Repairing the Valve Guide on the GCV 190, GCV160 Honda HRX217 

I too have noted that the build quality of Honda mowers has diminished. I purchased my HRC 216-AD HXA (MZAN 6000001-6099999) in August of 1990, when the wheels had metal hubs. On the other hand, my brother-in-law has gone through at least a half-dozen cheap box store mowers in the past 30-years. Although my HRC 216 was $910 at time of purchase, I still believe I got my money's worth.

I can’t believe I found you and this video! My mower just stopped working and followed your two video and located the guide had walked out. I am so thankful right now I feel so relieved. I can’t afford a new mower and your work has saved me! God bless!

Great info, thanks. I have the HRX217, I purchased mine new in April 2013, Runs great, I take good care of it.

Thanks for creating videos to share your knowledge! Local here , Gwinnett L’ville present!

My HRX 217 VKA suddenly and abruptly stopped working in the middle of mowing, BUT before this, the mower has NEVER failed me and I have used it for more than 5+ years.

Thank you for posting this. This was the key to fixing my Ryobi 3100 pressure washer no compression issue. When I tapped the guide back in it bound up the exhaust valve even more, but I was able to loosen it with liquid wrench and some vice grips by working it up and down until it fully seated and slid easier.

Smart ideal, I can see why it works great, will order parts tomorrow to have handy

I would like to see how you make the gasket, looks like we'll all be in there a lot more than we thought.

Mine had the same issue as do them all. Intake side only . If your tired of your intake valve sticking every time you go to use it he’s my fix . Get some valve grinding compound and spin it with a drill so it opens up the guide and will never stick again. You can do this with the head on. Don’t get the compound Anywhere but in the guide and clean up afterward. Reseal the cover and will run forever

My HRX217 is 5 yrs old. Used it all summer and week ago wouldn't start. Cleaned Carb and then took off valve cover and the intake valve was stuck. Sprayed with WD40 and tapped it several times and it finally loosen up. Bent the valve cover trying to get it off, so straigtened it up and screwed it back on. Couldn't find the video you mentioned about making a gasket for it. This is first Honda mower I've owned. Had 2 Snapper mowers over a 45 yr period. Had almost no problems with them. The last one had a Wisconsin Robin engine. I was going to buy another Snapper but the new ones in 2018 looked cheap and not as sturdy as the previous ones. I'm going to get an hour meter for this Honda. Thanks for the videos.

The valve cover from a GSV190 (commercial grade variant) fits the GCV160/190. It's made out of cast aluminum and uses a gasket. The part# for the GSV valve cover is 12311-Z2A-000 and the gasket is 12312-Z2A-000.

Have this exact mower about 6 years old I use it in a landscape business been reliable not the best cutting or bagging but it weights way less than the commercial and hear in the PNW that helps a lot in the springtime when you can put ruts in the lawns because they are so wet.

Can't remember the year purchased but was new when purchased from the dealer.......lets call it 25 to 29 year old HRT216 with original GCV160 engine. Estimate about 30 to 40 hours total? Looks like new of course. For the past 19 years it has only been ran about 2 hours since moving to a larger property and using a ZTR to mow. It was only drug out once or twice a year to mow a low area that collected a lot of water and couldn't get the tractor in there in the spring. This year decided to use it a bit more around some pine trees. Noticed a puff of smoke when starting every week this year that was obviously oil from the smell. Figured the valve seal had dried out due to lack of use and allowed oil to seep past when sitting. Pulled the cover, rockers, and spring and there is no seal present. What was strange though was if the seal had dry rotted and crumbled, the small sealing spring it seems is on the seal from the videos I have watched is not left behind on the valve stem if the rubber had decayed and fallen apart. Can't locate the actual engine code online but every other engine code for the GCV 160 shows the seal used so assume this model had it too at some point. GJAEA-1146612 with MY1* code punched beside. Might buy a intake seal, not sure it is worth it to crack the case apart to look for that sealing spring, thinking it is not an issue even if it is laying in the bottom of the case.

I need to bring mine to you cause i cant figure it out

Hey yall dont forget these motors are used on many different kinds of applications like go carts weed eaters pressure washers mowers edgers generators probably more

Haven’t had the guide move on my gcv160. The valve cover did leak, the Honda bond silicone is crap , so as an automotive machinist I sealed my valve cover with Permatex right stuff silicone. I did this on both my mower and the newer mower that my parents have with the GCV 170. Both are absolutely bone dry.

I have not had a problem but need to know how to fix it Before one comes in to shop

Following your channel great content

I bought this mower new in Jan 2017 thinking it would be the last mower I would buy. Unfortunately it was one issue after another until finally this June I sat it by the road and it became someone else’s problem. Four trips back to the dealer for warranty work and then several repairs outside of warranty was more than enough for me. I’m now mowing with a Milwaukee M18 mower and couldn’t be happier. I also just bought a Milwaukee string trimmer to replace my Honda trimmer. Honda quality is way too hit or miss at the prices they charge for their equipment. Definitely no longer a premium brand IMO.

In the last video on this issue you tapped in the guide with a socket. Did you do that on this occasion before you added the oils piece?

Great video! I can't find the video where you explain the alternative seal that does not stick/glue the cover to the engine?

Could you please post a link to the other video you referenced where you show how to reseat the valve guide back into place? Also, please link to the video you referenced where you make a gasket for the valve cover. Thanks so much.

Hello again So the meter for the engine all you do is wrap around the cable for the plug and tie it like u did and it will read the hours use? Thanks

Good morning sir Who won the pads?

Did you make a video on changing the fluid in the HRX transmission? I searched but didn’t see it.

One more comment, question, Is there a way to modify the Honda HRX217 so engine speed can be adjusted. This mower just runs all out and I can't adjust the engine speed. The Snappers I had I could adjust the speed on them from the handle while mowing. Thanks.

Would this be causing oil to be burnt on startup? I have an HRX217 with a GCV190, and while i've had the intake seal and the camshaft oring replaced, it burns oil at startup, or slightly when i engage Roto-Stop. I'm hoping that if it's because the valve guide is pulling out, it's causing so I can fix.

Did it hold up? i tapped mine back in and punched the sleeve in two places held up for a few months.

I loved my Honda. Up until it decided to be a SOB & quit working and I can’t figure it out. It won’t even try to run and it’s got spark and gas. But it does nothing. I mean nothing. At this point, I think it only has spark when I have the plug pulled out where I can see it. I think it gives up and stops sparking as soon as I put the plug back in and try to pull on the start rope. Because I put gas in the cylinder myself, multiple times. And it still didn’t even try to fire up once. Which is beyond my ability to make sense of at this moment in time.

I have this mower with the GCV 190. I am having the issue where its hard to pull start. I can it pulls hard to TDC and then i can slowly pull it past that point where it's a little easier again until it gets to TDC once more. Do you think this is the valve issue or is it the pressure relief spring?

These engines are good but much too complex for their purpose. Nothing better than those old Briggs flatheads.

Its not a bad design, Honda delivered exactly what consumers demanded, cheap disposable engines. I don't put any blame on Honda. I blame consumers that want to remain blind to the devaluation of the US Dollar over the last 40+yrs. In the 1980's and '90's both Honda and Toro offered commercial engines(Honda GXV 140 and Toro Suzuki 2/4 cycle) on consumer mowers with Cast Aluminum decks. They cost $500-$600+ circa 1990. Adjusted for inflation that would be approaching or surpassing $1,400 today. My Toro was $549 in 1991 without bagger or bagging chute, you had to pay extra for that. Consumers would loose their minds seeing those prices for consumer mowers today. The Honda HRC216 you sold was a lot of mower for the money, likely the best deal today at $1,400. The only mowers with cast aluminum decks and full commercial engines are the Toro commercials, and they start at $1,800 and go well above $2,000 for a 21". I believe I saw $2,300 retail for the Toro 21" with Honda GXV160 and blade clutch. As for the best cut you mentioned, I have a 13ish year old HRX 217(190cc) and 3yrs ago I found a 1991 cast aluminum Toro Recycler with a Suzuki 2-cycle engine for free. After fixing it up it cuts and mulches far better than my HRX 217. Finished cut is noticeably better looking than my HRX 217. I have no doubt the '90's Honda HR215's would cut better than current Honda's too, but again they would be crazy expensive to build today, and consumers would freak out at the price. The 121cc 2-cycle Suzuki, the 140cc 4-cycle Suzuki, and the 140cc GX140 Honda's of the '90's lack the power of those 190cc and 200cc Hondas. They also only cut to a max of 3" height. Honda HRX 217 can handle knee high grass far better than those old mowers. Consumers drive the market and Honda did good building the HRX 217's.

Did you source another gcv190 engine? MTA distributors and Jack's small engine are out. Some guy in the middle of nowhere has gcv190's for too much moolah. I probably will bite the bullet and get one if the crankshaft matches. Rebuild the old engine.

Could not find video to make gasket for the valve cover

How do you know the the guide is not moving kn the head casting? Seems like a Bush fix to me. Why not remove the head and fix it for good.

So, you added a part on the exhaust where there wasn’t one there before? You really didn’t specifically say that

How does this video have anything to do with fixing the valve guide? All your doing is replacing a valve seal. Pro tip is you can take that spring off, find the joint, unscrew the spring from itself, nip a cpl coils off, screw spring back together. It will now be tighter. Can do this on any seal with a spring.

Buy Honda made in Japan

You could have left the seal intact and the end result is the same.