Any Honda Engine Guys Out There?

[pipehead]

Hello,
I'm having trouble with a Honda engine (13HP). It does not hold a constant engine speed. So long as it is not under any load, it runs well, but as soon as you load up the hydraulics, it starts to surge up and down. You can see the linkages moving back and forth.
Yesterday, I had to adjust the idle, because it was to low, and on the electrical side, was only producing 80VAC. I brought up the idle so that it would produce 120VAC, and all was well. This morning, it is wandering and surging again 9only under hydraulic load). Any ideas as to whay may cause this? Thanks.

 

[gpsman007]

stopped up fuel filter

 

[pipehead]

stopped up fuel filter

Filter is good/clean.

 

[Jredsjeep]

you might need to adjust the fuel jets, my honda did this till i richened it up a little. i think they are set as lean as they can go from the factory and sometimes need tweeked out some for th ereal world.

you could try pulling the choke out a little and see if it goes away, mine did till i could adjust it.

 

[stump grinder]

I recently had an issue with my log splitter. It would die under load but seamed to run fine. Sometimes it would seam ok too. I added hydraulic guages and made adustment to the pressure. Worked but still was not quite right. Finally I decided to pull the carburator. Brown crusty crap is what I found in it. Not the worst I seen by far but it does not take much. Clean the carburator and some dry gas probably would not be a bad idea either. Todays gas has that damn ethanol and it can really mess with the smaller engines. You have to eliminate bad gas and a dirty carb situation or you may just chase your tail.

 

[polkat]

speaking on my own findings on our larger 6-8 kw gensets there is a magnetic throttle/govner it becomes dirty and the contacts wont hold at full throttle. I look at that first then the fuel bowls under the carb

 

[pipehead]

I recently had an issue with my log splitter. It would die under load but seamed to run fine. Sometimes it would seam ok too. I added hydraulic guages and made adustment to the pressure. Worked but still was not quite right. Finally I decided to pull the carburator. Brown crusty crap is what I found in it. Not the worst I seen by far but it does not take much. Clean the carburator and some dry gas probably would not be a bad idea either. Todays gas has that damn ethanol and it can really mess with the smaller engines. You have to eliminate bad gas and a dirty carb situation or you may just chase your tail.

The carb is nice and clean, and it is fresh fuel (non-ethanol).

 

[KD57]

Mine did that, and it was caused by the fuel cap causing a vapor lock. Loosened the cap and it ran fine, tighten the cap down and it started surging again. Could not figure out why, cap was clean, but replaced it w/ a cap from another engine and had no problems. Tossed the original cap, bought a new one and no more problems.
All other components, carb, filters, etc were all clean. It was the cap.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Mine did that, and it was caused by the fuel cap causing a vapor lock. Loosened the cap and it ran fine, tighten the cap down and it started surging again. Could not figure out why, cap was clean, but replaced it w/ a cap from another engine and had no problems. Tossed the original cap, bought a new one and no more problems.
All other components, carb, filters, etc were all clean. It was the cap.

LOL. When I was a kid I swaped the gas cap on dads mower with the one on my fourwheeler. Not sure why I done it, but he sure was pist when he cranked his guts out on that mower to be able to finish the yard, but he was really pist when he figured out what I did.lol It wasnt to bad though.

 

[Ambull]

Hello,

Yesterday, I had to adjust the idle, because it was to low, and on the electrical side, was only producing 80VAC. I brought up the idle so that it would produce 120VAC, and all was well. This morning, it is wandering and surging again 9only under hydraulic load).

120VAC? Is this a generator or a hydraulic pump motor? Normally the voltage is somewhere between 13-14 VDC. Usually a generator needs to run at 3600 RPM in order to get 60 Hz out of the generator. What is the hydraulic load?

Am I missing something?

 

[pipehead]

120VAC? Is this a generator or a hydraulic pump motor? Normally the voltage is somewhere between 13-14 VDC. Usually a generator needs to run at 3600 RPM in order to get 60 Hz out of the generator. What is the hydraulic load?

Am I missing something?

I should have been more specific. The engine is driving a hydraulic pump and generator. It is on a piece of pipeline equipment. System pressure is 1600 psi/8 GPM on the hydraulic side.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

It is not uncommon for an engine that is running slightly lean to have an irregular engine speed like you described.

Some of the problem with the fixed jet carbs is that they may have been designed for gasoline, and not for gasoline blended with ethanol. Ethanol blended fuel requires just a bit more fuel with the air mix - but fixed jet carbs cannot compensate like the computer fuel injection in automobiles.

I have a similar problem with a Generac generator, and it runs OK on the ethanol blended fuel when up to speed - but if I try to use the feature where it will idle when you don't use any electrity the engine will stall when it trys to come back up to speed. Because the carb is slightly lean when running ethanol it stalls when the throttle opens quickly. When I run "ethanol free" gasoline or 100LL Avgas...it runs just fine.

Try running your engine on Avgas or find a local station that wells Torco or a similar racing fuel around a drag strip near you. Avgas runs just a bit richer than normal gasoline or gasoline blended with ethanol - so this will tell you if the problem is caused by a slightly lean fuel mixture.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Turn up the speed screw, I did this on my home generators and they seem to work to full capicity. No more circuit breaking and smoother running.
John

 

[komatsuvarna]

I should have been more specific. The engine is driving a hydraulic pump and generator. It is on a piece of pipeline equipment. System pressure is 1600 psi/8 GPM on the hydraulic side.

By any chance, is it a Mcelroy pipe fusion machine? Just curious cause I have one that does the same thing when its cold for about 5 minutes. I run the choke on about a quarter of the way then ease it off over a course of about 5 minutes then it quits when it warms on up. Figured it was running a little lean when its cold, but its fine when it gets warmed up.

 

[pipehead]

By any chance, is it a Mcelroy pipe fusion machine? Just curious cause I have one that does the same thing when its cold for about 5 minutes. I run the choke on about a quarter of the way then ease it off over a course of about 5 minutes then it quits when it warms on up. Figured it was running a little lean when its cold, but its fine when it gets warmed up.

It is a McElroy. A T28. Runs not bad with the facer open, as soon as you shut it, it starts surging. I'll try what you say.

 

[komatsuvarna]

It is a McElroy. A T28. Runs not bad with the facer open, as soon as you shut it, it starts surging. I'll try what you say.

After you start it leave the facer running for a little bit and let it warm up and see if it helps. Mine does the same when cold. Hope it helps.

 

[pipehead]

The engine still "hunts" under load. It runs best choked.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

The engine still "hunts" under load. It runs best choked.

Try using Avgas to confirm the problem is related to fuel mixture and running lean (Having to run with the choke on indicates it is lean). Avgas makes an engine run a little bit richer than auto gas (Mogas).

It might be possible to raise the float level a bit and get a little richer mixture. If the carb float has a metal tab that can be bent to raise the floats you could try that....if the float is plastic and has no adjustment I don't think this is much of an option.

The best fix would be to use some jet drills or reamers to make the jet sizes slightly bigger.

 

[Gypo Logger]

The engine still "hunts" under load. It runs best choked.

Is the motor burning oil? If it does it will require a richer choke setting. Valves maybe the problem if it's not carb/fuel related.
John

 

[yamahammer]

If your having to use the choke to compensate for a lean running condition you more than likely have an obstruction in your carb still, thoroughly clean your carb even though the bowl looks clean and Im sure it'll run like needed.
They do come set pretty lean from the factory usually but if it ran fine before and started developing a lean run then I would for sure remove and clean the carb.