Honda GCV160...engine oil leak!

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GrtArtiste

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My new Troy-Bilt mower is not even 2 weeks old. I saw this fluid collecting on the left side of the deck (the side opposite from the engine oil fill) yesterday and I thought maybe I did something wrong. Wiped it up, but there it is again today. Mower hasn't even been used for 5 days. Not even 2 hours use on it.Just behind (inboard from) the fuel hose there is a bracket which I think is for the throttle control.It has a long vertical extension and is connected to a control rod and thin wire and the top, and at the bottom it has a short forward extension with a tension/return spring connected to it. It pivots on a rod which is secured by a cotter pin, a small bolt and a nut. The oil is dripping right off of the nut. What on earth could cause the oil to leak there?. It's only a small drip right now but I'll have someone look at it ASAP. Boy, I sure can pick 'em.

GrtArtiste
 
"...not even honda is prefect."
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Good one!

Yup: "Never was a horse that coudn't be rode, never was a cowboy couldn't be throwed."
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Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a magic motor oil, or brand of car, or even a lawn mower engine. You can get a bad one with *anything*. Still, I sure hate to hear about GA's problem with his new mower. My new mower is the identical model, it's only been run a few minutes so far- gonna get an hour or two on it this weekend, will report what happens.
 
My Honda LM leaked in the same place. I believe that is the control lever for the governor. I overfilled the crankcase a little and the leak started. When I changed the oil again, I was really careful not to overfill and the leak went away.
 
Now *there's* an idea! GA, the bottle of oil that came with my mower contained 21 oz of oil- the mower said capacity 18.5 oz, so I filled carefully & had 2.5 oz left in the oil bottle. Did you use the entire bottle when filling your mower for the first time? If the oil level reads high in your mower, removing a little oil might be worth trying.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stuart Hughes:
Now *there's* an idea! GA, the bottle of oil that came with my mower contained 21 oz of oil- the mower said capacity 18.5 oz, so I filled carefully & had 2.5 oz left in the oil bottle. Did you use the entire bottle when filling your mower for the first time? If the oil level reads high in your mower, removing a little oil might be worth trying.
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That did occur to me. The first thing I did when I unpacked the thing was to read and follow the "FAST START GUIDE" instruction sheet that clearly states in step #6: "FILL ENGINE WITH ENTIRE CONTENTS OF OIL BOTTLE SUPPLIED WITH YOUR MOWER". I guess what I'll do is dump that oil and refill, then see what happens. Fatboymoe...thanks for the heads-up. I'd hate to return a good mower for a trivial thing that's really the fault of a poor instruction sheet.

GrtArtiste
 
I went right out there and ran the engine for a few minutes and then dumped the oil. I was not prepared for how BAD!!! it looked. It had the color of liquid pencil lead. I carefully measured out 18 ounces of Citgo Supergard 10w30 SL (it was either that or Maxlife dino) and then mowed with it for about 10 minutes. By the dipstick it still looks slightly overfull but I know it has 3 ounces less than it did before. I cleaned every nook and cranny I could reach and will keep an eye on it. I plan to mow only about another 1-2 hours and then change it again.

GrtArtiste
 
quote:
Originally posted by GrtArtiste:
I went right out there and ran the engine for a few minutes and then dumped the oil. I was not prepared for how BAD!!! it looked. It had the color of liquid pencil lead. I carefully measured out 18 ounces of Citgo Supergard 10w30 SL (it was either that or Maxlife dino) and then mowed with it for about 10 minutes. By the dipstick it still looks slightly overfull but I know it has 3 ounces less than it did before. I cleaned every nook and cranny I could reach and will keep an eye on it. I plan to mow only about another 1-2 hours and then change it again.

GrtArtiste
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Keep us posted. I have the same motor and it collects the airborne dirt when I mow in that same area. The dirt sticks to the oil seepage. I added the whole bottle too.
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I changed the oil in mine (GCV160) for the first time after 2 hours on the clock and it looked like metallic beige paint. Supposed to be normal though. The directions said to use the whole 21oz bottle of oil supplied with the mower for the initial fill, and I follow directions. No leaks though.
 
The 21 oz is for dry engine.You will never get all the oil out of the engine*unless you take it apart}so the 18.5 fill is for service useage.I had a honda HRX spit fuel all over the place.Went back to home depot and they sent it out for service.Came back and they wanted to charge me 55$ to check it out and still said it had no problem.Needless to say I exchanged it for a new HRX on the spot.Not even honda is perfect.For everyone buying mowers with honda engines,step up and get the whole mower.The engine is just part of owning a great mower.The quadra cut is incredible,and the plastic deck is worth every penny.It was painfull to pay for it,but I figure it will last me 10 or 12 years.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Fatboymoe:
My Honda LM leaked in the same place. I believe that is the control lever for the governor. I overfilled the crankcase a little and the leak started. When I changed the oil again, I was really careful not to overfill and the leak went away.
Click to expand...
Checked mine and sure enough the crankcase was overful. I used the bottle that came with it. Drained some out, cleaned the linkage area used for 2 hours- no more seepage. Time for Honda to update their owners manual!!
 
After I changed mine and refilled with 18 ounces, I've only mowed with it a short time but so far there has been no more seepage. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to mow again. The first fill when drained brought out a lot of metal flake. I'll change the current fill (Citgo Supergard 10w30 SL) after the next mow and if I feel it needs to be flushed again I'll refill with same. When it starts coming out clean, I've got some TropArtic 10w30 SM to put in it (Walmart $1.48/qt). That ought to keep it happy.

GrtArtiste
 
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