Honda GCV160 1st oil change

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Good luck with that engine. Worse engine I ever had on a piece of small power equipment. I know many on here love those Honda engines,but my experiences just turned me off of them.

Well then do tell of your bad experiences. This is a highly respected engine.

I have this engine on both a mower and a pressure washer. The mower has at least 300 hours, the pressure washer maybe 50. These engines are the most fuel efficient of any OPE I own, they don't burn oil, and they always start on the first or second pull.

 

[GMBoy]

I realize that the engine is well thought of and a lot of people are happy with them.

My experience was bad Right out of the box. My Husqvarna mower never ran right. The oil fill tube and other parts were very flimsy and cheap as well. The motor surged and ran rough since new. I had it serviced under warranty when 2 months old and they replaced a few gaskets and cleaned the carb. It ran pretty well since then but smokes at start up. I changed the oil 2x a year with Mobil 1 oil and it smokes at start up. This is a 2 year old mower. I have never had a briggs and stratton or Kohler engine ever smoke with years of service. My current SPE engines are all over 4 years old and one is 9 yrs old and still strong and smoke free.

Just my 2 cents - I was very unhappy with the engine but maybe I got the bad one out of thousands of good ones.

 

[BikeWhisperer]

That sucks GMBoy, I got a Husqvarna and chose the Honda over the B&S and couldn't be happier. It starts on the first pull for 4 years now, is much more gas efficient than my last mower with a B&S engine, and no smoke ever.

 

[Bror Jace]

GMBoy, my Dad had a Honda Harmony mower that smoked on start-up with Mobil 1. No harm ... but annoying.

Try switching to a HDEO or high-mileage 10W30. Heck, with Texas heat, you might just go straight 30 weight.

 

[CT8]

It is only a lawn mower and it doesn't hold much oil change it once or twice a season and not knowing the model the trans will go out if it has one before the motor will fail. Use what ever oil you have and check the oil level before each mow.I have a Honda with the drive that cost around $400.00 out the door and a commercial one as well. I have used 10w-30, 5w-30 and 15w-40 the lawn mower doesn't care.

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I realize that the engine is well thought of and a lot of people are happy with them.

My experience was bad Right out of the box. My Husqvarna mower never ran right. The oil fill tube and other parts were very flimsy and cheap as well. The motor surged and ran rough since new. I had it serviced under warranty when 2 months old and they replaced a few gaskets and cleaned the carb. It ran pretty well since then but smokes at start up. I changed the oil 2x a year with Mobil 1 oil and it smokes at start up. This is a 2 year old mower. I have never had a briggs and stratton or Kohler engine ever smoke with years of service. My current SPE engines are all over 4 years old and one is 9 yrs old and still strong and smoke free.

Just my 2 cents - I was very unhappy with the engine but maybe I got the bad one out of thousands of good ones.


The Honda GCV160 is a fantastic small engine. A sample of ONE is not an indicator that it is the WORST small engine out there. You sounds as though you got a bad one, it happens.

 

[[email protected]]

I added an hour meter today. It will help me track the mowers usage a lot closer, and it was cheap so hey - why not?

FWIW, cutting the grass today resulted in .7 hours on the meter.

 

[Reggaemon]

Just looked at the manual, Honda says change after first 5 hours then after every 50 hours use or every 6 months.

 

[Stewart Fan]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Good luck with that engine. Worse engine I ever had on a piece of small power equipment. I know many on here love those Honda engines,but my experiences just turned me off of them.


I had a similar experience with a GCV160. I've never had a more temperamental small gas engine. I fought that thing for about 6 months and sold it at a garage sale.

 

[ARB1977]

My 160 has been good for 8 years now. I run Amsoil Small Engine 10W30/30W once a year. Bought T5 10W30 for next season.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
It ran pretty well since then but smokes at start up. I changed the oil 2x a year with Mobil 1 oil and it smokes at start up. This is a 2 year old mower. I have never had a briggs and stratton or Kohler engine ever smoke with years of service.


Run Rotella 10W30 or any other conventional 10W30.

Than run the oil at the halfway point on the dipstick (not all the way to the top), and your engine wont smoke anymore. Your oil is slightly overfilled and oil seeps into the cylinder when not in use.

 

[JR]

Bubbatime. I second you. Let it burn some off and see if it stops at a certain level.
But don't let it go to low.
Try a heavy synthetic if that don't work. Your in Texas so m1 vtwin 20w-50, RP saw30/40, amsoil 20w-50 or dom15w-50, just a few to think of.


Harvey

 

[FastLane]

I had been running Mobil 1 5w30 in a pressure washer but switched out to 10w30 yesterday. The oil darkens quick with 5w30.

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Good luck with that engine. Worse engine I ever had on a piece of small power equipment. I know many on here love those Honda engines,but my experiences just turned me off of them.


GMBoy, I'm with you. I had this motor on an old beater mower I bought of CR. I tore it down and rebuilt the mower but I was never real impressed with that motor. It just felt cheap in comparison to the B and S engines I am used to. They do start nice but I am not a fan of the govenor system and carb.