Chonda

I believe I've done this often enough now to say there's a theme developing in this blog: Justus' encounters with technology. This one's a little off the beaten path of my experience:

A few years ago the original 5 horse Briggs and Stratton engine on our very skookum chipper/shredder died. This was replaced by an outfit in Comox with a "Chonda", a Chinese copy of a 5.5HP Honda engine. It was significantly less expensive than the Honda equivalent, and the repair person said they'd had good luck with the ones they had installed to that point.

Of course he would say that; but in truth, it worked like a charm.

This year, after the rains had arrived and I felt it safe to start on my chipping pile, I hauled the chipper out. As usual, it started enthusiastically. It ran for about 15 minutes, then quit. I started it again: 30 seconds, then quit. Several times.

Thinking it was a fuel-supply problem, I unbolted the engine from the chipper, put the engine in the van, and drove to my local small-engine repair person.
 He thought maybe it was a fuel issue as well, and agreed to give it a tune-up.

When I got it back, it ran like a top for about 30 minutes, then quit. 
Again, it started, but wouldn't continue running.

So I put the chipper in the van and drove to Comox to see the repair person who had initially installed it.

The company had changed owners and they no longer dealt with this kind of engine, but their repair person would have a look at it.

Next day he phoned: the engine was a Chonda, and because it was a Chonda, it couldn't be repaired: they couldn't get parts.
 A replacement Honda engine, he estimated, would cost about $1000, but he wasn't enthusiastic about the job, probably because it would be a special order, and they no longer do this kind of repair.

Reasoning that if an engine replacement was necessary, I didn't need to have it done in Comox, I drove back to the shop, thanked them for their advice, placed the chipper in the van, and returned home.
 Then I went to see my local small-engine guy.
 Yes, they could supply a Honda, and for only a little more than half the quoted price.
There are two 5.5HP models; one is $40 more than the other.
 And what's the difference?

Well, the more expensive one has a feature that stops the engine when the oil level gets too low.

...Wait a minute! That has to be the explanation! It exactly describes what was going on, and I'd noticed an oil leak. If that's the explanation, any chance it could be repaired?

Well, sometimes Honda parts work…
I went home, loaded the chipper into the van, and took it down to see him.
Several days later he phoned: he'd compared the crankcase on mine with a stripped-down Honda he was working on. They were identical, so a Honda gasket would probably do the trick.
“Go for it!” I said.
Today I picked it up. It runs like a top, and there's no sign of leaking oil.