I think you’re gonna find that the upper crank bearing sleeve is wiped out and that the crank is wobbling in the upper bearing. I’ve run across this in blade brake clutch equipped engines on multiple occasions, and that’s usually why there’s no oil left in the crankcase. The fact that it’s hitting the magneto is a dead giveaway, that’s probably causing the lower end of the crank to wobble like it’s bent too. I don’t know why but it seems to happen fairly often on blade brake equipped engines, don’t think I’ve ever seen the upper crank bearing wipe out on a standard engine.
I have a Huskvarna with a Honda engine which I hit a piece if steel with and bent the crankshaft. I took it apart and had a machinist friend of mine help me try to straighten it. Surprisingly we were able to get it straight enough to where it didn't vibrate too bad and for a couple of seasons it performed well. Of course I wouldn't sell it in that condition.
Because of the great compression I would replace the crank after I tore it down for further inspection. If everything looks good then I would replace the crank. Thanks for the videos.
I have plans to replace the rod bearings in my Tecumseh 6.5 engine on my Toro once the season is over. Might also throw in a new piston ring and glaze the cylinder walls while I’m at it.
When I was working at the Honda dealer, we had a bunch of GCV160's on the shelf ready to install. It was less expensive to just repower the machine than it was to rebuild the engine. Plus a new engine comes with new warranty.
@@HomeGaragechannel Me either, but as a dealer we had to stock a certain amount of product in order to be a dealer, so I think a large supply of GCV-160's was the company's wisest investment, we went through them like TP.
I had a similar condition mower. Had an engine to replace it from a rotted deck mower. However the deck did have some cracks from the vibration so you need to look at everything before you get into it.
With the right tools you can actually bend a shaft back pretty accurately. It’s still a lot of work though. I’ve seen it for expensive stuff idk if it would be cheaper to replace the part, I try not to find out with my mower.
Definitely a rod knocking..I've straightened crank shafts a lot worse than that..but you still have a rod knocking..you may need a new crankshaft.and a rod...they're expensive..
When I was in school in my power equipment program, we had this exact mower come in with this exact problem. from what I know. most Power equipment tech classes use this engine to learn about OHC engines. We have had several Honda engines come into our class and you can find a decent crankshaft that was parted out or surpluses. TLDR; Check your local tech school to see if they have an extra crankshaft for a low price.
So under the fly wheel there's a seal there and Hondas Ive seen tend to have that problem I would check it bc the ignition coil is more and likely still hitting the flywheel is what that knock sound is I don't think the shaft is bent I think the main seal up top is wallered out and causing it to look bent just my thought though as always love the vids🤘
I bought one of these mowers about 10 years ago from Home Depot as a return. I've always checked the oil regularly and change the oil and filters every year. It's never gave me any issues. Honda makes some great mowers but I will say I don't understand why they put the only grass shoot on the back so the grass discharge gets all over your feet. Not well thought out. Anyway. Like anything else if you don't maintain your equipment it's going to fail sooner or later.
Given that Honda is stopping the manufacturing of the mowers, it might be worth rebuilding. Will you be able to justify the cost when the mower is sold?
Great vid again mate. im for rebuild would be great content for your channel and every strip down has different outcomes and dianosis. Wortha look at least. Cheers
Hey bro what's up? I would take it apart and see what internal damages it has and if it can be saved, by all means save it. If it can't be saved, use it as a parts mower.
Unfortunately with a warped crank like that, I believe there are going to much more issues that come along with it. It's a good possibility that the engine will never be the same even if a new crank and bearings were to be installed.
Rebuilding it would make for a more interesting series and help me in understanding how to replace a crankshaft and seal. I think if it were my mower, I'd probably try to replace the crankshaft before replacing the engine as Honda engines in my area are very expensive.
When I first started watching and heard it I was thinking "bet the owner hit a stump". The blade wiggle convinced me he hit something. I couldn't find a frame that showed the complete blades... any war wounds on them?
that's the funny thing, no wounds in the blade. My guess was an old stump that was mostly rotted but had mass to it. It wouldn't damage the blade and only bend the shaft.
@@HomeGaragechannel Yes sir, approximately $159 . I'm concerned about the bearings, and rod. May just put a spare engine on and sell it. I enjoy fixing old stuff if it's not cost prohibited.
I bought a broken Homelite 26b leaf blower to fix. The machine is like new but has been use maybe ones or twice. I think the machine has good compression and good spark don’t have tester to test it. When I pull on the cord, I feel like it want to start but it doesn’t. Could it be the carburetor?
At 7:50 you close the fuel valve and run out the fuel from the carburetor. I'm just curious, how many minutes did it take to fully empty? On my freshly bought Honda lawn mower with the GCV 170 engine it takes more than 5 minutes after I close the valve. Actually It was taken so long I didn't wait for it and I just stopped the engine in the regular way. Is it sounds normal to you or maybe the fuel valve on my mower is leaking the fuel? Just for comparison, my grass cutter run out of fuel after a minute or two at max, however it has a much smaller engine, so maybe I just overthink...
most time for this 160 it takes about 3 minutes. What I Do, is close the valve when I think I have about 3 minutes of mowing left to do. For the video ,I don't have the time, so I show me closing the valve and then just turning it off.
I’d at least open it up to see if it’s salvageable. It’s probably just the crank and the rest of the mower looked pretty good. It does need a new dust seal on one of those drive shaft bushings or at least press it back into the adjuster/ bushing.
@@HomeGaragechannel haha yep! I've been through those things so many times on my HRR. I suggest adding another dust seal to the wheel side too. The real problem that causes them to sieze up is the dust and gunk that gets into them. HRX has dust seal on both sides, HRR does not.
i,d do a open autopsy inspection from the interior of the engine and see if it,s all good and if that,s a winner well i,d just replace the crankshaft with a good used one one that is not bent or damaged and i have seen people straighten up too etc.
Probably all said and done, replacing the engine may be the only viable way to go. That said, the engine has to be a direct replacement for this mower due to the design of the crank shaft. I wonder if the newer GCV170 would fit it?
There's plenty of engines... the quick fix is replace the engine and use the old as spares but if you wanted to replace the crank I think your gonna find more issues.. but I'd watch the video 👍🤠
With that good of a compression I would open it up and replace crankshaft, but only if everything else inside was okay. If it needed anything besides new crankshaft I would say put a new predator engine on it.
Northern tool claims to have Briggs , Predator, and Honda replacement mower engines as well as some Harbor Freight locations depending where you are located maybe not. Maybe you are right and they don’t really have ability to get one in stock Thanks to Biden lol
just run the thing!!, it will probably use more oil, leak a bit, make some more noise than usual. but it runs and it'll probably do that for a lot of years without breaking. its still a great mower, and hondas are pretty robust
Check the tip crank bearing, they can wear out causing the coil to hit the fly wheel. Usually from a bent crank, not worth fixing, I would replace the engine. thanks
I would get in it and see what the cause is before the parts cannon on it if it is worth saving with minimum damage and the parts that be obtain hopefully not alot of damage 🤞
I prefer to manage from a point of knowledge rather than ignorance. Shouldn't be too difficult to disassemble and see what the problem is. Then you can decide if a rebuild or replacement is the way to go.
From that sound, I would expect more internal damage. The deck and drive system look good, so I would keep it until I found a suitable replacement engine. That's a shame. Those engines will last a long time with moderate maintenance. With good maintenance, they will last a very long time.
I'm like Christopher Marshall below and you'll never know what's going on till you open it up. AND you also know that if I'm going to use something myself I count all money spent an investment instead of a debt. Sounds like a rod and it IS a shame. Blessings
For the time and money difference, I’m guessing engine replacement is cheaper than repair. Hondas last….If You Take Care Or Them! (Change the oil & air filter, it’s not hard.)
@HomeGaragechannel yes remove clutch, lay mower on its side and find high spot. You can use a steel block to somewhat protect the shaft. Just file off any burrs. I've got them within .002 to .004 runout. You have to wack the shaft pretty hard. I've only broken 1 block. Unless the customer wants a new crank.
I found one just like that bent shaft shaked the 70's fillings out of my teeth. i beat on it with a brass hammer straight as an arrow ran fine sold it for $150
I would do an autopsy on it to see what is wrong.
great idea.
And flim it too?
@@HomeGaragechannel1:47
I think you’re gonna find that the upper crank bearing sleeve is wiped out and that the crank is wobbling in the upper bearing. I’ve run across this in blade brake clutch equipped engines on multiple occasions, and that’s usually why there’s no oil left in the crankcase. The fact that it’s hitting the magneto is a dead giveaway, that’s probably causing the lower end of the crank to wobble like it’s bent too. I don’t know why but it seems to happen fairly often on blade brake equipped engines, don’t think I’ve ever seen the upper crank bearing wipe out on a standard engine.
surprisingly the upper bearing isn't as bad as I've seen. That's the problem with my personal mower and the tick from it is super loud too.
crankshaft looks good to me, not bent will emery polish up, upper bearing is part of crankcase chewed/ torn out , so lack of service did it.
I have a Huskvarna with a Honda engine which I hit a piece if steel with and bent the crankshaft. I took it apart and had a machinist friend of mine help me try to straighten it. Surprisingly we were able to get it straight enough to where it didn't vibrate too bad and for a couple of seasons it performed well. Of course I wouldn't sell it in that condition.
nice work!
Because of the great compression I would replace the crank after I tore it down for further inspection. If everything looks good then I would replace the crank. Thanks for the videos.
you got it
I just toss 'em in my *huge* barrel of Honda parts.
Rebuild it for sure! Can’t beat Honda Engines. Like you I ❤ them!
nice, and thanks I think they're great.
Good day HG Yes it too bad. Thanks for whatever u do with
thank you!
I have plans to replace the rod bearings in my Tecumseh 6.5 engine on my Toro once the season is over. Might also throw in a new piston ring and glaze the cylinder walls while I’m at it.
nice, good luck with it.
There are no rod bearings. You would have to replace the whole connecting rod.
When I was working at the Honda dealer, we had a bunch of GCV160's on the shelf ready to install. It was less expensive to just repower the machine than it was to rebuild the engine. Plus a new engine comes with new warranty.
yes I'm with you on that one. It's unfortunate but I'm all out of spare engines.
@@HomeGaragechannel Me either, but as a dealer we had to stock a certain amount of product in order to be a dealer, so I think a large supply of GCV-160's was the company's wisest investment, we went through them like TP.
I had a similar condition mower. Had an engine to replace it from a rotted deck mower. However the deck did have some cracks from the vibration so you need to look at everything before you get into it.
yes agreed.
Great service. How to stop Surging?I
I have cleaned the carburetor And it has fresh gas
Thanks
Thanks, as for the question, when you cleaned the carb did you clean pilot jet which is on top of the carb and not just the main jet?
Try to bend the crank shaft. It would be interesting to see and worth a video.
You can always replace it if it doesn't work out.
very true
With the right tools you can actually bend a shaft back pretty accurately. It’s still a lot of work though. I’ve seen it for expensive stuff idk if it would be cheaper to replace the part, I try not to find out with my mower.
@@HomeGaragechannel Doesn't look bent enough to cause all that racket. Maybe a 1/16th.
Definitely a rod knocking..I've straightened crank shafts a lot worse than that..but you still have a rod knocking..you may need a new crankshaft.and a rod...they're expensive..
yes rod knock is a very good possibility
When I was in school in my power equipment program, we had this exact mower come in with this exact problem. from what I know. most Power equipment tech classes use this engine to learn about OHC engines. We have had several Honda engines come into our class and you can find a decent crankshaft that was parted out or surpluses.
TLDR; Check your local tech school to see if they have an extra crankshaft for a low price.
thank you!
I found honda hr216 5 yrs ago ,i cleaned the bowl,its been running ever since with no problem.
wow nice work!
I enjoy your videos,some tech and some mechanic therapy lol! I have a question,What size starter pull rope do you use pushmower recoils? thanks
thanks , and I would use 1/8" or it might say #4 rope size.
Poor mower. It would be cool to see it rebuilt though.
hopefully they're up for it, at this point it might be out of the question though
So under the fly wheel there's a seal there and Hondas Ive seen tend to have that problem I would check it bc the ignition coil is more and likely still hitting the flywheel is what that knock sound is I don't think the shaft is bent I think the main seal up top is wallered out and causing it to look bent just my thought though as always love the vids🤘
that's a very good place to look, thank you!
I bought one of these mowers about 10 years ago from Home Depot as a return. I've always checked the oil regularly and change the oil and filters every year. It's never gave me any issues. Honda makes some great mowers but I will say I don't understand why they put the only grass shoot on the back so the grass discharge gets all over your feet. Not well thought out. Anyway. Like anything else if you don't maintain your equipment it's going to fail sooner or later.
thank you for the comment and you bring up a good point
Given that Honda is stopping the manufacturing of the mowers, it might be worth rebuilding. Will you be able to justify the cost when the mower is sold?
this mower is not mine to sell and I'm trying to convince the owner to let me tear into it
Great vid again mate. im for rebuild would be great content for your channel and every strip down has different outcomes and dianosis. Wortha look at least. Cheers
yes I agree and thank you
Hey bro what's up? I would take it apart and see what internal damages it has and if it can be saved, by all means save it. If it can't be saved, use it as a parts mower.
I'm hoping it goes that far
It would be nice to be able to save this mower by all the shaking it’s doing I’m guessing the crank shaft is bent good luck 👍 with this repair 😀😀
Thanks 👍
Unfortunately with a warped crank like that, I believe there are going to much more issues that come along with it. It's a good possibility that the engine will never be the same even if a new crank and bearings were to be installed.
yes I believe you are correct.
I love you videos I learn so much I got a 80s Honda Wich I heard were good what's your opinion on Honda mowers
I think they're great, but can be a bit complicated and expensive to fix depending on your model
If you can rebuild it I wouldn't if inside Isn't damaged Thank you for the video
you make a good point. I would like to at least look inside it.
Rebuilding it would make for a more interesting series and help me in understanding how to replace a crankshaft and seal. I think if it were my mower, I'd probably try to replace the crankshaft before replacing the engine as Honda engines in my area are very expensive.
thank you!
When I first started watching and heard it I was thinking "bet the owner hit a stump". The blade wiggle convinced me he hit something. I couldn't find a frame that showed the complete blades... any war wounds on them?
that's the funny thing, no wounds in the blade. My guess was an old stump that was mostly rotted but had mass to it. It wouldn't damage the blade and only bend the shaft.
I have mower with a Briggs with a bent crankshaft. I'm thinking the crankshaft out out and have it straightened. A lot of work. Just considering it.
good luck with that, although have you looked at the price for a new crankshaft?
@@HomeGaragechannel
Yes sir, approximately $159 . I'm concerned about the bearings, and rod. May just put a spare engine on and sell it. I enjoy fixing old stuff if it's not cost prohibited.
yes I can understand your hesitation.
Last time, (years ago) I agreed to replace the crankshaft, the rod was damaged too!
yes more than likely that's the case with this one too .
To me it sounds a lot like rod knock, which considering the poor lubrication is more than possible...
I think you might be right
Rebuild in my opinion and hope nothing else is damaged
I'm hoping to but my luck isn't all that great.
I bought a broken Homelite 26b leaf blower to fix. The machine is like new but has been use maybe ones or twice. I think the machine has good compression and good spark don’t have tester to test it. When I pull on the cord, I feel like it want to start but it doesn’t. Could it be the carburetor?
90% it's the carb the rest needs to be confirmed with testing.
@@HomeGaragechannel I replaced the carb and it started for a second then after doesn’t want to start
At 7:50 you close the fuel valve and run out the fuel from the carburetor. I'm just curious, how many minutes did it take to fully empty? On my freshly bought Honda lawn mower with the GCV 170 engine it takes more than 5 minutes after I close the valve. Actually It was taken so long I didn't wait for it and I just stopped the engine in the regular way. Is it sounds normal to you or maybe the fuel valve on my mower is leaking the fuel? Just for comparison, my grass cutter run out of fuel after a minute or two at max, however it has a much smaller engine, so maybe I just overthink...
most time for this 160 it takes about 3 minutes. What I Do, is close the valve when I think I have about 3 minutes of mowing left to do. For the video ,I don't have the time, so I show me closing the valve and then just turning it off.
I see. I thought it takes less time to run out of fuel. I'll wait more time next time. :)
I’d at least open it up to see if it’s salvageable. It’s probably just the crank and the rest of the mower looked pretty good. It does need a new dust seal on one of those drive shaft bushings or at least press it back into the adjuster/ bushing.
ah,.. you noticed!
@@HomeGaragechannel haha yep! I've been through those things so many times on my HRR. I suggest adding another dust seal to the wheel side too. The real problem that causes them to sieze up is the dust and gunk that gets into them. HRX has dust seal on both sides, HRR does not.
I appreciate the information
9:10 great use of visuals. It's a Honda...so knowing you, which I don't, you'll demonstrate your crankshaft straightener.
LOL.. If I had one, I would definitely give it a try, although I bet the connecting rod might be gone too.
Can you post the link to the larger of the two clutch bearings please?
sure,
amzn.to/4b44nlQ
@@HomeGaragechannel Thank you.
no problem
i,d do a open autopsy inspection from the interior of the engine and see if it,s all good and if that,s a winner well i,d just replace the crankshaft with a good used one one that is not bent or damaged and i have seen people straighten up too etc.
that's the plan
@@HomeGaragechannel yep too right mate plus reading over other people's comments well it's a 50-50 chance to take etc.
Probably all said and done, replacing the engine may be the only viable way to go. That said, the engine has to be a direct replacement for this mower due to the design of the crank shaft. I wonder if the newer GCV170 would fit it?
agreed, and I haven't looked too hard to see if they make the 170 with a long enough crank to accept the clutch
You could replace the connecting rod & crankshaft with a used one if you can find them !
yep that's a great idea In fact!
There's plenty of engines... the quick fix is replace the engine and use the old as spares but if you wanted to replace the crank I think your gonna find more issues.. but I'd watch the video 👍🤠
you are correct on both points
With that good of a compression I would open it up and replace crankshaft, but only if everything else inside was okay. If it needed anything besides new crankshaft I would say put a new predator engine on it.
when was the last time you saw a predator engine as the store? I haven't seen one is over 7 years
Northern tool claims to have Briggs , Predator, and Honda replacement mower engines as well as some Harbor Freight locations depending where you are located maybe not. Maybe you are right and they don’t really have ability to get one in stock Thanks to Biden
lol
Harbor Freights have the predator push mower engines in stock now. 179.99 for ITrack members
just run the thing!!, it will probably use more oil, leak a bit, make some more noise than usual. but it runs and it'll probably do that for a lot of years without breaking. its still a great mower, and hondas are pretty robust
I like this advice
Check the tip crank bearing, they can wear out causing the coil to hit the fly wheel. Usually from a bent crank, not worth fixing, I would replace the engine. thanks
Thanks for the tip!
How much do you dilute the degreaser you use?
100% , no dilution, so I have to be ultra careful with it or it'll damage everything.
I would get in it and see what the cause is before the parts cannon on it if it is worth saving with minimum damage and the parts that be obtain hopefully not alot of damage 🤞
hopefully so, just afraid it will need a connecting rod too once I get in there.
RUN dude RUN
I prefer to manage from a point of knowledge rather than ignorance. Shouldn't be too difficult to disassemble and see what the problem is. Then you can decide if a rebuild or replacement is the way to go.
excellent point of view thank you
If a lawnmower needs an oil change after one season then it was not built for the home user.
or any user. 👍
it's not an issue of need, just wear.
@@HomeGaragechannel If some older models of mowers can last for years of neglect and Hondas having this consistent issue?
From that sound, I would expect more internal damage. The deck and drive system look good, so I would keep it until I found a suitable replacement engine.
That's a shame. Those engines will last a long time with moderate maintenance. With good maintenance, they will last a very long time.
I know right, just wish they had taken better care of it.
I would replace the crankshaft since the unit is in a good cosmetic shape and it is cheaper then a new honda mower
that seems to be the consensus so far.
I was hoping you would use the ultrasonic cleaner in this video
It was running and the problem didn't seem to be carb related
I'm like Christopher Marshall below and you'll never know what's going on till you open it up. AND you also know that if I'm going to use something myself I count all money spent an investment instead of a debt. Sounds like a rod and it IS a shame. Blessings
very true
@@HomeGaragechannel Thanks, Pal! Blessings!
It's a shame such a great machine wasted.
I know right.
Do a budget rebuild
yes that's the idea.
great parts mower
I think so too.
Rebuilding it would be nice, especially that Honda would no longer be making mowers soon.
you make a good point
For the time and money difference, I’m guessing engine replacement is cheaper than repair. Hondas last….If You Take Care Or Them! (Change the oil & air filter, it’s not hard.)
yes you make a good point .
Thank you for sharing good content always 👍👍👍
no problem
It is worthwhile rebuilding since Honda quit making lawnmowers itsbetter to rebuild it
agreed
New connecting rod rod and crank. I think it's worth it
you are absolutely correct
@@HomeGaragechannel in the day of going electric. Hondas are gold
you got that right
@@HomeGaragechannel them and anything with a Kohler.
Sledge hammer it back straight. I've straightened several of those. Use a dial indicator to assist you.
Good day Will that work, with sledge Thanks
thank you
@HomeGaragechannel yes remove clutch, lay mower on its side and find high spot. You can use a steel block to somewhat protect the shaft. Just file off any burrs. I've got them within .002 to .004 runout. You have to wack the shaft pretty hard. I've only broken 1 block. Unless the customer wants a new crank.
@@davidschliebe246 Thanks for help
I think its worth putting another crank in it
me too and thank you
I found one just like that bent shaft shaked the 70's fillings out of my teeth. i beat on it with a brass hammer straight as an arrow ran fine sold it for $150
nice work!
I'm guessing the engine is toast from running on low oil.
I will say this, there's probably a lot more wrong with this mower than I like to admit
Man, Honda mowers are not cheap so to think someone would neglect it like that is just disappointing really.
I know right
Once there run low on oil there is no way to UN do the damage to rod and crank
you are correct
Part it out for your or other Honda mowers you come across.
good idea
I would get rid of that blade disengage, and take the engine apart to see what is wrong with it.
interesting idea.
I would look inside.
that's definitely a place to start.
Parts and that is rare with Honda not good vibrations sorry Beach Boys !
true and thank you for the memories
Poor thing sounds terrible 😢
I know right
RULE #1 do NOT lend your mower to ANYbody
I think you should at least see what's going on inside the engine first👍
agreed
Was RUN not "ran"
Rebuild it.
thank you
Run it till it stops, keep oil in it.
agreed.
The pins are out of line
You think so?
If they don't want to do the repair, I'd offer 'em to wave the disposal fee and $50 . . . ;-)
Lol!!! nice one
fix it
thank you, hoping to do so
Tear it down see what you got.
that's the plan
THROW it away
Rebuild and make a video
thank you and that's more than likely what's going to happen
First
Had to do it.