Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Maybe one of you guys can help me? I have a honda 520 single stage snowblower and I was wondering if you can buy and install the electric start kit? You can buy a 520 with electric start but I didn't know if you can convert a manual one over.

Thanks, Coldfingers

When I was looking for a replacement engine for my honda HS520 single phase I called honda directly.  They would not discuss a replacement engine with me (a consumer) directly (and asked how I got their number), but they gave me the name of a distributor who in turn gave me the name of my local honda engine dealer.  The local dealer was very good, and he called honda directly and got the straight scoop on the electric starter.  He said that as crazy as this sounds, when honda makes the HS520 (the one that  will accept the electric start) they bore the side of the engine block with 2 extra  bolt holes to support the starter. They don't bore those holes on the "non electric start."    I told him this just didn't make sense to me.  I mean whhy make two almost identical engines?  I asked him why they would essential create two seperate engines when one  would be simpler to interchange. He said the he was not 100% sure but he said the factory in china make these engines so inexpensively that every dime they can shave from the product cost adds up fast. 

 I have an electric start  assembly off of my HS520 that I could probably give you a good deal on. But from what I;ve learned it would not do you any good.   You can see the two bolt holes in the first photo, one on the left side of the exhaust sheild, the second just below the exhaust.  Check and see if those two bolt holes are there.   

As for the flywheel, the flywheel is not geared or different in any way that I can see.  The second photo shows how the starter is integrated into the pull start. It does not directly spin the flywheel, it spins the the starter that in turn engages a series of paddles that are attached to the flywheel. You can see the "paddles" in the third photo. Pretty clever if you ask me.

 

Nice explanation.

The "paddles" you refer to are known as "dogs", in this application, they are "engagement dogs".   At least that's what they were called when I went to "old school".

borat wrote: Good to know, I'm having a fun time with this motor. Especially in the confines of my warm dining room.

I always heard them refered to as "pawls"..

That starter assy is diffrent from the ones that I used to work with....I guess they are getting cheaper or I am getting older.

Friiy   :(

Thanks Underdog, I had the top cover off last night just checking the machine over and then put it back together afterwards. I will have to look and see if I have those holes but like you said, I probably don't. That is weird that they would go to all that trouble just to make them different, wow! My machine starts good when it is in a warm place but when it sits in a cold garage you have to pull the rope several times to fire it up, thats why I thought the electric start would be nice.

Coldfingers wrote:

You should not have to pull it more than twice. Have you taken a look at the carburetor and spark plug? One pull is the goal but realisticly by the second pull the combustion chamber should be getting gas.  Has it always been tougher to start when cold? Or is this a recent occurance? The carb on mine was gummed up.  The days of leaving gas sitting in the tank for twelve months is gone apparently.  

Electric start is my perference too.  Even if it pulls starts easily. When I walk out into the garage first thing in the morning I am ussually cold and stiff from sleeping all night. Last thing I want to do is pull a muscle or injure my back.   I whimp out every time an push the electric start button. 

I found someone selling  a two stage honda track drive used. I responded to the ad and the owner said "it always starts"  I stood there in the owner's garage while it was pull started. The owner had his 15 year old son do it.  He pulled and he pulled and he pulled and then he realized he did not have the choke on. So he flipped it on and he pulled and he pulled and he pulled and then he realized he did not have the iginition on. Then he pulled and he pulled and by now gas poored out of the carb and drip onto the floor and the carb must have been flooded.  The son collapsed exhausted onto  the garage floor.  As he lay there he looked up at us and said " this happens all the time, you just have to let it rest a while" 

It was a nice snowblower so I took it home and cleaned the carb. It starts great. The pull start needed to be replaced. I wish I was 15 again.

Its been like that since it was new as best as I can remember. I've had it three years, I always have used stabil in the gas but maybe it is gummed up like you say as it hasn't been used a lot, probably two tanks a winter as I have a bigger machine also. They do run cheap on gas, it only holds .3 tenths of a gallon and I thought I read that it will run 1.5 hrs. on that, wow!

I don't know if the ethanol is going to help or hurt these engines.  Does any one know if there's less of it in the premium gas?  I always run premium in my yard equipment,  I think its like an extra 10 bucks a year for me If I count Summer and Winter.