GCV 160 Honda Mower Starts Runs fine Quits in 2 Minutes

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Sep 23, 2007
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1,113
Location
Northern New York
I'm trying to fix my buddies Trot Built mower that is about 2-3 years old. As the title says runs great then starts stumbling and quits . First thought was the gas cap vent , nope . Then I filled the tank pulled the line at the carb and let it all drain. No issues with the shut off valve and it flowed free straight to the bottom cap on or off no change. I put it back on the carb and tried it again same thing shutting off. Both times I noted the auto choke was working properly before and after.
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On to the next Honda possibility the spark plug. I swapped it BR5 es with the BR6 from my pressure washer, did the same thing.
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Ok I'm stumped. I did yank the bowl which has much of the plating munched off it by ethanol.
That's where I am right now, any brilliant ideas
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I have the same motor on my Husqvarna mower....the carbs are very finicky* if any gasoline is
left in them for any length of time....I replaced my carb twice already...Today's gas probably
doesn't help.

*I was used to Briggs & Stratton's which are much more tolerant of old gas IMO....
I agree to buy a new carb on Amazon.....make sure you get one for an auto choke
rather than manual choke....the difference being the vertical plastic arm which activates
the choke on the manual model.....they don't always mention it in advertising for the
new carb.

I have a new one for an auto choke that I bought by mistake....if you are close by me in NY
you are welcome to it.
 
Long range possibility but if it cranks and runs fine- stops when hot or loaded

Then does it again when cool

Check the exhaust valve- it can be losing seal.
 
I agree on the exhaust valve. I have an old generator that would run about 2 minutes and loose power and die. Thought it was carb but was the exhaust temp stretch of the exhaust vale caused loss of compression and it would die.
 
My thought would be the carburetor float sticking closed if it still has spark when it dies. Sounds like the engine is burning all the fuel in the bowl then shutting off. This is the exact same behavior as my Toro mower with a Honda GCV160 when I turn off the fuel shut off valve and let it run out of fuel. Runs for 2 minutes then stumbles and quits.

I would check for spark to be sure, but my money is on a carburetor issue, I don't really see bad ignition coils or exhaust valves that get wildly out of clearance on GCV engines.
 
Here is an example of a replacement carb on Amazon. I find the model numbers on Amazon don't seem to line up very well except they do recognize GCV 160 and LAO. I believe anything with HR in it is a actual Honda Lawnmower model number. If anyone can shed more light on this it would be welcome. Your model and serial number is on the back side (towards the back of the mower).

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Does this model use the vacuum operated fuel pump?

If so, my neighbors Simplicity mower was doing the same thing. Found a "flipped" flapper check in the pump, no fuel after a while. Gravity alone won't supply enough fuel in some of these applications.
 
No fuel pump this guy but gas definitely flows freely and all of it I just now found out this guy is only 1 yo. Way too young for exhaust valve ect
So these do run 2 minutes on the bowls contents ? Funny but I've never really timed it with my stuff. Here's the inside of the bowl I dropped yesterday . Lots of playing gnawed away by alcohol especially for that age 🤬
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When it won't run, put a little gas or starting fluid in the intake pull the starter and see if it fires a few times. If it does, it's a lack of fuel problem; if it does not it's something else.

I have seen a couple that would not start at all due to stuck valves. This is easy to spot as you won't feel any compression when pulling the rope.
 
My 160 is running pretty good 12 years later. My Briggs on the other hand needed starting fluid to run. Cleaned the carb and changed the needle. I drained the gas before winter on both.
 
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Well, after fixing the busted shield arbors getting mine going and Knocking down my own grass I finally got back to this thing. I did change a new spark plug in it and thought that believe it or not it actually fixed it because it ran for about 25 minutes. Not believing in such miracles I gave it a 2 ounce to a tank full dose of SEAFOAM. It even had me optimistic for a while feeding that hot dose through it but in the end it did but I thought it would do in the first place conked out.🤬
Then I got another brilliant idea and put 50-50 seafoam gas in a tiny spray bottle and just fed it through that intake slowly which kept it running. Surely that had to do it as I went through about 5 ounces of this mix, 🤬, nothing. Ah well I'll have to tear this apart after all.
 
It didn't work for me and I really let it fly, burping and blowing white smoke. I pulled it apart tonight. The float doesn't even have a bendable tab to adjust it.. Just a tiny needle that sits on the cradle of the float.. I pulled the seat snd reamed it out with a bread tie wire. I did seem to have a halo to it at first . That might be it..... Then i removed the Phillips screw and tried to pass the tiny wire through the jet in the bottom , no luck. It didn't seem to be letting carb cleaner through Either so I left it sitting with some carb cleaner in it and called it a night.
 
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