Honda OHC Engines in general....

[Pablo]

Just got my second device with a Honda OHC engine. First was a mower last year, now I got me a pressure washer. Most all my other non-car IC engine devices are either 2 stroke or typical flat head B&S type engines.

Anyhow - are there any things/tips/tricks I should know about the care and feeding of these beasts? Of course they get synthetic oil. The mower smoked a bit when young on the oil Home Depot puts in (they ship dry), seemed like it took awhile to seat everything, OK now with Amsoil 5w30. The engine on the pressure washer didn't smoke at all today as new. (This engine calls for 10w30, regardless. I used the Amsoil 5w30.)

[ April 05, 2003, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: Pablo ]

 

[penzdude]

i also have an ohv equipped honda harmony mower.i broke it in using 10w30 pennzoil for about the first 4 or 5 hrs of operation. i also own a lawnboy silver series mower with a 4 stroke tecumseh, and a yard man yard vac that has a 4 and a half hp briggs. the tec and briggs call for 30wt while the honda does indeed call for 10w30. instead of buying different oils, i use mobil 1 10w30 in all three. i have 13 yards i take care of as a side hustle, and the 2 mowers see quite a bit of action from april to around oct, where the leaf vac usually takes over. no problems with either. no consumption problems either. also, it's probably a bit easier to find and cheaper than amsoil or redline. hope this helps.

[ April 07, 2003, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: penzdude ]

 

[penzdude]

oh oh, sorry pablo! enter foot in mouth! my bad, i didn't notice you were an amsoil dealer! seeing that, and knowing availability and price weren't big concerns, i would use the amsoil you are comfortable with. i would though, consider going to the 10w30 weight though. penz.

 

[satterfi]

Don’t neglect the oil in the pump housing (like me). I’ve only ran mine a couple of hours but my wife keeps letting people borrow it so it’s hard to keep track of total hours. When I did change it I could see metal in the oil.

I flushed out the pump housing with a cheapo 30 weight SA oil and refilled with RL MTL.

 

[Pablo]

Thanks guys.

Yeah satterfi - I'll watch that oil in the pump...the manual lists some universal tractor oil UTTO...or some such, but no spec. You used MTL???

 

[Cressida]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pablo:
Just got my second device with a Honda OHC engine.

---

When I first read your post I thought you must have meant OHV not OHC and started to point this out but didn't want to appear nit picky. I didn't know anyone made a small engine with OHC. I was doing further reading and even find that Honda now has a small engine with a timing belt in it.

And the belt is suppose to last the life of the engine.

I think I've lived too long !

 

[Bror Jace]

Cressida, I didn't catch that typo. I'm used to seeing the "OHV" on the Honda engines and I didn't even stop and think when I saw "OHC" in Pablo's post.

I need to see what oil (if any) our pump takes ... I had thought it was originally some sealed unit.

--- Bror Jace

 

[Pablo]

I assure you, my pressure washer is OHC.

 

[Bror Jace]

Pablo, change the oil quickly. We have a fairly new Coleman power washer with the same Honda engine and after the first change (maybe 10 hours of operation over 6 months?) the used oil looked like someone sprinkled glitter in it ... a LOT of glitter.

I just changed the oil again after another year and perhaps 3-4 hours of operation. I used Delo400 15W40 and it looked pretty decent when it came out ... only an amberish color and just the slightest trace of that glittery stuff in it.

Now it has Schaeffer Supreme 7000 15W40 in it.

--- Bror Jace

 

[cryptokid]

i also have a honda overhead cam pressure washer.
its a nice engine isnt it?

ill tell you what i have learned.

1# this engine doesnt get very hot. high flash point oils are not needed. after running it hard i can place my hand on the valve cover. the block seems to run at just over boiling point as do the cylinder and head. its a very cool running, for an air cooled engine anyways. all air coole engines run hot, but this is the coolest of the hot if you can understand.

2# the stock honda air filter has a bad seal or somthing, it lets dirt by. fix this with extra sealent or a different brand of filter or somthing. with the stock filter i awalys got dirt in the filter housing. you think it would seal well, but somehow it doesnt.

3# dont move the pressure washer around while running, or else u get tonnes of smoke from oil getting up in the combistion chamber. even slight tilting makes it smoke.

4# install a fuel filter NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
the carb is picky about debris in the fuel, and the idle jet clogs easily. alot easier than most other small engines. you will know when your idle jet is clogged, by the engine refusing to idle smooth, it will lope from high rpm to almost dead to high to dead. a fuel filter prevents this.

5# the spark plug is good for the life of the engine i think, my spark plug is awalys TAN coloured, and never worn out looking.

6# change the oil at half the normal service interval, for the engine and the pump. it seems to me the oil awalys get yucky looking, and due to the nature of a pressure cleaner, (only run in a wet enviroment) it only makes sence to change the oil more frequently. a pressure cleaner, or other severe duty engine i would not risk running the factory 100 hours per oil change interval. maybe i would do 100 hours a change if it was a lawn mower, but pressure cleaner operates in a continous wet enviroment. this is really harsh as it continously ingests water and crud you blow off your sidewalk


i have about 500 hours on this pressure cleaner.

it has not given me a problem yet.
the honda gc series overhead cam engines are also VERY fuel efficent. you be amazed at how little gasoline it uses.

 

[blano]

I have the same motor on my pressure washer along with a cat pump. This combo has been trouble free for five years of severe use. I changed the oil after break in and once per year there after. Havent had a lick of trouble with it. I use whatever oil I have on hand. Usually a 5w40 or a 15w40. BTW from alube standpoint I dont think you can go wrong with this motor. Very tough mtor.

 

[Pablo]

WOW Thanks - I'm printing this one out!

Just a good small inline fuel filter?

 

[NThomas]

the tank should already have a filter in it

if your gas is that dirty get it some where else
or get a new can

 

[cryptokid]

the tank is just a black plastic tank. it doesnt have an internal filter, or atleast mine did not come factory equiped i should say.
my pressure cleaner was bought around the time when the ohc engines first came out, so there may be design changes.

perhaps new models feature an updated gastank with an internal filter? i dont know, but i know for sure mine doesnt have one. i took the gastank off once to clean it and inspected inside with a penlight. no filter there.

my best advice for a fuel filter would be an inline lawnmower type filter. maybe a carborated motorcycle filter.

just cut the fuel line, and push the filter on, and clamp it down with the clamps (they usualy supply with a new filter)

if yours has a fuel filter incorporated into the gastank, an inline filter may not be needed.

[ April 11, 2003, 01:47 AM: Message edited by: cryptokid ]

 

[Bror Jace]

I agree with cryptokid. A lot of good advice.

My Honda lawn mower runs great ... then after about 20 minutes it cuts out for no reason ... like it ran out of gas. I took apart and cleaned the fuel system to no avail ... I think there's something in the carb I didn't get to. I can keep it running by turning on the choke for 30 seconds or so ... so I haven't tried taking the carb apart. Pour-in fuel system cleaners (various) have not affected this machine's performance.

There is a filter in the tank ... but it is merely a cone-shaped screen.

Yep, if there was one mod I would do to any Honda-powered "lawn & garden" equipment it would be to add an in-line fuel filter ... as large as space allows. Even a tiny one would be an improvement.

As 'kid says, these motors are very fuel efficient so I doubt reduced/interrupted flow could be a problem.

--- Bror Jace

 

[plexx]

Bror, Check your fuel cap for venting,I have seen the vents get clogged with dirt and the mower will do exactly what you are describing.Take the fuel line off the carb. and check the fuel flow, if it starts to slow down or stop try lossening the cap, if the flow increases, it's the vent. It could also be your ignition coil,when it dies while still hot try checking for spark.Somtimes when the coils heat up they short out although not to common with Honda's.

 

[Bror Jace]

Thanks, plexx. Mowing season is less than a month away. I'll check both of those then.

I just happened to have changed the oil in the lil' beast this morning (used Schaeffer 7000 blend 15W40). The old Mobil 1 tri-synthetic (18 months old) was full of glitter.

--- Bror Jace

 

[cryptokid]

wow, glitter is pretty except in that instance. then its pretty ugly. any idea what caused it?

 

[Bror Jace]

No idea ... 'cept that Mobil 1 10W30 was not that great in an air cooled engine for 19 months or so ... a little over 1 full season of use. Again, I blame the modest barrier package. unfortunately, I didn't have any Schaeffer #132 EP additive when I changed the oil back in September 2001.

Now the little beastie (almost 20 years old) smokes on start-up.

Still, it will run until the rest of it falls apart, I'm sure.

--- Bror Jace

 

[Bror Jace]

Oh, and I checked the Honda engine on our Coleman pressure washer. It's a 5.5 OHV (not OHC). It's the ... GX160. Pablo is yours different?

The bad news is that the pump still had the travel plug in it ... no one had installed the vented cap despite it having gotten about 20 hours of use.

Despite that gaff, the thing seems to run fine, but I want to do a pump oil change ASAP!

I want to get some 30 weight non-detergent oil (specified) for this thing ... maybe Tim in Arkansas?

--- Bror Jace