Honda GCV wet timing belt

[Fabulous50s]

Just did a valve lash adjustment on GCV 160 on a push mower I bought new around 2010. I'd estimate it has 150 hours on it. Just use it for trimming around trees etc.

Intake valve was at .006in which is the spec, and exhaust valve was at .011 (.008 is spec). Surprised at the belt looking perfect.

Have run (B)rotella T6 5w-40 and changed every other year.

 

[Cujet]

Cool. Were you able to look inside the teeth? Any cracks?

 

[dnewton3]

This same design soldiers on in all the EU2000/2200i generators as well.

 

[meep]

Those gensets are said to still run strong at 2000 hours. If maintained, the engine probably outlasts the electronics.

 

[Fabulous50s]

Yes, wasn't able to get a decent picture, but the teeth looked like new. In fact the belt looked perfectly new. Suprising the plastic cam with only one lobe does show slight wear. Camera couldn't capture that.

I removed valve cover to adjust valves due to constant tick while running. I thought it might have had something to do with the centrifugal decompression, which I had planned on removing. But it all looked great.

 

[Oliveoil2]

You’ll be old and gray before that thing even starts to wear. Looks good!

 

[Mechanician]

Honda's claim:

 

[MRC01]

Those GCV160 engines last a long time. Mine from 2004 is still going strong. The only maintenance it's ever needed is changing the spark plug, oil and air filter.

 

[CharBaby]

I adjusted the valves on the same Honda GCV160 last year at 14 years old/400 hours.
My wet belt looked good as well. I bought it in 2009.

 

[Lawnman23]

Honda's claim:
View attachment 278537

Wild, never knew about this design.

 

[Mechanician]

Wild, never knew about this design.

This series of engine is very unique.
It can be made in either a vertical, or horizontal configuration by simply changing the lower half of the crankcase.
It has no cylinder head and no head gasket, the cylinder and head are cast as one unit.
It uses a plastic cam, with a single lobe.... It was never "cloned", I read because nobody would ever dream of trying to copy that cam/belt setup.
Some hate the design - but in reality there are very many that have run reliably in service, for a very long time.

I have a 190 version that I garbage picked, on a very much used Homelite pressure washer. The timing belt had jumped a couple of teeth, when I tried to start it - it pulled the rope back so hard it tried to injure me. Removed the valve cover, reset the valve timing and clearance, it has run for 7 seasons now perfectly. The belt had visible cracks on the back side, replacing it requires a total tear down, still running.
I also have a 10 year old mower with the 160 version, great reliable machine.

 

[Opelman]

I had a catastrophic failure on one of those on a pressure washer. I was test running it after a pump replacement and it just quit. Upon disassembly I found the plastic cam destroyed and the belt broken. The whole design reeks of cheapness to me, but a lot of people get plenty of trouble free hours out of them. It did get repaired as the machine already had the new pump.

 

[Sam_Julier]

I have a 20+ year old 160 on a Honda lawnmower. Lots of 15W40 oil changes, yearly spark plug and filter.

At this rate it will most likely out last me.

 

[Fabulous50s]

I've had a lot of engines apart in my life. Many motorcycle, a few small engines, and lots of automotive engines. This is the first ive ever seen with a single lobe cam. The "rockers" are stamped at different angles which make the exhaust and intake valves open at different times. Kind of genius for a cost effective very simple engine. I'd estimate this has the fewest moving parts of any 4 stroke engine, other than a flathead. I love old flathead engines, but the inherent low compression ratio is what kills them.

 

[Mechanician]

The belt brings plenty of oil up to the cam, valves, and rockers.
The oil delivery system to most other small engine's upper end is pretty lame.
Usually whatever oil huffs it's own way up there.

 

[Opelman]

I've had a lot of engines apart in my life. Many motorcycle, a few small engines, and lots of automotive engines. This is the first ive ever seen with a single lobe cam. The "rockers" are stamped at different angles which make the exhaust and intake valves open at different times. Kind of genius for a cost effective very simple engine. I'd estimate this has the fewest moving parts of any 4 stroke engine, other than a flathead. I love old flathead engines, but the inherent low compression ratio is what kills them.

Kaiser Jeep made and used a single lobe per cylinder OHC inline 6 engine in the early 60s. Lauson used a single lobe on their air cooled offerings from the 30s to the late 50s until they were bought and renamed Tecumseh. Wells Pony Power did as well.

 

[Fordiesel69]

They are very trouble free and last a long time. The did revise the cam cover with a lip so in vertical crankshaft applications it does not slip off.

Very easy on fuel, and they will run almost forever as long as the oil is topped off.

 

[Coltron_Actual]

I had no idea they worked this way.