Honda GX140 Governor Replacement and Engine Repair - Honda Snow Blower (Part 2)

I bought this Honda HS55 snow blower from a flipper who pulled it from the trash. After working on it a while, the engine was showing no signs of life. The flipper realized this was not a easy fix. So I bought it! And he was right. Someone went through this engine before me and made The engine would not start because the push rods were missing! Once running it became clear the governor was broken and not able to control the engine speed. The governor high speed screw is misadjusted, the throttle spring washer is missing, choke lever missing, governor arm not connected to carburetor, valve spring retainers installed backward, pulleys installed backwards, the pulley bolt is incorrect and missing its washer, valve cover gasket missing and other issues I missed in part 1. Lets give this old well built Honda snow blower a second chance at life.
HS55 Part 1: • Honda Snow Blower - Wi...
Bracket Fabrication: • Chicago Electric MIG W...
I use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner.
Visit My Amazon Store:
www.amazon.com...
Governor Kit: 06165-ZE1-000
Engine Block Gasket: 11381-ZH8-801
Valve Cover Gasket: 12391-ZE1-000
Spring Washer: 16574-ZE1-000
Crankshaft Washer: 90534-706-010
Crankshaft Bolt: 95701-08035-00
Rotary 15344 Tachometer: amzn.to/3KXhrMn
Mityvac: amzn.to/3HPPDI2
Feeler Gauge: amzn.to/3IECDpP
Dead Blow Hammer: amzn.to/3Mv3Ldj
Bendable Magnet: amzn.to/35Rwk3L
Auger Lock Repair, Broken Governor, Drive Pulley, Engine Timing, Engine Speed, Engine Running Fast, Cooling Fan Damage, Fixed, GX120, GX140, GX160, GX200, Governor Calibration, Governor Replacement, Governor Reset, Governor Gear, Governor Weights, Head Bolts, Honda, Honda Clone, HS55, HS-55, Missing Choke Lever, Missing Push Rods, No Spark, Predator Engine, Push Rods, Recoil Alignment, Rotator Cap, Small Engine, Spring Washer, Timing, Timing Mark, Troubleshooting, Valve Clearance, Valve Spring Retainer, Wheel Will No Spin, Will Not Start,

[@ghettsumm7949]

I think the previous owner was a teenager, because it reminds me of the sketchy repairs that I would've made at that age. LoL Good work bud.

[@davidcottee2808]

The sound and feel of a torque wrench clicking off is very satisfying.

[@w2dmw]

Btw, they make a wax-type lubricant, to use on that slide bar of the vari-drive, to stop siezing, and rusting... Also, get some ospho, on ebay, and apply to the paddle axle bars. It is a rust converter, that is cheap, and works well, just for this type of application.......As always, Jim, your tenacity, and skilled experience, has brought this little machine back to a new life...!!!

[@SeekerFor1000]

A long video but throughly done with little talking except for what needed to be said. Hats off to a great mechanic.

[@judgeguilty]

That was one heck of a mechanical journey, thanks for taking us along.

[@oldsranch]

Well done, Stone Cold James Condon! Also now the snow blower whisperer.

[@67mlb67]

You did it again James! As my Dad used to say “ You made a silk purse out of a sows ear.”

[@ckturvey]

So finishing up watching this series on the Honda Snow Blower and hit just hit me. I live in Florida. In my 53 years, I've never lived somewhere that you would need a snow blower. I think this shows you how good I find your videos... :)

[@jcondon1]

Thanks.

[@philliphall5198]

I’m in West Texas and never seen one

[@chrisssmallengines7163]

Wow , they did a number on that engine . I love Honda engines easy to work on and will put up with quite a bit of abuse and still run great . That is a great snow blower and will be for many years to come .

[@jcondon1]

It will definitely be running for many more years.

[@UCs6ktlulE5BEeb3vBBOu6DQ]

From garbage to 800$ I loved watching this !

[@venenareligioest410]

It’s always a great day when your video arrives James 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@mikejohnson1228]

I can't thank you enough for this video. It was SOOOOO Theraputic to watch. the way you diagnosed, removed, repaired parts properlyand re-torqued the connections.... this is a small bit of mechanics porn. You are awesome

[@garykintzler4273]

This is the project that just keeps on giving.

[@jcondon1]

It sure did.

[@navvet4518]

1 hour and 18 minutes of unproductivity at work. Thanks for that and thanks for a great video!

[@KaldekBoch]

It sure helped my mental health. Thanks for making it.

[@ericvaughn1126]

Awesome save and I LOVED the no smoking sticker on the gas cap! That thing is so old it's from an era when they assumed everyone smoked! That engine could likely tell some stories of providing fun as a cart engine before being transitioned to the snowblower to save the backs and hearts of would be shovelers for years to come after passing through your capable hands. Excellent work as always and keep em coming, Jim!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Eric

[@philliphall5198]

Lololo nuts then and now Lololo 😅

[@r8118830]

I just looked at this again. There were a lot of problems. Some hard to diagnose. Your patience is commendable.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hey James. As always great content. One tip I was taught during my safety training in construction. If your removing small amounts of what you think may be asbestos , whet it down with water first. This way when removing , it turns to paste. Then it doesn’t become friable and airborne.

[@robertmailhos8159]

Glad to see you are showing this classic engine some love 👍😎

[@chuckmayerchak3071]

Great job as always. I love your attention to detail. The old snowblowers in my opinion are better than what's available today. All they need is a bit of TLC!

[@peterhynes3251]

Superb job James - I continue to learn with every piece of content you post. Please keep the content coming for your devoted and loyal fanbase!

[@xravenhairsexgod]

I bought a 2017 GX390 that possibly seized and this gave me insight, direction and inspiration to resolve the issue. Subscribed January 1, 2024. 👍

[@tommysecondspace6977]

These videos are more than just repair videos now. They tell a story. It is really nice!

[@MCBatty80]

This is the first time i have seen a snow blower doing it's job as we tend to not have them in Australia.

[@johndenver8574]

This video was like watching open heart surgery. Very very insightful. Non stop interesting.

[@Renville80]

It’s good that you spoke of carbon monoxide in enclosed spaces. A family friend of mine went to get his garden tractor warmed up before opening the doors and plowing the driveway, but when he hadn’t come back inside after an hour, his wife went out to the garage and found him on the floor. We’re not sure which came first, him being overcome by the fumes or the heart attack…

[@jcondon1]

I'm sorry to hear that. It is a very serious concern that most do not talk about. Carbon Monoxide is very dangerous.

[@waynebrundidge206]

Watched all the video on the rebuild of this machine, including you making the bracket. Enjoyed every bit of it from beginning to this ending. 😎👍

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Wayne

[@gregorypiercesr.794]

The end of the blower working properly is fantastic. 👍👍

[@chuckgehman8826]

The patience you have amazes me. Having to do things like removing the airbox to install the new fuel hose are so exasperating to me. But you get to it matter-of-factly. I love it!

[@johncourtneidge]

Magnificent, James. As always! Most enjoyable. Isn't remarkable how such tiny things are key: the grit on the float needle, the tiny circlip on the govenor post, a few tho' off the locking mechanism. Many hands have clearly been at this machine. The sin is not to fail, it is to not try. Well done!

[@kingwood4357]

I really enjoy watching your videos, this one was a lot of work, but the end results were worth it. At 79 I seem to always learn something from watching you work. Keep the great videos coming and expect to see some interesting projects this spring and summer. You are inspiring me to get motivated and take on some projects that I have been putting off for some time. 👍

[@jcondon1]

Thanks.

[@richardbenson4048]

Enjoyed watching this during the 90+ degree days.

[@786otto]

More than anything is your voice that makes me relax. Good Sunday evening watch.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

We do not have much use for snow blowers in the U.K. a specially for the rest of this month the forecast is for a light frost in the mornings and highs of 17c but it has been none to snow in June. Love watching videos of people tacking things to bits and fixing them keep up the work on your great channel thanks

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@NinjaNeglector]

So refreshing to see someone actually using their head and diagnosing the issues instead of throwing unnecessary parts at it or like most ppl and just give up lol great job man! Love the vids

[@garrydonnelly6433]

Well done James as usual. You patient diagnostic skills are second to none and I find your videos entertaining and educational as well as inspiring. Regards mate from Australia.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@RustyNail5856]

i watch this one first , somehow . but i watch the other ones , so i came came back and watch this one again. very nice. take care.

[@jonminer9891]

Hi, James. I was looking forward to this episode. It covers information I have never been faced with. Thanks for all the heads up you provided in this lesson. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!

[@bobl1769]

Thanks for the great video. A great snowblower. I’ve had mine for over thirty years. It blows more snow and further than my newer Craftsman 8hp, with a lot less noise. We get a lot of snow here in Ottawa, Canada.

[@johncourtneidge]

Greetings to my beloved home, Ottawa. Quarry Co-op, Orléans, NRC, Charlotte Street north, etc.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Thanks for the heads up on the asbestos gasket. Never would’ve thought of it. Wearing a mask is very important. If the asbestos gasket is kept wet with oil or water while cleaning it off I wouldn’t be too concerned. Don’t allow it to become friable by sanding it or blowing the particles into the air with a compressor. Great video.

[@alanminer8841]

It almost looks like someone was going to rebuild it previously and gave up.. nice job and I appreciate your attention to detail !

[@toddtonis]

Really and interesting series of videos on this machine. The previous person who did all the damage to this machine shouldn't own any tools.

[@TheOzthewiz]

Thank you for uploading this video, was very helpful. The issue with the carburetor is NOT the needle, the seat is at fault. It probably has some crud build up, use some valve lapping compound and a Q-tip to polish the seat (I used tooth paste). Another thing, check the resistance of the spark plug cap. It should be 5K ohms. Just unscrew the cap from the plug wire to check it. On my HS55, the resistance had increased to 10K, which btw was exactly THE SAME resistance that "Eliminator Channel" found on a GX 160 used to power an air compressor, he had trouble with full load on the engine. I purchased a pack of 3 of these on Amazon for under $10. Although in a pinch, you can substitute a 5mmX 20mm fuse for the "resistor pellet" in the cap. I did that until I got the caps from Amazon. The engine ran beautifully without the resistor, but the spark gap will probably widen sooner because of the increased current flow, don't care about the RFI (no longer have analog TV)!

[@philliphall5198]

Thank You for the safety lessons because people just don’t know anymore

[@watermanone7567]

Great job James. I dislike working on snowblowers due to the fact that most people really abuse them by the time I get it in the shop. Hard to explain to folks that it may cost more to fix them then replace them. I had one that took many hours to just get the rusty frozen wheels off. Lots of salt where I live. Mostly belts, rubber drive wheels, carbs plugged up due to using ethanol gas etc. Thanks for an excellent video.

[@Got2Learn]

Great series, loved it, looking forward for more, thanks!!!

[@thomasbertram4259]

I have the same snowblower ….has been very good for 30 years. I had trouble with the second stage snow thrower. When I engaged the auger it would shear the bolt, because it was so egg shaped. Manage to find a machine to get the used part from seems to be fine now. Enjoyed your video. Thanks Tom

[@user-tl2ub8cz4v]

Everyone has already said it... simply fantastic. I picked up a used Airens anow blower. It had some trouble, but your videos encouraged me to clean out the carb, get it all tuned up, and now it waits for the 2023 Missouri blizzard.

[@treborupp]

Very nicely Scripted. Admit oversights. Repaired Perfect. Very Interesting content. Thanks for sharing.

[@Willy12927]

Really enjoyed watching you bring this Honda Snow Blower back to life. Have a Honda HS50 that I purchased new in the early 80s. It has a G200 engine and because of my consistent attention to maintenance and upkeep, like I give to all of my other 37 pieces of equipment, it looks almost new and runs perfectly. The only thing I have ever had to do was to replace the carburetor float valve and an auger belt.

[@jcondon1]

And that is exactly how they should all be with a little care and maintenance.

[@johncourtneidge]

@@jcondon1 yes!

[@dljones61]

You earned this one and a perfect ending with test snow. Thanks

[@jasonm6468]

I've lived in Ft Myers Florida for about 6 years now and originally from the Cleveland area. But I really miss the cooler weather and wouldn't even mind a occasional snow ( video reminds me of snowy weather). Wouldn't want Ohio again but I think the Carolinas offer 4 season vs sw Florida which is mainly extreme summer and Indian summer! Always enjoy your videos James! BTW... I think it probably over 100% with the thoroughness and care you put into projects!

[@michaelprince5255]

Do to your videos I do not feel so dumb. I have made mistakes when troubleshooting and beat myself up over them. Thank you for showing that trying again (repeating a process) is not a sign of failure. Some of your projects seem hopeless at first but you push on an achieve success in the end. Going behind somebody and not throwing them under the bus....you are a class act...:)

[@francisbailey3831]

Hi James, one thing that I can never understand is why people who work on small engines, in my opinion do not know what exactly what they are doing. ????. You are the one that can over come an obstacle in trouble shooting the problem. Great job on taking time to repair the unit 👍👍. That is one thing I do not miss, as I used to live in Lenox, MA. is snow blowing the drive way. What made it worse was the city coming by plowing the road way, and covering up the end of the drive way with the plow.😮😮😮😮

[@larrywolken9215]

You are a great story teller. You had me rapt for the whole two hours. Nice job of editing, pacing, and narrating! You also appear to be a man of infinite patience. About every 5 minutes I would be loudly cussing out the fools who botched this machine up so badly. How do you keep your cool?

[@jcondon1]

I only put a couple of hours of work in each day on my projects. Too much at one time and I would lose it.

[@johncourtneidge]

@@jcondon1 Nice reply! So you are, like us, human! Vbw, John

[@mastertech7104]

Nice job James. The Honda sure shows it's colours, dependable and reliable. The lack of maintenance and disregard from the previous owner(s) didn't keep the Honda irreparable.

[@ronbeatty516]

$45 in parts, but the expertise required to fix it was astronomical. 😊

[@philliphall5198]

I AllWAYS enjoy watching your videos and how loud and clear you are. Thank You ☺️

[@mbruce4152]

Great demonstration on how fast CO can build up in an enclosed space, a real public service and fine work on the snowblower!

[@duaneclarke7411]

Once again James a great Video thanks for stopping me from watching all the crap on TV just love your channel keep it up

[@Plons0Nard]

A joy to see you work on this engine on the workbench. Instead of on the floor. Cheers from the Netherlands 🇳🇱🤝🏻👍🏻

[@rayshutsa6690]

James I am glad to see that you also bring back the older engines. The way you explain things like the scrap blade now I know the proper height thank you.

[@PatrickFaricy]

Very enjoyable set of videos to watch James.

[@leegr3732]

Brilliant as always, anyone out there wanting to fix their own machine could easily follow the steps here, great snow blower and top work as always 👌

[@lv_woodturner3899]

Good to see this working at 100%. You put a lot of time into this. Well done. It looks like the skid plates have been replaced. On the left side it looked like the paint has outline of the original skid plates. I modified the plates on my Ariens snowblower to mount an inline skate wheel. Now the wheel runs on the driveway blacktop instead of the steel. Worth considering such an upgrade for this machine. I can help you to make the plates. Dave.

[@jcondon1]

Sounds like a good idea

[@P_RO_]

As a true Southerner I'll never need or use a snowblower but now I know how they work. Whoever got to that machine before you was a butcher. You did well in fi9nding and fixing their mischief.

[@MotoRestoFL]

Those circular split retainer clips can be a pain. What you can do when reaching into a tight area, use a socket just larger than the diameter of the pivot, stick the clip on the end of the socket with some grease and tappy tap tap it right on.

[@mcarroll598]

Great video! These older Hondas are pretty nice. I rebuilt the transmission on one of these back on 05’ lasted for over 15 years. Hondas are built awesome!

[@wjodf8067]

Forgot your facemask as the wind always changes....great job as always snowblowers have it the worst ice cold and sitting for weeks and suddenly called upon full power flinging snow.....

[@remi3741]

wow that was a complete machine overhoul, and ony 45$ parts cost. but it was 700$ cost for the man who was working on it for time and work. eventough a very good job done.

[@wildefox1478]

Great video, older snowblowers are way better than the cheap junk available today, I agree with you that someone must have used that engine on a go kart and deleted the governor for that purpose. Nice work James!

[@steverhenius6734]

Interesting project esp given the multi meddling ! Good to hear your voice has recovered.

[@kpdvw]

Amazing ,always the same scenario, @ the end of every screw up repair cycle the expert gets to address every aw shit to get it back to original operational order!

[@papaalphaoscar5537]

That is a long one. I come from the tropics and have not seen a snow blower before. That is probably the oldest form of a CVT.

[@ni_wink84]

Great work as always James! I still couldn’t believe it didn’t have pushrods in it!, you really brought this machine back to life, a lot of work but what a great machine after the effort! I always learn something here, I wish I knew this info about governors about 10 years ago

[@DocHoliday69]

I enjoy your channel. You talk like Bob Ross the painter, keep up the good videos and thanks

[@lexmarkrp]

Man this guy should have been a surgeon. Very meticulous. Great video.

[@markjarvis1600]

Top fix James. I have a GX powered generator with a stuck governor, wide open, looks like an easy fix if its just the spindle thats frozen. Fingers crossed when spring comes i can get to it and have a go

[@alveus8205]

I love how methodical and detailed you are about everything. Even torquing all important fasteners.

[@adnacraigo6590]

I want to be just like you when I grow up.

[@genekilpela]

You're very knowledgeable and I appreciate the way you think out loud to figure out step by step on what may have happened before you got your hands on it. I learn so much from your videos. Keep up the awesome work!!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@7smr]

Great job with fixing that snow blower. This video is giving more confidence on trying to fine tune my old 1980's lawn mower with a GXV120 engine and I do have the OEM service manual. Some of the control cables on mine do not quite work right.

[@er1073]

It sure is a lot easier to work on a engine that is not mounted on the frame. That GX sounded almost brand new after the TLC you provided to it. Thanks for pointing things out as you go James it is really helpful. Thank you for sharing your video with us. Ed

[@jcondon1]

Snow blowers usually have low hour engines around here. Despite its age, would guess no more then 300 hours on the engine.

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

My father was having trouble getting his snowblower to throw heavy wet snow years ago. I put a 1 inch larger diameter pulley on the engine that drives the blower to increase blower speed with a slightly longer belt. Since then I have done the same for several other people. I also recommend adding rubber flaps to the impeller for the times when there is a lot of water with the snow.

[@eDoc2020]

You must have a different type of snow. Here if there's too much heavy snow the engine starts to bog down. Enlarging the engine pulley would just make it worse.

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

@@eDoc2020 I was concerned about p0wer when I did my dad's but his major concern was the ability to throw snow over the wall even if he had to go slower. It turned out to work great and he said he could travel faster because it got rid of the snow faster. The pulley only increases the the speed of the blower fan and the beater so the snow can be ejected at a higher speed instead of stalling in the chute and plugging it and the fan and beaters. The operator still controls the forward speed for how much snow enters the blower.

[@eDoc2020]

@@tiredoldmechanic1791 In my application even the lowest speed setting is too fast. I've been wondering if it's worthwhile to cut out a notch for an extra-low wheel speed. Currently we sometimes need to drive forward for a second, then stop and wait for the snow to clear before continuing.

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

@@eDoc2020 Higher fan speed might help you to get the snow out of the machine faster. You could also put a larger engine on it.

[@eDoc2020]

@@tiredoldmechanic1791 It's already a 306cc engine. There's not much larger one could go. Besides, it's workable most of the time and certainly more capable than our previous blower with an 80cc Tecumseh.

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

Amazing work, the previous guy threw it back together, you treated it with respect

[@ramosel]

Nice display of persistence, Jim. I’d say with the previous work being done… the more they worked on it, the broker it got.

[@seymourpro6097]

When I had a 60cc scooter I filled and topped up the oil with a Wesco pump oil can, you never had to clean a funnel.

[@mark111943]

Well done! I don’t know what these are worth (I am in Western Australia) but hope you do well out of it for the time you put in. You always do a professional job of getting any of these machines going again.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks. Snow blowers unfortunately are abundant in my area, but not a lot of snow the last few years. I think the Honda name will help sell it next winter for a small profit. But am happy its not going in the trash.

[@tjernstarr]

You really brought that thing back from the dead

[@JasonW.]

You looked through borescope and noticed the governor was missing its wings. This engine needs a Red Bull.

[@chriholt]

That poor engine had been abused by the hack(s) that worked on it before you, but in your typical methodical way you brought it all the way back - a great series!

[@markbradbury6076]

Hi James, another excellent video. We need these over here in the UK. We dont get snow very often, but when we do it causes mayhem. I guess people wont buy something that they would only use once a year, if that. Watching these engines come back to life is awsome.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks!

[@RustyNail5856]

IT Took a bit of to where it is, but it runs great , very nice. i new you could get it running. keep the videos coming.

[@repairrestoreresell2026]

Nice work Jim!!! You've vastly improved your knowledge and skill set the last few years. The trill of victory, transforming a basket case into a reliable machine is a great feeling. I always enjoy your video's . Best of Luck............................

[@jcondon1]

Thanks. I also enjoy your videos.

[@philliphall5198]

I don’t worry about hazardous material in gasket or clutch anymore, after 58 years of clutch on big trucks and tractors, I’m healthy and working

[@somerandomguy3868]

Fantastic job as always, I know from my own snowblower when I'm in thick heavy snow at full throttle the 7hp Tecumseh is working hard and at as hot as any small engine I have

[@CharlesM-dp4xe]

Let me tell you about CO ... It's really serious. I used to race motorcycles in Florida in the 70s after Vietnam, You rebuild every race. I had to spend the night in a hyperbaric chamber on a couple of occasions, you get really sick and the most horrible headaches you can imagine. My wife had to call an ambulance, I have nothing but horrible memories of that. Be careful, it CAN kill you !

[@jp-um2fr]

So that's what you look like. Great video as always. To be honest though I'm surprised that thing works at all. Heath Robinson would love it. Well done that man, have a nighthood. Sir James of Little Four Strokes. Take care, your one of the 0.1% videos worth watching on Yourube.

[@MrGattor33]

An absolutely great little series. You have got yourself a rather nice snowblower there James. I would actually like to see this thing as kind of an upcoming restoration project over the summer months like you said where you give it a nice paint job and such and make it look almost new... lol Thanks for such great content, I do enjoy it!!

[@RiverratGoRVing]

James, Nice to see that it's up and running even better. Beats the shovel any day. As always the information that you put out is every well put together. Michael.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks 👍