[msloane]

This isn't a walk-behind, but a riding mower that was given to me as a "junker". But I now have it in fairly nice condition. I have not started the engine yet because I have one problem: the differential works OK, but I cannot move the wheel forward or back together - it feels as if something is locked up, even though the gear shift is in the "N" position. I don't know if this is a normal function of the "MAT" electric clutch or a real problem inside the transmission. I don't have the shop manual, so I am at a loss here.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Five Points]

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to MLF!
If I'm reading this correctly. you are turning one wheel forward and the other wheel goes backwards?
If that is correct, that is normal. When you put it on the ground and put it in gear you will go forwards or backwards like it is suppose to. Its not a "Positraction" where both wheels drive forward at the same time, it is like a limited slip type set up so one wheel can go faster in turns and the other wheel can slow down in the turn.

Hope that helps?

 

[msloane]

I guess I thought that if I turned both wheels together, the transmission would just spin internally in the "neutral" position of the gear shift. That is the way cars and most other machinery works. If you select a gear and let the clutch out, then turning the wheels will try to turn the input shaft. (Which is how we used to "jump start" a manual transmission car with a dead battery). On this machine, turning both wheels in the same direction feels as if the transmission is "locked up".

Mike

 

[bwdbrn1]

Hi and welcome to MLMF. Hope your Thanksgiving has been a good one.

I think you're pretty lucky to have someone give you such a "junker." From what I've heard and read, Honda made some pretty advanced riders. I think yours has a completely enclosed automotive type clutch and transmission.

One of the first questions that always comes to mind to me when someone is giving, or selling a mower, is, "what made it a junker in the first place?" What issues did it have that the owner decided to give it away. Were there any transmission or clutch issues? Was there a problem with the engine?

From what you write, you must have the 5 speed gear driven version. But if it happens to be the Hydrostatic version, there is something that has to be disengaged to allow you to push the mower without the engine running.

How long has it been sitting? First, looking over the owner's, I see it has a drum type brake, and there is a parking brake lever down on the right hand side. I'd start with seeing that the brake is not set, and that it's releasing as it should, both at the parking lever and the brake pedal. Can it be pushed when the clutch pedal is depressed enough to disengage the clutch.

Now, I'm not familiar with their riders, but I do know that the drive wheels on all of the walk behinds I've had anything to do with will not turn when you pull the mower backwards if the transmission is engaged and the engine is not running. I don't read anything in the H3011 owner's manual that says it won't move if not running. It does say that something about the clutch is automatically disengaged when moving between gears, and engaged when placed into a gear.

I believe owner's manuals are a must. if you don't have one, you can download it at the Honda Power Equipment web site. I believe shop manuals are a necessity to anyone working on their own equipment, but they can be pricey, so they do require a commitment to the machine.

Hope that helps some. Let us know how things go, and post a picture or two. We're a pretty visual group her.

 

[msloane]

Thanks for the excellent advice. There isn't much to the story of this mower: when the current owner of the house bought it, it was sitting under the deck with a blue plastic tarp over it. This guy is a yuppie from the city and hired a lawn care outfit to mow his grass, so it just sat there - I am guessing at least five years. I hauled it down to my place using a boom crane on a farm tractor. Since then I have used a chlorine bleach and water mix to scrub off all the mildew/moss, aired up the tires, and generally fixed things up.

As an update, I put it up on jacks stands, thinking I would have to tear into the transaxle. (It is the mechanical transaxle with five speeds and a solenoid operated clutch.) I put some gas into the spark plug hole, put the plug back in, and it started right up. But it only ran long enough to let me put the transaxle into 2nd and see both rear axles go in the proper direction.

So now I will pull the carburetor off and give it a good cleaning and hopefully find out why gas can't get from the tank and into the engine.

I will get some images up to my Fotki albums tomorrow...

Thanks again,

Mike

 

[Five Points]

Thanks for the update, it sounds like she's coming together nicely. Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

 

[bwdbrn1]

Sounds like it's coming along nicely for you. Wish this guy had been my neighbor