Fun little re-engine job

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Up next...the BITOGers who grew up with FI, and have never seen a working carburetor will tell me how to set the spring tension on the air vanes on a Detroit Lubricator model 51 updraft carburetor...

http://www.packardcarbs.com/

...or the guys familiar with ECU/ECM reprogramming can weigh in on how I should set the gap and dwell on a dual point distributor...
 
I had one of those wind up Sears mowers when I was a kid. I pulled that mower many miles behind my bike through our neighborhood. If the engine was in a good state of tune it worked fine but if it ever flooded it would work you to death. 440 I'm liking all those Mopars in your sig. Especially the 69 Coronet RT.
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
I had one of those wind up Sears mowers when I was a kid. I pulled that mower many miles behind my bike through our neighborhood. If the engine was in a good state of tune it worked fine but if it ever flooded it would work you to death.

My Dad had one of those in the late '60s/early '70s. Always used QS non-detergent SAE30 in it (because that is what they did back then). I remember the clicking sound it made as he wound it. A few of those and it would usually fire right off, but at the end of its life, it smoked like mad. Those were the days...

PS...440 thanks for posting (and you have it right)
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Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
I remember the clicking sound it made as he wound it.


click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka thunka

click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka PUTT PUTT thunka thunka



click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka PUTT thunka PUTT PUTT PUTTVrooooooom...


I also remember my grandfather cussing them when someone would bring in a seized engine but had wound up the starter and tried to crank it. The spring was wound, the starter engaged, straining to turn the crank, and it was very tricky to get the thing apart without it flying apart and flinging heavy stuff at your face.

This was the same grandfather who was known to tell his young apprentices (my cousins...) "here, hold that spark plug wire WAY back from the engine while I test this..." and then pull the starter. :p
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
I remember the clicking sound it made as he wound it.


click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka thunka

click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka PUTT PUTT thunka thunka






When I was growing up, we had a Monkey Ward mower with the wind up "starting" system. (I use the work "starting" very lightly here, because quite often it didn't)
I was glad when that mower was retired.
 
Awesome job repowering an old mower! I love bringing new life into old equipment. I did a repower on a neighbor's Simplicity tractor last summer. The engine blew but the machine was in great shape for a 1980's vintage tractor. I put on the new engine (Briggs 13.5 OHV) and it ran like brand new.

Those mowers do look funny with the engine like that, but I had an old Toro with the engine facing the same way so I know that you have it on correctly.
lol.gif


My current mower has the high wheels in the back and I agree it makes them much easier to maneuver. That new Briggs should have plenty of power for the tall grass.
thumbsup2.gif
What oil are you going to run in it?
 
It doesn't mater what way you mount the engine as long as everything hooks up.

All the recoils on Briggs are turnable to point whatever direction you want. It is harder on the newer ones because of the plastic shrouds they put on them now. A lot of the aftermarket engine the recoil is bolted to the shroud. The ones coming from ope manufactures are usually riveted or spot welded whatever way the manufacture specs.
 
Ok, what's with the fourth wheel on the lawnboys? Is it to cut closer to perimeters or what? If great, why does no one else follows?
Looks out or symmetry to me
 
Here is my mint condition 1983 Snapper High Vac. You young whipper snappers will notice that Snapper mounted the engine sideways with the spark plug on the left side, from the factory. It was fairly common back in the day for the engines to be mounted backwards or sideways. As mounted, it blows the exhaust straight back at the operator, although there is a deflector mounted that blows the exhaust to the left.

Snapper_Briggs_2.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka thunka

click-click-click-click-click...
WHACK!thunka thunka PUTT PUTT thunka thunka



click-click-click-click-click...WHACK!thunka PUTT thunka PUTT PUTT PUTTVrooooooom...
I remember a neighbour had one of those about 1965 or so...I think it needed about 9 more click-click-click-click-click...WHACK!thunka thunka thunkas to get it running...
 
we had a '70s craftsman mower with a choke-less tecumseh 3.5hp. there was no choke, no priming valve. beautiful green fleck deck and hubcaps with a bone white engine-- it was pretty. it weighed outrageously heavy.

you pulled the starter straight UP. and stood on the deck while you did it, because the force needed to crank it would lift it right off the ground.

and you pulled on it ALOT before it would ever start, even new.

At some point, I may have been 12--- I grabbed some metal stock and went to town with a grinder -- fashioned a shaft that would hold a 3/8" drive socket on one end and sit in the corded drill chuck on the other.

Even with the drill it would take 20 seconds to fire but it was SO much easier.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071

My current mower has the high wheels in the back and I agree it makes them much easier to maneuver. That new Briggs should have plenty of power for the tall grass.
thumbsup2.gif
What oil are you going to run in it?


Breaking in on B&S straight 30. Then it'll get T6 like everything else I own.

I stripped down the old engine that came off the mower because city scrap pickup is in a week, and I wanted to keep some parts like valve springs, retainers, magneto, etc. as spares. The cylinder bore was unbelievably good given the abuse that thing's endured (the cooling fins were plugged solid, for example). It was worn, but no serious ridge. The problem with that era engine was ALL in the fuel delivery. I'll be glad to never see a stinking Briggs Pulsa-Jet allegedly automatic choke carb again in my life.
 
Originally Posted By: meep
we had a '70s craftsman mower with a choke-less tecumseh 3.5hp. there was no choke, no priming valve. beautiful green fleck deck and hubcaps with a bone white engine-- it was pretty. it weighed outrageously heavy.

you pulled the starter straight UP. and stood on the deck while you did it, because the force needed to crank it would lift it right off the ground.

and you pulled on it ALOT before it would ever start, even new.

At some point, I may have been 12--- I grabbed some metal stock and went to town with a grinder -- fashioned a shaft that would hold a 3/8" drive socket on one end and sit in the corded drill chuck on the other.

Even with the drill it would take 20 seconds to fire but it was SO much easier.


That seems to be my experience with any old Tecumseh, except the two strokes. For some reason they were all stiff and hard to pull over and they took a lot of pulling to get them started.
 
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