I swapped a GCV-160 into an almost new mower that had a GCV-170 with a bent crankshaft. It bolted in very easily using the same bolt holes. The only change was that the pulley on the GCV-170 was a little bigger than the one on the 160. The belt on the 170 was almost new, so I swapped the pulley so as to use the better belt. The 160 has a little less power than the 170 but the owner has reported that he did not notice any difference in performance. The GCV-190 has a little more power than the 170. You can find the horse power ratings on the Honda site. FWIW, I have found that parts for 160’s are more plentiful and a lot cheaper than for 170’s. Ex: crankshafts: $35-45 for 160; $190-250 for 170’s.
