My brotherinlaw gave me his little Honda mini tiller, said it just stopped running. I brought it home and the oil was black as coal! Changed the oil about six times...it only takes 2.7 ozs to fill the crankcase! Put in a new plug and it started on the first pull! It smoked like a chimney for a while. I noticed the plastic engine cover was missing. I got the cover from him and put it on...feeling the cover was off for a while, which would cause it to run a while and then get hot and cut off. It still smokes a little but runs good and starts good. It's probably running on borrowed time but I think I will run a 15w50 synthetic in it which might buy it some more time. What do you guys think? Thanks,G-man
Honda gx25 4 stroke mini tiller/ ran hot?
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Sounds like a good plan. Was the missing cover intended to direct air flow from the flywheel fan? Must have have gotten critters behind it at one time, thus the need to remove?
If it starts and runs well, I bet it will continue to do so for a long time provided you give it reasonable care.
Joel
If it starts and runs well, I bet it will continue to do so for a long time provided you give it reasonable care.
Joel
JHZR2
Staff member
I have one of those little machines and it is great. I personally doubt that the removal of a cover is going to bake the oil out of design spec.
I'd bet that there are more issues associated with bad gas or something... Maybe a bad ring that got cleaned up and improved compression...
I'd bet that there are more issues associated with bad gas or something... Maybe a bad ring that got cleaned up and improved compression...
I drained the oil again and filled it with Mobil 1 15w50, it only takes 2.7 ozs,only time will tell how long it will live. It starts on one or two pulls and the more I run it the less it smokes. I only see a few wisps of smoke now and then. JTK, yes the cover does act as a deflector for the air from the flywheel, theres a big difference in the way the air is blown around the cooling fins with the cover on...as felt with my hand when the engine is idling. It's like the engine tins on the bigger air cooled engines. To access the plug you have to remove the plastic cover...and I feel it was left off and unwittingly allowed to run hot for quite a while. Hopefully the Mobil 1 will help prolong it's life. Hmmmm...it might be a good ad for Exxon/Mobil...LOL! Thanks, G-man
The GX25 is a very unusual engine in that it is a 4 stroke OHC engine with non-pressurized oiling yet it can be operated in any orientation.
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Mobil 1 15w-50 is a great choice and I use it as well. The only thing that I would add to what has already mentioned is that I would change the oil with every 3-4 hours of use. That little 25cc engine screams and really works hard. Good luck.
Originally Posted By: theoldwizard1
The GX25 is a very unusual engine in that it is a 4 stroke OHC engine with non-pressurized oiling yet it can be operated in any orientation.
I forgot to add, the real oddity of that engine is that it uses a "rubber" cogged tooth belt INSIDE the engine to drive the camshaft. That camshaft only has ONE LOBE which is used for both the intake and exhaust valves !!
The oil "dipper" looks more like a 2 bladed fan.
The GX25 is a very unusual engine in that it is a 4 stroke OHC engine with non-pressurized oiling yet it can be operated in any orientation.
I forgot to add, the real oddity of that engine is that it uses a "rubber" cogged tooth belt INSIDE the engine to drive the camshaft. That camshaft only has ONE LOBE which is used for both the intake and exhaust valves !!
The oil "dipper" looks more like a 2 bladed fan.
I'm gonna add, when you store this engine for a month or so. Make sure you drain the gas out of the carb . I just bought a used oem carb on my Honda mini tiller and the gas ate through my rubber seals on my carb.
Originally Posted By: iluvhonda
I'm gonna add, when you store this engine for a month or so. Make sure you drain the gas out of the carb . I just bought a used oem carb on my Honda mini tiller and the gas ate through my rubber seals on my carb.
Good point. And use ethanol free gas if you can get it. That corn syrup is murder on Honda carbs.
I'm gonna add, when you store this engine for a month or so. Make sure you drain the gas out of the carb . I just bought a used oem carb on my Honda mini tiller and the gas ate through my rubber seals on my carb.
Good point. And use ethanol free gas if you can get it. That corn syrup is murder on Honda carbs.
Depending on its use it might not have run more than 10-20 minutes at a time so maybe some leftover "cold soak" helped preserve things.
Maybe if it overheated the rings relaxed and aren't as springy anymore, so it'll burn oil like a 2-stroke but hey might keep on ticking.
Is this a universal mount? Will another engine fit?
Maybe if it overheated the rings relaxed and aren't as springy anymore, so it'll burn oil like a 2-stroke but hey might keep on ticking.
Is this a universal mount? Will another engine fit?
Might have coked up the ring(s?) with the lack of cooling air and a likely inferior oil. That may explain the puffs of smoke, oil getting past the coked rings. I would bet if you keep changing it out often, it will clean them right out and they will seal properly. You may also want to run redline sl1 fuel additive in it during this process for extra cleaning.
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