Honda’s GCV160 is a great engine option for everything from lawnmowers to pressure washers, offering the compact power of a small engine without the hassle of mixing fuel and oil. Honda recommends .58 quarts or .55 liters of oil for the GCV160’s air-cooled 4-stroke overhead cam engine.

Understanding how and how much oil to put in a lawnmower, power washer, or other small household equipment motor can be a tricky task—especially when many lawnmowers actually have you add the oil to the fuel. Fortunately, the Honda GCV160’s four-stroke OHC engine works just like your car’s engine with oil and fuel separate, but figuring out how much oil to put in the reservoir can still be confusing.

Whether you’ve lost your owner’s manual, or maybe you picked up your new lawnmower at a garage sale and no manual was included,

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Honda GCV160 engine oil capacity

Honda recommends .58 quarts or .55 liters of oil for the GCV160’s air-cooled 4-stroke overhead cam engine.

What kind of oil does a Honda GCV160 need?

Just putting the right amount of oil in your engine isn’t enough—you need to make sure it’s the right type of oil, too. The Honda GCV160’s owner’s manual recommends you use SAE 10W-30 4-stroke automotive detergent oil in your engine.

“Detergent oil” just means it contains additives to keep your engine running cleaner, but these numbers can be pretty confusing if you don’t know what they mean. The numbers in an oil grade refer to its viscosity and weight. The lower a fluid’s viscosity, the easier it flows—similarly, the lower a motor oil’s weight, the easier it flows.

Since viscosity is affected by temperature, your engine oil’s weight will change depending on how hot or cold it is. Your goal is to use an oil that’s heavy enough to keep things well-lubricated at high temperatures, but light enough to continue flowing when it’s cold. So, the 10W-30 oil you use for your Honda engine flows like a 10-weight oil at freezing temperatures (10W means 10 winter) and a 30-weight oil once the engine is heated up.

Now we need to determine whether to use synthetic or conventional, petroleum-based oil. Honda actually developed, tested, and certified their GVC160 engine to use petroleum-based oil, so that’s what you should stick with.

MORE:

How to remove oil and grease from car doors

How often to change the oil on a Honda GVC160

Speaking of regular engine maintenance: now let’s talk about when or how often you should

change the oil

in your Honda GCV160 engine.

Small engines don’t calculate use the same way vehicle engines do—they calculate use by hours instead of miles. For your Honda GCV160 engine, you should change the oil every season or every 50 hours, whichever comes first.

In addition to changing your oil every season or every 50 hours, you should also regularly check your oil level to ensure you haven’t burned through too much oil. To check your oil level, follow these steps:

Remove the dipstick.

Wipe the dipstick on a rag.

Reinsert the dipstick without screwing it in.

Check that the oil level registers between the upper and lower limits marked on the dipstick.

MORE:

What to do if you have black and gritty engine oil

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How to change your oil

Now that you know how often to change your oil, we’ll tell you how to change it. Before you get started, you’ll need to collect the following equipment:

.58 quarts of 10W-30 oil

A drain pan or other vessel to collect the used oil

A funnel to pour in the new oil

A rag

Before you begin, ensure your engine is warm—this will make the oil drain easily and completely. Now, it’s time to get to work:

First, turn the fuel valve on the side of the engine to the OFF position.

Place the drain pan next to the engine underneath the oil filler neck.

Remove the dipstick from the oil filler neck.

Drain the oil by tilting the engine toward the oil filler neck.

When empty, return the engine to level and use the funnel to pour .58 quarts of 10W-30 oil into your engine.

Check the oil level using the steps outlined earlier.

Reinstall the dipstick securely.

Turn the fuel valve back to the ON position.

Now that you’re finished changing your oil, be sure to clean up the used oil properly by pouring it into a plastic or metal container with a tightly-sealed lid, and taking it to a recycling center. If you’re not sure where to recycle your oil, you can search locations to recycle used automotive fluids on

Earth 911

DO NOT dump the oil on the ground or put it in the garbage. This is not only terrible for the environment but also illegal in most states.

MORE: How much should an oil change cost?

Don’t forget regular insurance policy maintenance

Keeping up with your car’s oil levels and oil changes is no less important than keeping up with small-engine maintenance, but how many of us take the time to keep up with maintenance on our car insurance policy? That’s right, your car insurance needs maintenance, too, and

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