Any small engine wizzes?

[Rugrad02]

I am scratching my head on a problem I am having with my power washer. It is a Honda with a GC 160 motor(4 cycle) and the thing will not start. It's only 3 years old and has low hours.

I tried everything!!! I get a good spark but put in a new plug any way. Air filter looks brand spanking new. Changed the gas, disassembled and cleaned the carb....the only way I can get it cranked is by using an electric drill with socket attached to the fly wheel to quick jump the motor. At the same time, my buddy sprays short bursts of carb cleaner directly into the carb. As soon as it cranks, I pull off the drill and socket but my buddy has to keep spraying the cleaner. If he stops, it fizzles out. The carb is filling with gas but could it be that it is not reaching the engine somehow? I took the spark plug out and it smells like fresh gas. Any ideas or suggestions?

I also unscrewed the gas cap and pumped my cupped my hand over the opening while it was running to to see if it was a compression issue. No luck!!

 

[jsv1204]

Some of those engines have a safety feature that stops the engine if it is out of oil - any way you can check if you are getting a false positive from that sensor? Also, is the gas fresh?

 

[Rugrad02]

Some of those engines have a safety feature that stops the engine if it is out of oil - any way you can check if you are getting a false positive from that sensor? Also, is the gas fresh?

I'm not sure how to check if I am getting a false positive but I will say that the oil level is fine. There is an oil chamber for the compressor and it uses SAE 75 W90. This level looked okay as well. The gas is fresh and has Sta bil added to it.

 

[Airplanedoc]

I do some work on older small engines. Most likely you will have to tear apart the carb and clean it out. The ethanol blend gas attracts water, eats seals, and looses its (oomph) over time. This also happens in your plastic gas can sitting in the garage.

The best thing to do when you get it running is to run it completely out of gas when you are done using it. Then put new fuel in it each time you use it. In the summer I try not to keep gas around more than a month. I just pour my excess lawnmower gas in the car, when I get down below a half tank or so. Then the next time I fill up the car I get a couple gallons of fresh gas for my small engines.

 

[rhedges89]

I do some work on older small engines. Most likely you will have to tear apart the carb and clean it out. The ethanol blend gas attracts water, eats seals, and looses its (oomph) over time. This also happens in your plastic gas can sitting in the garage.

The best thing to do when you get it running is to run it completely out of gas when you are done using it. Then put new fuel in it each time you use it. In the summer I try not to keep gas around more than a month. I just pour my excess lawnmower gas in the car, when I get down below a half tank or so. Then the next time I fill up the car I get a couple gallons of fresh gas for my small engines.

Another thing to look for is that the carb floats may be stuck not allowing more fuel to enter the carb bowl. Some times if lucky you can tap on the bowl to try and break the float free form the varnish build up. If it stop wont start you will have to take the bowl off.

 

[crash1292]

more than likely the jet is plugged in the carb.
try this trick,some times it works.
pull off air cleaner housing so you can get your hand over the air intake on the carb.
put your hand over the opening while your buddy turns the engine over.
this causes a very high vacuum that sometimes will suck the crap out of the jet.
try this once or twice then crank normal.

 

[Rugrad02]

more than likely the jet is plugged in the carb.
try this trick,some times it works.
pull off air cleaner housing so you can get your hand over the air intake on the carb.
put your hand over the opening while your buddy turns the engine over.
this causes a very high vacuum that sometimes will suck the crap out of the jet.
try this once or twice then crank normal.

Okay, I just tried this. I pulled off the air filter housing but the carb sits too low and awkward to plug with my hand or fingers. So I rolled up some duct tape into a ball, a bit larger in diameter than the carb hole. I cranked on it a few times and it seemed like it wanted to turn over. I pulled the choke out and got the same reaction. Each time I pulled however it got closer and closer to the way it was; not wanting to turnover. I pulled the tape back out and tried with the air filter out and got nothing. I put the air filter back in and still nothing.

If I leave it alone for a few minutes and come back to crank on it, it acts like it's going to start but fizzles. This only happens on the first pull and never the second. Come back later, same thing.

 

[Camping57]

On my power washer, unless I have the nozzle open on the sprayer, it builds up so much pressure that the engine won't turn free enough to start. Try disconnecting the output hose so it has no back pressure and see if that helps.

Don't get in the way of that spray! it'll cut your leg!

 

[crash1292]

well if you got gas into the bowl the only thing I can think of is a plugged jet.
pull the carb off and remove the float bowl.
look for the jet,it will probably be made of brass with a hole in the center.
blow it out with air and make sure you can see thru it.
dont use a wire as it may enlarge the hole and that would change the mixture

 

[Zul'jin]

Does it have a primer bulb? It'd be a little rubber boob looking thing you press to prime the carb with gas. It'd be on the carb, probably red or black.

Sometimes those bulbs get torn and won't let the engine run. You can buy a replacement. I once plugged a hole in one on a lawnmower with a twig. Worked well enough to mow a few yards.

 

[Gunner5360]

check the bolt that holds the bowl on. they have holes in them for the fuel and will get clogged up and allow a little fuel in but not enough to run it

 

[Rugrad02]

well if you got gas into the bowl the only thing I can think of is a plugged jet.
pull the carb off and remove the float bowl.
look for the jet,it will probably be made of brass with a hole in the center.
blow it out with air and make sure you can see thru it.
dont use a wire as it may enlarge the hole and that would change the mixture

I cleaned the carb again and found that this was the problem. The brass jet was completely gummed up. I took a piece of a spring and ran it through the hole to clear it out. I cleaned it up with some carb cleaner and it cranked almost immediately.

Now I have run into another problem. Once started, you have to turn the choke off by pushing the rod in. When I do this the engine revs way too much and the noise is deafening. I have to keep the choke pulled out a bit for it to sound proper. Also, there is a rocker arm that is supposed to move back and forth until the the engine has reached the proper RPMs. Now the rocker does not move at all. Any ideas?

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Now I have run into another problem. Once started, you have to turn the choke off by pushing the rod in. When I do this the engine revs way too much and the noise is deafening. I have to keep the choke pulled out a bit for it to sound proper. Also, there is a rocker arm that is supposed to move back and forth until the the engine has reached the proper RPMs. Now the rocker does not move at all. Any ideas?

The routing of the two arms/rods (choke vs governor) sounds like you may have reinstalled them either criss-crossed or in the wrong spots. You may need to find the exterior diagram of the pressure washer to figure out how to route them properly. Ran into that with a Honda mower before.

Have a look around here: http://www.brandnewengines.com/gcv160-sta1.aspx
and here http://www.ereplacementparts.com/ho...l-engine-parts-c-37657_37658_37987_37731.html

MC

 

[Rugrad02]

The routing of the two arms/rods (choke vs governor) sounds like you may have reinstalled them either criss-crossed or in the wrong spots. You may need to find the exterior diagram of the pressure washer to figure out how to route them properly. Ran into that with a Honda mower before.

MC

I checked it last night and I had installed the arm opposite of what it should have been. I fixed the issue this morning and all is well. Thanks for your help everyone!!!


-Kyle

 

[crash1292]

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

I checked it last night and I had installed the arm opposite of what it should have been. I fixed the issue this morning and all is well. Thanks for your help everyone!!!

Right on! Glad I could help!

MC

 

[jmendez29]

This is a first for me. I have NEVER seen an engine properly diagnosed over the internet.

HOORAY FOR HBT!!!:rockin: