# Restore Honda HS 80 & New Member From PA



## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

Long winded but nice pics (I hope)...

Well, I got the itch this Summer as a result of my lawnmower. After 20 years of faithful and near maintenance free service, my Honda HRM 215 Harmony started leaking oil...bad. Turns out, it was the lower cover gasket. Had a first rebuild error when I didn't get the governor arm in the right place inside of the gear case...all the mower would do is idle  I was ready to throw the old girl out...even had her on the side of the house for the trash man... with a brand new self propelled Honda in the garage...but I couldn't do it...couldn't abandon her without another try. Took the new Honda back. Three rebuilds later, I got everything right and she ran like new again! 

The experience of replacing the gasket (and general restoring the entire mower) via trial and error was very frustrating but also rewarding and educational. Next, I got an old Excel pressure washer with a Honda GX200 on it. Wouldn't run and the pump was shot...I paid $10. It will take the paint off of a battleship today and looks new.

REALLY got the Honda GX motor bug. Bought, restored (to like new), and sold several off of shot pressure washers. Generally doubled or tripled my money each time...gotta love CL and GX motors Got the itch for a Honda blower then. After watching some of the beasts on You Tube, I just had to have one but certainly wasn't buying new!

Have been shoveling snow for 25 years at my house. Small driveway, about 150' of sidewalk but all cars (3) are parked in the street (my Riverboat gets the driveway and my shop get's the garage..pisses off the wife to no end). As a result, I have about 100' of EOD to clear every snow...exhasting At 45, it's getting old!

Was in CT on business and happend to surf CL and saw an HS80 (that ran and looked ok) for $150...needless to say, I left a vapor trail trying to get there. The unit ran strong, all auger shaft were straight and engaged with the handle, all gears worked and it had new tires. Very dirty, a good bit of surface rust (no structural rust), and most of the hardware was rusty.

LOTS of elbow grease (about a month after work locked in my garage), $200 of misc parts, a big favor to Fastenal for all of my nuts and bolts...cheap, and access to a factory powder coat line (at no cost), below is what she looks like tonight (2 things left to do...powder coat the control panel and re-rubber coat the cluch handle...and she will be almost show room new...sorry, no before pics...I just didn't think it was going to turn out this well)




























I just saw an old YS624 for sale at a good price that needs some work...parts will be a bear but I think I'm in trouble...


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

hello rockproof, welcome to SBF. nice restoration of the honda and good luck with the ys624. you're not in trouble just hooked


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Hello Rockproof, thanks for joining SBF, and opening with such a fantastic first post! You'll have a lot in common with Snow80, another member who's been doing restoration work on his tracked HS80.

Your work looks outstanding. Can I drop some of my stuff off for you to work on?

I know what you mean about the GX engines. I've worked on several of the GXV120s and 140s myself and a few of the HRM215s. Problem is, I can't seem to part with them after I'm done. Got to love em'.

Can't wait to hear more about your work.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Honda*

First off, welcome to the forum.

That's an impressive looking machine there. Wish I had access to a powdercoat line, I've seen home kits but from what I understand you have to bake it after coating. Don't know which would go in the oven if the wife found out - the parts or my head 

On the rerubbering the controls, are you using one of the handtool dip kits or something else? Wouldn't mind hearing the details.

If you get that Yamaha, you'll have to detail the rebuild on that one.

By the way, most of us aren't in trouble till you get to the 8th or 10th blower. You can always do like I do when the wife complains, I remind her that it's paid for all the blowers so far so in essence I've gotten some good machines for free


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Looks fantastic.


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

All - Thanks for the welcome and comments

bwdbrn1 - You can drop anything off at my place you want for restoration...as long as I can keep it when it done.. I have over the coarse of about 6 months torn down, re-built, and restored about 7 Honda GX series, 2 B&S, and 2 Tecumseh. IMHO, nothing compares to the durability and general servicability of a GX.

HCBPH - Yea...the full blow Powder Coat line is great. The bucket and chute assembly on this girl went through quite a process. First I sanded all of the rust, then took all of the parts to the shop where they were individually chemically pressure washed, baked at 1500 degree's to remove all of the old paint, washed again, powder coated, baked again to finish the coating process and then clear coated. I think I can confidently say this paint job is better than the original. On the re-rubberizing of the clutch handle, as a first try, I am just going to use the rubber dip compound from HD (doing several dips). I'll see how that turns out. 

On the addiction issue...in three months, I went from no snowblowers to 3. I now have in my small shop a newly restored Toro Powerlite and the often unseen Toro Snow Commander. The Snow Commander is up for sale at this point to make room either for the YS624 or a Honda 621 I've been eye balling...


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## CAPTAINCONSUMER (Feb 18, 2011)

*Good work!*

KUDOS ON A JOB WELL DONE. YOU CERTAINLY ARE ONE OF MY NEW SBF HEROS. 

WHEN MY WIFE ASKS SOMETHING LIKE, "WHY ARE YOU WORKING ON A SNOWBLOWER INSTEAD OF PACKING FOR OUR CRUISE?" I CAN POINT OUT POSTS LIKE YOURS AND TELL HER, "HEY, IT COULD BE WORSE!"

A GREAT POST AND YOU MAKE ME LOOK NORMAL....almost.


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

CAPTAINCONSUMER - Yea, the affliction is kinda bad. As I figure it though, I can't afford (nor do I desire) to buy/restore/sell/collect Classic cars so why not Snowblowers (and I can fit 5 snowblowers in my single car garage at once)? Plus I think a Snowblower is definitely one of the "manliest" pieces of power equipment ever made. I grab the handlebars on this beast (with that GX240 purring) and can feel my testosterone level shoot up about 200% By May the affliction will change again. Maybe this time to Garden Tillers. Do they have a Forum for that?

My wife thinks I'm crazy as a Jaybird....

Her -"Really, what do you need another snowblower for!?!?!?!" 

Me - "look honey, to date it actually hasn't cost us a dime (actually about $100 ahead) and it's a good winter hobby". 

She rolls her eyes but can argue with the logic...

I just saw the below HS55 on CL today for $200...DOH! It will probably be in my garage tonight


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Wife's logic*

Let's see: you have multiple blowers in working condition and look good, you're money ahead and you aren't out drinking or gambling. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Suggestion - take her out to dinner, movie or something. During the course of the outting, subtly mention it's being paid for by your blower work. I think she'll have a hard time arguing with that. 

Like you, all my machines are paid for and a few more in the works, there's some cash left over and it keeps me out of trouble when I'm not at work or doing my woodworking, so you can't argue with that.

By the way, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a Honda for that kind of money, if for nothing more than to go through it. Unfortunately here they think they're made of gold.


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

HCBPH - Yea, a dinner may be in order. 

The HS55 I went to look at, I ended up telling him to keep the motor and I would give him $100 for the rest of the machine. He bit so now I have spares for everything on the HS80..

The next dilema...refurb everything on this new chassis and find a GX200 (doh...I just sold my last one of those) and slap it on this little baby or just be happy to keep it for parts...hmmmm


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

"Maybe this time to Garden Tillers. Do they have a Forum for that?"

Funny you should ask....

Tiller Talk - MyTractorForum.com - The Friendliest Tractor Forum and Best Place for Tractor Information


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## CAPTAINCONSUMER (Feb 18, 2011)

*CHEAPER THAN THE CASINO, SALOON, etc......*

ROCKPROOF:

MY OTHER HOBBY IS CYCLING WHICH COSTS CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN TINKERING WITH SNOWBLOWERS. OF COURSE, WHEN MY CO-WORKERS COMMENT ON CYCLING OR SNOWBLOWERS MY REPLY IS, "HOW MUCH WAS THAN MONSTER PICK-UP TRUCK?, BASS BOAT?, ATV?, HARLEY DAVIDSON?, HUNTING RIFLE (arsenal)? (i rode a bicycle from pittsburgh to dc last june so it must have done me some good). MY BROTHER IS A MEMBER OF "SINGLE ACTION SHOOTING SOCIETY" AND HAS A FORTUNE TIED UP IN COSTUMES IN ADDITION TO THE SHOOTING IRONS.

TINKERING WITH OPE IS A CHEAP VICE, KEEPS YOUR MIND SHARP, AND, UNFORTUNATELY, IS MORE INTERESTING THAN MOST TV. I JUST WISH I COULD FIND THOSE CHEAP DEALS ON OLD ARIENS, WHEELS, ETC MY CO-CONSPIRATORS ON THIS FORUM RUN ACROSS!!

MY LONG-SUFFERING WIFE IS MUCH HAPPIER I DO THIS THAN LOAF AT THE CASINO OR SALOON. SHE ASSURES ME WHEN I EXPIRE THAT SHE WILL MENTION IN MY OBIT THAT I WAS A MEMBER OF SBF!!


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

bwdbrn1 - It's definitely going to be some kind of obsession. Gotta stay away from those tillers...

CAPATAIN - My other hobby is fishing. When your OCD, that can get REALLY expensive also...kids think I'm nuts. Between fresh water, salt water, fly fishing, etc., I think I have well over 100 rods. Yipes, it even suprises me when I write that number down


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