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CleanClear

  • Posts: 14600
Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« on: May 23, 2016, 12:23:55 am »
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................
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Smudger

  • Posts: 13433
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2016, 06:04:44 am »
So let me get this straight....

Your complaining about a Honda engine that is perfectly fine but got ruined because some previous owner welded a pump shaft to it ( and probably a cheap Chinese one as that 😆 )

As an engineer I tell you the differences in materials and tolerances make all the difference, the reason triumph and Norton hit the were a combination of things and sadly high prices with poor build quality was amoung them.

I do smile when people deride some Chinese stuff only to be using.... Chinese stuff, however branded Chinese items will have better processes and quality control and better materials.

My Honda genny is 7 years old, never fails to start first pull my pressure washers are the same they get royally abused but keep on going ( well I dodgy electrical switch ) as does my inter pumps

Darran
Never argue with an idiot, they will only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2016, 11:15:24 am »
Most global branded products have manufacturing facilities in china too including Honda.
Any type of engine components will fail at some point of its life no matter who makes it surely?

I suppose the real question is do you want to pay more for a branded quality built product or not regardless of where it's manufactured.

CleanClear

  • Posts: 14600
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2016, 11:32:25 am »
Wasn't a chinese pump Darran, interpump it was !! I bought a 6.5hp Lifan electric start about two years ago i posted here when i got it, i think that cost £120 ish. Its never missed a beat, i used it for washing trucks, sold it on to my mate who still has it. Thats probably half the price of an equivalent Honda with no electric start.
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Smudger

  • Posts: 13433
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2016, 08:23:31 pm »
My point is all that waffle and your blaming the machinery when clearly someone ( a previous owner ) has welded the shafts together - this sounds like a cowboy who never serviced the equipment and let run into the ground.

Even rolls royces need proper maintainence  ;)

Darran
Never argue with an idiot, they will only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience

CleanClear

  • Posts: 14600
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2016, 11:02:02 am »
My point is all that waffle and your blaming the machinery when clearly someone ( a previous owner ) has welded the shafts together - this sounds like a cowboy who never serviced the equipment and let run into the ground.

Even rolls royces need proper maintainence  ;)

Darran

No , thats not my point. The crank was was damaged by a worn key or whatever. The quality of the engine is fine and it works great. The point is is that it doesn't even make sense to spend time and money on the "quality engine" when you can get something new for the price it would cost you to repair it. And thats probably the reason why it was welded in the first place.
  I still got my little 6hp chinese jet washer too, thats about 4 years old. Used to run it weekends 6 hours a day solid, never missed a beat. Well over rated the Hondas in my opinion, or should i say "over priced".
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chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2016, 07:14:52 pm »
Or you could buy a brand new 14hp Briggs engine (not an underpowered Honda) for  around £400.  I would no longer pay for Honda the only thing they do retain is a secondhand resale value.
Made in China yes…but the quality of it would generally be better than generic engines. Certainly we have run them for the past 3 years with no issues. I think one still has the same pull start  string.
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Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2016, 07:29:41 pm »
Or you could buy a brand new 14hp Briggs engine (not an underpowered Honda) for  around £400.  I would no longer pay for Honda the only thing they do retain is a secondhand resale value.
Made in China yes…but the quality of it would generally be better than generic engines. Certainly we have run them for the past 3 years with no issues. I think one still has the same pull start  string.

I have washer driven by different engines: Subaru, Loncin and Honda. Out of them all I prefer using a Honda.  Still I've not tried a Briggs yet so might be worth a look next.




BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2016, 09:39:00 pm »
I have a Kohler which has done a million hours, caught fire after a wiring issue and still lives. I have several Hondas which have never let me down. I have one Locin which is an absolute pain in the arse. My favourite is a Lombardini which is my present workhorse, its great on diesel, quiet and reliable.

The key is supposed to be softer than the male and female and should be considered a service item

CleanClear

  • Posts: 14600
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2016, 11:16:54 am »
The key is supposed to be softer than the male and female and should be considered a service item

You'd think wouldn't you ? This one must of had a cheap chinese crank on it   ;D
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BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: Get a quality Honda Engine...................
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2016, 06:24:32 pm »
Thats a classic wear - the key wears and then frets the shaft away. It should be an interference fit