Hi NormK, So opened up the carburetor today and am thinking of replacing all the gaskets (they look shot to me). But not sure what to buy.
For starters there's this one between the air filter and the carb (has a metal piece in between).
Then there's (I think) a large heat shield between the carb and the engine. I dont think its supposed to be there.
There's another one behind that shield which kind of feels moulded on to the engine block (its not coming off easily). But there's a green bit behind it which tells me it might just be stuck on. I think I think I found that on EbayI found that on Ebay.
Found these 3 gaskets on Ebay for the GXV160 but that does not include the insulator 3 gaskets for GXV160
And lastly, there's this image from an age old manual that shows these parts, but I dont know how to find equivalents on Ebay.
And I was wondering if the GXV160 is the same as the GCV160, GX160 or the HRZ216 as far as carburetor gaskets are concerned?
I've attached the images for what I've described above.
Really appreciate any help or guidance. I've dived into a ton of manuals and sheets I could find for free online and
Hi Naz, No the GCV carby is not compatible with any of the other carbies. I find usually I can salvage the gaskets. I wouldn't putt too much effort into chasing gaskets till you can prove the carby will work. I havea50%failure rate with them even after I have put them through the ultrasonic cleaner. As long as you get the gaskets on the suction side of the carby set up ok and if one is a bit damaged a bit of silicone or gasket sealer will seal it up. At this stage I don't bother fitting the air filter housing because it is a pain in the arse to set it up and hold the gaskets and spacer in position. I use a couple of 10mm nuts on the bolts so I can run the motor and make sure the carby is going to work properly . Not easy, pig of a thing but that is what you have to work with. Just take it gently because they can be very frustrating first time around. Good luck
Hi again, Looks like it's time for a new carb. The bowl had quite a bit of gunk on the inside, the jets are all blocked and "look" rusty. And when I went to take out the part attached in the picture, it broke.
Naz, Get the GXV stuff out of your head, totally different motors, only similarity between them is made by Honda. You need to look for a GCV160 carby they have the 2 bolt holes horizontal. They are about $20 just scratch around and you will find them. Just make sure it has a choke, some of the Chondas use a primer bulb
Hi Norm, Naz was after the GXV160 carby, depth perception is harder to see in a photo (looking at some of the above ones), it's easy to order the right one from the images online.
Hi Naz, with the carb gaskets you have a few choices, I usually just cut my own from gasket paper but the side of a breakfast cereal box would also work or buy some online.
The only problem sometimes with buying a new carby is to make sure the throttle butterfly and choke butterfly open in the correct direction for your motor.
Just realized that Max, don't know where I got the idea he was talking about a GCV160, must be a seniors moment. Yes you have to be careful with the images online with the carbies that you get the one with the rod operated choke, not the lever type ones
Hi NormK, That worked! The mower starts now, (although its a real pain to hold the dead-mans lever, pull the throttle up to choke and then start it) and runs. Initially the engine kind of ran-away (kept accelerating), but it behaves now after I adjusted the governor bolt. Couple of new issues now:
1. How do I know if it's at the right rpm? Any app that will help me get the RPM. I tried one and it gave me 120Hz, which does not sound anywhere near right. 2. The transmission belt (self-propelling mechanism to engine shaft) has snapped quite badly (in a way that I cant get any length details off it). Any ideas on how to get a replacement? 3. Tried unscrewing the bolt on the engine shaft on which the blade holder is mounted, but didn't succeed. How can I hold the plate still while I unscrew the bolt? 4. And lastly, there's a plastic shroud that protects the belt thats held by two nuts, but the bolt heads seem to be on the other side and "might" require me to remove the engine. How do I get the shroud apart.
Hi Naz, Not easy to get the blade carrier off without a rattle gun, without you have to get a piece of timber in there somewhere to prevent it from turning. The belt covers can be a pain to get off but you must be able to get it off without removing the motor because you would never be able to reassemble it with the new belt fitted
Hi NormK and Maxwestern, Will be getting the belt delivered soon. Hopefully it all purrs at the end. One last issue. What grass catcher will be compatible with this model. Have attached a few pics.
Hi Naz, I would say near impossible to find a catcher for it. All I do is cut the back out and fit a Victa rear flap and catcher to it. Bit of messing around but I have done plenty of them because I ended up with so many mowers without catchers and I had a mountain of Victa catchers
Hi Max, another option is to cut one side of the catcher down to fit in the narrow chute, I have done that once before but I had to rivet a piece of metal on the underside of the catcher to strengthen it up It was a fairly simple conversion and the mower hasn't come back so I guess it is catching ok. With the new Honda motor, I did suggest to him that we could pick up a Honda with a blown gearbox for probably $200/250 but he said he didn't want to chase around after something second hand. His mower is 3 years old and as he is mowing lawns he needs a reliable mower and what would he do with the base which he had recently put a new gearbox in. Sometimes you just have to bight the bullet.
I usually put the Victa catcher on instead of the bag catchers when all you need to do is swap the rear flap but usually don't spend a lot of time modifying them these days as I'd only get $80. for a serviced self drive mower.
There isn't much of a problem around my way finding bag catchers as they are mostly thrown out with the mowers, I must have thrown out 50 bag catchers recently.
The Makita ,Ryobi ,Baumr-AG ,Shogun ,Ferrex ,etc have similar catchers that can easily be fitted ,but not worth buying a new catcher as you would easily buy a good mower with catcher cheaper than a new catcher.
Sometimes the catcher frame needs a slight hammering to widen the opening 3mm and the angle of the catcher can be wrong when fitted but if you bend the catcher frame down a little it solves that problem and takes less time than changing the rear flap if you used the Victa catcher.
Had a few self drive mowers where I just sold them without a catcher as I used a mulch plug with the mower instead.
Max, I have about 10 mowers up in a back shed that have been there since covid, I will pull them out over winter and go through them and that will be the end of me fixing mowers, then I will just work on rideons and heavy slashers. I still have probably 40 2 stroke Victa motors so I might build a few of those up. I have 10 bases out the back that have been repaired and painted so I can put those together as well
I have about 10 mowers up in a back shed that have been there since covid, I will pull them out over winter and go through them and that will be the end of me fixing mowers, then I will just work on rideons and heavy slashers. I still have probably 40 2 stroke Victa motors so I might build a few of those up. I have 10 bases out the back that have been repaired and painted so I can put those together as well
10 mowers at $80 each would take me 20 years to sell Norm ,I will probably get rid of my mowers for $50. each and that will only take 5 years to sell 5 mowers.or just scrap them.
Hopefully you can still turn a profit with the slashers and ride on mowers in the future. Not sure if there will be any mower shops left in 20 years . I see a lot of people now mowing their yard with an electric mower ,it must be hurting mower shops now that there are no filters to replace and no oil to change.
I think mower shops pretty much rely on contractors for their work and spares sales and the occasional domestic customer and I don't think too many contractors will be switching to electric mowers. Maybe hedgers and blowers and maybe the odd snipper.
Yes I don't know statistically how many contractors have switched to electric mowers now .I would think it's the minority of them.
I had a mower shop guy tell me years ago about a few mower contractors that were already using electric mowers Norm ,I guess if it saves them money with no servicing and not buying fuel they end up with more profit but obviously they must be cutting the smaller yards, also I know the local council switched to electric ride on mowers and some robotic electric mowers some time ago.
I see Chinese electric ride on mowers for about $1000. now ,most people I see doing gardening jobs have battery powered tools.
Regulatory Policies: Some regions are implementing stricter emissions regulations to combat climate change, which could accelerate the shift to electric mowers.
Technological Advancements: Electric mower technology is continually improving, making them more efficient, affordable, and capable of handling larger areas of grass.
Consumer Preferences: Increasing awareness about environmental issues may lead to more consumers opting for electric options, particularly as battery technology improves and electric mowers become more widely available.
Landscaping and Golf Course Equipment: Certain professional landscaping services and golf courses are already making the switch to electric mowers, which may influence broader adoption.
While it's difficult to predict a specific timeline, a gradual transition over the next couple of decades seems likely. Some industry analysts suggest that by 2040, electric mowers may become the dominant choice for residential and commercial use, but petrol mowers will likely still be in use for specific applications and by certain demographics for years following that.
