# HSS928 governor adjustment question and bog under load issue



## keeena (Feb 9, 2017)

Hi all,
I have a new HSS928AWD, my first Honda snowblower. Given that these are considered the Cadillac of blowers I had high expectations...and seriously let down. My problem is that the machine bogs down under what I would consider light loads. I am limited to the bottom 1/4 of the forward speed adjustment at just 5-6" of snow (not packed or slush, not super fluffy...just regular snowfall). It throws snow to the moon, but it seems to hit a limit prematurely and I have to back off. Half bucket height or more and I have to set it to the slowest crawl possible or it will stall out. I have a older, basic box-store MTD which would easily move faster thru this stuff than the Honda.

I have searched thru the forum and saw that the chute on these is a bit of a limiting factor. It doesn't appear to be the major cause in my case, but i suppose it's not helping either.

I started down the troubleshooting list and had a specific question about the governor. How much free rotation should the governor arm shaft have? This is the part which comes out of the engine case. The adjustment procedure involves loosening the governor arm, rotating the shaft counter clockwise as much as it will go, then securing the arm. The shaft only has barely 10* of movement to begin with. I don't believe this is normal - i think it should turn a lot more than that. Anybody confirm what sort of arc the shaft can turn?

Open to other feedback about the bogging, but I suspect governor or carb. Manual also suggests compression, valves, and plug.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Do you have access to a tachometer? Maybe an hour meter that also reads RPMs. You should verify that your operating rpm is infact 3500-3600 rpm. 

My 928 now with about 8 hours on it has improved power over brand new. As the rings wear into the cylinder, friction drops and compression rises making a bit more power.

But still your machine shouldn't be struggling with 5" at its slowest forward speed. I've gone through 20" of saturated EOD snow, at faster then crawling speed.


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## keeena (Feb 9, 2017)

I put an hour/tach/volt meter on it the first day I got it.  Should come w/ one from the factory. Anyway: yes, it's dead nuts at 3650 RPM at no load. I find under normal load it will drop to to 3300-3400 - still sounds healthy here. However, once I start to creep the speed up the RPMs drop like a rock.


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## Tomatillo (Nov 11, 2016)

keeena said:


> Hi all, I have a new HSS928AWD, my first Honda snowblower.


Welcome to the forum, Keeena. Sorry you're having trouble with the new machine.


First, drmerdp gave good advice. Plus, what I would do before much of anything else is watch a few videos about the HSS928 and compare. One in particular is posted below. If your machine isn't behaving like that, then I'd be fast to the dealer who sold it to me while there is snow on the ground for them to experience the problem firsthand.


Another good resource on here is [email protected] He won't tell you how to fix it, of course, but might be able to send additional recommendations your way.


Good luck. Here's the video:


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## Icicleboy (Feb 17, 2017)

I have the exact same problem Keena. HSS928 ATD. As soon as I feed the machine into snow a bit too quickly I can almost stall it. sounds like 200 RPM. Please let me know if you find a solution to this problem.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Just a thought...Is it possible that the engine is working just fine, and the machine cannot deliver on how fast you think it should be able to go?

The HSS928s are not powerhouses. Especially with the larger impeller compared to the HS generation. You can choke it. 

Once the Warrenty is up on my HSS928 I'm going to take a good hard look at installing a gx390. That being said, I'm not upset that my 928 isn't more powerful. But I am a sucker for modifying and improving things.

Some machines will plow a pile infront of the bucket Bog substantially but not stall, My MTD is an example of this. Where as others will bog down until they stall.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

drmerdp said:


> ...Once the Warrenty is up on my HSS928 I'm going to take a good hard look at installing a gx390.


I can say you will love the extra power. It's the only reason I bought a 1332. After 25 years of an aging on-edge underpowered GX240, it pushed me that way. I knew one extra hp wouldn't cut it for my location.


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## Icicleboy (Feb 17, 2017)

Keeena, 

have you made any progress on this issue by chance? I also have the service manual and was going to start looking over the machine to see if I could figure anything out myself. I just called my dealer that told me that kind of bogging is completely not normal, and I should be able to walk faster than a crawl through 5-6" of snow. I can't without it sounding like 300-500RPM.


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## keeena (Feb 9, 2017)

Sorry for letting my thread lag. Did find a problem: the main jet was partially plugged. My machine came w/ gas from the dealer, so I'm not sure if they had it sitting with gas in it for some length of time which might have caused it. In any event, easy fix. 

Yesterday's nor'easter was the first snow since cleaning the carb. The snowblower was noticeably better but I was still disappointed with the performance. The snow was ~8" and fairly heavy/sticky. I still had to keep the machine slower than I'd expect given others' reviews and my own experience with cheaper blowers. I could easily get the machine bogging to the point of near stall at maybe 1/3 forward speed? EOD snow (which was only a couple inches higher but packed a bit more) and I was at the slowest possible crawl speed; meaning any slower and I'd be in "neutral".

As before: throwing distance always seems really good (until I get to heavy bogging). The motor just seems to get easily overwhelmed which forces me to run a slower pace than I would expect. Without having another HSS928 user or unit to compare, it's hard to say for sure if this is normal or if there's still a problem. Comparing to blowers 1/4 the price: if this is normal performance I'd be very disappointed with this purchase.

PS - I'd still LOVE to hear from someone who has adjusted the governor


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## keeena (Feb 9, 2017)

Tomatillo said:


> Welcome to the forum, Keeena. Sorry you're having trouble with the new machine.
> 
> First, drmerdp gave good advice. Plus, what I would do before much of anything else is watch a few videos about the HSS928 and compare. One in particular is posted below. If your machine isn't behaving like that, then I'd be fast to the dealer who sold it to me while there is snow on the ground for them to experience the problem firsthand.


Thank you very much for the video. My take is that he appears to be moving at what I'd call crawl speed (near neutral) in medium weight snow that is the same height as the bucket.

That is the same pace I have to run at 1/3 to 1/2 bucket height with yesterday's snow. Probably a bit heavier snow than in that video. Trying to inch it any faster and it begins to quickly bog down.

[edit] Another thing I noticed: when he first hits the snow the motor seems to barely change pitch. In my scenario, my RPMs are more noticeably dropped. Not that mine is bogging yet, but sounds more like at the engine speed limit...maybe 3100 RPM*? And when I try a faster FWD speed than this is when the RPMs really take a nose-dive.

*I wish I had more accurate "normal full load" RPM, but the readout often shows erroneous values when I'm operating (jumps to 10k+...I need to re-check windings). When sitting still at full engine speed it accurately shows 3650-3700 RPM. Really bad bogging is ~2200-2400 and lower I believe. Take numbers w/ a grain of road salt...it's hard to operate the blower while hunched over trying to read a tiny RPM meter.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I'm glad you got the bogging sorted out. I understand your feelings with the power. Do remember that the engine will break in by the 10-15 hour mark and you'll have more power on tap. I can attest to this.

I think it is important to consider just how far these machines will throw snow. There is a compromise, to how much snow it can process and how far it can throw it. With the hydrostatic trans, you always have just the right forward speed, you'll never be stuck in a position where 1st is too slow and 2nd is too fast.

The variable drive I think plays with our heads a little since there are no fixed gears to base our comparisons on.


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## lphtahoe (Mar 2, 2018)

Same. Exact. Problem.

Stalled twice today at crawl speed. Chute got jammed. start blowing snow and rpm's plummet. performed not even close to the machine in the video. It probably took me twice as long to clear driveway as it would have with 2001 machine.

The way the rpm's drop as soon as it hits snow and then starts throwing snow 5' is just depressing. 

luckily I still have my 16 year old HS928 and will pull that one off it's deck blowing duties and use it for driveway and then have dealer pick up new machine for diagnostics. Will let you know what they say.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

lphtahoe said:


> Same. Exact. Problem.


1. New motors need to break in at least 10-12 hours before they really start to perform.
2. RPM needs to be verified to be within spec - HSS928A 3,650 +0/-150 - That's 3,500 to 3,650 max. (see attachment).
3. Stock main jet is .0335. You may need a .0354 or .0362 if you're at low altitude to get the best performance.

GX270 HSS928 (2015 - 2018)
# 80 (0.80 mm, .0307") | 99101-ZH8-0800 | HSS928A (Optional)
# 82 (0.82 mm, .0323") | 99101-ZH8-0820 | HSS928A (Optional)
# 85 (0.85 mm, .0335") | 99101-ZH8-0850 | HSS928A (Stock)
# 88 (0.88 mm, .0346") | 99101-ZH8-0880 
# 90 (0.90 mm, .0354") | 99101-ZH8-0890
# 92 (0.92 mm, .0362") | 99101-ZH8-0920


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

lphtahoe said:


> Same. Exact. Problem.
> 
> Stalled twice today at crawl speed. Chute got jammed. start blowing snow and rpm's plummet. performed not even close to the machine in the video. It probably took me twice as long to clear driveway as it would have with 2001 machine.
> 
> ...


You should read through the Honda rejetting thread. 

But the short of it, your 2001 HS machine has a #92 .036 main jet. Your new HSS928 has a #85 .033 jet.

These newer engines are under fueled for emission purposes. Change the jet before passing final judgement. A #92 should work perfect.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

Tomatillo said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14inIdqNL60&t=298s


That's an impressive machine, no doubt about it.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

lphtahoe said:


> Same. Exact. Problem.
> 
> Stalled twice today at crawl speed. Chute got jammed. start blowing snow and rpm's plummet. performed not even close to the machine in the video. It probably took me twice as long to clear driveway as it would have with 2001 machine.
> 
> ...


Where do you live ? PM me a price and if the price is right, and the distance is right, I may be interested in buying it from you.


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## lphtahoe (Mar 2, 2018)

tabora said:


> 1. New motors need to break in at least 10-12 hours before they really start to perform.
> 2. RPM needs to be verified to be within spec - HSS928A 3,650 +0/-150 - That's 3,500 to 3,650 max. (see attachment).
> 3. Stock main jet is .0335. You may need a .0354 or .0362 if you're at low altitude to get the best performance.
> 
> ...


asked the dealer if it just needs break in hours. they wouldn't comment. just said they would pick it up and take a look. I am at 6,500 ft.


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## lphtahoe (Mar 2, 2018)

RIT333 said:


> Where do you live ? PM me a price and if the price is right, and the distance is right, I may be interested in buying it from you.


nowhere near NY! other side of country.


will see about getting a bigger main jet.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

lphtahoe said:


> asked the dealer if it just needs break in hours. they wouldn't comment. just said they would pick it up and take a look. I am at 6,500 ft.


Jees, 6500ft. Thats some thin air, a #88 or maybe #90 might be the right jet for that elevation. You will certainly see a rise in engine power as it breaks in.

Dealers will rarely have much to say on the matter, they try not to shoot themselves in the foot.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Tomatillo said:


> Good luck. Here's the video:
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14inIdqNL60&t=298s


In case no-one has noticed it, the unit on the video is an early (pre-2015) Canadian HSS928. Basically a US HS928TASK1 with turn key electric start, on board battery, dual articulated chute, power chute turn and deflector and hydraulic auger height adjustment (some but not all the features of the new US made HSS series). Impressive, yes for sure, but keep in mind that it is the older generation Japan made snowblower not to be confused with a later generation HSS928ATD :blowerhug::blowerhug::blowerhug:


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## napoli1as (Dec 4, 2019)

keeena said:


> Hi all,
> I have a new HSS928AWD, my first Honda snowblower. Given that these are considered the Cadillac of blowers I had high expectations...and seriously let down. My problem is that the machine bogs down under what I would consider light loads. I am limited to the bottom 1/4 of the forward speed adjustment at just 5-6" of snow (not packed or slush, not super fluffy...just regular snowfall). It throws snow to the moon, but it seems to hit a limit prematurely and I have to back off. Half bucket height or more and I have to set it to the slowest crawl possible or it will stall out. I have a older, basic box-store MTD which would easily move faster thru this stuff than the Honda.
> 
> I have searched thru the forum and saw that the chute on these is a bit of a limiting factor. It doesn't appear to be the major cause in my case, but i suppose it's not helping either.
> ...


Mine is doing the same exact thing and nobody has an answer except to bring it to a authorized dealer to look at it. I spent to much money on this to be a lag out of the box. I want more power that I paid for.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

napoli1as said:


> Mine is doing the same exact thing and nobody has an answer except to bring it to a authorized dealer to look at it. I spent to much money on this to be a lag out of the box. I want more power that I paid for.


there are answers here if you will do some research. check the rejet thread on the Honda forum for one thing.


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

If you want to check your governor operation.
With engine off make sure throttle shaft moves all the way with your fingers.
Start engine... Set to full speed.
Start adding some choke to cause the engine to slow down some.
Look at throttle shaft to see if it has moved to wide open.. this will verify the governor is operating.
You can check the engine droop with a tach.
10 to 15 percent engine rpm droop is considered normal.
If you can keep an eye on the tach.. and the throttle shaft.. apply choke slowly and see what RPM you are at when the throttle just touches wide open. If your no load speed is 3600 RPM then your governor should open the carb fully at about 3100 to 3200 RPM.
Sometimes you can just squeeze the handle to start the impeller and tell as well.. it should go wide open or close to it for a split second.
If that checks out... While working it in the snow.. sneak in a little choke if power picks up then you are not getting enough fuel.
Another sign of not enough fuel is an engine that has to run to long before you can turn the choke off.. if your 'warm up' times are too long before she is happy then you need more fuel. 

Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Check your engine intake and exhaust valve clearance just to be safe. If they are tight, you will loose a lot of power under a load.


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

I would also like to add with that fast impeller speed takes power.
It takes 4 times the power to double acceleration.. the snow is essentially not moving when the impeller makes contact with it.... Your impeller is running about 50 mph. An MTD is about 40 mph. .. Following the laws of acceleration(squared) it takes 1.56 times more energy at 50 mph vs 40 mph
Now lets divide that 9 hp by 1.56.
That equals 5.76 hp.. It will take the MTD 5.76 hp to move the same amount of snow while the Honda is using 9 due to its faster impeller.
If we calculated CC size instead.
270 cc divided by 1.56 equals 173 cc... Meaning if the engines had equal power per size... It takes 270 cc to move the same amount of snow with the faster impeller speed vs 173 cc for the slower impeller.
When your belts starts to sink down a little in your crank pulley ..Impeller RPM will be reduced letting the engine work a little easier as well.


Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## keeena (Feb 9, 2017)

napoli1as said:


> Mine is doing the same exact thing and nobody has an answer except to bring it to a authorized dealer to look at it. I spent to much money on this to be a lag out of the box. I want more power that I paid for.


@napoli1as - One other thing I did 2 years ago was bump up the main jet. As noted: the HSS928 has a 0.0335 main. I'm currently running a 0.037 (#93)...which is exactly what @tabora mentioned earlier in the thread. It was an improvement, but I'm still underwhelmed. I'm still of the opinion that the 928 lacks power relative to the rest of the machine's specs (bucket size, impeller size). I'm at ~300' elevation by-the-way.

Locally, folks generally seem to favor the high-end Ariens snowblowers to the Honda. Similar features but seem to be better powered and/or designed. For instance, someone a couple years ago compared the Honda 928 Tracked with the Ariens Hydro Trak Pro 28". The notable benefits of the Ariens were 420cc with 21ft/lbs (vs. 270cc, 14 ft/lbs), cast-iron auger gearbox, 1" wider chute (6" vs 5"), and over 100lbs heavier. And heated grips.  Price approximately the same, build quality and electric chute is the only area where the Honda won. That power difference is massive.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Huge power difference but significantly less maneuverable. I played around with an HSS928 this past snow storm, I’ll give it to the GX270, at 15lbs lighter then my GX390 It felt rather sporty. lol


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## Spyle (Oct 24, 2017)

With the recent snow storm in the US, this guy has put his HSS928 to the test really good. I know, it's fluffy stuff but still impressive. I can't wait to get that amount of snow to take my 1332 to the test 😁


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I’d love a storm like that. Slim chance in New Jersey. Instead of 36” of fluff we get 10” of concrete.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Wonderful snow conditions and an impressive machine. 

I always get nervous when I see little children and pets close by operating snow blowers, especially when the operator is horsing around for the camera.


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## Spyle (Oct 24, 2017)

Yeah, it's raining cats and dogs in here in southern quebec big time. Wish I knew earlier that we wouldn't get snow worth mentionning to this date. When I open the shed door, my 2 reds are begging me to get them playing in the snow and are crying because I can't...

Wish you a merry christmas guys, hoping to get the white stuff one day😁


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Spyle said:


> I can't wait to get that amount of snow to take my 1332 to the test 😁


This is the way I feel about mine... Especially with my add-ons.


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## Spawn.Qc (Dec 24, 2019)

See next post


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## Spawn.Qc (Dec 24, 2019)

drmerdp said:


> Jees, 6500ft. Thats some thin air, a #88 or maybe #90 might be the right jet for that elevation. You will certainly see a rise in engine power as it breaks in.
> 
> Dealers will rarely have much to say on the matter, they try not to shoot themselves in the foot.


The problem here is altitude.. normally aspirated engine lose about 3% of their rated power per 1000 feet... at 6500 that’s roughly 20% less.. your 9 horse are now down to 7... second problem is that you might be overjet unless your dealer installs smaller jet de facto... this become even more apparent if the temperature is not very cold... 6-7 thousand feet is some serious height from gasoline engine point of view... in my friends Cessna 172 we are almost half leaned at 7k... 

If only Honda would offer 924 or 1328 model for montaineers like you... 

Good luck with this you might have to get used to 2/3 bucket width...


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tabora said:


> This is the way I feel about mine... Especially with my add-ons.


if it will you feel better I'll buy a HSS1332 with my stimulus checks. that is $3600 so far.


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## AT250X (Mar 1, 2021)

tabora said:


> 1. New motors need to break in at least 10-12 hours before they really start to perform.
> 2. RPM needs to be verified to be within spec - HSS928A 3,650 +0/-150 - That's 3,500 to 3,650 max. (see attachment).
> 3. Stock main jet is .0335. You may need a .0354 or .0362 if you're at low altitude to get the best performance.
> 
> ...


FYI,on Canadian model,
2020 HSS928CTD the main jet is #90. Ordered the #92 but not tested yet. I should say that with the #90 the engine look happy.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

AT250X said:


> FYI,on Canadian model,
> 2020 HSS928CTD the main jet is #90. Ordered the #92 but not tested yet. I should say that with the #90 the engine look happy.


depends on elevation.


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## Johnny G1 (Jan 28, 2020)

85 jet in my hss928 when bought Jan 2020, change to a 92 jet.


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## AT250X (Mar 1, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> depends on elevation.


Agree. my elevation is 350 feet.


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## AT250X (Mar 1, 2021)

Since SADA 2000001 it has increased to 90 on HSS928

110 on the HSS1332


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

keeena said:


> Thank you very much for the video. My take is that he appears to be moving at what I'd call crawl speed (near neutral) in medium weight snow that is the same height as the bucket.
> 
> That is the same pace I have to run at 1/3 to 1/2 bucket height with yesterday's snow. Probably a bit heavier snow than in that video. Trying to inch it any faster and it begins to quickly bog down.
> 
> ...


you may have to go to a larger jet or drill out the main jet. Because of epa regulations they must run lean from the factory.


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## Dodaleca (Aug 15, 2021)

Why then did Honda richen (enlarge) the jet in the serial # “2…..” version which I have (HSS928CATD now with #90 jet versus #85 jet in serial # “1….”) if the smaller jet was required for emissions? I assume the emission requirements are now stricter than when the HSS versions were first released in 2015 so there must be other changes to offset more fuel?


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