks u can get a carb, filter, plug, fuel lines etc. I'm gonna go that route . Drilling the jet, seems sketchy. Though ur right, it's been done. What sucks is, I clean the carb, runs great. I drop it off, she uses it 1 day works great next day , surge's again. 🤪. Another thing I found is the filter is, in the fuel line,,, inside. Thats new to me. Thanks
@@peterford9369 try changing out the fuel filter yet?
@@UserUser14880 Yeah, when i did it last time I pulled the tank, found out the fuel filter is in the hose and just put a new hose on with in tank filter. Ran great for me to mow about 20 minutes. I took it to the owner, she said it ran great for about 2 hours and started surging again.
@@jameschuke4104 Thanks. About ready to give up. Every time I bring it home, work on it for a couple of hours ,runs fine. Take it to her, runs great for a couple of hours, then messed up again. 😱
Frustrating, cause when I fix my stuff, works for a long,long time. I don't know what she does to it. Cause I do it for free. Aggravating. Thanks.
I use a bread tie wire for the really small holes. I have the same engine on my Troy bilt mower and it runs great, one of the best engines I've had.
Yes, Hondas are very reliable, most of the time.
best video on this I've seen. Will be taking mine apart shortly.
Thank you for this, I appreciate it !
From the bottom of my heart BIG thank you your way , I follow every single step and my mower is up and running like it supposed to
Senor Asesino, your comment has made my day! Great job on fixing it yourself!
Thanks for this video. I fixed my mower! I had to take the carb off and clean it two times but it worked great.
Great job, Gregg! Awesome!
Thank you this is the only video that has got my mower running strong 💪
Great job, Nehemiah!
The first time I took the carb off I had to bring it to a shop for reassembly! Not my idea but I purchased two M6 bolts a little longer than the stock ones and cut the head off of each leaving a stud. Upon reassembly, thread the cut off bolts into the block and "hang" the related parts on the studs in the correct order (in to out). When you have it all together, unscrew one stud at a time and replace with the stock bolts. Tighten and you are done; no muss, no fuss.
Thanks for the video. Worked perfect after watching it mower runs great now
Fabulous! I also just did this same carburetor cleaning to a Honda mower yesterday. Now runs great. Thanks for the note!
Great video. Followed your step by step instruction and now my mower works great. Thank you!
Great job, John!
Thanks for doing this video. My Honda mower was doing this today after I left fuel tap open for two weeks, presumably fuel has been evaporating for two weeks gumming stuff up... Now I know what to do.
Dude, fishing line or a small wired bread tie works great for clearing holes.
My exact same mower is doing the same thing. I will let you know how I do!
Great video. I have a 2023 honda 170 and had this surge issue pretty much right from new. I also have and still run my almost 40 year old Honda HRA 214 and never once had to remove the carb for any kind of cleaning or tuning. It forever ran 100%. Come on Honda. You can do better than this on these new engines. Apparently, all these new ones are like this.
I have a Craftsman lawn mower actin the same way. I assumed there was a problem with the governor or the governor spring. Now I know what to actually check. I'll let you know if it fixes my problem. Thanks
Right. A surging engine is almost always due to sucking too much air or not enough fuel. Clean out that carburetor main jet, and you should be good to go!
Thanks!
Super tutorial about how to deal with a surging mower engine! Buck's a great teacher for us DIYs
Thank you so very much, Brian!
I just bought a new one off Amazon. $20 works perfect now
Good teacher and good demo!
Thanks for taking the time to put together, what's the green attachment on the mower?
This worked for me immediately. Great clear instructions!
That's great! Thank you so much.
I have learned Buck that if you work on enough of those Honda carburetors , you'll learn how to clean them and get them to running . The hardest part for me for putting everything back in line where they would run .🤣😂 And there video's out that will take you step by step , and that's helped me in those hard times 🤣😂Thanks for the video 👍
Thank you. I just did this and the mower runs great.
Great job, John!
I have a Honda powered lawnmower that I have run for over 15 years. Its stored every winter and starts up readily every spring. I use non-ethanol premium gasoline and at the end of the season I add a few ounces of automatic transmission fluid and then run the tank dry. The ATF protects the jets and passages as the remaining fuel evaporates over the winter. The following season I add fresh gas and then drain a few ounces of fuel out of the bowl drain to get rid of any old fuel and the ATF. Starts right up, every time.
I've heard of using non-ethanol gas...if you can get it...but the Transmission fluid is a new one for me! Good job taking care of your equipment!
my low speed jet screw was on so tight the screw head stripped. i had to take a dremel tool with a cutoff blade and cut a slot in the top of it so i could use a slotted screwdriver to get it off. it was pretty tight!
Just fixed another one of those Hondas last Saturday. Main jet was sealed up with ethanol residue. You should add a good inline fuel filter on those. Plenty of room.
Can an air cleaner not installed correctly cause the sputtering? I bought a machine on Facebook and changed the carb and plug but it still sputters some. The air cleaner cover is screwed on only. Seems to need to be replaced..already in the mail though. Thanks for the video!
My Honda mower is surging after 1-2min. I will try this. Thank you sir.
Right. It runs fine for a minute or two while the choke plate is closed, but as the choke plate opens, you're getting too much air and not enough fuel. I hope a good carb cleaning fixes this for you. Good luck!
Quick question, bowl was rusted, wiped it down- will I have to sand it to bare metal?
It looks like to make it easier to reassemble, you could insert a non threaded pin in the bolt holes, put everyhing in place, then replace the pins one at the time while holding it all in place.
Good tip, thanks.
Excellent video! The chickens are quite entertaining 😁
Thanks. Viewers either love those chickens, or hate them....
As a kid, we rarely, if ever, had trouble with Briggs and Stratton engines, but Hondas seem to have a lot of carburetor issues. Are they junk or is ethanol a real problem?
Hey man!! I really appreciate the video! It 100% helped the step by step and up close video helped immensely
Thanks, Ben!
Awesome video,exactly what I'm doing right now,kept surging but ,now I know I put two extra gasket ,thanks and stay safe
My comment would echo others on here. I have the exact motor. It was so easy to follow your video. Thanks!
Thanks, Wynn.
Thanks for sharing. Very useful for me to tackle the same problem with my toro mower 😅
Can't watch now, but do want to watch.
I would add to that if the choke plate is not fully open after warming up you'll have surging and stalling. The little wax operated auto choke plunger device may be failing or linkage problem.
Outstanding video, keep up the good work...
Mine starts right away and run for about a minute and all of the sudden the RPM and engine speed just rocket up and running so loud where I had to shut it down otherwise, I’ll blow up. Can you advice what to adjust? I have the same exact governors arm and the lower spring.
Hello, thank you for a awesome video. I followed it to a T! Started my TB240 up and it ran great for about a minute then it started the surging again. It ha a new plug and filter. Do you have any other suggestions on what the problem is? Thank you so much for your time and help! I do appreciate it.
Youve got to physically scrape with some kind of tool that main jet, which is the first thing to come out when you use a screwdriver to remove the jet. Carb spray is not enough to break down the hardened varnish on that jet. Scrape it with some kind of wire, pick, needle, guitar string, bread tie wire, something hard and pointy to really ream out that jet and clean the hardened varnish. I don't think I made that point very strongly in the video. But I would try that. After the first minute, when your automatic choke opened up, it started surging again as it was getting too much air and not enough fuel. Some people use micro drill bits to open up that jet a little bit. I've done that too. But most people don't have micro bit. Good luck.
@@Buckwsr thank you so much for your time and help. I will repeat the steps again. Have a great day.
@Buckwsr I took it apart again and the only thing I did differently was I used a small drill bit on the low speed jet with my fingers and Berryman B12 and spent a few minutes spinning the bit around and cleaning it out. I didn't want to reclean everything at once so I could figure out what if anything worked. I put it back together and it runs like it's brand new! I was so happy I put new wheels on the front because they looked like slicks. Thank you again so much! I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to you my mower is running great!
That is great news! Good job!
Hi all! I have a Sherpa brand self-propelled mower that's 6 years old. I have to be honest during Covid I left it to go to seed with old fuel in it. This year I decided to try and undo my errors. I stripped the carb and cleaned it. Replaced the oil, filter and Spark plug. It starts great, however after it gets warm it hunts and seems to bog down somewhat. Still mows fine though. I suspect I may be the cause as I forgot the Choke plate spacer when reassembling the first time. I roughly tightened it down and then realised my mistake once I checked my workspace for parts left over. Could the hunting be down to me damaging the thermal choke? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks. I just turbocharged my push mower and it fixed it
Great Video! Problem solved and ready for summer mow-fest. Thank you - Appreciate it.
Ah yes, the summer mow-fest! Have fun!
I gave you a like and follow for you great advice. I just fixed my Honda this afternoon doing exactly as you explained, and so clearly. Thanks a lot.
Thank you, TJ. Your note made my day!
Thanks so much for this video. You saved us some bucks!!!👍👍👍
Sounds like the bowl may be loose - tighten up the 10mm on the bottom and it will tighten the carb and it won't be pulling in air from around the fuel bowl. Had to do it on my Honda Today - I also had a fuel lock too.
Had the same problem with my Honda mower, replaced the carb and it worked fine for one mow session, about 45 minutes, then started surging again. Guess I'll clean the old carb jets and swap the carbs, see if that works.
Yes, that should do it. Good luck!
Did you every figure out the problem? Exactly what happened to me. Clean the carb, runs great for an hour or so, then starts surging again. Frustrating.
@@peterford9369 I just bought a new thermowax and choke control, I haven't installed them yet, hopefully that will fix it. I'll post again when I get them installed and let you know.
@@stevecarey5918 Thanks. I'm curious if it could be something else. I know small engines have a device that increases the speed when under load. In a lawnmower, it would be hitting high grass. I'm wondering if that has a reaction to the surging issue. Thanks again.
New choke control, thermowax and carb did not fix the problem. It still cuts grass so I'll live with the surging.
Nice lawnmover with big rear wheels . Is Honda or just the engine is Honda? What brand is?
So I had the same problem did exactly that even before I caught your video and still surges after I warmed it up so I bought a new carburetor put that one in and it surges.😢
What would it be if you cleaned the carb and it continues
Love the video now I will try to fix it
Thanks for sharing your experience, I fixed mine your way.
Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks for video. Followed along until you got to the jet and cleaning the various holes. I don’t seem to have that piece in my carb. Is that possible with a Honda troybilt 160cc?
I cleaned the rest and still surging…
You could try opening the fuel mixture screw half or maybe one turn, just fixed a 1960s mower with the same problem.
Most carburetors today have no adjustment. I'm sure your 1960 mower does, however.
Thank you for doing this video. Very clear instructions and I know this is going to fix my mower. I’m pretty good with car engines but never have gotten into small engine repair. I figured something was clogged just didn’t know what and how to get to it. Thanks again!
I bought similar lawnmower TB490 brand new from box and it was surging from first start
Thank for the video.helped me fix mine.
I’m just a girl who doesn’t feel like she’d be able to get it back together if I take it apart. Is there something I can buy to add to the fuel that might have clean it without taking it apart?
Fuel additives are usually considered to be a means to preventing carburetor problems, but if your engine is already surging I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to clean out that carburetor, and specifically, use a sharp pointed instrument to clean that main jet. Carb cleaner alone won't do it. Use a paper clip, pin, guitar string, awl, or something hard and pointy to clean that main jet. That's your best bet to getting this running nicely again.
Thanks! Be careful you don't drop the needle when you take the float out.
Would it make sense to run it dry before opening it to clean, so there's no gas in the "bowl" to drip out? Or is there some reason to avoid that? Thanks!
The Hondas usually have a fuel shut off valve, so close the valve, and than have a rag handy to catch the remaining fuel in the bowl that will spill out when you take it down. It's no big deal.
THANK YOU MR. BUCK!!
Thank You for making this video and sharing it. Just fixed mine today following your video and wow....all ready to get back to the grind. THANK YOU AGAIN!!
Recommend CLEANING the engine prior to opening her up. That block is filthy. It's also in your engine manual as a YEARLY maintenance item. Clean the bock and cooling fins YEARLY. All mowers require this as they are AIR COOLED.
I’ve cleaned all the jets but cannot get the idle screw out. It’s frozen and will not budge. It’s really soft also and strips easily. Gonna have to dremel the head I guess. Honda’s aren’t built like they used to be. Very problematic in just a few years of use.
Right. I've had some jets that were impossible to remove. Just do your best to clean it out, and hope for the best.
Haven't had this problem for years. I switched to non Ethinol gas years ago for everything I own. Now more crumbling fuel lines on weed eaters as well.
Ok so my Toro recycler has new carb ( everything attached properly ) , new gas line , new filter g=housing and new coil. Was running good , surging a bit to start and leveled out to cut half the lawn before the drive control wire snapped. Fixed the wire with a bicycle brake cable and started up the beast to have a racing engine well above normal. So anyone out there know what other cure there is?
Man I have cleaned my carb thoroughly and still have surge..maybe I have to do it again..I've even replaced my auto choke ad diaphragm.
Use a wire, guitar sting, fine pick, metal bread twist tie, or something to physically clean the small hole of the main jet. Carb cleaner alone, or other solvent, is not enough to remove the hardened varnish built up on that jet which impedes the flow of fuel. You've got to physically clean it.
Thank you. I will try this weekend
Having the same problem when it cranks up but stupid question to the pros but is white lithium grease okay to use if I don’t have any carb cleaner?
Grease is not a good option. Carb cleaner is easily available at walmart or any auto parts store. You could also use brake parts cleaner, maybe even mineral spirits (paint thinner).
My mower has the same engine. Mine runs great, but if it starts surging, I know what to look at now. Thanks.
You didn't show carb reassembly.
LOVE the ROSTER
I have exactly the same carb on my Honda. Couple of questions. Are the small screws in the carb adjustable or are they just fixed down tight? Thanks.
There are no adjustments on this carburetor. And that's why it surges....emissions regulations have it set too lean from the factory, with no adjustments, so that you and I don't destroy the planet....
@@Buckwsr Ok that's jake. Help much appreciated.
what a great video, and i'm sure it's exactly what my Honda mower needs. will get to it soon. thanks!!
you know that there is a fuel filter in the fuel line from the gas tank to the fuel on off switch take the line off the tank and you will see it sticking out of the line.
Great video, thank you so much!
Thank you.
Quick question would a little bit of fuel injector help clean it ?
To fix it right you've got to use some kind of pick or wire to physically clean the small jet. Carburetor cleaner itself....or any other solvent...will not alone adequately remove the hardened varnish built up on the sides of the jet that restrict the flow of fuel. You've got to do some scraping or rubbing, in addition to the carb cleaner, to properly remove it.
Since I have zero aptitude for this stuff how much should I expect someone to charge me to clean out the carburetors in my mowers? I have 8 mowers and only one of them working right now. The guy I go to charges me 100 bucks to clean the carburetors but then I get the mowers back and they are still not working properly.
I got this same engine and it runs too fast..have to walk too fast to keep up with the self propelled feature ..I tried slowing it down by adjusting at the governor/shaft arm but it would make it worse with low idle surging...could my carb be too lean.?...help
This engine should run at a set speed. There is no real engine speed adjustment. And forcing a surging engine to run faster by tweaking the governor arm/throttle would be an incorrect solution. I would definitely recommend cleaning the carburetor as I demonstrate in this video, and be sure to use something hard like a pick or wire or bread tie or safety pin to clean the built-up varnish off the tiny passages in the main jet. Carburetor cleaner spray alone will not cut that. You gotta get physical with it! Once that is done, it should run well again. I have another video in which I talk about minor adjustments to engine speed, although I do not specifically mention the honda engines in that video. Either way, you might want to look at that. Good luck. ua-cam.com/video/sD6_2aa1viw/v-deo.html
@@Buckwsr I didn't have a surge problem originally. I have a high rpm problem which force me to lightly jog behind mower when I engaged the self propelled lever..I watched a UA-cam video which explained I needed to adjust the governor arm forward to slow the idle..This adjustment did not help. It caused a lower rpm with surging..Therefore I set the governor arm back to the original position and it returned to an excessive high rpm...Info I've gathered online points to a possible lean carb condition..Was just curious about your input. Thanks for your time.
@@jaytodd5809 Okay, gotcha. Well, surging is definitely due to a lean condition. In other words, getting too much air and not enough fuel. Often, cleaning the main jet in the carburetor fixes this. I'd be curious exactly how fast your engine is running. I have a cheap $15 or $20 small engine tachometer I bought on amazon. YOu just wrap the wire a few times around the spark plug wire, start the engine, and take a reading. A lawn mower engine should run about 3300rpm, max 3600rpm. Can I tell you something else? My personal favorite push mower I now use does not have self-propelled wheels at all. And I love it. It's easy to maneuver, and easier to use. And I can go at my own pace. I've found that pushing a mower that is designed to be self-propelled can also be cumbersome. I don't know why. Anyway, good luck. Just think of the calories you're burning as you jog behind your mower, ha ha!
Update..never could figure it out..went over everything..must be an air leak somewhere cause if i close the choke(which was previously disconnected) she runs at the correct rpm..WTH..
Need video on changing fuel filter inside gas tanks
I don't understand why there isn't an inline fuel filter on these mowers. Gummed up or dirty carburetor seems to be a common theme
You were very helpful. Thanks
Thanks, Robert.