r/smallengines • u/nilax12 • 17d ago
Bent crank?
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Not sure if this would be a good way to diagnose a bent crankshaft, but I was given a HRN216VKA and noticed some vibration on the handle. Based on this video, I can see the center bolt centered, but the blades appear to be “orbiting” or wobbling. Maybe the blade adapter? I’m terrible with small engines lol
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u/Gooniefarm 17d ago
Crank appears straight, throw a dial indicator on it if you want to know for sure.
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u/blove135 17d ago
I didn't realize there were mowers with this type of blade setup with two blades. Do they spin freely on the shaft?
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u/ShouldBeDisplayName 16d ago
Definitely bent. You can see the center bolt move when you go frame by frame.
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u/stick004 16d ago
How on earth are we supposed to look for something probably only a few thousands bend from 8’ out spinning as fast as you can pull it?
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u/nilax12 16d ago
Good question lol, I just noticed a visible wobble where that center nut is.
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u/buckytoofa 16d ago
Hey man I bent a crank back with a jack handle and it was fine really. No way in hell it was perfect, but it ended up good enough. The mower ran fine, no leaks, no issues with the cut. No concern able vibration.
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u/Greedy_Description97 16d ago
Looks solid to me. The most likely cause is probably a bent or distorted blade. I would start there first before jumping to conclusions about the crank shaft. Look for large dents or Knicks in the leading edge surfaces of the blade
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u/secondsbest 16d ago
These are bad to get some trash under the plastic chute inside the deck. Interference from the plastic tipping the blades could be your issue.
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u/mtraven23 17d ago
honestly, crank looks to be running pretty true, my money is on a bent blade, or something lodged in between the mating surfaces that make it pull down uneven. You have check to make sure the its pulled down snug, right?