# Honda GX160 Won't Start



## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

Now that I'm past the carb issue (replaced the carb).
I cannot get this thing to start.

Symptom:
Pull cord will pull about 1/4 the way out and then it stops.

What I have tried:
1. Took the *cord/recoil *off and checked to make sure it worked when it was not attached to the motor. Cord winds and unwinds with no problem.
2. Took the *spark plug* out so I could be sure there was no extra compression, won't start.
3. Removed the water pump housing so I could see the water pump housing keyway. Lots of rust, but the key is intact and not cracked or broken.
4. Replaced all the old oil with new oil.
5. Replaced all the old gas with new gas.
6. Explained, in plain English, to the motor gods and the engine itself, that I had certain expectations of performance if the engine was going to spend anymore time on my work bench.

What is my next move?
Is there something else I should try? 
Something electrical?
Remove the rest of the water pump?
It doesn't appear that I can rotate anything by hand.
Drain the oil and pull off the side of the engine?
If I do, what am I looking for?

I have never been in the guts of one of these little dudes, so this should be interesting.

JW


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

The easiest for you to do is pull the head and check for rust or seizure in the bore, sometimes the impeller seal can seize from sitting for sometime, pull the head and save yourself a lot of time, if the bore has rusted or seized, then it will be cheaper to replace the whole pump with new in the long run.


----------



## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

Started to pull the head last night, but after I emptied the oil it was getting late.
Oil was clear at first, then dark brown, and finally milky .... definitely some water in there.

I came in and spent 2 hours watching and reading about taking the head off one of these engines and learning about push rods, valves, cylinders, and flywheels. 

After doctor appmt today, I'll come back and empty the gas and pull the head.
I think this is going to have a sad ending.

JW


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

When I say cheaper to replace, you can get a 6.5/8HP chinesuem 2" pump cheaper than a new 6.5HP Honda engine, run the backside out of it and replace with the same and then you have spare parts.

But must mention that when the engine is not being used,run the fuel out of the carby, undo the drain plug on the side of the bowl and drain, otherwise the float needle will stick to the needle seat and then you will have problems.


----------



## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

Little bit of engine porn today...
Here is the flywheel which obviously is sideways. Bleh . However you can see that the coil is sitting on it and both are rusted together.









Here is the coil after I got it loose from the flywheel and the engine.









Alrighty ... my confidence is building.


This is the cylinder after I took the head off. Ugly mess.









And here is the cylinder after I sprayed a little bit of pb blaster in it and used a towel to wipe it out. It definitely loosened the piston enough to get it to partially rotate.









Still not completely clean, but cleaner.

After all this, I can now use my hand to rotate the flywheel about 2/3rds the way around-- right up until the piston hits the rust. Then I stop and go the other way. It can't be good to shove it over the rust.

I took apart this little jewel and I believe I have 2 problems (possibly 3).
1. Rust in the cylinder hole (is that a thing?) which is preventing the cylinder from fully extending
2. Rust on the flywheel? The metal band that I believe the coil sits on. The coil was actually rusted to it.
3. Possibly the coil since it now has rust on its two pads (?) that sit on the flywheel.

So......
I believe my next step is:
1. when I go to Oreillys to get a new throttle position sensor for the suburban, pick up a honing tool or rent one
2. clean the rust from the flywheel
3. clean the rust from the coil

My questions are:
1. How do you clean the rustfrom the flywheel? ITs curved and sorta hard to get to. I tried to remove the plastic
impeller (?) but I can't get the bolt loose and it rotates the cylinder. I don't want to rotate the cylinder into the rust so I'm thinking I need to clean the bore hole(?) before I mess with that more.

2. How do you test the coil while it is off the flywheel? My thought here is while it is in taken apart, replace it now if need be so I don't have to take this apart again.

JW


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Just Wondering said:


> Little bit of engine porn today...
> Here is the flywheel which obviously is sideways. Bleh . However you can see that the coil is sitting on it and both are rusted together.
> View attachment 82690
> 
> ...


You can use a welders wire brush and sand paper to clean the outer diameter of the flywheel, paying the most attention to where the magnet is, sand paper for the coil too, bear in mind that the coil doesn't sit on the flywheel, it has to have an air gap, make yourself an air gap tool out of clear plastic that covered a mans shirt, cut a strip wide enough to cover the soft iron core legs of the coil and long enough to fit outside the two legs, fit the coil to the mounts with a wide air gap, rotate the flywheel so the magnetic is under the coil legs, place the strip on the flywheel magnet running with the flywheel and loosen the two clamp screws holding the coil and allow both legs to sit on the plastic air gap tool and then tighten the clamp screws, you can test the coil after you have cleaned the cylinder bore ( the word you were looking for) by spinning the flywheel by hand, or just bolt the blower housing back on and use the pull cord.

Before using a hone in the bore, you would do well to scrape the rust first with a bearing scraper or like, otherwise using the hone may cause the bore to go oval opposite the rusted area, actually the piston should be removed to hone correctly, but don't go there until you have scraped the bore to check how much the cylinder liner has been corroded.

If you have an old 10/12" 3 corner file and a grinder, you can make a scraper that will do what you want, you have to sharpen each edge knife sharp and you would only need to sharpen enough of the file to cover the rust portion in the cylinder.

Bearing scrapers for your info



white metal bearing scraper - Google Search


----------



## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

bearing scraper .... there is a description for everything it would seem... 
I did not get the hone because 1. I forgot and 2. I wondered if there was a less aggressive way to deal with the rust.

It was over 90 today and going to be ugly hot tomorrow, Surgery Monday, post-op Tuesday, so its looking like Wednesday might be my day ... bwa hah a ha ha

JW


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Just Wondering said:


> bearing scraper .... there is a description for everything it would seem...
> I did not get the hone because 1. I forgot and 2. I wondered if there was a less aggressive way to deal with the rust.


I know from your posts of old and present on TF you are a person that likes challenges, but this challenge will be too much for you, for starters, should you remove the rust you will most likely find rust pits in the metal cylinder liner, and if they are bad enough then the liner will need to be bored to oversize if possible, plus new piston and rings, or resleeve and use old piston (if serviceable) plus new rings, gasket set, crankshaft seals, valves removed from head and lapped to the seats, (again if the valve faces and seats will allow this, otherwise a valve reface and a seat regrind), the engine will need to be stripped completely and all parts washed and prepared for the repairs required.

I am sorry to have to write the above and below, but if that rust is caked reasonably hard on the cylinder liner, then there will be rust pits and that will be detrimental to the running of the engine, by all means keep on course and try and remove the rust, but be prepared to find what I mention, and the other to think about is when you are cleaning the bore, a lot of the contaminants will fall into and around the piston and top ring and this will be a grinding paste later if the engine can be ever started.

You could try a drill mounted wire brush to try and remove the rust, but most times the brush only polishes the rust, but by all means, give it a go.


----------



## Vigo (Oct 8, 2021)

Even if the cylinder is mildly pitted, in all likelihood the engine will run like that, but of course with more blowby, more rapid ring wear, and quickly degrading oil full of unburned fuel and metal paste from your rings to show for it. But it’ll run!


----------



## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

I had success and another project.
I got the cylinder bore cleaned off of most of the rust using a delicate file, patience, and a little pb blaster because I didn't have any wd40.
The little jewel can now rotate all the way around !!!

Next I used the same process as a first pass on the flywheel. Removed quite a bit of rust, but it is still uneven. Needs another go.

Moved onto the coil.
Just used my slightly pbblasted fingers to run across the 'feet' of the coil and the light rust came off.... it is clean.

Assuming there is no flash rust tomorrow, I'll get my new can of wd40 and coat things again.

I do have some carb cleaner. Would it be alright to hold the cylinder bore at an angle and spray it with carb cleaner, then let it drip off contaminants?

NEW project.
I believe I will have to remove the valves for they don't seem to move much when I push down on the spring and post that would be under the rocker arms ... (aren't I cool using all these new terms ...yes, I did some reading).

I have not taken anything apart on the valves since I don't know anything about resetting them, just that valve lash is a thing and I need to read about it.

But, I'm hopeful I can get it running again. Even if it runs a bit rough, it certainly has been a learning experience.

JW


----------



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Bekasu if you want to flush the cylinder using carby cleaner, then do it, you could even use your WD40 if you want, set the engine up with the cylinder facing down at an angle and so you can spray up into and around the outside of the piston to flush out any crud sitting on the top ring, you can also rotate the flywheel so the piston travels towards the top of the cylinder and this will enable you to wipe excess crud out when the piston travels down.


----------

