Finally fixed my GCV160 max throttle issue

[04SE]

I have had a Honda HRS216PDA for 3 or 4 years now. It is powered by the GCV160. It has been a decent mower but always underwhelming when it came to the quality of cut. I attributed it to the entry level model and features. It just didn't seem to lift the grass very well and left straggler grass blades uncut and it was annoying.

I finally hooked a tachometer up to it this spring, a whopping 2,800 RPM was all she could muster. I reset the governor per YouTube and internet research and it didn't change a thing. I attributed the low RPM to Kalifornya fuel consumption regs or just to keep noise down.

I have read/seen where guys have adjusted the spring tension on their governor arms to increase RPMs. So this afternoon I set out to experiment. My governor arm has 2 holes in it. The spring was installed in the forward most hole and didn't put any tension on the governor arm at WOT. I figured WTH and carefully finagled the spring off and put it in the second hole. This created a very small amount of tension on the governor arm.

I fired the mower up and VOILA!!! My problems were solved!!! It isn't screaming by any means but is clearly now running better. I will put the tach on it tomorrow (have to borrow it) but I suspect it is in the 3,200-3,400 range.

Man, did she give me the best cut in the 3-4 years I have owned it. No straggler grass blades left uncut and man-o-man does mulching work better now.

Before the ninnies step up and say it is spinning too fast and damage/injury will result, it isn't spinning that fast. It now sounds like every other mower in the neighborhood and isn't racing by any means.

 

[eljefino]

Now sharpen your blade.

I love it when a manufacturer knows you want to cheat, and makes it easy. Ham radios used to have a wire right in the battery compartment you could cut to allow out-of-band frequency use.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Now sharpen your blade.

I love it when a manufacturer knows you want to cheat, and makes it easy. Ham radios used to have a wire right in the battery compartment you could cut to allow out-of-band frequency use.
a lot of cb radios had that too.

 

[PurpleT]

04SE. Thanks for posting. I am getting ready to replace the carb on my 2003 Craftsman mower with the same engine and will look to see if I can make a similar modification as well. I like you have thought it seemed a little under powered. Even with a sharp blade it would leave blades of grass uncut for some reason. Please provide an update on the RPM range once you have it.

 

[justintendo]

ive done this on both my gcv190 and my parents 160..both cut way better. my 190 was running at 2600 rpm..sits at 3200 now and fills the bag completely now..the 160 has been bumped up for years now and my 190 has been this way for 3 seasons. they both use slightly more fuel, and there is more noise. i dont mulch but i would imagine the it would be a very helpful adjustment doing that as well.

 

[Lubener]

What happened between then and now.......Worn or dull blade.

 

[ragtoplvr]

There are regulations for maximum blade tip speed. Same regulations that require the plastic defector on the discharge chute and the thing dragging on the back of the mower. Increasing the RPM to 3600 like in the good ole days will give much better cut and much more power. since the engine is cooled by a fan,and the fan blows more air the faster it spins (within reason) the engine will run cooler.


Rod

 

[Cujet]

Yup, 3600 RPM gives a nice cut. I've even tried more on my Kawasaki powered Snapper when the engine was dying. What does not work is too low an RPM.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I did this to my Troy Bilt push mower with the GCV160 engine. It really bothered me that there was no throttle selector when I bought the mower. I bought a generic Harbor Freight spring kit and I have three springs set aside for it that I switch out depending on how I want to use it. One that is nice and quiet, but still gives a decent cut on shorter grass. One in the middle of the road, near where it was from the factory. Then a high powered one, which is probably at least a good 3600 rpm. With three springs and being able to use either hole in the arm, it gives a wide range of throttle positions.

I used the mower a few times clear a lot of knee high weeds and scrub brush. Mower would struggle, but after putting a good stiff spring and lots of tension on that arm, it blazed right through with ease.

 

[2KBMW]

Originally Posted By: 92saturnsl2
I did this to my Troy Bilt push mower with the GCV160 engine. It really bothered me that there was no throttle selector when I bought the mower. I bought a generic Harbor Freight spring kit and I have three springs set aside for it that I switch out depending on how I want to use it. One that is nice and quiet, but still gives a decent cut on shorter grass. One in the middle of the road, near where it was from the factory. Then a high powered one, which is probably at least a good 3600 rpm. With three springs and being able to use either hole in the arm, it gives a wide range of throttle positions.

I used the mower a few times clear a lot of knee high weeds and scrub brush. Mower would struggle, but after putting a good stiff spring and lots of tension on that arm, it blazed right through with ease.


I bought a new Honda push this past spring and it also bothered me that it had no throttle. In fact all mowers now seem that way.
Anyway, Your idea sounds great for my mower some day. My question is, are the springs different in length , tension and do you
put them in the same hole?

 

[rq375]

[/quote]

I bought a new Honda push this past spring and it also bothered me that it had no throttle. In fact all mowers now seem that way.
Anyway, Your idea sounds great for my mower some day. My question is, are the springs different in length , tension and do you
put them in the same hole?
[/quote]

Just move the existing spring to the other hole about 3/8" away on the governor arm.

 

[Salyer]

I purchased a Propane Generator from Central Maine Diesel a few years ago.

20 HP Honda engine, Italian generator head.
Paid about $2300 plus shipping via Paradise Freight which was a few hundred.
I see the price is just a bit higher now... But the one I want most is marathon genrator end which i saw from a website.

Recently it blew a capacitor. Central Maine sent me 2 for the price of one even though it is out of warranty. $39 total for two.

I looked at generators on island but a similar Honda at Quality electric was close to $6000 and it wasn't even a 13750kw. More like 8 or 9000kw if I remember right.....

They have many generators at great prices but this is the one I settled for.

Quiet, no smell, propane lasts forever........

 

[ragtoplvr]

Originally Posted by rq375
[/quote]

I bought a new Honda push this past spring and it also bothered me that it had no throttle. In fact all mowers now seem that way.
Anyway, Your idea sounds great for my mower some day. My question is, are the springs different in length , tension and do you
put them in the same hole?


Just move the existing spring to the other hole about 3/8" away on the governor arm.[/quote]
A fixed throttle is nothing new, lawnboy had that from the beginning. They lasted forever with the proper care. So much for the vary RPM on break in theorists.

Rod

 

[RTexasF]

I did the same thing to my Honda mower several years back. The change was positive, yard looked like it had been scissor cut..........until one day it started knocking, froze up solid, and puked oil everywhere. It worked for several years revved up so no real complaints.

 

[jeepman3071]

Yup, I see this a lot. Customer complains the mower stalls out in thick grass, check the engine speed with a Tach and it is running at 2,000 RPM or idling.

 

[Convert]

Moved the spring to the hole toward tbe rear of the handle,about 1/4 " , big improvement .
Better cut. Munches better. Didnt seem to run any hotter,probally cooler because no lugging,and faster cooling fan.
I use Plat Plat 5/30 syn absolutely no issues.
TOMB