Honda 2hp smoking

[dnf777]

Anyone have trouble with a Honda 2hp o/b burning oil? I admit, I changed (topped off) the oil just before this began, but it runs fine for 5 or 10 minutes, then dumps a TON of smoke and drops rpms and sputters for a while then recovers. I almost want to think I over filled the oil, but that darn "oil level window" is next to useless. (don't know what's wrong with an old fashioned dip stick?) Can over filling the oil cause this, or do I have a more serious seal issue? Of course, the one year warranty just ran out about a month ago.

Thanks for any advice or ideas.

Dave

[Plumbean]

Sounds to me like you overfilled it with oil. I am speaking from experience here. ;-)

If I remember correctly (this took place more than 10 minutes ago, so I'm not sure), I took the spark plug out and turned the thing upside down to drain it as much as possible and then started over. It stopped smoking after that. If you search, I think there is a thread on here that I started with this same question.

[dnf777]

Thanks Plum. I could only find the thread by searching you name. (makes one appreciate the "intelligence" of google engines)

Anyway, sounds exactly like what mine is doing. I have pretty good 43 year old eyes, but can't make any useful sense out of that doggone oil window. I'll try draining a bit out, or emptying the darn thing and getting a measuring cup out to figure out how much .26 quarts is??? My wife yells at me for never using measuring cups or spoons when I cook, but my food turns out ok.

Thanks for the reply!

[Plumbean]

That window is pretty useless (at least to my 43 year old eyes). The mistake I made was thinking it should be halfway up the window when the engine is laying on its side instead of upright.

Interestingly, I had mine checked out by a Honda dealer when it was smoking, who told me the engine was defective and would never work properly and should be replaced (with a new one of course). I ended up replacing the carb myself and it has been running fine for 2 years now. Doesn't get much use, though.

[dabnis]

DNF,

Try this: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...ing-smell.html

Dabnis

[dnf777]

Thanks Dabnis.

I think I figured it out with a little help from my sailnet friends. As I suspected, it was indeed overfilled with oil. I'm not being too hard on myself, because "overfilling" means 0.27 qts, rather than the prescribed 0.26 qts! (really)

The engineer who designed the oil-level window should have fallen on his own sword by now, as that is the most useless, deceptive, piece of **** ever put on a marine product.

I removed the drain screw and bled oil while watching that window. Especially with new, clear oil, it is very difficult to see. ONce I saw it come into the "normal" range, I found that while mounted on the boat in the upright position (as the manual states) that merely rotating the engine through minimal normal steerage, will cause the oil level in that window to range from completely full to empty. Only when the motor is dead ahead will the level fall in the normal range.

Perhaps they assume we will all run with dirty, old oil, so that we may see the proper level when motoring straight ahead in a perfectly balanced dinghy??? :-/

Thanks for all your replies, and I hope my attempt at shedding humor on this frustrating situation hasn't ruined anyone's day.

Dave F