Honda GCV 190 rings

riseandrun

Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Threads
8
Messages
29
Thanks for the sealant info.
Here's a picture of the cylinder:

cylinder.jpg

And here are my end gap measurements: Starting at the top and going down into cylinder

1- .015, .014, .013

2. .021,.022

oil ring in the middle of the cylinder- .014
I don't have a service manual so I don't know how those numbers sound..
I was a carpenter. We didn't deal in these tolerances :)
Thanks!
 

riseandrun

Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Threads
8
Messages
29
Thanks again to all who have responded.
Scrubcadet10 you are a busy guy responding to numerous posts, as well as several others on here. You guys restore my faith in this country....Appreciate the picture. My interpretation is my rings are worn to the point of being out of tolerance. Now I have to ask should I also hone the cylinder? I'm going to you tube the search, and I'm pretty sure I can probably borrow a hone from a parts store, I might even have one in my tool box somewhere. Whether of not it will work for my cylinder, I'll post a picture. It seems like the logical thing to do.
At the same time I'm searching for honing I think I will also check out valve guide replacement. Insurance?
Thanks again everybody.
I'm off looking for rings for a: GJAAA1652169 MY9 engine.
KW
 

Scrubcadet10

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 24, 2017
Threads
265
Messages
6,628

tadawson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
155
Rings don't sound too bad, and cylinder wear is likely not bad either, since the end gap only appears tonchange .002" (as per your notes) going down the bore. Since diameter is 2piR (or piD), that makes diameter variance less than 1/1000" top to bottom, and assuming that your lowest measurement was at the absolute, unworn bottom of the cylinder, then my 'scientific back-in' to wear should hold. Note in the manual ****, it says that service specs for rings are more like 1mm, which you are nowhere near. Neither was my GXV140, but it smoked like mad . . . and a re-ring too it to perfect.

For a home, I did as you did and got the loaner from the car parts store. The goal isn't to remove metal, but to just take the glaze off the bore so the new rings will seat.

Oh, and most Honda parts sites will take you to the specific engine and rings based on model and serial of the mower itself . . .

And even if within wear spec, I see no reason not to replace the rings, since you are that far in already. Not sure if the GCV has valve seals, but iff it does (or one was added in later production, as in the GXV) then I suggest you look into it. You might want to refresh the upper and lower crank seals as well while you are there - they are pretty cheap, and a pain to have to go back for. (On mine, due to age, the seals were basically falling out of the case . . . made a huge mess, and one of the main reasons I went into = m]it).

Basically, if an older engine, and I'm in it, I tend to replace any seal subject to wear or deteriorization.

- Tim
 

riseandrun

Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Threads
8
Messages
29
I know this is a little off topic, but how do I know what engine mine is? I put the number that's in the casing but I can't find anything close to resembling Babbits list. There are 29 different GCV 190's?
from my search on-line here's what I think it is. 13010-zm5-000
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/h...l-engine-parts-c-37657_37658_37988_37892.html
I'm all for supporting the businesses that help me out on here.. I just want to make sure I get the right thing.
And thanks Tim. Good advice. Making a list.
 

tadawson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
155
Look up the HRX217 by serial number with Honda - the engines are listed with the mower. Unless Honda did something different here, the details should be stamped into the block - serial #etc.. If nothing else, check all the listings - for my GXV, there were multiple variants, but the rings, seals, and gaskets were the same for all of them. Typically, the variants are PTO, crank length, etc. and not in the 'core' engine.
 

tadawson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
155
FYI, looked up that mower at my favorite Honda site, and there were just 3 main types - HMA, HXA, and TDA, and a K1 variant to the HXA and HMA, for a total of 5 to choose from. Oh, and the GJAA . . . number is the mower serial, not the engine . . . engine serial should be stamped in the engine block somewhere - typically in front . . .

The HRX is hydro drive, the HMA is apparently another hydro variant, and the TDA is non hydro.

Not seeing a "K1" in your model data, I suspect yours is the older variant . . . looking it up, there are two possible ring sets, depending on engine serial, with the latter being the same as the later K1 variant mower, indicating that the engine changed somewhere in the inital build . . . In any case, this diagram should be darn close:

https://www.planopower.com/oem-part...NECTING_ROD____(HRX217//K1//K2//K3//K4//K5)/y

For finding engine info:

https://engines.honda.com/support-and-service/serial-number-locator
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
65
Messages
24,995
Don't go beating yourself up
all the GCV 190 rings are the same with the exception of the oil scrapers and even then they will all interchange.
That is why there is a GCV and GXV and a CV etc etc etc.
The rest is just the shape of the cowel, type of crank , type & position of auxiliary PTO etc etc etc.

You need different rings for an alloy bore, a cast iron bore a steel bole a chrome plated bore a nickasil plated bore which is wwhy there are so many different types of 190cc rings but all of the GXV rings will be the same.
 
Top