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Sorry if this has already been asked. I couldn't find the answer. I have a Husqvarna push mower with a Honda GCV160 engine. The Husq owners manual does not mention checking the valve lash as part of the maintenance program. The Honda owners manual states that it should be checked every 100 hours. This mower is about 3 years old and only gets used to trim after mowing with a rider. Is it really necessary to check this that often?

100 Hours is quite a while for just a trim mower .............

Example 30 minutes per day cutting once a week for 52 weeks would be 26 hours a year. 4 years of use would be 100 hours.....

If you use it 52 weeks of a year.........

30 minutes a week for 24-26 weeks is probably correct for our part of the world. I guess I hadn't looked at it that way. I probably wouldn't mind checking it every 7-8 years if need be :smile: Thanks for giving me that perspective.

The valves will let you know if they are ready for adjustment, sound like rocks in a can.

rmrufener said:

30 minutes a week for 24-26 weeks is probably correct for our part of the world. I guess I hadn't looked at it that way. I probably wouldn't mind checking it every 7-8 years if need be :smile: Thanks for giving me that perspective.

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I have friends down here that use Honda mowers and they cut lawns for money..... They change their oil 4 times a year and air filter regular and go 4 to 5 years on their mowers......

Never did anything to the valves............

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:

I have friends down here that use Honda mowers and they cut lawns for money..... They change their oil 4 times a year and air filter regular and go 4 to 5 years on their mowers......

Never did anything to the valves............

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I recently checked mine just past 200 hrs and found the exhaust way too loose, and the intake slightly loose. Mower actually runs quieter now!

TLAR640 said:

I recently checked mine just past 200 hrs and found the exhaust way too loose, and the intake slightly loose. Mower actually runs quieter now!

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Honda engine ??

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:

Honda engine ??

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Yes! sorry. GCV190 on an HRX217HYA.

TLAR640 said:

Yes! sorry. GCV190 on an HRX217HYA.

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Yes 200 hours it did needed one more than likely...... I run Mostly Briggs and they need them valves tweaked more often than Honda's......... Honda's are one of the best engines on Jagger pumps than any other engines in my opinion .... We use a lot of them around South Louisiana ~!~!

Plus Tard Mon Ami ~!~!

As previously mentioned.
If you can hear the rockers over the sound of the exhaust then the valve lash needs to be looked at.
Also if the mower is hard to pull start and sort of jerks is a sign that the valve lash is too big.
I do them every second service on most customers mowers so for most that would be every 4 years or so.

I agree with the folks who suggest listening for valve rattle a sign. If it wasn't for the tediousness of having to spend at least an hour scraping off the gasket seal gunk, I would check them as part of annual routine maintenance.

That is why good mechanics fit gaskets and for engines where there are no rocker gaskets available, had cut & fit them.
Some gasket goo on the cover side to make the gasket stick to the cover & some axel grease on the other side so it strips clean & free.

When I first started I used to adsorb the cost of cleaning off silicon but now I include it in my invoice.
Most sealing silicones are soluble in petrol so some petrol in a bowl with about a 1 square inch piece of scotchbrite type scourer will have it all gone pretty quickly
Stuff the inside of the housing with kitchen towel to adsorb the petrol and prevent the scotchbrite from getting into the engine.
Keep the pad very wet and change it often.

You can get pads that fit a small die grinder that are made for just this purpose from auto parts stores, much quicker but a lot messier.

Bert- I agree with ya on making the gaskets. I do it too.

Getting to be a lost art. I keep various gasket material around, for just those occasions.

7394 said:

Bert- I agree with ya on making the gaskets. I do it too.

Getting to be a lost art. I keep various gasket material around, for just those occasions.

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I've made a lot of gaskets, too. I keep a tiny ball-peen hammer and multi diameter leather punch tool just for making gaskets.

With regard to using valve clatter as a guide to when to adjust valves, that's good but sometimes valves recede into the seat and valve clearance decreases. They don't clatter and are more likely to lead to valve and seat damage than a loose valve.

Not much of a believer in gasket sealer, either. Sometimes it takes a ton of effort to clean those surfaces.

cpurvis said:

I've made a lot of gaskets, too. I keep a tiny ball-peen hammer and multi diameter leather punch tool just for making gaskets.

With regard to using valve clatter as a guide to when to adjust valves, that's good but sometimes valves recede into the seat and valve clearance decreases. They don't clatter and are more likely to lead to valve and seat damage than a loose valve.

Not much of a believer in gasket sealer, either. Sometimes it takes a ton of effort to clean those surfaces.

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Very good point.

bertsmobile1 said:

As previously mentioned.
If you can hear the rockers over the sound of the exhaust then the valve lash needs to be looked at.
Also if the mower is hard to pull start and sort of jerks is a sign that the valve lash is too big.
I do them every second service on most customers mowers so for most that would be every 4 years or so.

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Don't mean to push in but I'm wondering if the^^^^^ above post would help my problems with my BR700 at all.?. The issue is this; it is very difficult to pull the cord, feels like there is way to much compression. So when I pull the starter rope either i have to pull it hard enough that it snaps back or I pull it out to maximum length. I've had a BR600, and another BR700 both were very easy to start. BTW it's about two months old and did it from day one. What should I look at? Thx in advance.

Supalazy said:

Don't mean to push in but I'm wondering if the^^^^^ above post would help my problems with my BR700 at all.?. The issue is this; it is very difficult to pull the cord, feels like there is way to much compression. So when I pull the starter rope either i have to pull it hard enough that it snaps back or I pull it out to maximum length. I've had a BR600, and another BR700 both were very easy to start. BTW it's about two months old and did it from day one. What should I look at? Thx in advance.

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Are you talking about a Stihl Blower ??

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:

Are you talking about a Stihl Blower ??

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Yes

A good way to make gaskets if the part is flat is to put it on a scanner bed and scan it, now you have your pattern.

Padroo said:

A good way to make gaskets if the part is flat is to put it on a scanner bed and scan it, now you have your pattern.

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This is how I make a gasket.

Supalazy said:

Yes

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If you think your valves are out this video will help you.... It's a Stihl tech doing the explaining at a show .......

Let us know Mon Ami ..........


https://youtu.be/Ku5fBQzabyg

.1 mm is not .010" to .012." Maybe he had a brain fart or was just flustered by the camera.

If you're adjusting valves, you're probably going to replace the plug, too. Take it out before adjusting the valves.

If you do the EOIC method you don't have to take off the rope starter and your cam followers are closer to directly opposite peak lift of the cam than they are at TDC.

If I service a mower I always check the valves. The problem with all the Honda's is the valve cover leaking. I suggest to switch to the 190 solid aluminum cover & gasket.They will not leak. It does take patience to do the valve adjustment.

Supalazy said:

Don't mean to push in but I'm wondering if the^^^^^ above post would help my problems with my BR700 at all.?. The issue is this; it is very difficult to pull the cord, feels like there is way to much compression. So when I pull the starter rope either i have to pull it hard enough that it snaps back or I pull it out to maximum length. I've had a BR600, and another BR700 both were very easy to start. BTW it's about two months old and did it from day one. What should I look at? Thx in advance.

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I work on a customers BR 600 (commercial, run hard) blower. To crank over that machine (by myself), I have to set it on the ground, foot on the base, one hand ATOP the machine and pull with the other (mucho compression). One pull start (hot or cold)

As yours is new, the valve cover gasket should be fine to re-use.

You could have it checked under warranty but I'd check it myself so you know it's been done right for piece of mind..

rmrufener said:

Sorry if this has already been asked. I couldn't find the answer. I have a Husqvarna push mower with a Honda GCV160 engine. The Husq owners manual does not mention checking the valve lash as part of the maintenance program. The Honda owners manual states that it should be checked every 100 hours. This mower is about 3 years old and only gets used to trim after mowing with a rider. Is it really necessary to check this that often?

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Hmmmm...have owned these small engine type mowers for many ears and kept each one many years and never once did I ever have to adjust valves.

Padroo said:

A good way to make gaskets if the part is flat is to put it on a scanner bed and scan it, now you have your pattern.

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An customer of my previous business made decals & full body wraps.
He went one further and feed gasket material into his letter cutter and used the scans of old gaskets to cut new ones,
He also sat parts on his scanner and used these scans to cut custom gaskets.
The bike shop a few blocks away used to get him to cut hundreds of gaskets as it worked out about 10 of the price of buying factory ones and they could use better materials.

I have scanned parts to make gaskets but not on a lawnmower yet.

Lanni at Coppergasketsus makes all of my head gaskets.
And he requires a scan of the head, even if it is over several pages.