OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Idle Chatter Honda Tough & Ripp Off!

Had an interesting one today, went up to a farm near Gundaroo to help with some pump issues.

I knew she had a Honda firefighting pump, that was very dead, and it had been replaced with a Honda transfer pump, that was put outside it's limits by the length of incline that needed to be covered.

Anyway, after looking at the set up, I felt that a transfer pump was just not the right pump for the Job, however, perhaps if the old pump was still around, maybe I could fix it, or take the pump hosing, and transfer it to a new engine.

Anyway, she explained the pump was killed by a flood which left it submerged for a full week, which happened to hit weeks after it had just been serviced (for $900!!!!)

Anyway, after the flood, it would not start, so it went to the shop, who informed her it was not savable, and proceeded to sell her a nice shiny and very expensive transfer pump, they then went to throw the old one out for her, but her son insisted it was kept (for some reason, he had to be quite persistent to get it, even though it was theirs) and the dead pump was taken home, and popped in a shed sometime last year.

I was guessing water in the cylinder had caused damage, and by now some good rust, but hoping maybe a hone or re bore was on the cards.

Anyway, got it out, only to find it turned over very freely, and felt quite good all up, so i informed her it was in my opinion very fixable, and took it on.

Got it home, fuel on, choke, pull, pull, off it went, sounding sweet!

So much for this needs to go, here is a nice expensive new one! (I'm guessing that the some received argument when he asked to get it back, as they wanted to sell it on)

I'm going to ask if she wants me to clean out the tank and carby etc, to make sure whatever gunk the car trip home rattled free (it would not start when we got it out of the shed) does not get caught back up in it, but apart from that, it shows two things:

1) Some shops out there are ripping people off to the point of it actually being theft(well, attempted theft through fraud)

2) Even after a full week, completely submerged, it's a Honda pump, it's all good!

Unfortunately, there's a lot of businesses out there that do the same thing, and especially to women. One of my female customers came over with a Rover/Briggs mower one day to see if I had a replacement engine because she was told by a local mower service that the engine had seized. They tried selling her a new one, but she couldn't afford it. All it was, was the mesh on the flywheel had come loose, got chewed up by the flywheel, and had jammed. You could even see it! $20 later, and she left with a very big smile, and a severe hatred for the mower service.

As far as Honda's go, I have a high regard for them. I had a pressure cleaner with a GX160 a while back where the piston was rusted solid due to it being washed without the spark plug. I pulled the head off, and got almost a handfull of rust buildup from the bore. The bore was rather pitted as well. I gave it a bit of a hone, but couldn't get all the pitting out so I just put it back together. Believe it or not, I started it easily, and it blew next to no smoke!

That was 4 years ago, and it's still going strong!

Yep, Elly's dad has an old honda pump that lives in the reeds next to his [Censored], it's been there through floods, rain drought and dust storm for years, and still starts whenever it is needed!

I agree, I'm still a bit blown away by the $900 service! Unless they replaced engine internals! My girlie has a GX160/Davey firefighter at her place that has been sitting in a similar type of place. I just did a service on it, with a new seal and impeller in the pump, and the usual on the engine for a total of $162 in parts, and the job was done in about an hour. If I charged $900, I'd have nearly $700 in profit, and that's not at mates rates either!

Sounds like that business is on a get rich quick scheme!!!

Cheers.

Hey guys...all I can say is "Viva La Honda!!"

DITTO!!!!! lol

Something thats submerged and left is usually saveable.

As long as when the resurection is started its seen right through to the run it and cook the moisture out stage.

If you open it up and then sit it aside thats when the rusting happens.

Here she is!