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Just purchased a yard-man lawn mower with front castor wheels and a Honda 5.5HP engine. The engine code on the side of the housing is:
GJAE-1G99977. In ink it laso says "A1A".

Can any one help me understand this code to figure out this engines features and build date?

Thanks.

That number is not the right format. To the right of the "GJAE-" should be 7 digits, no letters. I tried making that "G" a "6" but no good.

Can you take a closer look and confirm those 7 digits?

I can usually get the date the engine was sold by Honda to a distributor or OEM like Yard Man. That engine was surely cast and built at the Honda engine plant in Swepsonville, NC. Honda has been building mower engines there since the early 80s.

 

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I went back and double checked. The "G" was in fact a "6". So the code is:GJAE-1699977 then in ink after that it says "A1A". <snip> Would like to learn more. Thanks.

Okay, got some details:

• This specific engine was manufactured at the Honda Hamamatsu Plant in Japan on July 14th, 1999.
• It's a GCV160, which is a 160cc displacement, vertical shaft (a.k.a. mower engine) that features a timing belt and overhead valves. There is no removable cylinder head, but the block has a diagonal split to access all the internal parts. All GC-series engines are all-aluminum (no cast-iron cylinder sleeve). GC engines are marketed by Honda as "premium residential" products. All current non-commercial mowers Honda offers use the GCV160 or the larger GCV190 engine.
• Honda sold (wholesale) this specific engine to MTD, a Nashville-based Honda engine distributor. MTD likely then sold it as part of a larger order of loose engines to the OEM (Yard Man).

• You may purchase a fully-illustrated paper shop manual for this engine from Honda's publication store on eBay:
Honda Shop Manuals on eBay

• A free owner's manual (digital) can be downloaded here:
http://engines.honda.com/pdf/manuals/00X31Z8B0240.pdf