Has anyone ever worn one out or had a failure? And is the cam belt really a life time belt? And is the difference between a heavy duty application and a light duty application the fact that the hd engine has a two part air filter with foam that you clean and oil?
ohc Honda lawn mower engine
- Thread starter Lonnie
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From the Garden Web, what I've heard from a couple of the LM mechanics is that when the engine was first introduced, there were a few belt failures.
Apparently that problem has been corrected and neither of them have seen any failures in the last few years.
The main difference between the GC & GCS appears to be a cast iron sleeve in the GCS.
Apparently that problem has been corrected and neither of them have seen any failures in the last few years.
The main difference between the GC & GCS appears to be a cast iron sleeve in the GCS.
It's funny that the heavy duty honda is pushrod engine and the lighter duty is the ohc with the belt.
Think they used a plastic camshaft in the ohc also. Must be "space age plastic", LOL.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Lonnie, mine's been going since 1999 with minimal maintenance on my part. It lets out a puff of blue on startup and has become more difficult to start, but it's probably a carb issue as the original NGK plug looks new yet.
Joel
1999
Original plug
Has become more difficult to start
Just maybe....
Original plug
Has become more difficult to start
Just maybe....
I bought a new OHC Honda with the belt in 2000. It soon developed a severe knock and my dealer refused to correct it. IMO, it was a excessive crank end-play which probably wouldn't hurt anything but it sounded like worn out Briggs & Stratton.
I traded it off so I can't say one way or the other...
I traded it off so I can't say one way or the other...
Mr. Boston. I'm thinking of buying a Honda lawn mower
this spring. What and where is this belt your all talking
about?
this spring. What and where is this belt your all talking
about?
Quote:
What and where is this belt your all talking
about?
Honda OHC engines (all GC and GS series, eg. the GCV160 or 190 commonly found on new Honda lawn mowers) actually have an internal timing belt that drives the cam. It is supposedly a lifetime belt. Some are skeptical given the limited life on timing belts in automotive applications.
Why did the dealer refuse?
Hey, I would like to know the answer to that, also. I too bought one of those Honda 5.5 hp OHC engines back in 2000, and it has given me over 360 hours of faultless service; I use it about 60 to 65 hours a year, and change the oil once a year using Mobil 1 5W30. It uses no oil between yearly changes. I have an hour meter on it, so I know how much it is used.
Honda says this is a lifetime belt, and given what they expect the lifetime of a consumer grade lawn mower to be, I see no reason to doubt it. Belts on auto engines are usually required to be changed around 90,000 miles, and this will usually be a little over 2,000 hours of run time. I will be satisfied with this engine if it lasts anywhere b etween 500 to 1,000 hours. By the way, it is quieter and smooth than the B & S and Tecumseh engines I have on another lawn mower and a yard vac.
I bought a Sears lawnmower with the honda motor in 2002. Used it strictly for a part-time lawn service I ran. Averaged about 20 hours per week for 40 weeks/year (South Carolina has a short winter). Changed oil every month with Wal-mart 10w-30. In short, the motor was still going strong; but the body was shot. Lasted until October, 2006. In my opinion, the honda motor is very good.
See my post above. My Honda engine is still great, but, other components have had to be replaced. On mine, bought in 2000, I have had to replace both rear wheels, which split apart about a year apart, and I replaced both front wheels because they worn down smooth and lost traction. The biggest repair by far has been the one speed gearbox, which had the gears wear out completely and had to be replaced. the new one came made to a new axle and didn't look like the old one, but it fit the old attachment points and works just fine.
I have thrown away many lawn mowers in the past when they were broken down like this one, but I am old and retired now, and have plenty of time to work on it. I want to see just how long this Honda engine will last.
why would that be?
I just thought that if the ohc new technology was good that the hd model would be upgraded. It appears to have fewer parts and is a simple configuration. It appears that the belt lubricated the top end of the engine and would help the engine to survive hot conditions a bit better.
OHC is cheaper to produce.There is an advantage in being able to use lighter valve springs. I just don't see an over all advantage .
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Sounds much like my 1999 honda pushmower. The 5.5 OHC runs well, but I've had to replace one rear wheel bracket assy and the single speed self propelled gear box bit the dust. The stamped steel deck appears to be rusted pretty thin in spots even though I scrape it after each use. This engine will outlive the mower. Live and learn. If you are in the market for a $300+ pushmower, go the extra mile & get an aluminum deck and commercial grade hardware.
Joel
I have one that I got out of some one's trash. It needed the rope replaced. The dam thing smokes like a mosquito fogger. I run 60 weight oil and will smoke on start up then quits after a while. It seems to smoke less when its low on oil. I have to say it runs fine. While the mower is built like a tank, I actually hate it. But it was free and I'll use it until it craps out.
bullet
I cant buy a new machine without driving it into the ground
I just get that great feeling of.. well driving it into the ground.
I cant buy a new machine without driving it into the ground
I just get that great feeling of.. well driving it into the ground.
ive got a pressure cleaner with the honda gc160 engine. we got it back in the last millenium when the overheadcam engines just came out (was a new thing still). i used that pressure cleaner semi commercally and as of today i probably have 1000 hours on it.
what i found is the first thing to fail was the pressure washer wand, then a pump went bad, then another pump. the frame rustred in half, *i weld the frame back up).
so now i have this broken pressure cleaner sitting in my garage. the engine runs fine.
seems like the gc engines are picky about dirt in the carb. i got an early model without the intake fuel filter, so i installed an inline filter.
what i found is the first thing to fail was the pressure washer wand, then a pump went bad, then another pump. the frame rustred in half, *i weld the frame back up).
so now i have this broken pressure cleaner sitting in my garage. the engine runs fine.
seems like the gc engines are picky about dirt in the carb. i got an early model without the intake fuel filter, so i installed an inline filter.
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