Based on a recommendation from chawk_man, I recently completed the work (replacing the exhaust pipes and oil pan gasket) associated with SB56 on my 2002 BF225. I'm a novice so the procedure took me about 7 hours to complete, but 2 of those hours were spent removing 1 bolt on the extension case. Removing the other 103 bolts was not a problem . That one bolt was a
pain. After I broke a socket wrench (trying to loosen the bolt with the wrench and a hammer), I
bought a impact driver and still could not get it free. I finally got it to move by tying a long
crowbar to a socket wrench handle to get extra leverage. I've since bought another socket wrench
with a longer handle.
Background on the problem.
This was the third season I've owned the BF225 and for the most part I love the motor. The first
year I had an intermittent buzzer going off due to the O2 sensor. Once I replaced it, its been
fine. Every fall when I checked/replaced the spark plugs, I noticed that the lower 2 plugs were
darker than the others and that the lower port (#6) plug was difficult to remove.
Also, when inserting the #6 plug, I've never been able to insert it as far as the others (1 to 2
fewer rotations on the socket wrench). This year, I had a problem where I could not get above
4200 RPMs. I tried everything I could think of to deal with a fuel restriction problem (replaced
LP, HP and Racor filters, seafoam, etc) but could not get over 4200 RPMs. As a last resort, I
tried to replace the lower port plug and I was back to ~6000 RPMs. When I mentioned this on a
post, chawk suggested I check to see if SB56 was done. It wasn't, so I did it at the end of the
season.
It will be interesting to see how the engine runs next summer and how the plugs look in the fall.
Does anyone have any post-SB56 results to share? I will be sure to update this post next
fall after I winterize the engine and check the plugs.
Thanks again chawk and hondadude. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share
your expertise.
brian__c
pain. After I broke a socket wrench (trying to loosen the bolt with the wrench and a hammer), I
bought a impact driver and still could not get it free. I finally got it to move by tying a long
crowbar to a socket wrench handle to get extra leverage. I've since bought another socket wrench
with a longer handle.
Background on the problem.
This was the third season I've owned the BF225 and for the most part I love the motor. The first
year I had an intermittent buzzer going off due to the O2 sensor. Once I replaced it, its been
fine. Every fall when I checked/replaced the spark plugs, I noticed that the lower 2 plugs were
darker than the others and that the lower port (#6) plug was difficult to remove.
Also, when inserting the #6 plug, I've never been able to insert it as far as the others (1 to 2
fewer rotations on the socket wrench). This year, I had a problem where I could not get above
4200 RPMs. I tried everything I could think of to deal with a fuel restriction problem (replaced
LP, HP and Racor filters, seafoam, etc) but could not get over 4200 RPMs. As a last resort, I
tried to replace the lower port plug and I was back to ~6000 RPMs. When I mentioned this on a
post, chawk suggested I check to see if SB56 was done. It wasn't, so I did it at the end of the
season.
It will be interesting to see how the engine runs next summer and how the plugs look in the fall.
Does anyone have any post-SB56 results to share? I will be sure to update this post next
fall after I winterize the engine and check the plugs.
Thanks again chawk and hondadude. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share
your expertise.
brian__c