Honda GCV160 equivalent/replacement options?

[pp4wd]

Hi, new to all this so please bare with me.
I'm fixing a log splitter fitted with a GCV160. Looking for a low cost engine replacement option, perhaps from an old mower.
Wondering if any other brands or type have the same bolt up and shaft as the original motor? Or if there's a cheap new import copy of the GCV available?
THANKS!

 

[Scrubcadet10]

harbor freight 5.5hp is a bolt on replacement for the GCV160's, HOWEVER... those are for lawnmowers... being on a log splitter the crankshaft end may be shorter than what would be used on mower....

what brand is the log splitter?

 

[pp4wd]

@Scrubcadet10 thanks for the reply. Log splitter is a Rover LS21T. It certainly looks like a regular mower motor. Looks like this although link doesn't have good pics: https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/r...-with-160cc-gcv-honda-engine-24af512b333.html
Oh how I miss Harbor Freight. I recently moved from Fort Worth to Sydney Australia. No HF here ):

 

[bertsmobile1]

Several Ebay vendors sell Loncin engines ( some branded differently ) which will drop strait in
One of the junk tool shops , Gasweld / Total Tools / Sydney Tool Box sells Preditors ( which are also Loncins ) and another one imports Ducars but I think only horizontal shaft models, can't be sure as I almost never shop at any of them , or Bunnings ( where lowest prices are just the beginning,,,, of your problems ) .
There is no HF down here because our retail laws have a manditory 12 month warranty , unlike the USA where most of them expire the second you walk out of the door .
Thus flogging off absolute trash is not an available business plan.
The same laws have protected us from the perils of Walmart as well
And probably went a long way towards the failure of the Lowes / Woolworths Masters chain although the total inepitude of 99% of Australian managers & all directors would not have helped . I think one of those rejects is now destroying the biggest local after market parts suppliers, RGS .
What is wrong with the Honda ?

Rover only ever made lawn mowers & shredders in OZ everything else was rebadged from OS
These were painted blue hammertone
Some time in the 70's they moved from Sydney to Brisbane and stopped making ride ons & changed to red .
Then around 2000 they were taken over by MTD so if it helps other to help you it is either a rebadged MTD or a fully imported Chinese machine .

Measure the shaft diameter on the engine it should be 7/8" if it is a push mower engine or 1" if it is an industrial engine .
A fully imported Chinese one can even be 25mm if it is an EU model.
Just about any 4 stroke engine with the same shaft diameter will fit , but be careful because USA mowers all have some sort of blade brakes so the output shafts are usually longer than Australian mowers as we learned not to run over our own feet back in 69 when Victa stopped making their Toe Cutter model .
FWIW B & S and Honda have the same bolt pattern for push mower engines so if you want to pinch one from a rusted out mower you will be spoiled for choice .
Victa 2 stroke engines will not fit .

 

[StarTech]

Crankshafts can be shorten but not lengthen but if done it usually the OEM will avoid the warranty here when done. I have done it on several replacement horizontal engines on log splitters here where I had to remove 3/4 inch of the shaft. I even warrantied the engine with the factory warranty when I installed a new engine that I sold.

I did find out that HFT 6.5 horizontal engines crankshaft are too short for Tecumseh engine replacement on go carts. Having only a 1/8 of shaft to mount the clutch just don't get it when you need 3/4-1 inch for proper safe mounting.

Also blade brakes can usually be disabled when not use for mower use.

Hopefully your laws in Aussie is a lot better when comes to warranties too. Here the warranties are not even worth the paper they are written on as they are written by lawyers that look for every loop hole they can find. They are written in such a way the manufacture assumes no responibility for the product once it leaves their factory.

 

[bertsmobile1]

It is a difficult transition from the USA where workers wages are miniscule so bottom end stuff is very cheap to OZ where we have a realistic minimum basic wage so prices are higher .
Nearly all the USA companies who transplant their executives into what ever they have taken over down here go bust because the market is so different and the USA cook book will not bake a nice cake in OZ .
We have a federal & state consumer department which at least makes sure retail merchandise is of useable quality.
The shonks however sell stuff that would earn me a $ 10,000 fine on ebay because it is supposed to be an "auction" and thus retail laws do not apply.
And big dollars change hands to make sure that status does not change

 

[pp4wd]

Thanks to all for replies. I pulled the motor off, measured shaft (7/8”) as well as (standard) bolt pattern. Ended up ordering a $200 engine off eBay so will give it a go. Reviews were many and all good. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-5HP-V...2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0

 

[StarTech]

It is a difficult transition from the USA where workers wages are miniscule so bottom end stuff is very cheap to OZ where we have a realistic minimum basic wage so prices are higher .
Nearly all the USA companies who transplant their executives into what ever they have taken over down here go bust because the market is so different and the USA cook book will not bake a nice cake in OZ .
We have a federal & state consumer department which at least makes sure retail merchandise is of useable quality.
The shonks however sell stuff that would earn me a $ 10,000 fine on ebay because it is supposed to be an "auction" and thus retail laws do not apply.
And big dollars change hands to make sure that status does not change

The price are generally higher for another reason too and that is one, your currency is about 30-35% higher via exchange rate. Otherword at worker here making $15 /hr would need to be making at least $19.50+ /hr to have the same income level. So everything is already higher to start with. If the American would learn to live within their means would help. I have worked at minimum wage in my life time. Yes I could not buy the fines things but I had at least enough not to borrow from those loan sharks called payday loans. Then when I got a job paying 12.50/hr I was able to live a much better life until they raise the minimum wage which made everything much more costly again. Now I live way below minimum wage but at least I am not in debit as I pay for everything with cash. Yes I have CC but it is paid off monthly so there is no interest charges involved. I admit taking home $90 / week in the early 80's went a lot further than taking home $300 / week in the 2000's. Currently I am averaging around $350 / month working for myself.

Most factory workers are known to be wasteful so much that some lenders will do their best not to loan to them due such a poor credit rating.

Also the Aussies have a completely different market too.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Thanks to all for replies. I pulled the motor off, measured shaft (7/8”) as well as (standard) bolt pattern. Ended up ordering a $200 engine off eBay so will give it a go. Reviews were many and all good. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-5HP-V...2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0

Looks like a Honda clone of some sort.
Don't know either the vendor nor the brand
Should work good enough for a log splitter
Just remember you are splitting Aussie hard woods and they are HARD
A lot of the cheap n nasty Chinese imports fail big time when set to work on river reds, iron barks or even the softer sydney grey gums.
They are downgraded copies of splitters designed to work on USA oregon, spruce & firs that all have strait grain and split clean if you look at them hard .

And of course Welcome to the best place to live on what is left of the planet .( not that I am biased ) .

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Looks like a Honda clone of some sort.
Don't know either the vendor nor the brand
Should work good enough for a log splitter
Just remember you are splitting Aussie hard woods and they are HARD
A lot of the cheap n nasty Chinese imports fail big time when set to work on river reds, iron barks or even the softer sydney grey gums.
They are downgraded copies of splitters designed to work on USA oregon, spruce & firs that all have strait grain and split clean if you look at them hard .

And of course Welcome to the best place to live on what is left of the planet .( not that I am biased ) .

it appears they have their own website, so thats a good sig as well as a contact form.

Machinery Petrol Engines

Petrol Engines - Machinery Petrol Engines

www.iketa.com.au