# HS621 Rescued



## rtc975 (Nov 29, 2017)

Hey all,

Lurking for a while, figured I would register.

This past weekend I rescued a HS621AS that had been sitting for years under my brothers deck (was there when he bought the house a few years ago). Other than driving 45 minutes out and back, the blower was free. Bucket has some surface rust on the inside of it, auger is the reinforced variant, that's rusty too but looks structurally solid. The rest is in fairly good shape, minus the regular maintenance items like auger paddles and scraper bar. Plastic covers on it are crack free and not terribly faded. Almost all of the fasteners on the covers, bucket, auger, etc... have to be replaced (a lot are missing and the few that are present are corroded enough to warrant spending the .50 cents or $1/per and just replacing them).

I spent the last few days scouring this forum for info, parts dealers, the whole nine. [email protected]'s posts have been tremendously helpful!

Anyway, I did a carb service on it, changed the oil, installed a new NGK iridium ix plug, filled it with fresh 91 octane non-ethanol that I mixed in some sta-bil 360 small engine formula, pulled the choke out and this thing roared to life on the 3rd pull after sitting dormant for years. Took it off the choke after a few seconds and let it run for a while. Settled in to a smooth, stable running state within seconds. Coming from an old 3hp 2-stroke, this gx160 just sounds amazing and you can feel it has a ton more torque than that little 2-stroker. So smooth and a sweet exhaust note for a 160cc engine...

I was able to order every single part & fastener for this thing over the past couple days. Everything from missing screws on the muffler cover screen, auger pan bolts to new wheels. All in all, I'm in it for way less than anticipated. I didn't order a new belt, the auger engagement feels nice and positive. I'll have one on hand before the white stuff starts falling just in case. I'm going to POR-15 the inside of the bucket and auger over the next few days. Definitely a fun little project and my first Honda blower. I'll try to remember to take pics and upload them for giggles.

Great info here everyone. It's helped me out a ton. Really appreciate it!


----------



## Snowbelt_subie (Dec 20, 2016)

rtc975 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Lurking for a while, figured I would register.
> 
> ...


how are the paddles and scraper ? it will really make a difference on performance with new paddles if there is a gap between them and the concrete.


----------



## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

I kno


----------



## rtc975 (Nov 29, 2017)

Paddles and scraper are beyond shot of course. OEM everything is on order. Sourcing parts on a 20+ year old snowblower, wasn't that bad.

Removing some of the rusted on fasteners will be a challenge, but that's nothing I haven't done before.

Like I said, only thing I did not order was the belt. The free play is right at spec for the auger clutch cable with plenty of adjustment available. I have a Honda motorcycle and power equipment dealer 5 minutes from the house and they stock the auger drive belt should I need it.

Replacing all the miscellaneous odds & ends will give me a chance to get all the covers off and get it nice and clean. Plan on keeping this Honda for years.


----------



## Golfergordy (Oct 29, 2014)

rtc975,
Checking the free play of the auger clutch cable won't tell you if the drive belt is properly adjusted. Page 34 of the owner's manual discusses inspecting the drive belt, and dimension "A" has to fall within a certain range for proper belt adjustment, however, the manual fails to tell the owner where dimension "A" is to be measured. I am thankful to Robert for providing me with the missing information on where dimension "A" has to be measured. See my attachment - Dimension "A" should be 1.30 - 1.38 in., and if not within spec, an adjustment is required. See my 2nd attachment which tells you how to make the adjustment.
I hope this helps.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF rtc975

Nice machine to save !!


----------



## rtc975 (Nov 29, 2017)

Pulled out the calipers and checked that spring today. In spec, right at 1.33". Appears to have adjustment left as well. Thanks for that info. Saved those pics right to my pc.

All the nuts, bolts, paddles & scraper arrived today. Unpacking 60 little bags from Honda is going to be fun...

The only thing that concerns me really with this blower is the auger. Reading about it being a common failure part. The flat part of the auger has been bent at some point and the auger itself definitely has rust on it. It is the updated / reinforced collar design but we all know 20+ years and corrosion plus neglect can equal weakness. I'll heat and hammer it back as close as I can get it but you can feel it out of balance slightly when you pull on the auger clutch to engage it. Worse case I'll get a new auger at some point. I have most of the weekend to myself and looking forward to turning some wrenches.


----------



## Golfergordy (Oct 29, 2014)

I've recently worked on an HS521 that had a bent center paddle, and I straightened it with a "C" clamp (no heat). A few yrs ago I did a similar repair by pounding the center paddle with a large hammer with the auger off the machine and the paddle laying against a flat surface. Applying heat weakens the steel.


----------

