this is an oft repeated statement here. Infact it's always been the case to get a "quality" engine rather than a cheap one. Prima Fascia its a great idea, and its always been the case since i can remember ..get a Norton or Triumph motorbike rather than a Honda "Jap crap" bike. And funny how in a few decades after Norton and Triumph are long gone that the previously "jap crap" known as Honda is now known as a quality product Vs a cheap "chinese import". And lets just forget that the actual "jap crap" is made in China .Along with my practical experiences (and i don't in any way claim to be an expert at all), i done a lot of reading/googling etc...and these engines are used for everything from lawnmowers, go karts, motorbikes, jet washers, whackerplates and generators.........and i love the way the last bastion of national perfection vs the cheap chinese imports known as the Briggs and Stratton a quality made American product has now had all its production facilities moved to ...............China. So that leaves all the Briggs and Stratton affecionadoes.............well, i'm not sure where it leaves them.
Moving onto more practical matters rather than my waffle, and its what has prompted this post, i have a Honda GX340 engine that has just had a knackered pump taken off it. The crankshaft had a knackered keyway on it, so some clever bugger had welded the crankshaft to the output shaft (of a jet washer pump). I've got round that problem, for now. But point is.....how do you repair the "quality Honda engine", and what cost ? Well lets start with the cost of a Honda GX340, i think its just over £700 ? The replacement crankshaft is somewhere around £55-£70. For the crank only. Then you spend a day overhauling the engine, assuming you're au fait with it and quick.........and fit the new crank. If you want to put new crank seals on (which you should really), may be crank bearings, then where do you stop ? Piston rings etc... Point is doing that job replacing a crank is realistically at a minimum going to cost over £200 including your time.
For £280 you can buy an equivalent engine with an electric start , LIfan , Launtop etc............ And yes you can buy all the spare parts you need to keep them going. Although as in this post if you get as in depth as needing a crank, its not a question of quality, knowhow or anything else , its down to cost. Engines now are practically consumables.
So i've done a makeshift repair, i hope it holds. I'm gonna check in a few weeks to see how its getting on. I pretty much think i'm gonna go the route of buying a "chinese one" with electric start anyway, if only for the reason of they're cheap, turning a key is easier than pulling a cord, and anything other than a service or replacing some simple ancilliary part is going to result in the engine being a financial right off no matter who makes it................
