What Oil Does The Honda GCV160 Take & Which Lawn Mower Brands Use The Engine?

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From its debut in 1997 until it was discontinued towards the end of 2020, the Honda GCV160 was a popular small 4-stroke gas-powered engine. The GCV160 powered everything from pressure washers to agricultural equipment, including residential mowers. The engine wasn't restricted to Honda brand lawn mowers either, as it was also used by brands such as Husqvarna and Cobra. We'll discuss this in more detail a little later, but first let's take a closer look at the engine and the oil it takes.

The GCV160 engine is part of Honda's GC series and features an overhead cam design with an automatic decompression system (for easier starts) and an auto choke system. It also features an easy-access oil drain and fill system. The GCV160 uses an air-cooled 4-stroke architecture that produces 4.4 hp at 3,600 rpm and a net torque of 6.9 lb-ft at 2,500 rpm. Knowing that it's a four-stroke is important, as there is a big difference between 4-stroke and 2-stroke oils. The GCV160 engine has an oil capacity of 0.98 quarts, and Honda recommends using 4-stroke, SAE 10W-30 oil with an API SJ (or later) classification. However, other viscosities can also be used depending on the average temperature where the engine is being used.

As noted, look for oils that have a viscosity rating of 10W-30 and are specifically formulated for 4-stroke engines. STP Premium Small Engine 4-Cycle Oil is a good example of an oil that ticks all the boxes required for a Honda GCV160 engine. However, there can be a little leeway with the viscosity of the oil that you use. According to Honda, if the average air temperature that the engine operates in is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) or lower, then you should consider using an oil with a viscosity rating of 5W-30. Polaris Synthetic Oil 5W-30 SAE, for example, would be a great choice for colder weather. 

How frequently you change the oil in a Honda GCV160 engine is also important. Honda recommends that you initially change the oil in a new engine after one month or five hours of use; subsequent changes are recommended every six months or 50 hours of use. However, the company also recommends changing it every 25 hours when the engine is used in high ambient temperatures or under heavy load. The official guidance is to change the oil when the engine is warm so that the oil drains completely and quickly. It's also important to turn the fuel valve to the off position beforehand. The old oil can be removed by simply removing the oil cap and dipstick and tipping the engine to pour the oil out. The new oil should be filled to the dipstick's upper limit mark. 

Let's begin with the most obvious brand to use the GCV160 — Honda. The engine can be found in older Honda lawn mowers, including the HRS216K7VKAA and HRR216K9VLA lawn mowers. However, because the engine has been discontinued, no current Honda lawn mower models use the engine. This also applies to other manufacturers, although many of them used the engine when it was still in production. Among them is Husqvarna, with the Klippo LB 553S originally using the GCV160 before switching to Honda's GCV170 engine. Another popular brand that used the Honda GCV160 engine was Toro, which used the engine to power its Recycler lawn mower. However, most current Toro gas-powered models now use engines manufactured by Briggs & Stratton. Crossing the Atlantic, Cobra, a U.K.-based manufacturer, used the Honda GCV160 in its range of gas-powered mowers. 

However, the lack of current lawn mowers using the engine is not a reflection on its reputation. Rather, it's symptomatic of a general move away from gas-powered mowers to battery-powered models. This switch towards electric mowers is one of the reasons that Honda decided to discontinue its gas-powered lawn mower range and wrapped up production of them in late 2023. Ultimately, there may not be any more GCV160s rolling off Honda's production lines, but Honda lawn mowers haven't cut their last blade of grass yet. The company has developed a range of more efficient electric lawn mowers to replace the discontinued models.