Honda GC engine lighting coil upgrade. It does work.

#1
I have the POWER!


I purchased a flywheel and 2 lighting coils on ebay that are listed as fitting a GX160/200. I paid like $42 I think. The flywheel came with a starter ring attached. I had to remove it in order to clear the ign. coil. I then tapped the existing holes with a 6mmx1.00 tap and installed 6mmx30mm bolts.

These are listed as 3 amp coils. It looks to be juuuust enough to light two lamps.

I have it wired up to two lamps. Everything runs as it should. I put about 4 miles on it today.

I know there were some of you who were wondering like I was if these parts would fit. This should help you if you decide to do it.










 

rmm727

Active Member
#3
You were able to use the stock coil from the GC engine using a GX flywheel? I was under the impression that they weren't compatible. What is your coil? There are different makes so to speak.
 
#4
I just used a hammer and flat punch to knock the ring off. It was just pressed on.

The coils are listed on Ebay along with the flywheel.
New Honda GX160 GX200 5 5HP 6 5HP Flywheel Ring Gear with Charging Coil | eBay

The flywheel is identical to my steel GC190 flywheel. The coils fit. So I would imagine that all the stock items from a GX will fit the GC.

I posted this because I was getting conflicting answers. I went out on a limb and purchased the parts and installed them.
 
#5
You were able to use the stock coil from the GC engine using a GX flywheel? I was under the impression that they weren't compatible. What is your coil? There are different makes so to speak.
The stock GC ign. coil does in fact work if you remove the starter ring. Well... it works with these ebay parts I purchased listed as GX fittment.
 

rmm727

Active Member
#6
Post up a pic of your stock flywheel. My GC had an aluminum flywheel.

Nevermind, I re-read your post. You already said you had a steel flywheel.
 
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#7
Post up a pic of your stock flywheel. My GC had an aluminum flywheel with lugs protruding that act as the starter cup.
That alum. flywheel is on most GC engines. Some GC190 engines used a steel flywheel that was identical to the one in the photo.

My engine originally had the aluminum unit like yours. I purchased a steel flywheel on the cheap and ran it or a while. I am not using the side cover for cooling.

If you purchase the parts listed in the ebay link.. they will work on a GC engine.
 

rmm727

Active Member
#8
I'm just wondering what coil you have to let it work? or if they all work. I pulled the aluminum flywheel from a GCV160 and put it on my gx160 clone and it wouldn't start. There are something like 3 coils for those GC/GCV engines. The regular one that is the same as the GX, a Phelon one (which supposedly requires the Phelon flywheel), and another one I can't remember at the moment (which I assume is the same way as the Phelon). What did your aluminum flywheel say on it.

Maybe it was a matter of the coil wasn't lined up quite right and needed spaced out further using washers. I think NOS said something to that effect at one time. That might account for the ring gear needing removed.
 
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#10
Maybe it was a matter of the coil wasn't lined up quite right and needed spaced out further using washers. I think NOS said something to that effect at one time. That might account for the ring gear needing removed.
It's an issue with the coil location and the taper.

I am not real comfortable with this.
Its been done in reverse ( GC flywheel on a clone ).
But there again the taper and coil issues come up.
 
#11
It's an issue with the coil location and the taper.

I am not real comfortable with this.
Its been done in reverse ( GC flywheel on a clone ).
But there again the taper and coil issues come up.
No issues. I have 5 miles on it. The flywheel I purchsed is identical in diameter and thickness to mine. There is proper fittment with the coil. I didnt even touch it. I had no use for the starter ring so it left to make room.

The taper is the same. This fit perfect without any wobble before I tightened it down. It spins true with no more vibration than the original.

Remember what I said in the first post. I purchased parts on eBay and used them on my GC190. Nothing else.
 
#14
Honestly with no sarcasm or mocking please listen....

There are 3 different tapers used on GX clones at this point.
There are 3 different tapers in Honda engines ( G, GX and GC )

That's 6 different flywheels that all look pretty close.

Here is my concern:
You torqued that flywheel on the shaft ( and I can't remember now exactly what the GC taper was if it was a wider or more narrow one ) and one side of the flywheel or the other has more pressure on it this causes stress and deforming of the iron and it is possible a stress crack will form at the key way.

You probably will not notice this.....
Your flywheel could come loose and or wobble.
It only takes .030 of a wobble for trouble, that's less than a fraction of a degree at the taper.

Your flywheel hits the coil.
It will not grind a long and give you warning.
It will hit.
It will shatter without a shade of doubt if it makes contact.

You need to check that taper.
I will gladly apologies for any embarrassment I may have caused you if everything is perfect.
But if it is not perfect ( and this is why we lap to be sure ) you have a worry about that spinning between your legs and cutting up your man parts.
You have to consider what a failure could cause if a piece of that shrapnel hits someone just standing there watching you.
 
#15
I respect your concern. However, we are talking about general use engines.
.030 tolerance is the best we may ever see.

IF you want to race or build a high rpm CLONE engine as you keep refering to... then take further precautions. :wink:
 
#16
I understand your not building a race engine.

This is a clone


But its taper does not fit a Honda GX or most other clones.
It just does not fit right and its dangerous to use its flywheel or crank with other clones at any rpm.
From all outward appearances its the same.

I don't know what else I can say to drive this point home to you.
If you did not check the taper you don't know.
If you use the wrong flywheel it may not stay on.
 
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