Honda HR 173 push mower bent crank.

[Propane1]

So this mower has a slightly bent crank. Sister in laws mower. She hit something while mowing and the bolt that holds the blade on broke and off came the blade. Any one ever make a crank straightener. ?
Or any ideas how a back yarder fix it type like me could straighten the crank.

Noel

 

[ol' stonebreaker]

I straightened one several yrs ago. Drained oil. Found a piece of pipe to fit over crankshaft and set it up on blocks upside down. Tacked a piece of flat bar to the deck for my magnetic dial indicator base to attach to. Set up DI to find the high spot on the crank, slip pipe over crank and whack the high spot with 2 lb hammer. remove pipe and find the high spot again and repeat. I got the one I straightened to less than .030" runout and and it's still going today. Looks like an aluminum deck so the flat bar will have to be bolted to the deck. IIRC those engines have a really short crankshaft so my method may not work.

 

[fherter]

I think Briggs used to make one. I used one about 40 yrs. ago to straighten a bent crank on a 4 hp. push mower. The owner hit something in the ground that was very hard. It did a very good job. If I remember right there was very little vibration. It was a push mower that was only about a month old.

 

[Propane1]

I straightened one several yrs ago. Drained oil. Found a piece of pipe to fit over crankshaft and set it up on blocks upside down. Tacked a piece of flat bar to the deck for my magnetic dial indicator base to attach to. Set up DI to find the high spot on the crank, slip pipe over crank and whack the high spot with 2 lb hammer. remove pipe and find the high spot again and repeat. I got the one I straightened to less than .030" runout and and it's still going today. Looks like an aluminum deck so the flat bar will have to be bolted to the deck. IIRC those engines have a really short crankshaft so my method may not work.

Sounds like a good method. Plastic deck on this one.

Noel

 

[Lily'sDad]

I think Briggs used to make one. I used one about 40 yrs. ago to straighten a bent crank on a 4 hp. push mower. The owner hit something in the ground that was very hard. It did a very good job. If I remember right there was very little vibration. It was a push mower that was only about a month old.

 

[4getgto]

So this mower has a slightly bent crank. Sister in laws mower. She hit something while mowing and the bolt that holds the blade on broke and off came the blade. Any one ever make a crank straightener. ?
Or any ideas how a back yarder fix it type like me could straighten the crank.

Noel

I actually have one. Haven't used it for years though. The crankshaft has to be so long (don't remember how long ) for it to work.
Seems as though many of the newer mower have very short crankshafts that don't bend near as much if at all..
Motor has to be taken off the deck and then mounted on the jig and then rotated and checked with a dial indicator.
I'll try to get some pictures..

 

[4getgto]

I actually have one. Haven't used it for years though. The crankshaft has to be so long (don't remember how long ) for it to work.
Seems as though many of the newer mower have very short crankshafts that don't bend near as much if at all..
Motor has to be taken off the deck and then mounted on the jig and then rotated and checked with a dial indicator.
I'll try to get some pictures..

Here's what it looks like..

 

[Propane1]

That’s a neat tool Bill.

Noel

 

[4getgto]

That’s a neat tool Bill.

Noel

Yes it worked good. Used it quite a bit back in the day.
I remember buying it at auction probably in the late 70's from a guy that did small engines on the side. Bought it for a $1 cause nobody else there knew what it was..(or at least didn't have a need for it). If you closely it does have a "built in" indicator on it but wasn't real accurate. Putting your own dial indicator on it you could get it within a .001 or .002..