Scootertrash
04-12-2013, 02:37 PM
Had an aquaintence bring me a generator with a Honda GX340 11 HP motor on it. Typical complaint: Sat for couple years and wouldn't start, got it running but dies off, now it won't start at all. Get it running and give it a tune up.
I didn't even bother trying to start it when I got it. Drained and pulled the carb, cleaned it, put it back on. Drained the tank, gave a fresh gas rinse, drained that and threw in enough fuel to get it running so I could diagnose further if it still didn't run.
Tugged on the rope and it pulled over really easy, like too easy. It also backfired thru the carb. :wondering
I pulled the valve cover to take a look at the valve adjustments since that was part of the tune up anyway, and the intake rocker was WAAAYY too loose, like a stuck valve loose. :wondering :wondering
So I pull the spark plug out to give it a compression test and just for the heck of it I shine my bore light for checking gun bores into the plug hole and I see what looks like a wire. :wondering :wondering :wondering
I pull the head and here is what I found:
167283
167284
167285
It was a piece of tie wire we use for tying rebar together for concrete work. This guy is mechanically challenged to say the least. My guess: He heard that "If it doesn't start you can clean something or other out with a wire and it will run".
The wire had to go in thru the spark plug hole, there's no other way it could have gotten in there. The cylinder sits horizontal so my guess is the wire fell into the valve when it opened while it was being pulled over. The worst part is he didn't tell me so I could save time by just getting the wire out first and also preventing potential cylinder damage. Fortunately everything looks fine inside the cylinder and the valve is not damaged.
I think a verbal lashing is in order when he picks his stuff up. ;)
I didn't even bother trying to start it when I got it. Drained and pulled the carb, cleaned it, put it back on. Drained the tank, gave a fresh gas rinse, drained that and threw in enough fuel to get it running so I could diagnose further if it still didn't run.
Tugged on the rope and it pulled over really easy, like too easy. It also backfired thru the carb. :wondering
I pulled the valve cover to take a look at the valve adjustments since that was part of the tune up anyway, and the intake rocker was WAAAYY too loose, like a stuck valve loose. :wondering :wondering
So I pull the spark plug out to give it a compression test and just for the heck of it I shine my bore light for checking gun bores into the plug hole and I see what looks like a wire. :wondering :wondering :wondering
I pull the head and here is what I found:
167283
167284
167285
It was a piece of tie wire we use for tying rebar together for concrete work. This guy is mechanically challenged to say the least. My guess: He heard that "If it doesn't start you can clean something or other out with a wire and it will run".
The wire had to go in thru the spark plug hole, there's no other way it could have gotten in there. The cylinder sits horizontal so my guess is the wire fell into the valve when it opened while it was being pulled over. The worst part is he didn't tell me so I could save time by just getting the wire out first and also preventing potential cylinder damage. Fortunately everything looks fine inside the cylinder and the valve is not damaged.
I think a verbal lashing is in order when he picks his stuff up. ;)