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Honda small engines suck

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-06          128967

Rant on!

Our pressure washer has a Honda GX270 engine on it. I paid extra for the Honda engine and totally regret it. What a piece of crap that thing is! It is nearly impossible to start and has been since day one. When it does start it has to warm up for 15-20 minutes before it will do anything under load. It's been to the dealer twice. They've replaced all the electrics and the damn thing still won't start. I've had Briggs, Kohlers, Echos, and Stihls and they always start right up. Is there some trick to Honda small engines? Do you need to give them a special handshake or something? Maybe the reason they have a reputation for lasting so long is that owners can never start the damn things so they don't wear out.

Rant off.


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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2006-05-06          128969

Ken, you must have gotten the one lemon. My honda engine on my log splitter has been the pinnacle of performance, reliability, and ease of starting and has been so for the past 12 years. It is more of a miser than I am when it come to fuel efficiency. The one gallon tank will run the engine for about 16 hours. Just oil changes and gas. Sounds to me like the carb may have been adjust too lean at the factory. Have they tried replacing or adjusting the carb? ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-06          128971

I'm gonna get a carb kit and try to fix it myself. If that doesn't work I'll buy a new carb. If that doesn't work it will be replaced with a Kohler. ....

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SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
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2006-05-06          128978

That is a crying shame, yours is the first bad Honda engine I have heard of including their cars. I never owned a small Honda engine, I have always been a brigs man. I learned to work on them and pound for pound they are tough with the right upkeep. Good gas, good oil, good air, good fire, the first 4 things you check if there is a problem. I had a 30yr old 5hp brigs on a troy build tiller it blew up last week when I let the neighbor borrow it. Not realy his fault the rings blew out probably crystalized to much time and work to repair that. Got a used engine off a MTD tiller and am back in business. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-05-06          128986

Ken I don't know why but stick with the dealer if you can but you do have a fuel problem for what you have described. Honda is up there on my ratings in all ways as one of the best. ....

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SG8NUC
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2006-05-06          128992

Ken

Is the carb a bowl design?

SG ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-06          128994

I haven't looked at it yet. Yesterday my cousin picked it up to use this weekend and he called me today to say he couldn't get it started. I've rebuilt lots of carbs in my life so I'll give it a try on this one. Screw the dealer, they didn't fix it the first two times so I'm done with them. ....

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SG8NUC
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2006-05-06          128995

I understand. If the small rubber gasket on the bowl has the slightist nick in it (must look with good eyes or mag. glass)to see it then the engine will produce the kind of trouble you are having. It will suck air instead of gas until it warms up and gets a constant gas flow. It is a good cheap thing to check. There are several different kind of ointments that you can use on the blisters from the pull cord. I know all of them LOL
....

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boiler
Join Date: Sep 2008
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2006-05-06          129007

Ken, Find another dealer.Remember it is an engine, which means it is mechanical, which means it can break.I would find a dealer that has a good mechanic, cause it sounds like a simple fuel problem to me.As for it being a Honda, I for one make sure all my small gas engines are honda's because I have never had a lick of problems with them including (push and riding mowers, pressure washers,go karts, Atv's, cars, and especially thier motorcycles)Good luck and don't let one rotten dealer ruin all of them. ....

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dkheckmanl
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 134 Middleton, ID
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2006-05-07          129009

I had a preasure washer with a Honda engine, not sure of the model but I fought starting it for two years before I finally junked it. Had two different Honda dealers work on it before I gave up on it. Wish I had a dollar for every pull trying to start it. I'd be a millionaire. Finally bought a Sears with a Briggs engine. Have a Honda mini tiller and a Honda ATV and they both start great. I just figured I got a lemon on the p.w. ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-05-07          129010

My pressure washer has a honda engine, my generator has one also. I bought them because they had honda engines - also haven't ever had one fail to start. ....

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2006-05-07          129012

Just a DAQ.

Is the unloader valve working sometimes if they stick the engine will pull over great and just about then the pump will hit pressure. The engine usually trying to start can not overcome that resistance. ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2006-05-07          129017

Harvey, true enuf - I have my wife hold the trigger on the washer wand whilst I crank over the engine! ....

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chipuren
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 193 Arkansas
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2006-05-07          129019

If this is one of the models with the fuel cut off on the carb, be sure it is shut off for transport, otherwise the float bouncing up and down in the carb can pre flood the engine. Of course on the other hand, the valve must be open when you want to run. We had one bad carb on one GX390 engine, It just wouldn't run right and was replaced under warranty. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-07          129021

I haven't checked the unloader but it spins over easy enough and I always have water flowing and the trigger pulled when starting. I don't think it's a transport issue either since it's a bear to start even after sitting stationary for weeks at a time (although transport may have contributed to the difficulties my cousin was having). I'm going over today to help get it started or bring it back home. Time to break out the manual and go over everything. ....

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unit5alive
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 250 Latrobe Pa
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2006-05-07          129023

The honda gx series is one of the most dependable ever designed , also one of the least repaired , you must of got a bad one ! The one in my excel pressure washer is 5 years old, used weekly (EXCEPT IN THE WINTER) and does not use any oil, and starts on the 2-3 try every time , Craig. ....

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kwschumm
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Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-07          129027

2 or 3 tries would be acceptable. Not great, but acceptable. The Briggs engine in our old JD 14PZ push lawnmower was the best starting engine I've ever used. One pull every time, even after sitting all winter with stale gas. ....

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dkheckmanl
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 134 Middleton, ID
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2006-05-07          129035

Thinking back on it the unloader valve might have been my problem. I know I had to hit the trigger valve after every pull to relieve the preasure. Never thought about having my wife hold the trigger on while I tried starting it. She was never around when I tried starting it but I think that was because she did not want to see or hear my frustration. ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
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2006-05-07          129049

Ken; I know it is little help but mine starts every time on my pressure washer. I would pull the plug and check the spark first, you never know with pick up coils. I would then look at the carb. On the small engine the floats often are not set right. ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-05-08          129077

DK, instructions on mine say not to put on spray tip on until AFTER starting engine. Then additionally I needed wife to hold trigger (replaceable with block of wood) :)
Whether it matters or not I have a 2500PSI CAT pump with Honda GX engine. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2006-05-08          129080

Ok.... I am getting two messages here:

1) you must be married to own/operate a pressure washer.

2) the wife can be replaced by a block of wood.

I prefer the wife option, in my experience, they are much softer than a block of wood. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-08          129083

Mark, you just haven't found the right block of wood yet :)

Yesterday we finally got the PW started. Probably close to 50 pulls. We were taking turns. The water was on, flowing and the trigger pulled per the PW manual. I poked around on the internet and can't find a carb kit, although parts like needles, floats and o-rings are available separately. Jack's small engines sells a complete carb for $66. Anyone know of a place that sells complete carb kits with instructions (float setting) for a GX270?

Crunch, this pw has a 2500 psi cat pump with a GX270 engine too. ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-05-08          129087

DR - you have great insight!! Thankfully my wife "usually" has a good sense of humour.

Ken - I have ordered from Jack's Small Engines and Pat's Small Engines Plus (psep.biz) but I don't see any rebuild kits at Pat's. I was happy with both. ....

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oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2006-05-08          129097

TO set the float you turn the carb upside down with the bowl off and make sure the float is level with the base of the carb. Most Honda's have a plastic float and are GENERALLY not adjustable. If it has a tin float you simply bend the tabs that holds the needle valve. ....

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kwschumm
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Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-05-08          129103

Thanks Tony. I was looking for the float drop dimension and you've answered the question. Level is level and non-adjustable is a no-brainer. Do they use gaskets or O-rings? I haven't found any gaskets available for this one on-line, just o-rings. ....

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GregH
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2006-05-16          129425

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but Honda makes several lines of engines, some of which are the the great ones with which they built their reputation. He may have one of the poorer ones. Anyone can make bad ones, Honda has a great rep but in these small engines they are suspect according to model.
Greg ....

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reason201
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 91 Nebraska
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2006-06-08          130644

I have a pressure washer whith the Honda engine. The first year it worked great but as the second year progressed, it became tougher and tougher to start. I took it into on dealer and he did a carb job on it and said it tested out just fine. When I got it home, it did the same thing it did before going into the shop. It would run but stutter real bad. I took it to on of the local rental yards as I figured they work on equipment that sees the worst care of all.

He looked it over and called me in a couple days telling me they were installing a new engine at no cost per Honda. He said the piston and sleve were badly scored. I told him I kept up on oil and oil changes. He said they had seen this before. What he told me was that the motor and the pump on a lot of these washers are not properly aligned from the factory and it puts an enormous strain on the engine.

They put the new motor on and aligned the pump and it has been a dream machine ever since. One pull every time to start. Makes a huge difference if the mechanic cares about what he is fixing rather than just the number of hours he charges you for. Carb job cost me about $85 and solved nothing. The new engine cost me $0 and made all the difference in the world. ....

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shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003
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2006-06-08          130653

I'm still a believer in Honda. This spring I pulled my pressure washer out of the basement, pulled the choke and it started on the first pull, with last year's gas.
Dave ....

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oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2006-06-09          130704

Just finally saw the o-ring gasket question. The bowls have square o-rings and the screw that hold the bowl on has a fiber washer. ....

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kwschumm
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2006-06-09          130706

Thanks, Tony. I haven't done anything with my carb yet but this is a good weekend to order the parts. ....

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oneace
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2006-06-09          130710

Also get a can of carb and choke cleaner or gum cutter. I use 2+2 but any kind should do it. Make sure to saturate it and get all the ports. ....

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8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006
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2006-10-09          135803

Ok I have a power washer as well, and I can't get the darn thing to rev up without manualy moving the govener lever, It has one speed. What to do? ....

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