Show off your tillers!

[Steve]

Hmm, don’t think I can get in there without pulling the carb/tank. All the belts, etc are in the way.

View attachment 413150

Then you will need to pull the belts and pulleys. That adjustment can only be made with the tank and carb mounted to the engine.

 

[Woodwackr]

Then you will need to pull the belts and pulleys. That adjustment can only be made with the tank and carb mounted to the engine.

That’s nuts.
Why?
The adjustment to the gov arm you described sounded simple.
It sounds like the only way to do this is to remove the motor from the tiller, design and build some sort of motor mount/frame and do all adjustments. Then reassemble.
That just isn’t worth the trouble for me

Thank you for your time on this !

 

[Steve]

That’s nuts.
Why?
The adjustment to the gov arm you described sounded simple.
It sounds like the only way to do this is to remove the motor from the tiller, design and build some sort of motor mount/frame and do all adjustments. Then reassemble.
That just isn’t worth the trouble for me

Thank you for your time on this !

Because that is how you account for all the irregularities of the tank, carb, linkage, and engine. You already have a bit of time and money invested in it. What's a few more minutes to get the satisfaction of a flawlessly operating machine? Experience is a *b-word of a teacher! Lol!

 

[Woodwackr]

Because that is how you account for all the irregularities of the tank, carb, linkage, and engine. You already have a bit of time and money invested in it. What's a few more minutes to get the satisfaction of a flawlessly operating machine? Experience is a *b-word of a teacher! Lol!

The motor runs but looking through the plug hole, exhaust and intake reveals a whole lot of carbon and who knows what crud.
All of which, I'm sure, contribute to the current problem. It should be completely disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt...like I do with saws I get in this condition. At the moment I just don't have the time. Keep it out back, covered and make it a project for the future? A possibility. This was going to be a kind of neighborhood tiller for several local friends to use this spring...assuming I could get it functional. That just isn't practical at the moment. I'd rather go buy a newer unit. I have a Mantis that just needs a carb rebuild that will do for our garden. This tiller was going to a friend with much more ground than we have...who really needs a regular tiller. Grandiose plans . O well...
I really appreciate your help and when/if I get back to it I'll hit you up again.

 

[Woodwackr]

Don't rig anything up. Sounds like you need to tune the carb but before you do that you need to make sure the governor is adjusted correctly.


Loosen the pinch bolt on the governor arm.

Move the governor arm and hold it in the wide open throttle position.

While holding the arm turn the governor shaft the arm pivots on all the way till it stops in the same direction you are holding the arm.

Tighten the pinch bolt and you now have the governor mechanically adjusted.

I managed to get tools in there to adjust the arm. Didn't move much but some.
Still won't throttle up without pushing the top arm on the carb.
Tried to upload a vid...didn't like the extension...
It idles fine on low speed. Push the throttle to full and it chuggs and smokes like it was being choked.
Also, the gov arm wouldn't go down any further than it was.
At full the gov arm is in its lowest position.

 

[Steve]

I managed to get tools in there to adjust the arm. Didn't move much but some.
Still won't throttle up without pushing the top arm on the carb.
Tried to upload a vid...didn't like the extension...
It idles fine on low speed. Push the throttle to full and it chuggs and smokes like it was being choked.
Also, the gov arm wouldn't go down any further than it was.
At full the gov arm is in its lowest position.

A video would help a lot.

 

[nbbt]

I managed to get tools in there to adjust the arm. Didn't move much but some.
Still won't throttle up without pushing the top arm on the carb.
Tried to upload a vid...didn't like the extension...
It idles fine on low speed. Push the throttle to full and it chuggs and smokes like it was being choked.
Also, the gov arm wouldn't go down any further than it was.
At full the gov arm is in its lowest position.

That looks like ones that activates the choke if the throttle pushed all the way open. And they generally won't run properly without the air cleaner screw twisted into the carb body.

Have you tested with the screw in and with the throttle backed off a little bit?

 

[Woodwackr]

A video would help a lot.

yea, but it won't accept my mp4 vid...or any vid file for that matter.
I ran it with air cleaner tightened down. or, do you mean this screw?

 

[Woodwackr]

That was it. I kept turning that big screw in while watching the tack and it smoothed out. Turn it all the way in and it dies...so, backed it off till it ran smooth at 3520

 

[nbbt]

Best to run these a little rich under no load, very similar to saw tuning. They make noticeably better power when a tad rich. Plus they aren't as likely to overheat.

Good to hear that it may be usable.

 

[Woodwackr]

Took it over to my friends place and we plowed a bunch of dirt

Now…need to do a 2nd oil change after it has been run for a bit. Also, thinking some Seafoam to help clean out a very cruddy engine. It seems to like a lower rpm as a working speed…maybe 2500. Throttle up after running that speed for a while and it dies but will eventually get going at full speed. The starter needs replacing as the plastic pulley is badly cracked and will not last long. I think those are pretty generic so Amazon should have one.
It is a bit difficult to control in her clay but that seems normal to me.
It cuts right through the weeds/grass in her yard but takes quite a bit of finesse to hang on. She’s going to watch some utube vids to get ideas on depth control and working speed in various ground conditions. I’m in it around $50 for belts and a carb. Not bad.
I suggested an hr or so a day so she doesn’t get worn out
At least it has a reverse
Her ducks loved the newly tilled ground

 

[Woodwackr]

Well, it has become very hard to start…7-10 pulls with choke on to get any response and even then it is hit and miss. Once warmed up, restarting requires choke again which seems wrong.
My guess is that this motor is full of crud. Plenty of carbon can be seen via the plug hole and exhaust port.
Seafoam?
It may be a candidate for full restoration which I don’t have time for at the moment, or replacement.
I’m only $50 into it at the moment, so
But, my friend has gotten pretty frustrated…understandable.
It is very hard to control and she just doesn’t have the strength to really control it.

May start looking for a real tine type with drive wheels.

 

[Steve]

Check your valve sealing and lash. I've had many flathead Briggs engines be hard to start due to leaking valves.

 

[Woodwackr]

Check your valve sealing and lash. I've had many flathead Briggs engines be hard to start due to leaking valves.

I’m very sure they leak judging by the carbon encrusted around them

 

[B440]

Had this Gilson for awhile but it beat me up pretty good every spring, even with extra weights added.


I picked up this sleeve hitch tiller as a replacement. Much smoother sitting in the tractor seat.



I always wanted a hydraulic tiller too. This one works the best. Had to figure out how to mount a JD tiller to my Cub Cadet.

 

[LAWN BOY]

Had this Gilson for awhile but it beat me up pretty good every spring, even with extra weights added.
View attachment 413823

I picked up this sleeve hitch tiller as a replacement. Much smoother sitting in the tractor seat.
View attachment 413825


I always wanted a hydraulic tiller too. This one works the best. Had to figure out how to mount a JD tiller to my Cub Cadet.
View attachment 413827

Nice tillers and Cub. Nice dirt bikes too.

 

[Woodwackr]

Wr are going to look at a nice used Troybuilt Horse today.

 

[Steve]

You all need to step it up to a big boy tiller. Lol!!

 

[B440]

You all need to step it up to a big boy tiller. Lol!!

View attachment 413842

Those BCS are nice, but man they are expensive, even used ones.

 

[WKEND LUMBERJAK]

You all need to step it up to a big boy tiller. Lol!!

View attachment 413842

I would but haven't ran one to see if it is worth the extra$$$$$