Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - GC160 on Power washer

I have a power washer with a Honda GC169OQHA. As I was using it, it stuttered and coughed and then stopped. I tried to restart, nothing. If it set, on first pull it would act like it might start but nothing major. I then pulled the plug and it was black and dry. I pulled the air breather and oily black soot in in their. As I try to start, the soot comes rolling out. It has spark and now the plug gets wet. History, barely used 3hrs at the most. It's 6 or so years old. Always stored after running gas out of carb.. and left in a heated and cooled garage. Oil is full in crank. I try a new plug just to see if it would start, a 403 and it got wet. Also the plug it came with when bought, is a RN11YC. The manual says it uses a RN9YC. It always acted hot and hard to start while taking a break while using it. Any ideas???
Thanks. Also looking for a service manual for it without going broke. Like trying to find the holy grail....Meaning free

Thanks

Try starting it without the air filter.

Try starting it without the air filter.

GC160 on Power washer

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I have a power washer with a Honda GC169OQHA. As I was using it, it stuttered and coughed and then stopped. I tried to restart, nothing. If it set, on first pull it would act like it might start but nothing major. I then pulled the plug and it was black and dry. I pulled the air breather and oily black soot in there. As I try to start, the soot comes rolling out. It has spark and now the plug gets wet. History, barely used 3hrs at the most. It's 6 or so years old. Always stored after running gas out of carb.. and left in a heated and cooled garage. Oil is full in crank. I try a new plug just to see if it would start, a 403 and it got wet. Also the plug it came with when bought, is a RN11YC. The manual says it uses a RN9YC. It always acted hot and hard to start while taking a break while using it. Any ideas???
Thanks. Also looking for a service manual for it without going broke. Like trying to find the holy grail....Meaning free

Thanks

Ok, so I am to have understood this to mean you removed the filter and tried to start it that way? You said "I pulled the air breather..." (if we're making ourselves re-read stuff in bold blue in this thread) and a "breather" is different than a filter. The breather hose goes from the valve cover to the air filter housing.

I don't mind helping, and maybe I just took this the wrong way, but I will not be condescended upon and still be expected to donate my time. You could easily have said, "Yes, I tried and it won't start that way either.".

The reason I asked was because "IF" the breather was oily and blowing oily soot into the air filter, the air filter could be restricted from the oil-soaked paper and causing it to run rich...but I guess we're not talking about oil blowing out of the breather...or... ????

But it was more fun to highlight it in blue for you to reread.
Sorry....................
Yes, air filter. Where most people come from call it a air breather. I am now guessing you are NOT one of them there peoples. Trying to be funny here......
Yes the air filter was like new. It was clean after it died. It did not get black until I tried starting it a thousand times. I did notice there was some oil covering the bottom of the air filter housing after I took the filter off the first time. As I try to start it, more oil and black soot.

No problem. The fact that I'm a little more irritable lately because of a personal circumstance doesn't help much. It's all good.

If oil is getting into the air filter housing, then it is probably actually coming from the breather from the crankcase. If this is so, double check your oil. Is it overfull? Also smell the oil... does it smell like gas? I'm thinking your carb float needle is leaking, allowing gas to seep into the cylinder, past the rings, and into the crankcase, thinning the oil enough to blow out the breather into the air filter housing. That would also explain the black soot and wet plug.

Thanks for your response Cheese. I have only used this pressure washer about 4 times in the past 5 or so years. I alway run it dry on gas and then up it up in my heated and cooled garage. I had never done any maintenance on it due to not using it much. The oil in the crank, I'm guessing that's what it is. Was really dirty looking for the little time I had used it. I had changed it out already after it stopped. Thinking maybe it has a low oil sensor. The manual says it might have one???? It was full anyway. So I went down and smelled the closed container I put the old oil into and it justs smelled like oil. I had thought of that as well, but did not see any evident as I have had that happen to a riding lawn mower back in the day.
So you think the hotter spark plug did nothing to it? You think I can pull the carburetor off without messing anything up and clean it to see if that helps. FYI, I hated to work on carburetors on cars, to many little parts.
I would just take it down to a mower shop, but I'm only working two days a week and sinking fast on the bills. I would hate for it to be something simple that I could handle. Wish I could find a service manual for free for this thing. They all want like $35 for it.
Also seen same motor on ebay for $200 just in case I need to buy it when times get better. I did find a Briggs manual online for free. Think that would help any?
Any and all thoughts are appreciated and thanks for you time.

I guess it could be the carb. It's not hard to work on like those automotive carbs you've seen. It doesn't have that many pieces to worry with. It could be a carb problem, but it could also be another problem. The soot blowing back out the intake is what is strange. I wonder if a valve is not closing all the way and causing it to spit fuel back. Can you turn the gas off and get it to run on what is left in the cylinder?

Dang, working the mid night oil Huh???

That what I am going to do is pull the carb. Bought a new plug and carb cleaner. I have so much to do, not sure when I will get to it. Hope tonight.

As for starting with the gas off, I might be able to pull the supply line to the carb........maybe and dump the bowl? It looks tight anyway. And as for the valve thing. The engine has a timing belt too. Strange huh??

Cheese, gets some sleep man. thanks for your help. It may be a while, but I will get back to you.

Oh dang... I see GC160 but my mind was seeing GX160. You mentioned the timing belt and I knew it couldn't be a GX series.

I would tend to suspect a problem with the valve clearances or valve timing more than the carb with the symptoms. I think I would pinch off the fuel flow with a pair of vise-grips on the fuel line, leave the carb full, and try to start it like this. If it will eventually crank up and run the fuel out of the carb without exhibiting the symptoms you described, then the carb is the problem. If not, I'd check the valve clearances and timing.

I am glad I came back to have a look. I almost got to the carb bur ran out of time. That makes sense. Maybe tomorrow.
Thanks again Cheese

I got the gas tank off and tried to start, same thing nothing.
I pulled what you called the air breather tube that went to the block. It had a cover so I took it off and it was coated with oil also. No suprise right. And there was a drop or two collected here and there.

I guess I am done. I don't know where the valves are to adjust and can I use a spark plug gapper. Now don't roll your eyes......I'm tryin to learn here. Thanks againl

The valves are under the valve cover (the stamped piece of metal with 4 bolts holding it on at the end of the head). You have to use feeler gauges to measure them.

Well that wraps it up for me. Because spark plug gappers are not big enough to do valves. Correct

I tried to take cover off, but must be glued down with gasket maker. So I stopped with no tools to go any further. And not knowing how or what to do. Thanks for your time............

Spark plug gappers are actually too thick to gap the valve clearances. It is gasket maker holding the valve cover on, as you suspected. You can also view the timing belt from under the valve cover.