Help with carb adjustment on a Honda OHC GCV 160

[esshup]

I picked up a hydraulic log splitter from my neighbor. Less than 1/2 the price of a new one. He used it 2x (bought it new from Lowes) and decided that he wasn't going to burn wood anymore. He's afraid his wife would burn down the house - she's good at keeping the fireplace completely full of wood and roaring all day long.

It has a Honda OHC GCV 160 motor on it. No throttle, just a choke and on/off. When it runs, it lopes if I don't keep the choke pulled out 1/2 way, even tho the motor is warm.

Is there an adjustment on the carb that you can get to without having to drill a hole thru the plastic recoil start cover to richen up the carb? I took the air filter off, to look for an adjustment, and found that by doing so, it also removes the carb from the motor. If driling a hole to get to the adjustment makes things easier, I have no problem taking my cordless drill to the plastic recoil starter cover.

When it was running, I sprayed carb cleaner around the carb, and the motor didn't change it's tune any, so I doubt that it's an air leak making it run lean. There is no change in the loping after I put it back together, but I didn't make any adjustments. I did notice a phillips head screw on the upper side of the carb, but didn't look any further. My other neighbor walked over and wanted to talk, so I buttoned it back up before it got dark out.

It's still shiny and new, no dirt/grime anywhere on it - he stored it inside. I ran a 2 tanks of gas thru it, and added SeaFoam to the gas with no change.

Thoughts?

No, I don't want to get rid of it and get something else. :msp_tongue:

 

[Fifelaker]

Sea foam in the gas.

 

[jeeptj19992001]

clean the carb, most likely there is crap from old gas, gumming up the works.

 

[esshup]

O.K. guys, thanks. I tried a can of seafoam, no change. It was less than a year old when it started doing the loping. He treats all his gas with Stabil before putting any gas in his equipment.

Do you know if there is a mixture adjustment screw on the carb?

 

[jasult]

this is a simple clogged pilot jet and passage
look at the diagram and pay attention to items 2 and 5 and 6. this is where it is clooged and you can clean the ports with a torch tip cleaner and problem is solved.

http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/sv/images/59138.pdf

 

[TFPace]

I second jasult's method of fixing your engine. Honda's are very picky about varnished gas and the gum will cause all types of headaches.

Seafoam may a great product for maintenance but I have never had any luck with it dissolving all the crap that builds up from letting gas rot during the of season. I have made it a habit of cutting the fuel valve off, start engine and let it burn the remaining gas out of the carb and then drain any fuel remaining in the bowl via the little handy screw on the edge of the bowl. You'll have a trouble free start up next season.

 

[Streblerm]

I have one of the GC160 engines on a pressure washer. There is no adjustment on the carb. As others have mentioned they are extremely sensitive to a little varnish in the main jet. My pressure washer never ran quite right from the get go. It always started hard and had to be warmed up with the choke on. It surged and the plug was also white when I checked it. I always assumed it was just lean EPA tuning. I let it sit one winter with old gas in it and it just wouldn't start the next spring. I pulled the main jet and found a drill bit the same size as what was stamped on the main jet. The drill bit was quite a bit larger than the actual size of the orifice in the jet even though the stamped size matched the drill bit. I put the drill bit into a pin vise and proceeded to drill out the jet. Ever since then it has run like a champ, started on the first pull with the choke on and immediately idled smoothly after shutting the chole off.

The only adjustment in these carbs is the size of the main jet. I would clean it first but if it still surges or seems lean then give some consideration to drilling out the main jet. Go slow and in small increments because once you go too big there is no going back, well that isn't exactly true but it is lots easier to make it bigger than smaller. I guess it was fairly common for the gc engines to have mismarked jets in the carbs.

 

[esshup]

Thanks guys. I guess a teardown is in order. It starts on the first pull, but the surging gets to me.

 

[TFPace]

You'll be surprised at the junk that's in the bowl.

 

[imagineero]

I had the same engine in a home build lawn mower/slasher. Had no end of trouble with it from the time I bought it for very little $. No adjustment, except main jet. Ended up being the float on mine. The float level is also not adjustable - its all plastic with no metal part to bend to set the float, so once they're gone you need to replace them. From memory I bought a whole brand new carb for about $27, and it ran like a champ ever after. Wish I'd of done that from the get go instead of taking it apart about 100 times. It was a bastard to get off too - had to remove the air intake, cables, lots of screws in weird places etc...

Shaun

 

[Rookie1]

this is a simple clogged pilot jet and passage
look at the diagram and pay attention to items 2 and 5 and 6. this is where it is clooged and you can clean the ports with a torch tip cleaner and problem is solved.

http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/sv/images/59138.pdf

Neighbor has a mower with a Honda engine doing the same thing. Ill have to look into that.:smile2: