GCV160 engine on Yazoo

I got wheels fixed and start Yazoo with one pull.... But spring comes loose in recoil starter. Take that apart and one end spring just slipped out of the slot in plastic wheel that rope goes around. Good engineering and there would been a metal insert or some other way to lock the spring in place. I find where I can drill 1/8 hole and run wire through to hold the spring in its plastic slot without interfering with anything. Works and made it easier to wind up spring into its recess area. It should hold, the hole shouldnt tear out. The factory engineers could just made little solid wide plastic area there so they could use a single small screw into that plastic to hold spring. Would cost next to nothing but unlikely they do, their main job is to shave fractions of a penny in manufacture even if it lessens the product. Honda engines from 80s hd almost no plastic. Current crop engines have a lot.

Oh and engine starts easy but sputters. The GCV160 carbs are kinda touchy where idle circuit feeds into main fuel circuit. There is a tiny connection between them and it clogs easily. Since I had it running good last summer, suspect it will clean up. But ordered a new $10 carb for it just in case. be better to adapt carb from GXV160 but thats LOT work cause bolts are clocked different and Honda for whatever reason sandwiched bunch stuff altogether with the carb. So take lot re-engineering to make it work. Sometimes, just whole lot less trouble to pay the man the $10.

Oh was looking at replacement recoil starter assemblies. Some claim to be genuine Honda, though they all look alike. I finally found out the genuine ones have three dimples on top center where they like to put stickers. Sometimes sticker big enough it kinda hides the dimples. But the genuine Honda recoil has the dimples, the clones dont. Mine is genuine Honda, but can tell that didnt keep it from being poorly engineered. Anymore they try to make whole recoil out of plastic except the center bolt and the spring of course. I used bit copper wire to make my hold down, better if it had been bit smaller gauge but it worked. Not sure but even a wire twist tie might be enough, if not one, then two.

Got the $8 carburetor off ebay today.  Ripped one gasket getting it off old carb so had to make one.  Got it all reassembled, choke on.  Vroom, vroom, vroom.  One pull start and runs as smooth as you could ever want.  Seriously at $8, it really isnt worth spending time if not successful cleaning it first time around.  Oh and this carb has the idle circuit and factory removable idle mixture screw.  Can tell it wasnt made for USA market.  We get sealed non adjustable crap.

This guy had cheapest price and sure the $20 version wouldnt done any better so give him a free shoutout:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/313494228169?

Just looked, he raised the price to $10. Still good deal. I wont blame him too much, we have INFLATION on just about everything right now.

Dried off enough to mow a bit today. The Honda on the Yazoo ran perfectly. However the Yazoo felt oddly heavy to push. I need to check for rear wheel rubbing. It is a heavy mower for its size, has steel strap iron frame, but either I am getting weak in my old age or there is something dragging causing it to push harder than it should. I fixed front wheels so has to be one of rear ones if there is a drag.

Oh saw this and had to smile:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73G5hO11Jjw

The only thing about it is that it still has engine in center of mower deck. They handle so much better with engine between rear wheels and belt driven deck spindle for the blade. Also need a tire liner for cheap modern bike tires or you will forever be fixing flats. I still dont know what happened to those $2 new bike tires I used to get for my bike in college. I guess everything is ten times what it cost then. Or more. But then doesnt make sense, you can buy a brand new kids bike for $100, but just the tires and tubes cost half that much. Crazy. Make more sense if new bike was $500.

Oh used yazoo again yesterday before big rain overnight. I am impressed with how it runs with the new carb. It must be jetted for best performance rather than super lean to please the EPA.

Got my second GCV160 today. Bought it off ebay for like $75. Yea there are whole mowers on Craigslist for less, though the ones with Honda engine rarer. Most cheap mowers are Briggs. Occasionally a clone engine. Way I figure though is if I bought local, have to spend time and gas fetching it and potentially expose myself to covid, though now people can even go into Walmart locally without a mask, on the "honor system". Alas few people are all that honorable, especially the flat earth crowd.

Seller said it ran good. Its missing gas cap which I got couple days ago for $6. That was cheapest one I found Stens brand. No idea why gas caps are so expensive. It also was missing air filter cover and filter. One little loop that holds cover broken which showed in pics with no obvious repair, so assume cover wouldnt stay on properly. Otherwise it looks as good in person as in photos. Seems to have good compression. I have new air filter assembly on way for $10. I could done a homemade like I did for the Briggs but the Honda assembly works well. The one I made for Tecumseh carb on Briggs is old outlet box with foam filter. Its ok, but not super wonderful. It was however very cheap and I wasnt going to put beacoup bucks into it. If it becomes a problem, probably could fairly easily adapt one of these $10 air cleaner assemblies from GCV160

Going to put it on the old Bear Cat mower as its only one I have with grass catcher. Want to gather grass clippings for the garden. Its a heavy old mower (originally self propelled circa 1968 with Briggs vertical shaft engine with the aux side shaft for the self propel) but good wheels with bearings so as long as I dont have to push it up hill.... It was a very high end mower for that time.

Now interesting seller says Honda engine runs good. Its clean enough I suspect it might, but he also gave model number of Husqvarna mower its off of. Circa 2005/2006 so 15 years old. And shows bit of sign of oil leaking around governor pivot. Some GCV160 early on didnt have seal there so would ooze out bit oil and make mess. You can use the seal from a GXV160 to stop this. Cheap repair. One I put on my Yazoo must be newer, its shown no oozing and its gotta be no newer than 2010. Never looked if it had a seal or not. Not sure what is oldest GCV160, the GCV135 sibling engine is over 20 years old now. Identical looking, just smaller displacement. Think the GCV135 were all made in Japan.

I have been really impressed with GCV160 first last summer when I got this one to start with one gentle pull. Then running even better with new $10 carburetor. I think all small engine mowers now are set to run so lean to please EPA that there will be problems if carb is anything less than new and pristine. I am wondering if the Chinese clone carb might be set to run richer as it would in country without the emissions restrictions. Cause I mean after the carb swap it not only stopped the surging, but noticably has more power.

Oh was mentioning that missing governor shaft seal.  Here is funny little video showing how to add proper seal if its missing.  Its not rocket science. I looked its $5 shipped price on Amazon (third party seller), couple bucks more on Ebay. This is one you want: Honda 91231-891-003 Oil Seal (6X11X4) And looks like I will be ordering one....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeiWvmNBjU

Ok, just looked. Yea no governor shaft seal. PLUS I noticed, no movement in the governor arm. Somebody adjusted it to run full out all the time.... Wonderful. I know it got popular after manufacturers lowered governed speed from 3600rpm to 3000rpm or even bit less. For "safety". So idiots started tinkering without knowing what they were doing. You dont adjust governed speed at the arm, you bend the little metal tab that spring attaches. On an engine with a throttle and idle circuit, this basically how the throttle adjusts engine speed and usually a screw adjust for max governed speed.

So one has to accept that used stuff has been "tinkered with". I have seen it done on enough old cars. I have no problem with tinkering if its done with correcting a problem by somebody taking the time to understand how its supposed to work, and not just quick fix that ends up causing more problems than it fixed. Factory engineers arent gods, but they at least tend to have a clue. When they do something stupid its cause they were second guessed by corporate bean counters telling them to cut costs no matter the end result. Or to pleas some safety czar or EPA.

Ok, mounted GCV 160 to the Bear CAt mower.  Found a blade and put oil in it.  Pulled plug and it has spark.  Good compression.  No start .  oh then found the carb is seized up the throttle plate not moving thus reason governor arm is not moving.  

Took off carb and got it freed up.  But at least couple gaskets shot so have to make some new ones.  Can also go through the carburetor though bowl was pristine.  It might be fine, just set on shelf somewhere unused long time and shaft for throttle plate seized.

With carb off, did spray some carb cleaner (cant find starting fluid at Walmart anymore) into intake on cylinder head and pulled cord.  it started for a bit until it burned that bit of carb cleaner.    So needs new gaskets and possibly new $10 carb.  

Hey probably paid too much for the engine, but if it runs and lasts few years thats fine.  By time get it altogether it will be little over half price of a new Honda GCV170. They apparently dont make the GCV160 anymore or at least its on way out.

Oh that Bear Cat is heavy mower.  But on flat ground once you get it in motion its ok, has wheels with real bearings.  I wouldnt choose this as my only mower, as say its cause its only mower chassis I have with grass catcher and I want to collect grass clippings for the garden.

One carb gasket missing, two damaged. I made three from gasket material. Got them all sandwiched on.... and I have gotten adept at working on these anymore so not such frustration like first time. Truly takes some mutltitasking to get the carb reinstalled with all the gaskets in place.

ITS ALIVE! The Bear Cat lives.  I got it all sandwiched back together and it started on first pull.  Gotta love those Honda engines when they are working right.  Of course the governor was adjusted backwards so ran super high rpm first time I started it.  Immediately shut it down and fixed that (simple and probably my fault messing with it earlier when governor rod wouldnt move) and voila, maybe little higher rpm than I normally like mower running, but within normal range and governor working properly.  Mowed some with it.  Grass is too wet and I dont have the air filter and pre-filter installed.  Still waiting on them.  But it ran ok.  Maybe not quite as good as the one on the Yazoo with the new carb, but ok, this one wont need the new carb I ordered. There was bit smoke on first start but thats expected after getting tossed around by FedEx. It cleared quickly. So as seller said its a good engine. Well after bit tinkering. I enjoy working on the Honda small engines more than Briggs and Tecumseh. But they all have their quirks and can be made to run ok if in good mechanical condition.


Next trick is fixing the grass catcher.  Oh and yea its a heavy mower but not horrible-horrible.  Just a little heavier than I would like.  Those 8in ball bearing wheels help a whole lot.  And in some ways its better, that Murray light gauge deck flexes, this old heavy cast aluminum one doesnt.

Got the new carb along with included air filter and pre-filter.  Oiled the pre-filter (foam) and with a filter it ran rougher, more like the Yazoo before new carb on it.  Its kinda weird, like its running both lean and rich at same time.  Usually lean when there is surging.  BUT  Partially closing choke doesnt make it run better like you would expect.  Just some little correction jet plugged or something not letting it lean out once started??  I noticed Yazoo with old carb would run better without the filter.  So that would seem to mean its running rich.  It was fine with filter after new carb.  

 Yep, just like it did with the Yazoo, the GCV160 runs much better.  Quieter and more power.  Just the ever slightest bit of less than perfect.  That me being really picky.  My guess, either plug isnt correct, maybe heat range too high.  Or else valves slightly out of adjustment.  Or just bit wear and tear, it is a 15 year old engine.  However by its condition, I would guess it set on shelf somewhere last ten years.  One pull start and I wouldnt be that displeased for an engine running this good brand new.  Just ever slightest hint of something less than perfect.  And I can definitely recommend these $10 Chinese carburetors.  I have no way of knowing, but suspect they are jetted for world market version of this engine rather than the EPA'd version for USA market.

I will have to set the mower lower, its at highest setting and in 1968 before everything was engineered by lawyers and bean counters, this was high.  So deck bends over tall stuff (had lot rain lately) and some doesnt get cut by blade.  Lower setting and it should have more of a vacuum action by the deck.  Best mower for tall stuff is one with an open front where blade can get to it before deck skirt bends it over.  Wont see a mower built like that of course.  Law suit waiting to happen.

Oh the oil is oozing out around governor shaft.  That seal should be here soon.  Fairly trivial to install it if you are careful and dont push shaft into the crankcase with arm removed.  You see an older version of the GCV160 with oily dirty area around the governor shaft area, it was one of the ones without a seal installed.  They were all machined for the seal, but Honda early on decided to save a few pennies....  Maybe they put seal on higher end versions of the engine or something and left it off the el cheapo ones???