Honda Harmony 215 Transmission Problems
87Honda harmony 215 is a great lawnmower
Let’s face it, the Honda harmony 215 is a great lawnmower, it’s self propelled, has more power than your standard mower and it mulches great with a killer mulching blade, but it seems like everyone is looking information on how to fix the transmission. I have watched video’s and read all kinds of forums, checked out Yahoo answers but nothing seemed to answer my question, “How do I fix my Honda harmony transmission?”
Well, I have the fix, and you don’t have to replace the transmission. But if you do happen to replace the transmission, that will fix your problem as well because you will replace the part that is ultimately giving you the problem. The new transmission comes with the axles shafts and this is where the problem exists.
I didn’t want to remove the transmission because it is buried in the lawnmower but I really wanted my self propulsion back. I love taking things apart to see how they work but I hate spending the time to do it. So I sucked it up and dug in. It really wasn’t too bad once you get the lower cover off under the mower deck. Once the cover is off you have a really good view of the transmission. But there is no need to go this far, this is just information for people that want to remove the transmission.
Save on hard to find Honda Harmony parts at Amazon
 | Amazon Price: $13.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $34.49 |
 | Amazon Price: $44.99 |
Drive gear needs to be installed properly
Remove the rear wheels
If you’re anything like me you probably have had the rear wheels of your Honda harmony 215 many times, and you probably have had the small drive gear off as well. There is a small drift key between the drive gear and the shaft. The drive gear is directional, which means it needs to go on the shaft a certain way. If you reinstall it in the wrong direction, it won’t drive the wheel.
Honda Harmony 215 Drive System
The drift key is the problem
The drift key is the problem. The key is spring loaded and the spring is part of the shaft. (This drift key is what causes the ratcheting noise when pulling the lawn mower backwards) This spring needs to move freely in and out of the axle shaft. If the key is sticking in the shaft, the rear wheels will not engage completely and will cause a jerking or a shutter when trying to engage the transmission. Clean any debris and dirt off the shaft and make sure there are no burs on the axle shaft, if there is, lightly file them down. Grease the shaft and the key so all parts move freely.
Proper installation of drive gear is a must
Reinstall the drive gear in the proper direction and reinstall the snap ring. The drive gear should move freely in a clockwise direction and you should hear the ratcheting noise. The drive gear should grab the drift key in the counter clockwise direction and should rotate the axle shaft. Reinstall the wheels and give her a test run.. See my video.
Other adjustments
One other adjustment I needed to make is the transmission shift cable, not the cable to engage the wheels. The linkage on the transmission seems to get a little sloppy after 14 years of use and the cable was not engaging the transmission completely. Just play around with the adjustment on the shift cable where it will engage the transmission completely.
Inside the Honda harmony transmission
This is just a quick note for the curious folks. When I opened the transmission on my Honda harmony 215, I was very surprised. I was expecting to find plastic gears all chewed up and worn out. Much to my surprise, all the gears are hardened steel, this transmission is bullet proof, but the linkage can get pretty sloppy. Someone would have to completely abuse the mower to kill this transmission. I don’t use my mower lightly, I make it work hard, and after 14 years of hard labor the transmission looked like new inside, except for the old grease. I own a lot of Honda machines and taking this lawnmower apart was proof to me once again Honda make a great product.
I hope you found this article helpful and I hope it helps you get your Honda harmony back in operation. I searched for good information on this problem and couldn’t find it so I decided to take it in my own hands. Sometimes taking the shortest path has no rewards, it was the long haul for me and now I am able to pass on this valuable information to help someone else. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, maybe I can help.
Please do me a favor?
I need to ask you for a favor, if you found this information useful, please vote the article up, if you know someone who would benefit from this information, share it on Facebook or Twitter, it's easy, and I would really appreciate it. Just push the "Like" button or "Tweet" button at the top of the page. Thank you for all your help :)
CommentsLoading...
Hi Girish,
It sounds like a return spring has fallen off the arm. I'm not sure which model you have but I know there are a couple of springs attached to the levers on the transmissions that help the arms return to the neutral position.Check to see if those springs are still attached. Hope this helps.
Eddie, Thanks for getting back to me quickly. I have an older model (HRM215 SXA VIN: MZBB-6043922). Do I have to take off the transmission to replace the springs? If so,how would I do that? If not, what would be the best way to do it? Thanks for your help.
Hey Girish, there is a cover on the bottom of the mower that covers the transmission, it hard to see, but both bolts that hold this cover on can be accessed from the bottom of the mower, one goes into the motor and it comes out easy, the other is threaded into a speed nut that is located in the discharge shoot. I had a very hard time removing that bolt because the speed nut spins and was seized to the bolt,I had to heat the speed nut with low heat to free it up, hopefully you won't have the same problem. Once you have that cover off you will be able to have a better idea of what's going on with your transmission. This was just a guess at what
might be wrong and I hope this information helps. Let me know how it all works out for you.
Eddie, I jerry-rigged a spring to force the arm to come back after i release the auto handle and that seems to work (have not tested with motor running as it is getting late). However, I still have a problem with the wheels not wanting to backward. I have to manually push the auto arm back and forth while turning the right wheel and then the axle will turn backward. I cannot understand what that would be. Is my tranny going bad?
Hey Girish, The first thing I would do is remove the rear wheels and make sure everything is lubed well like in the video. If the drift key is not moving freely behind the drive gear it may cause some binding, which was a problem I had as well. Just be sure to reinstall the drive gear in the right direction as in the video. I made that video, so know it's very easy to make the mistake of reinstalling the gear in the wrong direction. If everything looks good and the drive assembly is lubed well, your problem may be the transmission itself :( Let me know how it works out.
Eddie- what if 1st gear works, and 2nd doesn't? Could this still be a problem with the drift key?
Hi Sean, No, it sounds like a shift cable adjustment. Did you try adjusting the shift cable? If that doesn't work, tighten the cable for the wheel engagement in small increments. All these adjustments can be made on the handle assembly.
Eddie-
Yeah, that is the first thing I tried, sounds like it is an internal thing. I ordered an aftermarket transmission for $119, and my brother in law is owns a small engine shop, and he is gonna put it in for free, he owes me a favor. Thanks for the info, the video was quite interesting. I'll let you know how the install goes.
Hey Sean, that's cool. I have found transmissions for the Honda’s for about $100 bucks on line so your price is right on the money. I'm going to replace the Trans in an older Honda I have, so when I do, I'll make a video on that as well. I have got a lot of views on the video in the short amount of time it's been up so I know a lot of people need this kind of information. I really like helping people and this comes natural to me so it's a win win. Glad you liked the video, Let me know how the new transmission works out, I'm interested to see the results, I'm sure it will be great, plus you don't have to spend $500 on a new mower. lol.
Eddie
Hey guys I have a Honda Harmony 215 k3sxa and my rear whell drive just went out. I saw that you have seen them online for around 100 bucks but do you happen to remember where? I have searched for this for the last 2 days and still no avail, I have just been quoted 212.18 for a new transmission and for just slightly more i could get a new mower but I have to say I do love my Honda and so therefore I am wanting a bit of help if any of you are so kind to lend a hand
I forgot if I dont get back here in time anybody can feel free to email me at winnandnico@yahoo.com Any help would be great.
Hey winn, sorry it took so long to get back to you, the best way to search for your model transmission is by part number. I know that there a number of different transmissions for the harmony. Did you try to adjust the cables, I know it's a silly question but some time it's the simple fixes we overlook. Let me know how yo make out.
hey - I'm having a problem with my Harmony 215 that seems similar to yours. Don't want to sound like an idiot but, I can't get my wheel off. The bolt is off but the wheel is stuck on the post and does not want to come off (even with a little light help from a hammer). Is there a reason it won't come off? What am I doing wrong?
just wanted to update my comment a little. My mower is a 1993 honda harmony 215. Looks like the wheels do not come off the axle easily. I tried removed both wheels. there is a bolt that comes off but the axle seems to have a "ring" around it to prevent the wheels from coming off. My husband just cut the lawn. the right rear wheel sticks unless the mower is on and you have the self propelled engaged. also - watched your video a couple times. my wheel clicks when it moves forward but nothing locks it - moves clockwise easily. any ideas?(cuts great - just lots of problems with the self propelled).
Hi Maggie, Sorry your having all this trouble. There is a key on the axle that might be causing your problem, it could be wedged against the wheel preventing it from coming off. You could try using two screwdrivers on opposite sides of the wheel, put the tips of the screwdrivers near the center of the wheel near the axle and pry up with even force, this might give you enough leverage to remove the wheel. Once the wheel is off, make sure the key moves in and out of the axle freely, I would lube it with grease and give it another shot. If the key binds in the axle use a file to clean off any high spots or burrs on the axle or key and then lube it with wheel bearing grease. Hope this helps. Let me know what happens.
Eddiecarrara
Eddie
i got to come off- just as you mentioned it was just stuck -cleaned and lubed the bearings on both sides and its moving free and easy!! Great instructions and Maggie
Hi Maggie, I'm so glad I could help, and I want to thank you for coming back to hubpages to let me know how you made out, I never know if the people reading this article or who watch the video ever resolve their problems. Thanks again for coming back with your results :)
Eddiecarrara
Hi, Eddie, My driving wheels spin when the mower is lifted into the air, but there is no propulsion when they are on the ground. What do you suggest? Thanks, Scott.
Hello, again. I forgot to add that I have an HRR216 three-speed mower. It is only 6 years old and has never taken more than one pull to start! It's only the transmission that has been the problem.
Hi Scott, Did you try adjusting the shift cable? Locate your shift lever and look under it, if you follow the shift cable you will find an adjustment. It will usually be 2 10mm nuts, loosen both nuts and make the adjustment. Sometime it's a matter of trial and error to figure out the perfect length of the cable. Your Honda is young so it sounds like the cable is stretched and a little out of adjustment. Let me know your results.
Hi great info. I have a hr215sxa and the ratchet assm. is different. The drive sometimes works in 1 but not 2 and 3. When it is not working it makes a gear slipping noise. The ratchets look clean. Any suggestions?
Dave
Hi Dave, I have never worked on that model but it sounds like the shift cable is stretched and needs to be adjusted. Just follow the cable that comes from the shift assembly to the adjustments. You may have to make small adjustments to the cable to get it just right. Let me know your outcome one way or the other.
Hi, Eddie, I am not sure how to adjust the "shift cable". If you mean the cable that activates one of three speeds, I did disassemble the lever unit to reveal the cable but it seemed stuck in one position. I put some lube into the cable but it is still stuck. The cable continues into the shielded housing of the base and so I don't see any "adjustment nuts". I do have the HRR216, not the HRR215. 1) Why would the shift cable stop sliding in and out of its housing tube? 2) Do I have to dismantle the underside metal cowl to find the "ajustment nuts" in this model? Thanks, Scott
Hi Scott, I just did a search on the 216 and it is totally different than the 215. I search the owners manual for any adjustments at http://lawnandgarden.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg and I couldn't find one adjustment on the whole mower. It seem that if there were any type of adjustment it would be out in the open and not hidden. My suggestion is to call a Honda power equipment store and ask the service department what the solution is for your mower, if there a good dealer they will have an answer for you. Sorry I couldn't help any more then this. Let me know what you find out, the more info we know the better we can serve others with the same problems, Thanks.
P.S. I have a friend that works as a Honda power equipment rep, I'll give him a call and see if he can shed some light on this problem,, so keep following this thread :)
Eddie, You probably know this. Is there any TRICK to installing the spring on the transmission cable to the old Honda HRA215-SXA? The old cable broke and I am installing a new one. I have the end of the cable hooked up, but can't get the spring compressed enough to get it into place. I tried to remove metal cover under deck (3 bolts?) and the head of one of the 10mm bolts broke. I figured I would have better access that way. From the top, compressing the spring DOWN is a pain and from the bottom the axle is in the way. I have placed the spring over a semi-triangular shaped arm on the shift lever. Is that the correct positioning for it? Thanks for your time and helping everyone with their mowers!
Hello Homegrown,
Springs can be a pain to install sometimes, when you say you can't compress the spring, do you mean stretch the spring? Two little tricks for springs are;
1. Use a pair of dykes or heavy duty cutting pliers to hold the spring and stretch it, springs are made of hardened steel and can withstand a lot of abuse, so grab it with cutting pliers and pull, it might take a few tries.
2. At the end of the spring where it's shaped like a U, use your cutting pliers and straighten it out just a bit, just enough so it makes it easier to install.
As far as where you hooked the spring to I'm really not sure, you can look at the metal parts and look for spring marks from the old spring to see exactly where it was originally hooked.
I had the same problem when removing my bottom cover, the speed nut in the discharge shoot was turning while I was turning the 10mm bolt from the bottom, I improvised by leaving that bolt in and swinging the plastic cover out of the way, it took some persuasion and some bending but it worked, then I swung it back into place when I was done. Let me know if this helps or if I can answer anymore questions. I'm going to replace the transmission this spring, so I will have a new article with more pictures, I know that doesn't help you now but I thought I would give you an FYI.
If you have time, could you come back and update me on how you made out, hopefully the 2 little tips will help :)
Thanks for replying Eddie! Yes, springs can REALLY be a pain sometimes, especially with little space to work in.This tranny is the 3 speed with the selector lever on top of the mower deck, not on the handlebar. Anyway, after finally getting the severely rusted cover plate off (it had 4 10mm bolts and was tack-welded in 2 spots under the transmission), I had better access to the transmission shift lever arm and spring location. I fed the end of the new cable into its keeper on the shifter arm and reaching thru the bottom of the mower deck I grasped the top of the spring with needle-nosed vise grips; compressing the spring in its position on the shift lever. The new spring that comes with the new cable is very stout and stiff. I was a hair away from it being where it needed to go and while holding it in place with the vise grips, pushed it into position with a long shafted flat blade screwdriver. I had tried to compress the spring thru the plastic-door area (from the top) but could not get enough leverage to push it down far enough. I was frustrated at times, but my determination finally won out in the end. IF you are a DIYer, you will find this challenging as well, but hopefully NOT as difficult on the newer models as this unit HRA215-SXA has a steel drive shaft off a PTO on the engine going into the little 3-speed transmission. There is NO belt.
Hi Homegrown,
Thanks for coming back and giving me an update, I really appreciate it. My tips on springs were a flop, lol. On my Harmony, the springs are just the opposite,I have a pulley and belt system, but I understand what kind you have now, it's like an e-brake cable, the spring coils around the shift cable with a little nub on the end, sorry about that :)
Well I'm glad you got it , and yes, persistence will get you everywhere, whining and crying gets you nowhere, sometimes you just need to walk away for a while and come back to it. If I can help you with anything else or if you know someone who needs help, send them my way.
I'm a car guy, but ran into this problem on my own Honda, so I wrote this article because I couldn't find any good info out there on my problem, so basically it was all trial and error as you can see in my video,lol. But I learned a lot and figured someone else could use the info. Thanks again Homegrown, and take care for now.
Thank you too Eddie. Most people probably havent seen a Honda this old in awhile (circa 1990?) An older gent in downtown Orlando, Fl. put it out to the curb with a "FREE" sign on it. My friend nabbed it after asking if I wanted it. I decarbed the head and piston OHV engine (not OHC), installed new head gasket,lapped the valves, adjusted the valve clearance, and had to replace the tranny cable as it broke on the tranmission end (little nub broken off). Not bad for a freebie, so now there is NO room in my shed as I have 1 lawn tractor, 3 push mowers and 5 weedeaters (work on um for fun and to help folks out).
That's very cool Homegrown, in a world that takes takes takes, it's nice to give back. I always see lawnmowers out at the curb but I have nowhere to store them, yet! So I just pass them by.
If you ever need any help you know where to find me, but...I just might have to find you for advice, lol. Take car homegrown, very nice to meet you :)
The key in the project was removing the smaller sheet metal piece under the deck. I don't think I would have gotten the spring on without that tip. I didn't realize it was there because the bottom of the deck is severely rusted. Thanks again!
Hello Homegrown,
Yes, moving that plate is definitely key, I didn't realize it was there either because all the grass stuck to the plastic deck,lol. There was no way I could get to the spring on my mower from the top. Anyway, glad I could help Homegrown, and thank you for all your input :)
Glad to have found this article. My problem is that the transmission seems to get stuck occasionally to where the wheels lock when rolling the mower backwards. It's a new transmission (appx 1 year). After mowing it seems to get better. Any ideas?
Hello PHey,
It sounds like something is not releasing all the way and is dragging. Did you happen to pull the rear wheels and lube the axle shaft with some wheel bearing grease, and also check the drift keys , make sure they're moving freely in and out of the axle. If everything looks OK , it might be in the transmission. Let me know what you find, take care.
I just removed the transmission from my Honda HRB216. I haven't opened it up yet, but when I do if everything looks OK I will probably replace the greese. What type of greese should I use? Your posts on this are extremely helpful.
Hi Ken,
I would use a wheel bearing grease,just something basic, and to seal the case I recommend using something like Honda bond, Yama Bond, or liquid gasket, don't use silicone. Be sure to clean both surfaces so there is no grease on them, then put a very thin layer of sealer on the mating surfaces.
Let me know how you make out Ken, Thanks.
Hey Eddie,
First of all I want to say how much I appreciate someone like you taking the time to help people like me out with these problems. It's not too often that you find people willing to give free advice nowadays!
I have a HRM 215 mower that is having some problems. A while back, when I would engage the self propel, the transmission seemed to work intermittently. I would be mowing a strip and out of nowhere the self propel would work, sometimes for quite a while and sometimes for just a few seconds. Now the self propel very rarely works and if it does, only for an extremely short while. Also, the left rear wheel will sometimes get "stuck" and won't turn at all, forwards or backwards. I'm in college and mow lawns as a business and I would really appreciate your help as I don't have the time or money to send the mower to a shop! Thanks again.
Hi Gnoble,
I have the same mower and I extended the life of the transmission by adjusting the shift cable, the adjustment is right below the shift levers. If your wheel is locking up, the only thing I can recommend is removing the wheel and lubing the axle shaft and lubing the drift key so it moves freely, other than that, it may be internal.
I had the same thing happen to my 215, I will need to replace my transmission this spring because it no longer works, it just constantly slips now. So I will be making a video and writing another hub on how to replace the transmission very soon. I hope this helps, let me know how you make out or if you have any other questions.
Good to see your're working your way through college, wish I could help you more. Take care Gnoble.
Hello, Eddie, This concerns the HRR216 that I commented on some months ago. I dismantled the wheel and gear assembly and the transmission was fine; it seems very robust. The problem was solved by 1) replacing the gear/speed cable that had become mangled at its transmission end and 2) the clutch cable had stretched. You have to remove the geared, driven rear wheels and transmission unit to access the cable attachment - a very painstaking task. On this model, there is no easy clutch cable adjustment but the same nut that holds the choke lever also serves as the clutch cable fixation and you just follow thd shop manual to remove any free play before retightening the choke/clutch bolt. NO NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION UNIT. Cheers
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the tip on the HRR216, I'm sure a lot of people will find it very useful.
The Harmony HRM 215 is a bit different in the way it's drive is set up, it has a 2 speed transmission, and a shift lever to change gears. Once the transmissions shift lever cable cannot be adjusted anymore to compensate for the stretching of the cable, the transmission usually needs to be replaced.
Thanks for you input Scott, it really helps in the conversation, and because I don't know too much about the 216, I'm sure it will help fellow readers :)
Thanks for the tip Eddie. I will try to work on that as soon as possible and let you know how it goes. Unfortunately, today when I was mowing, the pull cord broke off...so it might just have to wait until school is out until I have the time to mess with it. Thanks again!
Hey Gnoble,
That stinks! But the pull cord is cheap and is pretty easy to replace, it might take you and hour or less. If I can help you with anything else, you know where to find me. If you subscribe to my RSS feed or just continue following this thread, you know when I put up the article and video on how to replace the Honda Harmony Transmission, Take care for now Gnoble, things will get better soon :)
Hi Eddie,
I inherited a HRM215 with a broken clutch cable. Is this simple enough to fix without a service manual?
Hi Leroy,
If your talking about the clutch cable to engage the cutting blade, yes, that cable is very easy to replace. If your talking about the cable to engage the wheels, that one is a bit more difficult. Let me know Leroy.
It's the one to engage the wheels. The cable is hanging from the hand control. I assume that I will have to get to the transmission to connect a new cable.
Hi Leroy,
Yes the cable going to the transmission is a bit more difficult but not impossible. The first step is to remove the transmission cover, which is on the underside of the mower deck, there are 4-5 bolts holding the cover on, remove those bolts and you will be able to access the transmission easily. Let me know if you need any information on removing this cover, take care for now Leroy :)
Thanks Eddie,
I will give it a shot. I really appreciate the service you are providing here.
Sure Leroy, no problem, glad I can help. I know you'll have a problem with at least one bolt, it's the one that is connected to a speed nut that is located in the grass shoot, when you try to loosen the bolt from under the mower, the speed nut will spin in the grass shoot. I could not stop it from turning and I couldn't remove it without destroying the plastic around the speed nut, so I left that blot in and swung the cover out of the way just enough to reach the transmission. Let me know how you make out, take care for now.
Your not upposto take the plastic cover off all the way that 1 plastic nut is perminit
I got a hra214 I got jsut replaced the drive cable and now the mower sumtimes Drives sumtimes dosnt and the wheels spin when i lift off the ground but on the ground no go.sumtimes it seems like it catchs a gear and drive its self.But its mostly push rightnow.Im wondering if the tranny fryd or maybe just needs sum greese?
Hi Jay,
The speed nut is a permanent nut and it's installed into the mold when the mower deck is built, but the bolt should come out so you can remove the cover, my bolt is corroded onto the speed nut and the speed nut spins with the bolt,so I couldn't remove the bolt.
If you have an adjustment on the shift lever cable, you can try adjusting that in either direction and see if that helps, it did for me for a while but now my transmission will not engage at all, I need to replace my transmission, no amount of grease will help at this point.
Let me know how you make out Jay, or if I can help in any other way, take care for now.
Eddie, I hope your my guy. I have a hrb215fm that is missing a spring(I think) from a cable that ends in a loop at the handle assembly. My wheels also move fwd but lock up going back? Just got this hoping to get it running properly as everything else shows little to no wear. Could this spring on handle assembly be my only problem? Cable enters deck on rear left and goes straight down to where I can't see. I've already read in prev posts that there is a cover underneath. Is there a return spring under this cover as well? Thanks in advance for your time and expertise
Hi Claimed,
There should be a spring on one side of the cable, and a lever of some sort on the other side.
The wheels not going backwards could be one of two things, one, it could be the transmission, I know that type of transmission had lots of problems, I believe your transmission is a plastic body VS. mine, which has a cast aluminum body and mine is a 2 speed.
Two, it could be lack of lubrication at the axle where the wheel is mounted, like in the video. I had a Toro mower that had the same problem, and every couple of weeks I would remove the rear wheels and lube the axle shaft, it was a real pain in the ass, but it made mowing a lot easier.
I'm not sure if your model has the cover underneath, but if you turn the gas off and flip the mower on it side you might be able to see the trans without removing anything. Let me know if this helps, and if I can answer any other questions, I'll be right here :)
Hey Eddie, just found your site..great site..I just picked up a Honda HRM215 last night, for $75.00...the guy didn't want it anymore, because the self propelled quit working. I am going to be taking rear wheels off today when I get home from work, to see what's what. Hoping you'll be able to help me through anything I find. Mower runs great, starts on first pull, and blade engages when you push the little yellow button in and pull the clutch handle back. Just nothing happening when you try the self propelled part. Heck I don't even know the exact serial number of my mower yet...all I know is it's a HRM215, has a plastic mower deck, and 5hp engine.
So....time to dig in.........
Hi again....Ok, hoping you can help me to the correct replacment parts, and what year my mower is and any other info. My mower says HRM215-GK and then another sticker on it says: MZBB - 6352430
Thanks again for any help
;
';;;;
u can help me identify my mower..I got the info off of it...
Hi again Eddie!
Ok..I just now pulled BOTH rear wheels off and put the mower up on blocks..I started it up....I believe there are TWO controls for the rear wheels..on the left side of the handle bar is a "speed" type of control with a red lever..and then there is the black metal "pull bar" the you pull up on when you are actually pushing the mower forward...I set the red level at "full or "fast" and then pulled up on the black pull bar...but neither "gear" turned on either side of the mower. Any thoughts??
Dan
Eddie, OK my transmission is also aluminum not plastic, as well as mine is a 2 speed. I got underneath and found the lever and the lower end of the cable is attached. The lever itself was a little sticky due to lack of use I assume. I hand jockeyed the lever back and forth a couple times and this solved the wheels not spinning in reverse. At this point is there a way(without the spring on the upper handle assembly) for me to start and. At least see if this dog will bark? Also if it DOES statr could this spring be that simple of a fix? By the way THANKS you are the man! Claimer
Also I Can see and access the tranny without removing any cover. Thanks again Claimer
Eddie,
I am faced with the exact same situation as you with the exact same mower. Like you, I can sometimes get the gear unlocked by monkeying with the cable, or by shifting it to low speed. However, when I run it or engage the self propel, the right wheel stays in gear. I'm going to investigate it more tonight. Results may vary depending on my frustration level.
Hi Dan,
Did you see if the drive belt is still connected or did it fall off the pulleys? There is one other thing you can check, on the clutch pull bar, check all the welds where the cable attaches to the bar, if the welds are OK, try adjusting the clutch cable.
As far as verifying the year make and model, I don't have any reference books, but it sounds exactly like my mower, and it's a 1996. Let me know what you find Dan, thanks.
Hi Claimer,
You can try grabbing the cable with a pair of vice grips and holding it while you try to start it. Hay Claimer, any auto part store has assortments of springs, go grab a universal spring and give it a shot, it would probably cost about $2, or take a coat hanger and slip one end through the loop on the cable, pull it tight, then wrap the other end of the coat hanger around the handle, that should do it for a trial run. And yes, you can see the transmission and levers from the bottom, they're just hard to get to without removing the cover. Keep me updated, let me know if that works, thanks :)
Hi Paul,
I'm going to do more investigating myself tonight, let me know what you find, thanks.
Eddie
I'll check the welds tonight when I get home....also, there is a belt? where is it located, and how do I access it to check??
Thanks
Hi Dan,
It's right above the blade, there is a pulley on the motors output shaft and the goes over to the transmission pulley. I just snapped one today on a Toro self propelled mower, same setup as the Honda, but the Toro is a piece of junk,lol. Let me know what you find :)
Will do....so I take it, I need to turn the mower on it's side..remove the blade(s) (mine has two blades, one sits just above the other)... so I'll remove the blades, and then I should have access to the transmission belt, correct? I'll give it a go and let you know what I see.
I hope that's all it is!!!
Using what I learned from this site, I've managed to eliminate some possibilities.
My problem is not caused by:
Debris under the wheel gears.
Broken spring.
Loose, damaged, or unhooked cable.
I did manage to get the access panel open under the mower, and yes that last bolt was unreachable for me. I was able to get a good look inside though by removing three of the bolts.
I'm certain now that the problem is in the transmission.
So I see where the cable hooks to it, and how going from in gear to out of gear is controlled by the little metal pivot thing.
What I don't understand is what is going on in the transmission to make it stay in gear. The little pivot thing seems to move back to where it is supposed to when the cable tension is released. Yet it stays in gear.
I can sometimes (but not always) get it out of gear by jiggling the pivot thing.
I suppose I need to open up the transmission, but that seems like a lot of work just to get to it.
Hi Dan,
When you tip the mower on it's side, you should be able to see the belt, just reach up and see if it has tension, if not , it has fallen off the pulley or has broken and it's not there at all,lol.
Hi Paul,
I have taken apart the trans mission just to have a look inside, the only thing I had noticed is, both levers on the transmission had a lot of slop, other than that, it looked really good, none of the gears were broken, the shift forks looked good and there was plenty of grease. So I figured it would be a matter of playing with the cable adjustments. The transmission for our model cost $250- $300, it would be worth buying a whole new mower for that kind of money.
If your looking to take the transmission out, your half way there. I plan on taking mine apart again and taking a closer look, I want to remove all the grease inside the transmission and see if I can shim the shift levers to tighten em up, and also see if there is a spring or something I overlooked the first time, finding the time to do it is the hard part. Let me know what you decide to do, and thanks for the feed back Paul, I really appreciate it.
Hey guys, just a couple things I wanted to write this morning.
1. I just joined the lawnmower forum and there is ACTUALLY a certified HONDA Factory tech guy that is a member there and RESPONDS to your questions...He has been chatting with me back and forth, and things my issue is a cable issue..he even sent me pages from the shop manual on how to adjust cables, change belt, etc. Good info!
2. I found out our transmissions are indeed Hydrostatic transmissions, and to check, change or TOP OFF the fluid, you have to remove the transmission to do it..as it's on top. (how convenient, NOT!)
so I gotta ask, how do you drop the transmission on these mowers? Is it fairly simple? I guess since I am trouble shooting, I may as well check or change the hydrofluid as well.
Dan
Eddie,
I might get to this over the weekend. I assume I'll have to take the gears off both ends in order to get the transmission off. Would that be correct?
I feel like there must be some easier fix that I'm overlooking. From what I can see in other videos, the transmission is really nothing but gears on the inside anyway. Nothing too complicated about it. Getting it off the mower and opened up looks like a major undertaking though.
My mower is 12 years old now so I'm not sure what I'm going to decide to do yet.
Correction: It's 16 years old.
Hi Paul,
Taking out the transmission is not too bad, take the wheels off, the gears on the axle, the rear cover and then there is a snap ring holding it on the mower on both sides, you already have the bottom cover off, so it's just a matter of removing the springs and cables. I believe you slide the short end of the axle out last.
I have 2 mowers to take apart, I just need to find the time, possibly this weekend, when I do find the time, I'll make a video and article in detail because everyone is looking for that information. Let me know how you make out Paul, have a great weekend.
Hi Dan,
One of my good friends is the District Service Rep for Honda power equipment for the East Coast and there is no information and no service bulletins on this problem Paul and I have. Also Paul and I have a two speed transmission, and there not hydro-static. I just explained to Paul how the trans comes out, and if I have time this weekend I do so more research. Take care for now Dan, and have a good week end.
Hey Eddie..well this guy over at the forum seems to know his stuff....he can even tell me where my mower was originally purchase, and WHO bought it..here is some info he gave me as well.
MODEL-SERIAL NUMBER (PIN).......................: MZBB - 6352430
INVOICED DEALER.................................: 307282
INVOICE DATE....................................: 04/13/98
DATE OF PURCHASE................................: 07/06/1998
SELLING DEALER..................................: 307282
ENGINE NUMBER...................................: 7188523
MODEL ID .......................................: HRM215K2HX
WARRANTY TERM...................................: NON-COMMERCIAL
If you type in the MODEL ID you'll see that my model is:
Honda HRM215K2HXA (Hydrostatic Self-Propelled Harmony, Frame Serial MZBB-6300001 to 6400000)
So it has Hydrostatic right in the name...is this not true?? I can take some photos of it if you'd like to see it....just let me know your email address. I am hoping to get this issue figured out and solved.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Eddie,
My 19 year old 215 still runs except for a small glitch. What happens is sometimes one of two rear wheels doesn't roll backwards which is not convenient when turning around. What do you think is the problem
?
Hi Dan,
The information on your mower is correct, you do have a hydro-static transmission, I was just saying my mower has a two speed transmission, my model is a HRM215K2SDA, your's is just a bit newer and your transmission is different. Hope that helps.
Hello Guy,
That's odd, just one wheel locking up, did you remove the rear wheel and take a look inside to see if there is anything obvious? Take a look at the drift key as well, maybe it's damaged and is not sliding in and out of the axle shaft as designed. Let me know what you find Guy.
Hey Eddie
well, I am still trying to decide whether I drop the transmission and install new axle seals on each side ($2.35 part) to re-seal the transmission. The Honda tech guy I am talking to said that is enough hydro fluid has leaked out, it would cause the transmission NOT to work..so it's possible that's the only problem..OR not..I just am undecided if I just use it as a non propelled push mower, or fix the self propelled transmission. Decision, Decisions!
Eddie,
When this problem started I was mowing the lawn and there was some kind of audible clunk and that's when my transmission started to stay in gear. It sounded to me like something broke. I also notice that the gear engage cable is a bit looser than before. There is still tension on it though, just not as much. I suspect that whatever that little metal pivot thing connects to on the inside of the transmission is where my problem lies.
Anyway, let that be my official wild ass guess for the record.
Hi Dan,
The parts are pretty cheap, so give it a shot, it should only take about 2 hours. Let me know what you decide to do.
He Paul
Nice wild ass guess,lol. Check that welds at the handle assembly, that is the only know bulletin on this problem, unfortunately the fix isn't that easy on mine. Let me know what you find.
Hi Eddie
Well, I figured what the heck..I went and ordered two new oil seals for the axle on either side...so this week I am going to take the transmission off, and open it up to have a look see. I guess for the Hydraulic trans. there really aren't many parts in side, compared to the gear driven, like your two speed. So I'll keep you posted.
Thanks Dan, , remember to clean all your moving parts and apply new grease where applicable, like at the wheels and axle shaft, it really makes a difference, good luck :)
Similar to another post - I have a harmony 216. The wheels spin when I lift the mower off the ground, but when I put the mower down, it just sits there. Had some success using the lowest speed, and once got it to run in second, but it is iffy at best. Is the trans shot or is there an adjustment I can make? The clutch IS engaging, so wondering if it's the transmission speed(?) cable.
thanks
Hi Bob,
Adjusting the cables is the first step, as the lawnmower gets older, the cables stretch, so tweaking them just a little may help your situation. I'm in the process of tearing mine apart for the second time, and I'm taking video and pictures a I go, so I will update this article in a few days or write a completely new one, but try adjusting the cables first and let me know how you make out, thanks Bob.
No way to adjust up by the controls. Weird - when i lift the mower off the ground, all 3 speeds work fine, but when i put it to the ground, it sits there
May buy another Honda - 216 - but single speed. Issue is, this one runs all the time - the clutch does NOT disengage. Is this an easy fix?
Eddie, just wanted to ask you what you prefer on your Honda for a mower blade? right now mine has the standard 2 blade setup..one above the other...is this the best, or are there better setups out there to look at?
Thanks
Eddie, I started to take apart the mower but couldn't figure out how to get the rear wheel height adjusters off. So I figured I'd wait to see what you come up with on yours.
Hi Guys,
Been it the garage all night tearing apart the harmony 215 transmission, I have answers for all of you, Paul, Dan, John, and Bob, so here goes. I'll put a video together or just put up all the pictures and video clips, but it will take a few days.
@ Bob, if the cable adjustments are all good,and the welds on the clutch lever are OK, I believe the problem is in the shift fork/lever assembly on the transmission. I have mine completely apart and the only problem I found is there is to much slop in that assembly, so I'm trying to figure out how to remove the slack/slop by shimming the assembly, but give me a few days, so keep following this thread.
@ John, Is the clutch cable or shift cable too tight? If either of them are too tight it will cause binding in the transmission so I would check those cables first.
@ Dan, I would use the standard blades that come with the mower, I love the way the mower cuts and lifts the clippings into the bagger so that's my recommendation on blades.
@ John, If you look under the mower at the rear wheels, the wheel adjusters have a snap ring holding in the adjusters, the left rear wheel is a bit tricky, you need a pair of 90deg snap ring pliers. The hardest part about getting out the transmission is removing the top spring, it's in such a tight position you can't reach it with anything, so this is what I did, the transmission tilts back a forth, and it's that spring that keeps the tension on the belt, so I twisted the transmissions forward with my hand to remove the belt (you have to remove the clutch cable from the trans before you twist it, not the shift cable, the shift cable is on the left looking at the mower from the rear) once the belt is off the pulley, the spring has enough slack to remove it. Then just remove the shift cable from up top at the levers, swing the transmission down so you can slide it to the right( long axle side)and remove the trans. Hope that's not too confusing, but like I said, I'm putting together some instructions with lot's of pictures so hold tight for a few days while I create it. I'll still answer questions tho, so bring it on :) Hope this helps.
Girish 10 months ago
Eddie, thanks for the info. my problem started this morning when my son was mowing. the mower got stuck in auto even after he released the auto handle. he had to turn it off and then he could not get it to go backwards. i had recently replaced the cable but now i noticed the arm that the cable attaches to at the transmission did not go back. I manually pushed it back and that got the wheels to go back. However, the next time I engaged the automatic, the same thing happened (the arm did not go back when I disengaged and the wheels would not allow me to go backwards). Any ideas how to fix that?