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Refinish HR214 Aluminum Deck

14K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  bwdbrn1 
#1 ·
I've got a Honda HR214SX walk behind (I'm the original owner) with a smoking (on startup only) engine, and the lower front of the deck looks like grandma's teeth. I recently picked up 90% of the parts (all taken apart) from another HR214SX (someone else's given-up repair project) and the 1st thing I'd like to do is repaint the aluminum deck that I just picked up. This deck is intact, but has a large area (maybe 20% of it) with no paint on it, and the aluminum in this area has a grainy look to it.
Does anyone know what paint to use to 1) prime, and 2) finish coat this deck?
Also, what grit sand paper should be used for the final pre-painting sanding.
Thanks
 
#2 ·
I hate to say it, but I have 3 of the HR214s waiting patiently in my garage for me to get to one day.

Honda sells a matching paint in a spray can, but it's pretty pricey. Something like $12.00 a can. There is probably another brand of paint that would be a good match if you were going to use a rattle can, which is what I plan to do to mine one day. My Honda dealer did some really nice touch up of some of the older aluminum decked mowers using a fine grit sand paper and then lightly spraying the Honda paint over the area to get a match.

This place is the only one I've ever seen that offers the HR214 decal for the engine shroud.

Honda HR214 Lawn Mower Decals - Vintage Reproductions
 
#3 ·
I'm wondering if I need to use a prime coat on the aluminum deck prior to applying the Honda gray metallic ? Also, must I repaint the entire deck, or just spot repair the paint? It sounds like (in bwdbrn1's post) the Honda dealer just spot repaired the paintwork on the aluminum deck.

Last summer I sanded off some rust, and applied a rust inhibitor/sealer paint on the inside of the chute on my HS621 snowblower, and then applied a bright red rattle can paint I got at Home Depot, and the finish color match looks very good.
 
#6 ·
Here's what my Honda dealer said:

Not sure what advise I can give. I always used that super expensive Honda paint, and sprayed on multi coats , But all very lightly. That Honda silver seemed like water and would run very easily.As far as prep , I don't remember anything to special. Light sanding and a steel wool rub down , then a wipe down with window cleaner, and blow it off with compressed air. I Never used any sort of primer. I had pretty good luck just painting spots or sections. I never stripped and did an entire deck.

All I can say is the work I saw of his was very nicely done.
 
#8 ·
The common primer used until the 90's was Zinc chromate. It's hard to find now and Zinc Phosphate is what replaced it to please the EPA. Swimming in chromium gives you cancer ect. The best stuff if you are going to do a sizable job like with a small or large spray gun and you are willing to mix it up is EPOXY CHROMATE. Thats the 2 part stuff that is used on aircraft today. It's not all that expensive and you can brush it on nicely . Trouble is you mix it so what you don't use will harden so you have to gauge your amounts which isn't so terrible.
The stuff sticks like epoxy too dries hard as a rock. Again you have to paint within the recoat window or it may not stick Crosslink as they call it. If in doubt just scuff sand and paint. The only issue with this stuff is you lack the convenience of a common spray can but for durability you just can't beat it. Another advantage is that as long as it isn't mixed the stuff just like the 2 part hardened paints last almost forever. \
I still have some from painting my plane in 1992. Used on aluminum or steel it's far superior to anything manufacturers use today as they like the time / work saving one step coatings that like to chip off. You can buy this stuff at automotive body and fender supply shops and the net.:ThumbUp:
 
#9 ·
You could have it powder coated silver.
 
#10 ·
There's an idea! Depending on what your intended end purpose for it is, you might want to look into all sorts of possibilities.

Are you sprucing it up to make it look better as you continue to use it, or are you doing a full blown restoration to put on display?
 
#11 ·
I just want to keep running my HR214 and make it work and look better. No restoration for displaying - where would I display it anyway? The engine smokes on startup, and the front lower section of the deck has had a few chunks knocked out of it - from hitting trees. I'd like to wind up with a good operating engine and a decent looking deck. I obtained most of the parts of someone else's HR214 (all taken apart for some repair project that never got done 15-yrs ago). This recently obtained engine is probably in better condition than mine, so I may use that engine, and the deck looks solid, but has the paint peeling problem, which needs repair painting. If I use this deck and repair the paint, and also use the engine (so I won't have to replace the rings on my original HR214), and continue using all the other parts from my original HR214 I should have a good operating and good looking mower to last many more years. At least, that's my goal.
 
#12 ·
Sounds like a great idea! I'm really liking those older Hondas. If you can take two mowers and piece them together into one really nice mower, that's a win in my book. I've done that a few times (with Snappers) but it sure beats buying a brand new one. Any pics?
 
#13 ·
No pics yet, since I haven't done anything yet, except think about what my next move will be. The deck I'm gonna use is sitting on a shelf in my garage right now. Some day soon I'll bring it inside and see what it will take to get it repainted. I'm thinking that I'll get some rattlecan paint at Home Depot that closely matches the silver/gray Honda paint color. If I can get it sanded and painted to look close to original, then the engine will be my next project. I have no timetable, but when I make any progress I'll report to the forum w/pics.
 
#15 ·
This mower won't be museum quality when I'm finished. Like I said earlier, my original deck had a few chunks knocked out of the front lower edge (from running into trees) and the donor mower deck I now have to replace it is complete and solid, except that the original owner lived in Fla, and the guy I got it from said it must have been the salt air that caused some corrosion. I've finally removed the deck from my garage and it's in my basement. I'm now removing the peeling paint and sanding and working on getting the corrosion off. Here's a pic of the deck prior to any surface prep work being done. Note the corrosion (a white powdery substance) on the lower edge.
I also have tried removing one decal with a heat gun (see other pic) - the heat caused some wrinkling on the decal, so I stopped using heat, and then slowly pulled on the decal and the rest of it came off fine. At the finish of the painting work I'll be asking if anyone knows what adhesive is best for re-glueing the decals back on.
 

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#16 ·
Hey, you're making some progress! Much more than I can say I have on any of my stuff, that's for sure.

You might want to check to see if that decal is still available from Honda, although I don't know about the one with the clear background.

boats.net show the labels on the side of the deck with a different part number than the one on the top, so maybe they are, and at 93 cents each, it would be a whole lot easier than trying to glue the old ones back on.

87103-952-010 LABEL B

This place has the engine shroud decal if you get to where you want to replace it.

Honda HR214 Lawn Mower Decals - Vintage Reproductions
 
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