Honda Engines New GC Series Models for Pressure Washers

Honda Engines is launching two, all-new GC Series engines designed specifically to increase the performance of pressure washers, enhancing the user experience and making jobs easier.

Honda Gcv200 And Gcv170 Pressure Washer Engines Hero Shot Pair
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Honda Engines, a business unit of American Honda Motor Co. Inc., has launched two, all-new engines designed specifically to increase the performance of pressure washers—enhancing the user experience and making jobs easier.

Replacing the Honda GCV160 and GCV190, the all-new Honda GCV170 and GCV200 pressure washer engines deliver more: more power and more torque for premium residential applications, along with a range of technological attributes, innovative features, and a simple design that make the new models even more reliable and easier to operate and maintain.   

The power behind any pressure washer is its engine, and the core of the new Honda GCV170 and GCV200 pressure washer engines is true power output. Both engines offer best-in-class power and torque that deliver peak performance in the toughest of operating conditions. More power and torque from the engines (GCV170: an increase in torque of 18% and a 9% horsepower gain over the GCV160; GCV200: an increase in torque of 13% and 10% horsepower gain over the GCV190) allow the pump of a pressure washer to produce a steady, even amount of high pressure[1] to the hose and cleaning attachment while reducing the need for the operator to repeat spray.

“The Honda GC Series, part of our legendary family of premium engines for residential applications, provides efficient power, superior fuel efficiency, and quiet operation for customers who rely on their outdoor power products to get jobs done,” said William Walton, vice president, Honda Power Equipment. “When it comes to pressure washing, the new Honda GCV170 and GCV200 models enhance our current GC Series, offering a host of added benefits—delivering more power and torque than earlier models and innovative design features that provide for an easy, enjoyable operating experience for consumers.”

Both pressure washer engines meet the SAEJ1349 net horsepower standard, which rates engine power with the muffler and air filter in place. This net standard rating accurately reflects real-world operating conditions.[2]

Because pressure washers often are operated in tough outdoor conditions—after long periods of storage, in temperature extremes, with high loads, and with frequent stopping and starting—the power and torque of the pressure washer engine are factors that affect performance. In addition to higher net power output, both engines also offer class-leading torque, delivering more power to the pump, resulting in more consistent pressure and cleaning capability. Further, the new Honda GCV170 and GCV200 pressure washer engines offer overhead valve (OHV) design that increases combustion efficiency, allowing for lower compression ratios and greater power output.

A Closer Look at the New Honda GCV170 and GCV200 Engines

The GCV170 and GCV200 pressure washer engines are designed with a number of innovative features that make them consistently reliable, season after season:

  • Honda Cycloflow technology enhances the air-fuel mixture and makes it easier to start the engine and idle smoothly while making it more resilient to poor quality fuel. New V-shaped valves and a pent-roof shape of the combustion chamber enable air in the cylinder to flow more smoothly. A longer stroke also enhances turbulence in the cylinder, which helps the mixture of air and fuel.
  • A Fuel Off position allows the user to stop the flow of fuel to the engine when the pressure washing is complete. The Fuel Off position allows the engine to run until the majority of fuel in the carburetor is consumed, preventing sticky carburetor buildup that makes for cleaner storage and easier future starting.
  • The addition of Auto Choke and relocation of the wax thermostatic element from the top to the side of the cylinder improves heat transfer and makes for easier engine starting in all conditions.
  • The new engine design reduces the number of steps required to start the engine by 75% over previous models.
  • A simplified engine layout with user friendly features, including a quick-drain oil tube, a larger fuel tank opening, easy-access spark plug, captive carburetor bolts, and a finger-operated filter cover make quick work of disassembly with fewer tools and quicker repairs.
  • A new muffler structure and resin protector reduce engine noise and improve operator comfort and safety.
  • Enhanced balance of the crankshaft reduces engine vibration.
  • A robust, polygon-square shape with a sleek, flat top that leaves room for pressure washer manufacturers to include their brands and logos.
  • The engine shape is designed to fit neatly into the frames of pressure washers.

Both engines are assembled in the USA at the Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing facility in Swepsonville, North Carolina, using domestic and globally sourced parts. The Honda GCV200 pressure washer engine will be available later in 2020, and the Honda GCV170 pressure washer engine will be available in spring 2021. Both models carry a two-year non declining warranty. Parts and services will be widely available via the Honda national network of dealers.


[1] As measured at laboratory under SAEJ1349
[2] Some engine manufacturers publish engine ratings with the muffler and air filter detached, and these gross horsepower ratings do not reflect engine output in actual working conditions.

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