Honda GX390/BCS+Snowblower won't start. Need out before spring. Any thoughts?

[BillyDBrown]

Oh, it's a BCS749 if that helps.

It's been cold for awhile. Subzero f temps common. I've been blowing snow regularly. Used it last a couple of days ago. Seemed alright except, perhaps, the governor might have been freezing but I believe that's a different matter.

Today, all I get is kind of a click out of the electric start. It's a fairly strong click but then nothing. I'm not getting a weak battery performance like when you are running a battery down. More like a totally dead one but according to my plugin electric charger, it seems to have juice. Besides, if I switch to engine start mode on the electric plugin charger/starter, there is no change in behavior. There is no resistance at all on the starter cord.

Am running 5w-30 oil per engine manual.

I'd guess something is frozen but I'm not sure what or what to do about it other than try to warm the whole thing up which I don't currently have an easy way of doing. The throttle control and lever are moving freely but I suppose that doesn't mean I don't have a blocked fuel line. It didn't start and die though. Can't get a single turn out of it.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Industrial Toys]

No resistance at all on the starter cord? So, it's not engaging the motor?

 

[BillyDBrown]

Correct, no resistance.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I don't get what the relationship is between the pull starter and the electric starter. I would want to establish if there are two totally seperate issues or something related.

If the motor was somehow frozen, you would get nothing but resistance, trying to pull the starter cord.

Does it have a starter solenoid/relay?

 

[aczlan]

I don't get what the relationship is between the pull starter and the electric starter. I would want to establish if there are two totally seperate issues or something related.

If the motor was somehow frozen, you would get nothing but resistance, trying to pull the starter cord.

Does it have a starter solenoid/relay?

I agree, usually there is a 1 way clutch on the starter cord and a gear that spins up to engage the teeth on the flywheel on an electric starter.

Have you verified that the it is out of gear, the PTO is off, the clutch handle is locked in "squeezed" and that it is locking the kill switch down?
Have you tried putting the charger clamps on the starter itself to rule out a bad starter relay?

Aaron Z

 

[BillyDBrown]

Disclaimer: My mechanical/electrical knowledge does not run deep. This being said:

Have you verified that the it is out of gear, the PTO is off, the clutch handle is locked in "squeezed" and that it is locking the kill switch down?
Have you tried putting the charger clamps on the starter itself to rule out a bad starter relay?

It is out of gear.
The PTO is off.
The clutch is disengaged. The Kill switch on the BCS "Power Save" wet clutch will disengage the gears but allow the engine to run. This allows one to start the engine before touching the clutch.
I tried putting the charger clamps on the starter. Same response.

Does it have a starter solenoid/relay?

Don't all electric starters have these in some configuration?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yes. I was goint to suggest jumping starter attached solenoid or seperate starter relay, depending on what it had.

 

[WesKootenay]

Hmmm, this is very odd. Have you tried removing the pull start to see if the pawls are ok - not stuck? While this is off you can make sure the engine turns freely, pulling the spark plug would help a bit.
I only have a GX340 with pull start but I looked at a YouTube on installing the electric start kit - not much to go wrong. I was thinking about the low oil shutdown switch, but that wouldn't stop the starter from spinning the engine.
Keep us up to date and good luck.

 

[jbradley]

...not much to go wrong. ...
I've also looked at converting my GX390 to electric start, and several reviews of the kit mention problems with the timing, as all GX390s and G340 are not the same. It seemed like those with older engines didn't have the problems.

 

[aczlan]

Hmmm, this is very odd. Have you tried removing the pull start to see if the pawls are ok - not stuck? While this is off you can make sure the engine turns freely, pulling the spark plug would help a bit.

Good point, our woodsplitter has a Honda engine and something got rusty in the spring and the pawls wouldn't spring out and it had to be lubricated to work again.

Aaron Z