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

   New to the stable is a wounded HS828.  The base, drive, gearbox, augers and controls are fine.  The bucket is in horrible shape.   I think the open part is not just from rust but from stones rubbing.  The edges are pointing out like stones and snow were forced out bending the edges away from the housing.  It seems the thing was used way after the tear started.  The bottom edge of the bucket is in bad shape also i.e. chewed off.  The guy must have used it in the weight forward position on a gravel drive or uneven cement stones. ??  Surprising is the bottom of the sides are in good shape. 

A new bucket lists at $860 so that's out.  I paid half of what the GX240 is worth.  How can the bucket be fixed?   Rivet a circular plate in there?  Cut out 1/2 inch back from the open parts say a long 2-3 inche wide section the length of the worn through part and have a piece welded in?  I can probably come up with an old bucket I could cut to make a filler strip.  What's the way to go about this?  I don't have a welder and don't know anything about welding or riveting.  The metal on either side of the tear is strong and could be welded.   Is there any new miracle product like improved fiberglass that would hold and wear?

edgenet wrote:

I've had good luck with something called "CorrosionX" (here's a link: http://www.corrosionx.com/marine.html)

I used it with a Honda portable generator that I had for years that would be outside in snow, rain, hot sun, and I would wipe it down once a year with this stuff and when I sold it, the buyer kept remarking that it looked like new. Its safe for painted surfaces, too.

Shryp>>Going by the way the impeller turns, you should have put the smaller piece under the larger piece.

   It’s butted and later got another rivet on the bottom. Four more up higher.  The transition from one to the other is flat so should not lift as is but will probably be welded. 

 

Shryp>>Also, maybe add another piece to the top and bend it into the hole?

   The section above is solid.  The rust is only surface rust.  The liner which I think is a sixteenth will cause the snow to flow a smidge off the wall for friction free ride before getting to the curve of the chute.

 

Shryp>>I can't help but think you will get snow getting pushed up under the sheets unless he is going to weld the seams shut.

     The ends feel like they are held fairly well but I’m not sure what they will be like after lots of vibration.  Hopefully he can weld the butt and ends.

 

Knee_Biter>>On the outside I would use POR patch.  POR15.COM  good stuff.

   I saw a machine done over with POR and it seemed very rugged.  After the welding I’ll see what the fan area has for strength and what rusted sections can be cut or ground away.  The open seems seem to have gotten that way from wear rather than rust.  They thinned, opened and the guy kept using the blower which must have pushed snow out of the sides.  The thin worn walls then turned out so a lot of the open seams were ½ away from their original position.  The original owner gets the prize for abuse.  I’ve never seen anything close to this.

 

Tkrotchko>> Then spray it down with a good rust preventive oil and that should keep the rust away.

    Good advice.  Rust preventor, fogging with oil, anything.  I think most products have similar ingredients.  I’ve talked with a chemist about it and have been using Evapo-Rust because it’s fairly good and a liquid so can be sprayed on quickly for good coverage.  NavelJell is also good and easy to put on with a chip brush.  It was sprayed a few times and yesterday coated with NavelJell.  This morning just about all the rust has been neturalized and turned black.  It will get wire brushed and a few more treatments.

edgenet wrote:
Excellent Points.  I feel that this machine was put in storage all the time by people too lazy to take such precautions.  The paint is gone from use and abrasion, but it could have been repainted each season after cleaning, or coated with something.  I use Amsoil's Heavy Duty Metal Protectant, it forms a wax like coating on the metal when it dries and works perfectly for such applications.  This Honda could have been protected if the owner had taken such precautions, and prevented all the damage.  Rust (oxidation) is a chemical rection, and like most chemical reeactions heat accelerates it.  Winter doesn't do this kind of damage, summer storgae does if the machine is not properly prepared for such storage.   I've seen the Taxpayer bought Honda's at the town storage yard stored in similar fashion.  Private owners tend to take better care of machines they pay so much to own.

Bucket side with airplane glue from Friiy.  The glue seems pretty strong and not brittle so will probably survive vibration.  If it pans out over the winter it will probably get redone over the summer.  It's ready to put together which should get done today. 

 

Nice job.  What a difference.

trouts2 wrote:

Looks good !!

Just curious, why airplane glue?? Why not a autobody type body filler??

What color paint did you decide to use? It looks good.

   Regular autobody fill would crack and fall off pretty quickly.  It's not meant for strength either.

   The paint was Safety Red Rustoleum.  Sunrise Red is good also.  I started with Sunrise, ran out and could not get anymore locally so switched to Safety which is also fine.  A month ago I was touching up another Honda and tried getting a mix done which looked perfect at the store but turned out not to be as close at the off the shelf colors.

   The glue is 1838 B/A GREEN and pricy by 3M.  The min quantity is a kit of 6 one quart containers which list for $910 a kit.  Just in case you suspect a type that $910 for a kit. 

Shryp, what does not show in the first pictures is how bad the two bottom supports were.  They look ok in the picts but were seperated from the fan section and their flanges mangled.  They got straightened and welded so back in business. 

Finished on the rightm facing the garage door, and waiting for service tomorow morning. 

The impeller hit on a few weld high spots high which were ground down.  New auger drive shaft support roller bearing, new rake support roller bearings, and new side skids, $56 bucks for the kit which came with nuts, bolts, a filler strip spacer and what I would consider industrial grade skids something like Ariens used to their 90's commercial machines.  

It should be very effective and keep up with the 1028 behind it.  Over the next few days there should be enough snow around to do some testing of the fearsome Honda reputation for traction and distance in average conditions.  If it can't keep up with the 1028 for throughput and distance I'll be surprised. 

His little brother HS624 was chasticized last storm and put away early for underperformance.  He's getting one more chance tomorrow morning.  It he does not gut the mustard he might get re-engined with a HF GX200.

What parts of the blower do you usually spray with the Amsoil Protectant?  I have a couple of cans of this also.  The smell reminds me of the days when cars use to be rust proofed with Zebart.