Honda GX 160 ?

#1
A friend of mine gave me a Honda GX-160, needs cleaned up. This is my first overhead valve, Honda motor.
Anyways if I remove the gov. and upgrade the etube, jet, air filter and exhaust, about how much .... HP will it have?....Also how much RPMs will it have?
......Thanks....
 

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#2
Who knows? Probably not enough power and RPM to make you happy.

Pull the head and have a look at the cylinder. If it looks good then build it for more power and safe high RPM operation. Rod and flywheel are the parts you need to run with ungoverned.

Recently watched a video with a GX160. The guy had a mikuni, cam, and PVL flywheel running ungoverned. Too bad he didn't get a billet rod because he ended up breaking the stock rod.

GX160... Very cool. Don't increase the chances of ruining it with governor removal without the parts to support high RPM operation.
 
#3
What would be the stock length of the Honda GX160 connecting rod be?
So as to order the correct Honda GX160 stock length billet connecting rod.
 
#4
The gx160 stock rod is the same rod used in the gx200 and clone 196, 3.303" stock length.

Theres different wrist pin heights when choosing rod piston combos for the 160 and 200/196.

I find it best to measure piston to deck, then chose the rod length to get the piston as close as possible to deck, but not out of it. Then choose a head gasket that will get you close to .030" piston to deck.

There's a light weight flat top piston, and +.080" billet rod combo for the 160.

The 160 needs all the help it can get, lightweight parts don't cost much more then regular parts.

A 160 with .030" piston to deck (head gasket included), flat top piston, and the stock 14cc head will have 10.7:1 CR. This will pull much harder then stock in the entire rpm range.

With a dished piston, will have 9.1: CR. Thats not much more the stock, and IMHO wouldn't be worth building, or adding billet parts to.

This piston with the 6770 rod would be my 1st choice when building a gx160.

https://www.arcracing.com/dj-2195-std-honda-gx160-gx200-t2-piston/
 
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Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#8
So I'm just doing some math here, (because I also have a couple gx160s in the corner)...

At a minimum, ungoverning for power and safety will cost roughly $270 to $420.

Aluminum flywheel $60
(Optional Billet flywheel $180)
Billet rod $85
Flat top piston + rings $35
Open header $40
Air filter, stack & choke lever (kit) $35
Throttle control assembly - basic $15
(Optional throttle top plate $45)

And that's not even counting the carb jetting!

And then there's all the valve train options!

Ugh, and ouch.

Kinda makes ya wanna just loosen the stock throttle handle and install as-is. I mean, shouldn't 5.5hp be good enough for most kids?
 
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#9
So I'm just doing some math here, (because I also have a couple gx160s in the corner)...

At a minimum, ungoverning for power and safety will cost roughly $270 to $420.

Aluminum flywheel $60
(Optional Billet flywheel $180)
Billet rod $85
Flat top piston + rings $35
Open header $40
Air filter, stack & choke lever (kit) $35
Throttle control assembly - basic $15
(Optional throttle top plate $45)

And that's not even counting the carb jetting!

Ouch.

Kinda makes ya wanna just loosen the stock throttle handle and install as-is. I mean, shouldn't 5.5hp be good enough for most kids?[/QUOTE

Leave gov in it, use a NEW stock rod in it,

Shim crank and cam to .010"-.012"

Use a ft piston

Cast aluminum flywheel

Set ignition timing to 28*

Coil air gap at .045"

Head gasket to get .030" piston to deck

Use a bored SA carb .625" or bigger.

Use a isky black mamba jr cam with 26# springs at .840" installed height.

Open up the bowl areas in the head.

Unshround valves

The rest of the valve train stock.

A good header and better air box

Set governor to 5300 rpm

It'll be closer to 10hp then it will 5.5.
 
#10
So I'm just doing some math here, (because I also have a couple gx160s in the corner)...

At a minimum, ungoverning for power and safety will cost roughly $270 to $420.

Aluminum flywheel $60
(Optional Billet flywheel $180)
Billet rod $85
Flat top piston + rings $35
Open header $40
Air filter, stack & choke lever (kit) $35
Throttle control assembly - basic $15
(Optional throttle top plate $45)

And that's not even counting the carb jetting!

And then there's all the valve train options!

Ugh, and ouch.

Kinda makes ya wanna just loosen the stock throttle handle and install as-is. I mean, shouldn't 5.5hp be good enough for most kids?
I don't know how I messed that up or how to fix it, but there's the recipe.
 
#12
So I'm just doing some math here, (because I also have a couple gx160s in the corner)...

At a minimum, ungoverning for power and safety will cost roughly $270 to $420.

Aluminum flywheel $60
(Optional Billet flywheel $180)
Billet rod $85
Flat top piston + rings $35
Open header $40
Air filter, stack & choke lever (kit) $35
Throttle control assembly - basic $15
(Optional throttle top plate $45)

And that's not even counting the carb jetting!

And then there's all the valve train options!

Ugh, and ouch.

Kinda makes ya wanna just loosen the stock throttle handle and install as-is. I mean, shouldn't 5.5hp be good enough for most kids?
You can also add a $40 crank and turn it into a 196cc.
 

Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#14
Thanks BrownStainRacing,

I went ahead and dug your "recipe" out of the post above. This is awesome stuff:

BrownStainRacing says:
Leave gov in it, use a NEW stock rod in it,

Shim crank and cam to .010"-.012"

Use a ft piston

Cast aluminum flywheel

Set ignition timing to 28*

Coil air gap at .045"

Head gasket to get .030" piston to deck

Use a bored SA carb .625" or bigger.

Use a isky black mamba jr cam with 26# springs at .840" installed height.

Open up the bowl areas in the head.

Unshround valves

The rest of the valve train stock.

A good header and better air box

Set governor to 5300 rpm

It'll be closer to 10hp then it will 5.5.
 
Last edited:
#15
Leave gov in it, use a NEW stock rod in it,

Shim crank and cam to .010"-.012"

Use a ft piston

Cast aluminum flywheel

Set ignition timing to 28*

Coil air gap at .045"

Head gasket to get .030" piston to deck

Use a bored SA carb .625" or bigger.

Use a isky black mamba jr cam with 26# springs at .840" installed height.

Open up the bowl areas in the head.

Unshround valves

The rest of the valve train stock.

A good header and better air box

Set governor to 5300 rpm

It'll be closer to 10hp then it will 5.5.
Thx bud!!!

I would rather spend money on a good cam and leave the gov in it yo run a stock rod.

Those honda/clone stock rods are a little better then most people giv em credit for.
Magnetic drain plugs and oil changes make them last longer.
 
#17
And that sounds like solid gold advice. Plus it leaves more money for spray paints and colored air filters and grips.

Do you have a favorite cam for everyday riding?
Isky small cams that close the intake valve early.

Get CR up as close to 10.5:1 as you can and the BMJ never fails for fun time cruising, beating the trails, you know the good ol fun stuff we could do when we was younger.

The CL1 cam or any other stock lift cam works good with 22# springs and 1.3:1 stamped steel rockers, as long as you get the CR up.

Theres a night and day difference the way these lil turd motors will run, when you can squeeze that air/fuel mix harder. It really wakes em up. Even with a stock .580"-.590" carb.

But get that intake valve to close while the piston is further down in the cylinder will definitely pick up the torque in the same rpm range, gov'ed or no gov.
 
#20
Thanks everyone,...... now my brain is running amuck ...Lol, lots to consider on what one can do with this engine.

I'll try to go the simply & cheap way for now. Anyways I learned allot on what can be done with this motor.
.......Thanks again everyone......
 
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