The decompressor is a small lever fitted to the camshaft which as its name implies reduces the compression when pull starting when the engine fires centrifugal force moves it out of the way, the flywheel is situated behind the recoil housing you will have to find some way of locking it to undo the nut and a puller to remove as its fitted on a taper. One final thought if all else fails contact Honda technical department direct they should be able to help you if you give a full description of the symptoms
Again, thanks for the explanation. That could explain why a finger over the spark port produced what I thought was little compression. Don't know what you know about contacting Honda tech, but the few phone calls I have made, I listen to the usual verbal run-around about how the answers to all my questions can be found on the internet. After around 20 mins, I have lost the will to continue with the phone call.
I will investigate the key but I find it difficult to believe that it could be broken. That would require a lot of shear force which I would presumably have heard something go 'bang!' i have heard nothing, just increasingly difficult to start to the point that it will not start.
The flywheel key is designed to shear reasonably easily so as to save damage to the crankshaft and the flywheel. As to contacting Honda do it online on their website
Just been in contact with Honda and i don't know where you go to Colin, but a waste of time. I was advised to call the Customer Service Centre, who when they answered, told me they are basically admin and do not provide technical information. Their advice, contact one of the approved service centres, which is not going to happen. It would be cheaper to buy a new machine then pay them to tell me the bleeding obvious.
In any case, when the machine was new, I was advised to visit the service centre to get a small part that was not in the box. They were downright rude because I had not bought from them and they would not assist. Vowed not to return and told them. All I needed was two spacing washers to fit the scarifying shield.
This cannot be rocket science but I am not further advanced with start the b***dy machine. Come across a Q&A asking what is the best small engine and the answer at the end, is "The best, most durable, easiest starting small engines are those made by Honda." But the entire discussing preceding this is about ethanol in petrol and how it is not good for any small engine. I always buy the cheapest for my garden machines but have no idea if the cheapest has ethanol or not. If virtually all fuel now has ethanol , what is the solution for garden machinery?
Even a new carb has not made the engine start. Checked the key and it is fine. Can ethanol mess up the cylinder sufficiently to prevent starting?
Sorry to revive this thread. After not getting anywhere, and with Mr google telling me the most likely cause of kickback when attempting to start, i decided that like Sherlock Holmes, when all possibilities have been discountered, whatever is left, no matter how unlikely, must be the cause (or solution.)
As Colin A suggested, all that is left is the woodruff key. Today, removed all the bits and pulled off the flywheel to reveal the key.
Very disappointing as the key on my GX25 is machined as part of the flywheel and is not replaceable (how do they do that? Some very sophisticated machining.) Neither is it distorted in any way.
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One final thought if all else fails contact Honda technical department direct they should be able to help you if you give a full description of the symptoms