OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Honda Engines Type of metal used in the Bore of GCV-160 ?

Hi all,

I have a GCV-160 that is very smokey and I mean super smokey on start up and then clears within the next minute or so.

I've looked at everything that could possibly be the cause and have come to the conclusion that the rings are worn and as it heats up they expand and the smoke stops., It even spits out oil droplets out of the exhaust until it's warmed up and this doesn't help it's cause.

Before I go any further I would like to know if the bore in these engines is steel lined or just aluminium. If it's steel then a new set of rings should see it right again but if it's an ally bore then both surfaces will probably be well past their use by date.

Cheers,
BB.

Hi BB

99.9% its just plain alloy bore


Edit

Looked on hondas website - on the GXV they list iron liner under 'proven reliability', GSV 'Premium consumer' models have the liner but GCV don't

I don't normally believe in the engine oil additive snake oils, but maybe give the Nulon worn engine repair treatment a go - repco should have it on special again soon. Its $20 a bottle normally, but comes down to $12 occasionally

Hi Tyler,

Honestly I'm not convinced that any additive is going to help the state of this powerplant.

I'll take a photo of it when I fire it up and believe me it has all the neighbours thinking there's actually a fire happening at my place or half of the street is burning to the ground.

I pretty much feel that the GCV-135 and 160 are considered disposable engines.

Cheers,
BB.

Hi BB,
I tend to agree with you, these engines are pretty much disposable, buy it wont hurt to satisfy your curiosity and open it up and do a visual inspection of the bore. It may be in usable condition and the culprit could just be a broken ring.
Cheers, Ted

Or you could the apply the non-invasive leak-down test to the cylinder condition. If it fails then it's a good time for a new engine since no oversized parts appear to be available.

Not what you wanted to hear BB, these Hondas are not much better than the Chondas. Sure they are cheaper than the commercial Hondas, but they just play on the Honda name to suck the unwary in. I fell for them when they first came out, bought 2 of them, big mistake.

BB,

There is a bloke in the 'States who tests all sorts of additives in engines and has found a few that actually work.

The GP Honda engines are all alloy too.

Hi All,

Firstly thank you very much for all your input. I now know how it feels to be the guy that's receiving the bad news from others.

Honda's are definitely not my speciality. Maybe in the meantime I'll keep my eyes out for a used GXV-160 on a chassis damaged machine as the chassis I've got here is in near perfect shape and certainly doesn't reflect the state the engine is in I guess.

Cheers,
BB.

You just have to sit and wait BB,as soon as you start rushing trying to solve a problem like this it will turn around and bite you. The Honda self propelled come up with blown drive gears fairly regularly but the sellers always state it is probably a cable adjustment that is needed, but that is never the case, but they all want top dollar for a machine with a good motor but it is a machine that is pretty useless as a push machine.

Hi Norm,

Yes I had a HRU-216M2 and that feels like you are flying a kite, but with the kite at the other end of the rope. Those super long handled machines are pig awful to use as a push mower. I originally bought it for a mate and not for me but he felt exactly the same way about it and said it was like running a B double around the garden.

As such I simply spent lots of time on it cleaning and turned a Sours ear into a silk purse, as I generally do.

Certainly worked in my favour as that paid plenty of dividends in the end, but now I picked up this HRU-19 Buffalo Buck up for a grand total of $25 and spent some time on that and it to now looks like a silk purse, but one I wish to keep and use as my scalping machine alongside my Scottty's.

I can get a set of after-market rings for it if push comes to shove and after that it should be fantastic running machine that's no longer spitting oil and breathing suburb choking smog.

Cheers,
BB.

Yes BB, those 216 Hondas are aptly described as a B double, fantastic motor but the rest of it is god awful with a transmission that is way below par

Absolutely Norm,

That's why all the contractors toss them aside as the back up machine when the drive packs it in, by then they look like trash so they aren't worth much to repair anymore.

Cheers,
BB.

I'm glad I picked up one of the last Victa two stroke mower from my mower shop a few months back!!

No engine brake, no blade brake, no self drive.

And sorry not much quality either MS. How Victa kept on with that lame chassis / handle design beats me.

Those mowers with the bolt on top handle system just feel so flimsy, compared to say a Greenfield "Enduro" etc.

Cheers,
BB.

Yes, but I guess a known evil, BB. And I have so many parts for it. I'm surprised it wasn't shipped from the factory with fatigue cracks and rust on the left side of the deck under the handle!

Funny you mention Greenfield. Call me crazy, but I will swear black and blue you could have had one of the Enduros with a Kawasaki FJ motor on it? Perhaps I'm getting my wires crossed because you most certainly could get a chipper from them with a Kawasaki. All Briggs now. Anyway, Vanguard or Kawasaki powered, I wanted one as they were a truly Aussie made mower, but there is only one distributor in WA. And guess what, they're not available anymore. No longer listed on their website, only chippers, ZTRs and ride ons!! This has only happened within the last 3-6 months.

So that put an end to that. It came down to 196 Honda or Masport ST FJ powered Contractor. Then I saw one 2 stroke Victa Commando sitting there for only $450. Complete with a mismatched wheel. Gotta love Briggs QC! Absolutely a heart, not head, buy. I'm a two stroke tragic when it comes to OPE.

Hi MS,

Yes you have just confirmed what I was told a week ago and that is as suspected COX who took over Greenfield have discontinued the Enduro series of push mowers and after they said they were "Definitely" going to continue them as they were an iconic Australian machine. It seems that Cox have just raped what they wanted out of the Greenfield brand and dumped everything else.

The Greenfield brand is now nothing more than an old name put on someone else's machine (Cox) with a small part taken from the original Greenfield company in the drive system if my memory serves me correct.

Theo would be rollin' over if he knew what's happened to his once proud company. Bit like putting your whole life's work into the scrap bin.

Cheers on this sadder note,
BB.

Sorry BB, but that is the way of the world, every great company/invention eventually becomes overtaken by something/someone. People like Alan Bond were were very good at picking the eyes out of a company then trashing it.

Just like GM were going to build cars here until at least 2020, BB...

Well there you go. I had suspected that might have happened when I saw the COX name at the bottom of the Greenfield website in the copyright statement. And that the ride ons looked a bit...different.

What a shame. Does GA make spares for Greenfield? What do you suspect parts availability will be like for the pushies? I'm really annoyed I put off buying one now.

Sigh.

MS

Hi MS,

I wouldn't be put off buying one if you can still find one at a dealer in the box. I know one dealer here in South Australia that would still have a few on hand.

The only thing required for them as spares would be the blades themselves, everything else is pretty well bulletproof. The engine are Briggs units and as such spares for those will be plentiful I'd say and if looked after the handlebar assembly should never require replacing as would the chassis either for that matter.

I'll look into it and see what's still available here.

Cheers,
BB.

G'day BB,

I probably should have been clearer and said, "I'm really annoyed I put off buying a new rotary mower!" When you procrastinate, sometimes choice is removed.

That said, I'm sure I could move on my three month old Victa...! I'll see what's available here in WA but I'm guessing not much. Might have a sticky beak around tomorrow. Don't tell the wife.

At least it's cheaper than cars!