I have a Honda GCV160 engine on my Husqvarna 21" mower. I have had so many problems this season with fuel seeping through the air filter and nearly catching fire and it hydro locking and fuel dispensing in the oil. After several attempts to find what the heck is happening like cleaning the float and pin and carburetor and in the end replacing the carb with a new one, I managed to start it. I was elated. It ran like clockwork. The second time I came to use it not so lucky. It will not start. The choke does not appear to be deploying properly and looks as if it could do with being adjusted. It hardly moves. If I move it manually there doesn't appear to be anything impeding its movement but deploying the choke from the lever on the handle appears to be failing . I did manage to start it for 20 seconds and then it cut out. It has had a new air filter, gaskets, spark plug and carb. I am of the opinion now, that it was the choke after all sticking or certainly not deploying properly. My problem is how do you adjust the damn things. On the diagram that I have that came with the machine it looks, certainly on the Honda GCV135, that there is a spring on the choke lever but I don't appear to have a spring which is rather strange and there doesn't appear to be a place for one to go, so does a Honda GCV160e have a spring on the choke lever positioned just outside of the air filter? Mine is a manual choke and not automatic. I have tried desperately to find a diagram or at least a video to find out how to adjust the choke lever. Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks from an English lady living in France.
Hello, no sorry this is a larger engine and completely different to mine. The link below might help show you that if it works. Mine is a manual choke not automatic.
It is similar but mine is slightly different and that is what is causing my problem. Everyone I look at has a spring by the choke lever and mine doesn't and I cannot see where one would go. I have even had someone look at it and they too cannot see where a spring would be located. I have posted some photos.
So you have a choke cable running from the handle bar to the choke or is the choke position just part of the throttle cable? Whichever as you manipulate the cable to full choke, what is happening with the throttle plate? Where the cable attaches to the lever at the carb to open/close the plate, does the end of the cable go into a small hole or is the cable hooked to a lever? Does it appear you have choices (settings) to where you can attach the cable? It would be nice to see the carb with the air cleaner removed.
The choke cable attaches to the carb through a hole on top of the carb that goes backwards and forwards and opens and closes the butterfly valve when you deploy the choke cable on the handle. It is one of two linkages that attach to the top of the carb, the throttle being the other one. The choke cable moves freely outside of the air filter mounting but it hardly moves the linkage that runs on top of the carb, even though it is part of the same mechanism. On most diagrams there is a spring by the big nut but I haven't got a spring and that is why I think I should have one to help move the cable but I cannot see where a spring goes. The strange thing is I had it going for over two hours a couple of weeks ago but it just doesn't seem to want to move now and it didn't have a spring on it then if you get my drift but of course you only need the choke on start up but it clearly worked so something seems to be preventing it from deploying.
Thanks for the ebay pic. The ebay carb appears to correspond to the illustration in the earlier link I provided which was posted by forum member robert@honda. Hope you looked at it and saw the correct position for the cables.
Thank you for your response. The choke and cables seem to be working fine. I took the filter off and connected the carb back up without it on and the cables are definitely working correctly so it must be something else that is preventing it from starting. It might be a simple thing like the spark plug. I have tried to see if it has a spark but I cannot see anything and I have also put some petrol in the spark plug hole but the spark plug back in and still it wouldn't start so, it could be the plug that is the problem. Thank you anyway for your contribution it is much appreciated. Julie
I thought you said the choke wasn't functioning properly. Remove the new plug and give the mower a crank or two to blow out any residual gas. Install plug to plug boot. This next step may require help from a second person. Grasping the plug wire / rubber boot, hold the plug end very close to the metal of the engine or any metal surface (unpainted) the plug can reach. Pull the rope a few times and see if any spark occurs between the sparkplug electrode and metal surface. It'd be best to do this out of sunlight so that you have a better chance of seeing spark. If no spark happens, try another known good plug. If that too fails, you likely need a new coil.
I did initially think that it was the choke not functioning properly because it looks from the limited view that it wasn't opening and closing very much, however on closer inspection and taking the air filter off and putting the carb back on with the cables connected it definitely is functioning. I have tired the trick with the spark plug and I couldn't see a spark even in the shade but I shall try again tonight when it is dusk and hopefully I shall see better whether there is a spark or not. Failing that I think it will be a new spark plug. Thank you so much for your help with this matter and spending the time to contact me. Regards Julie
