Honda GC190 pressure washer has no compression

The Honda F23 series engine is a 2.3 liter, all aluminum block, 16 valve, Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) motor used in the Honda Accord (1994 - 2002) and Acura Cl (2.3). Timing belt failure may result in either the intake or exhaust valves bending after contacting the pistons. If the belt has broken, a Compression Leakage test is advised to determine if the valves require replacement. Compression leakage from any of the cylinders (indicating bent valves) will require the removal of the cylinder head. An inspection and rebuild of the head by a reputable automotive machine shop is recommended in lieu of doing it yourself. This DIY article only covers belt replacement. The belt replacement interval is either 90,000 or 105,000 miles based on the specific model year. Check the owner's manual for the specific service interval. If the mileage is below the threshold but the vehicle is over 7 years old, consider performing a replacement as preventative maintenance (PM). Timing belts cannot be visually inspected for wear. Moreover, a visual inspection would require the removal of the timing belt cover which in itself is time consuming and better spent working on replacement. A typical timing belt component kit consists of: 1. Timing Belt 2. Balance Shaft Belt. 3. Timing Belt Tensioner Pulley. 4. Balance Shaft Tensioner Pulley

One of two things, if it broke the timing belt and is what is known as an interference engine then the pistons can hit the valves and bend them causing no compression, otherwise be sure to check all timing marks to be sure your crankshaft and camshaft are in time with one another. Hope this helps.

This is a problem with GC-160 and GC-190 engines on pressure washers, tillers, etc. Once they get some hours on them and as things seat in-wear in, they get to a point you can not pull the start cord. If you remove the spark plug, the engine turns easily. The valves need adjusted. The valves are set .005" to .006" off the seat. This allows enough compression release but the engine runs. I find the valves need adjusted every 25 hours, not the 100 hours Honda states.

The Honda 8HP motor will work OK with 90 psi compression but it's on the lower end of good. Most likely it will need new piston rings and possibly the cylinder resurfaced in the near future. Low compression could also be caused by valves not seating completely either from wear or carbon buildup. Depending on what you are looking to spend it may be worth your while to remove or have removed the head to inspect the valves and cylinder wall.

This is a problem with GC-160 and GC-190 engines on pressure washers, tillers, etc. Once they get some hours on them and as things seat in-wear in, they get to a point you can not pull the start cord. If you remove the spark plug, the engine turns easily then the valves need adjusted. The valves are set .005" to .006" off the seat. This allows enough compression release but the engine runs. I find the valves need adjusted every 25 hours, not the 100 hours Honda states.

It sounds like the carborator has a drain ****, with a hose attached so it doesn't get gas all over everything. The reason to do this is to drain condensate once in a while. See if you can find a small drain valve and check to see if it is closed. Then add some more gas and wash away!

marcy1708, To answer your question, Yes it is possible. You don't state here why the timing belt was being replace. Is this for regular scheduled maintenance or did the timing belt break and need to be replaced? If the belt broke then it is possibe that a few valves got bent from the pistons hitting them. This happens on what is call an interference engine. What happens is, when the belt breaks some of the valves stay in the open position and the travel of the piston will hit and bend them. A good way of testing this is to do a cylinder compression test after the timing belt is put back on. The pressure in each cylinder should be within 10 percent of each other. If you have one or more cylinders that have no pressure then the valve are bent and will not close. The cylinder heads can be replaced but unfortunately the pistons in the affected cylinders may have to be replaced as well. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if the valves are bent then the engine needs to be replaced. If the cylinder compression test comes out good then you will have to make sure that the timing marks are lined up properly and go from there. Good luck with this.

It is possible the valves could hit the pistons and were bent. Another part that may have been damaged is the crank angle sensor located off the lower belt gear on the crank shaft. A dealer can tell you if your valves get damaged when the belt breaks on your model (on some engines the valves do not contact the pistons when the belt breaks).You can line up the timing marks and replace the belt yourself. Before reassembling the motor, run a compression test to see if the the head needs to be repaired. If your compression is still 110 or above on all cylinders (and with in ten pound pressure of each other) your engine should run when you put it back together. When you are replacing the belt you can inspect the crank angle sensor for possible damage.

This may not be a motor problem. It sounds like your pump is not working properly and the motor is just following the pump. First thing to do is check for leaks in the pump, wand hose, gun etc. It may also be a blown water seal inside the pump.

Honda engines are know to be very well and durable.