tkrotchko

MN_Runner wrote:

Yeah, the design of the engine looks to me like it's impossible to overfill unless you put the whole snowblower on a hill. I put in 10-30, and a magnetic dipstick, I'll run it a few minutes each week to cycle the oil through the summer, catch any remaining metal, and I have Mobil 1 5-30HM (high mileage) oil that I'll put in before winter. People have told me the high mileage synthetic is more appropriate for this engine in a snowblower. I don't see a downside to it.

I was changing oil on a GX340 engine on my snowblower. The manual says it holds 1.1 quarts of oil (which I read as about 35 ounces) Yet, the manual also shows that you fill up the crankcase until it's touching the threads for the dipstick. This is pretty common in the GX line (same in the GX160). However, if you add 1.1 quarters, the oil comes halfway up the dipstick, nowhere close to the threads. If you fill it until it reaches the threads, it's closer to 1.4 quarts, or 45 ounces. I am frankly baffled by how much oil this engine needs. Thoughts? Also, this winter is the first the engine has really worked for more than an hour, and when I changed the oil, I could see flecks of metal (microscopic) glinting in the sun. I am inclined to add a magnetic drain plug to the machine, and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on doing this.

I agree its almost a religious debate, but the one saw I like is my 14" echo, very easy to start after 15 years, and its so light that you would feel comfortable using it even if you were in a tree cutting branches. Have other echo equipment too; the hall mark of all of them is lightness for the function/power.

I looked and saw the drain on the "other" side; the difference is they don't have the "extender" on that side to drain. But now it makes perfect sense. I just don't understand why the capacity isn't the capacity, but I'm not going to worry about. I've drained the carb, changed the oil, sprayed off the blower, and I'll end up pushing it to the back of my garage. BTW, if you wet the floor of your garage, you can slide the Honda like its on ice skates.

Thanks for the quick replies; at least I know I'm not going crazy. Did you notice the two oil filler holes? I realize they probably have it both sides for different applications, but perhaps the directions should be clearer?