Unlike modern cars, lawn power equipment still requires maintenance to keep them from failing before or during use. If you lack the skill and/or ability to service and repair your own equipment, your at an extreme disadvantage because your going to either be spending a lot of your money at the shop or constantly giving up on your equipment and buying new to replace it. Lucky for some of us who are glad to take your old machines off your hands and repair them for their own use or to resale. Good job with this Toro!
In these interesting times, I've seen pickups, suv, heck even those with trailers picking up people's discards to fix up and resale or use. Next thing you'll see is box cart sized vehicles collecting it besides clothing donations
I have a Toro mower similar to that one. I solved my problem by putting new rear wheels with the metal gears. They cost a few dollars more but well worth the price!
James, thanks a million.Listened 2 few guys, only u got 2 issue, thorough, great teacher, patient, knowledgeable, solved problem, learned lot from u. Thanks again, will continue 2 tune u on..... Efrain Sr.
I have used and repaired my own Toros for about ten years. Yes the rear drive wheel gears are a common issue. There is a replacement for the plastic geared wheels with metal ones and it’s a good idea to replace the small gears too. The wheels with the metal gears last much longer.
I love the Torro Personal pace system my 2000 mower is running great with just oil and filter changes. It smokes for a few seconds when cold but for 22 years not bad.
Nice repair, Jim. I might add here that the trick to getting the mower deck to last a long time is to keep the bottom side of it clean and free from debris. The grass clumps hold moisture and the pH of the grass is slightly acidic, causing the deck to rust over time.
Keeping that mess off the top helps a lot, too. I was shocked, nay appalled, at the depth of the filth around the pulleys on the machine I ride a lot (beautiful black topsoil once you blow the grass clippings off the deck). It's a Deere, so the finish is coming off in sheets, not chips. I'm guessing I'll get to strip/treat/prime/paint it this winter, don't see the guy going for powder-coat, but a girl can dream. Probably be lucky to get real John Deere Yellow paint
Also, the washout actually works quite well but(and it's a big ol' fat but) you have to use it each and every time you run the mower, skip it once and debris start to cling and the port becomes useless in short order.
I picked up one of these today but it has the 6.5 Tecumseh on it. People said didn't know what was wrong with it. Got it home and WAY overfilled with oil to the point there was so much oil in the cylinder it was almost hydrolocked. I drained out the excess oil, tipped it up and let oil drain out the plug hole, then fired on the first pull, doesn't even need the carb cleaned. Only thing it needs is a self propel cable then I can get it sold.
The only way I can see to fix it is either a larger drive gear or a different mounting plate for the wheels. It might be worth checking parts diagrams between years to see if the part numbers have changed or if there's an after market replacement for the parts.
My experience with the toro recycler drive wheels is that they use a par of bevel gears and a washer to control how much they mesh. The washer wears out as do the nylon teeth leading to the gearbox being unable to transfer much torque. A new gearbox is expensive, but putting a nylon washer between the housing andcthe bevel gear increases the mesh of the gears and it solves the issue much of the time.
Yes, you are right on the design issue. To bad there is not an after market fix for cheap. But you got it working good as new. Great job. Now get back to mowing. Thanks for the video.
I had the same issue with my wheels on my lawnmower. My local Toro dealer ordered some updated wheels and they have not failed in the five years since I installed them. Toro did refund me money for the previous set of wheels I had bought in the past. Glad I had the receipt. Thanks for the video. You do a great job and explain everything to us in language we can understand.
Nice fix James, I recently had a mower that the air filter was so bad that it was sucking oil from the crankcase thur the breather tube. Changed the oil and filter and after running for a short time all the smoke stopped and ran great. Lack of maintenance again. Also try Fluid Film after cleaning under the mower deck, works great. Thanks for the video.
These air filters are designed badly. Without a pre-filter they clog very fast in dusty conditions, and who wants to change the filter every time the gas tank is filled? When I mulch leaves with a mower like this one, that is about how long it would take for the filter to be clogged to the point where the engine has no power and is running very rich. Just adding a pre-filter would accomplish nothing since the air enters from the side and bottom. On mine, I have drilled a series of ~1/2" holes in the front of the housing, blocked off the normal air entry at the bottom, and added a foam pre-filter. It potentially could allow more water in in rainy conditions, but I do not do much lawn mowing in the rain. The change is a dramatic improvement. You still need to clean the pre-filter, but that is cheap and easy. Better but more work would be to remotely locate an air filter high on the handle where there is much less dust, although I have not yet tried that to see how well it works.
@@jimmonte9826 Man your right I had a one of those mowers and the filter was designed was just like you said you could not keep it clean and it would suck in oil and ruin the filter that was way over priced.I know it wasn't right but I took the crankcase breather hose off the filter and raped it in a pre filter foam.
I had one of these mowers that stripped the drive wheel gears. They actually make upgraded wheels with a steel gear instead of plastic, problem permanently solved.
Another great quantim. Sometimes it is a few issues that add up. Thanks for balancing blades like I do. Great video. You took care with the auto choke reassembly. Nice
A good freebie!! Got to be happy with that. I do think the drive pinions should be bigger to engage. I'd love to get one of these mowers, take the back wheels off, then look at the drive gears, & make bigger ones from alloy bar using a mill cutter
Since you already had the wheels off I think I would have removed the pinion gears and cleaned up the spring loaded keys which if you look at the inside of the gear makes it a one way drive. This allows the pinion gears to act like a differential drive and reduces the strain on the plastic gears. Not that this would be a total cure, it would contribute to a little longer life of the plastic. gears. On the keys, I use never seize and wipe most of it off so it won't collect alot of dirt and seize up again. Some mowers use a pin instead of a key but theory is the same. Great video as usual.
I have one out in my yard and I noticed the same exact thing about the wheels. You saved me from breaking it down to figure out why. I thought it looked in too good of shape to be out by the curb. If the drive issue can't be fixed or modified to work without being engineered to fail, I could see me using the engine for a swap or maybe building some small contraption
I agree 100 percent. But because anyone lacking knowledge of small engine repair would have to pay a shop $80/hr labor plus parts to fix it. If you can get a brand new one for $300-$500 why would they want to spend $200+ to fix a 7 year old mower?
Sometimes people have been thinking of an upgrade, and decide to do it when they have an issue, I give away free stuff because I'm upgrading, it still has a life after me and I get something new and better, nothing wrong with that.
It started in the mid 70's. I was a witness to the whole thing. People began to get lazy, but nothing like they are in the last 25 years. This is a whole new HELL!!!! 😦
Thanks for detailed video. Our similar rotary mower actually did catch fire once, but only petrol/gasoline and some grass got burned. The carburettor had a small leak, the exhaust/silencer next to it was damaged, and you can guess the rest of the story. Apart from a few burn-marks on the engine-casing, there was no damage!
you guys are lucky i can remember when a sling blade was state of the art for ( mowing) theb came the reel type they cut good very sharp i got 50 cent for about 2 hours work back then
GOOD fix and I was expecting a lot worse too. The Snapper I got from the Re-store for $15 had the differential with no stopper packed FULL of leaves. It took a new pinion, a plug and some 00 to fix that one and a Kawasaki motor off a dead Derre to make a bagger out of it. My electric start has a nice thick coat of oil base black all over the underside of the deck after an angler grinder wire brushing and blowing off. The charger came this morning and now for a battery and carb. I leave the cleaning up of that one to her since she says that 409 is too strong for me to mess with. No telling how many truck cabs it got rid of all the tobacco smoke and such but I'll never live to be sanitary! God Bless and THANKS!
I found that inside the adjuster is are two small bushings which can wear out. These help centralize the shaft better maintaining the distance between the pinion and plastic wheel gears. At most it would improve the meshing of gears by 0.030" (if they are worn out or paper thin on one side). Every little bit helps.
When the air filter is plugged , it's normal for them to suck from the crank case vent tube drawing in oil. I wouldn't call that bad. I remember picking up a mower like that. Last year, I got one where you pulled the cord and oil would gush out the exhaust. It was trash. It was not over filled, just toast. Good video. I tell my customers it I'd absolutely essential to check that air filter a few times a year. Grass and dirt can plug up a filter easily. I like to take off the tins as well. Dollar store simply awesome works great for cleaning and degreasing an engine. Save yourself a few bucks on cleaners.
Bought a toro 190cc recycler 22 for 50 bucks. Didn’t start, sprayed starting fluid and got it to surge. Replaced spark plug and air filter aswell as cleaning the carburetor. And as been running nice for 6 months
I have been given more of these mowers because of the wheel issues and Toro is aware of it. If there was a cheap supply of wheels that would be great because overall very good units!
You should align middle setting on height adjuster bar behind where wheel bolts on pry out till wheel stands up straight. Gears will mesh better. I flip little gear over use new side of teeth. Remember ALIGNMENT teeth will mesh better closer. Amazon had wheels last spring &12 a pair. Ordered 6 pair
What a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable video. Super photography, great audio and no stupid music. The work and explanations were all very nicely done. Kudos Sir! 😬 Subscribed and liked.
I use a big long pry bar to bend the wheel adjusters (pry between the wheel adjuster and the deck) to push the wheel gear closer to the drive gear. Over time, the metal gets bent, but a minor “tweak” brings them back into tight mesh again.
Thanks, just bought a used Craftsman 6.75 22" and basically all the wheels are bent inwards towards the top. Also was pretty filthy but it's harder to push than it should be and I'm thinking it's got to be the bent axles. I was really hoping they could be bent back instead of buying new adjuster assemblies and will try it this way.
Yes james, thank you for showing us these basic maintenance items. I've had this exact same model since 2013 and recently replaced both rear wheels as well as the drive belt. I replaced all of the drive components because I wasn't sure Which was contributing more, worn out belt or worn out gears on the rear wheels. I also took the time to take the cover off and clean the whole mower, then sprayed a mixture of lots of dishwashing soap and hot water to clean the motor. Then sprayed carb cleaner in the carburetor; also took out the spark plug, sprayed inside the cylinder with carb cleaner. Had to change the oil because water got in the oil. Cleaned up the spark plug. Use a concentrated mixture of very hot water and dishwashing detergent in a spray bottle. Then rinsed the whole machine off with a couple of handheld gallons of very hot water. Because I wanted to be pollution Free pollution on the cleaning job. Then I blew dry the entire machine. Now starts After the first pull. Thanks again for showing us how it's done.
Had the same problem with wheels. Purchased the wheels with metal gears but you have to change the drive gears too since the teeth wont mesh due to a different count of cogs.
I think many of the mowers come out of the same Chinese factory. I hate working on dirty engines and usually will clean them up first. I like to pull the spark plug to check the gap and see the condition. My neighbor started to mow her yard but shut it down she said it smelled funny. She said she had a guy change the oil and put a new blade. The blade was new so I looked at the oil. It had a dark gray smear at the bottom of the dip stick. I told her I would replace the oil . When I drained it about a teaspoon came out. After putting oil, it ran fine and didn't overheat. I didn't know the quick lube mechanics also did lawn mowers.
No kidding. Years ago brought my jeep YJ to a quick lube to do the manual transmission fluid change. After getting it back, had all sorts of problems shifting. Checked the fluid and they short changed me by about half the amount that should have been in there....
Excellent video. Excellent production quality. I had just repaired and sold a very similar Toro 22 self propelled mower earlier this week that had the exact same problem. Great job James - keep those videos coming!
Nice video. I have yet to see anyone flush the gas tank when doing a carb cleaning or replacement, I always do. Also, Toro doesn’t use in line fuel filters, which you can buy on Amazon, to keep dirt from getting into the carb. I like to add one when working/ repairing neighbors mowers.
I have the FWD version of this mower and the gear teeth are molded into the outer edge of the wheel, are wider and seem to mesh better than the RWD version. The drive gear looks the same as the RWD versions. Mine is a 2011 and I never had a problems with the drive system. FWD isn't for everyone though, especially if you bag or have hills, as the drive wheels can easily slip but I like the easier way it backs up and that you can push on the handlebar and easily maneuver the mower.
Another great video. It mirrors my experience of getting mowers with "issues" that are often more about maintenance than actual repairs. Bad gas, filters and carburetors seem to be the most common failures. I use non-ethanol gasoline and synthetic oil exclusively in all my small engines. I also add fuel filters when I can. After every use I blow off the engine with compressed air. And blow out the air filters every three or four uses.
Just rehabbed a similar Toro self propelled somebody got fed up with and kicked it to the curb. OK I'll take it. Rebuilt carb. fired it up. sold for $150. Easy money.. A neighbor threw out his troy built a couple of years old. Cleaned it up rebuilt carb. I'm keeping this one.
All Toros are good mowers but I prefer my 2 ancient 35 year old Toro self propelled recyclers with the Suzuki motors. Never had an issue with either, still use them. One is a 4 stroke Suzuki, other is a 2 stroke variety. The 2 stroke mower is much lighter then the 4 stroke. Easier to use on hills.
Surging on a Briggs & Stratton is often caused by air leaks in the intake manifold or the carburetor. On a Honda or Kohler, the pilot jet sits on top of the carburetor where it's easy for dirt to get into it.
Great video. You’ve inspired me to buy a $30 mower off craigslist (that runs and cuts but is smoking a little) and go through it. The mower in this video, I would have disconnected the drive mechanism as I like to push my mower. Thanks again!
Great little mower there. If only the tips of the gears are engaging try replacing the rear axle bearings that mount in the HOC plate, they may have too much play. You can also use the older wheels with steel gears (the LawnBoy version of this mower uses steel gears too). The surging on these Quantum engines is often caused by that gray plastic intake manifold coming loose where it attaches to the intake port, make sure those two little bolts are tight. The carb “O” ring may be worn too, either of those conditions will cause a vacuum leak and surging. Lastly check and re-torque the cylinder head bolts, particularly the three around the exhaust port. You will almost always find those three loose on a Quantum that hasn’t been serviced in a while.
Something you should have done is clean and lube the drive sprokets. These need yearly maintenance as well. I use mineral oil which I learned from gun cleaning tutorials. Cheap and effective.
I’ve had 3 generations of toro recyclers just like these 1. They HAVE to warm up before they run good 2. Toro advertises its a “never change your oil” mower 3. Even my brand new one smokes on start up! 4. The oil quantity supplied by toro in box is too much For the initial fill up! 5. It’s considered a disposable mower in today’s standards that’s why there’s no oil change needed. 6. Advertised horsepower is a joke! Mine is a 5.75hp and I’d be shocked if it was 3.5hp at most. 7 if you don’t clean your toro “ every single time you use it” it will be junk before your first oil change! So, what have we learned? It’s disposable, needs more than advertised and it’s not what the rates specs claim….. ITS CHINESE MADE JUNK!!!! BUYER BEWARE!
It’s considered a disposable mower in today’s standards that’s why there’s no oil change needed. This is a common misconception about these 'never change oil' small engines. I agree the quality has dropped and their life expectancy isn't nearly as long as older ones. However, these engines achieve the 'never change oil' because they are designed to burn oil. The engines consume about 25% of the oil every 40 hours. If your adding 25% of your oil every 40 hours, thats basically the same as changing it but over a longer period of time.
wannawin95 That’s certainly the case with the Honda SX I inherited from the in-laws when they moved to Florida years ago. This thing must be close to 45 years old and uses a tiny bit of oil every year and the oil always looks very clean. Great machine.
This is common among newer cars. Oil change intervals are way too long, oil breaks down and things like timing chains wear out unexpectedly, resulting sometimes on interference engines with destroyed top ends and worse. I stick to 3K mile changes no matter what. Cheap insurance. 👍🔧🧰🚗
The Toro Recycler and Personal Pace are at the top for the $400ish price point. They are NOT junk, their are A lot of them out in the field still running 20 years later. You sir, don't know what you are talking about.
@@mikespain8655 these mowers are indeed junk, you don't have a clue guy. I've seen them sell at home depot for less than 200$ even the lower end hondas with the gcv160 engines are better than theses piles of crap, its a embarrassment to the toro name. The old school toros with the aluminum decks, and 2 stroke suzuki engines put these to shame.
As I've learned from donyboy73, some carbs have a secret screen in the fuel inlet barb of the carb that can be clogged. Keep an eye out for those pesky things.
Great video again. I just did my mower as well and found about three ounces of water in my tank. I do leave my mower outside but how would it get so much water? After cleaning the carb it is a one pull start. Also replaced the geared wheels all were stripped. It takes two and a half hours to mow my lawn. The only thing I might suggest is sharpening the blades away from all your equipment . I see a rotor nearby and other stuff that could get metal filings in them.
I love finding free or low cost stuff like this. I'm semi-retired and love to work on projects like this. I came across a deal with a very clean Toro Recycler (Not running and a valve cover leak) with a Briggs, and an old Troy Bilt with a Honda GVC 160 engine. Got both for $50. The Toro was a simple fix and is in use now. The Troy Bilt with the GVC 160 runs good but smokes. I'm gonna go through the engine and I'll get whatever it needs. The way it runs, I'm thinking a fresh set of rings and a carb clean. Honda is going to quit making gas powered lawn engines, (going all green), so I'm gonna get whatever the engine needs now while the parts are plentiful. Honda engines last forever. Oh, good job on your finds. You're like me, if I find something and think it's worth fixing, I'll take it. lol
Ours we had issues with grass filling at the front and the blades were sharp and the shooting blade not the mulching...so we traded it and got a greenworks 80 volt...baller
Another problem they have is the side discharger failure. After only a few times using it the plastic mounts fail and is no longer usable and falls off the machine when trying to use it. Thanks for another video.
Compacted grass that gets hot and burns usually means the auto choke has interference also. The belt drive on the PTO is probably worn and slipping. I haven’t watched the fix-phase here yet. I’m going to bet the carb is clean. I like to make my own calls to see if I’m right. In 50 years of mowing grass, edgers, trimmers, push mowers and riders, tillers, pressure washers and generators, I’ve NEVER had to take my equipment in for service. I do it myself. My last push mower lasted for 25 years, 10 of that in commercial service. (The deck had holes in it, so I gave it to a 13 year-old aspiring lawn care professional. His dad is a welder by profession!)
I have the same mower, in fact the 2010 model as well. As with any drive system, the bearings, bushings and the spacers wear out over time and in fact get "egged" out. This causes the drive gear to lose engagement with the wheel gear. So the solution for me was to replace those parts along with new steel gears and wheels that have steel gears as well. There used to be a guy on eBay that was selling these kits, but he no longer does that. I think you can get these parts from the Toro website. I did this a couple years back and it's worked well for me.
James, another very fine video. Methodical and predictable. Look it over, assess it, run it, clean it up and change the oil. Then use it. Growing up during the 1960's in a suburb of Detroit where people had fairly good paying jobs, they threw out mowers when they failed to run or start properly. Because (I thought at the time) there were just no repair shops, people went to Montgomery Wards, Sears and Roebucks or the local hardware store and bought new ones. For me it was a goldmine having people put old lawnmowers out at the road for rubbish collection. I collected them. I had so many engines from various lawnmowers one time an Uncle came over and upon seeing them remarked "You've got more little engines than Carter has little liver pills." That was my upbringing. Dad had a few tools and I used them to rip apart everyone of those little engines and learn all about them. For me the neatest thing was that after I had 3 or 4 of the same engine, one would have a bad part that another had that was still good. So I'd combine them and Voilà, I'd have a running engine. In short order I scrounged together an entire lawnmower. It was named after the man who created the Oldsmobile Car, Ransom Eli Olds. It said "REO" right on it. It was a 17" rotary mower that I used as I began my first real money making job mowing lawn for a very nice elderly lady Mrs. Climber. I split $5.00 with my best friend for mowing the front 1/2 of her 2 acre property about once per week. When she paid us I would immediately go down to my local auto parts store and buy a quart of Wolf's Head motor oil for 75¢ and then hit the corner Oak Gas station to fill a 2 gallon can for 50¢ Between mowing jobs, I worked on building a Go-Kart. It was strictly illegal to ride it on my dirt road, I was told by police. So I only made "trial" runs, but only seldom, just to see if what I had accomplished actually worked. Funny thing though; somehow I always managed to burn my 2 gallons of gas by the time the next mowing job was done. Thanks for the video, and conjuring up those old memories James. See you next time. ben/ michigan
Hi James. I bet you are good at jig saw puzzles because you are very methodical and have an eye for detail. Anyway, thanks for the educational videos. I always look for your latest offering. Cheers.
Excellent work. It cleaned up nicely. I was concerned about the oil dipstick getting knocked out while you were cleaning it. It didn’t happen but could have. Sometimes it’s a bit to easy being an armchair quarterback, forgive my pickiness.
Gentleman your show is outstanding, you are a complete professional and I express my gratitude, about the issue with the rear tracking wheels is that it is a comercial matter, if it doesn't break they make no money, a perfect repair would be finding a metal driving gear a little larger than the one on the equipment , perhaps Mc Master Carr have them in stock, from the endless summer paradise, giving you my most expensive thanks, Jesus Torres.
When your carb is dirty like that and you cleaned it. It may be that the fuel lines are breaking down, putting debree in the fuel bowl. It also is wise to add a fuel filter to the line
I'm not a fan of the thermostatic choke system, the primer bulb seems more straight forward. The last one I fixed, I swapped the carb and air cleaner housing for the primer bulb style. Starts first pull every time (after pressing the primer 3 times). Also the "personal pace" drive system is my least favorite setup on the Toro recyclers, unnecessarily complex .
I never understood this, people bothering to mention or even caring if a mower started on first pull opposed to 2nd or 3rd. For Pete's sake, you're about to mow a lawn yet pulling a string more than once for 4 extra seconds is a factor in that? If pulling a cord is such a hardship, take the cover off the top (or cut out an access hole just large enough) and spin start it with a socket on a cordless drill/driver/wrench/etc. This is also a very handy thing to do when you have one that won't start, instead of continually pulling the cord you can be spraying carb cleaner in while you spin it (wrap bungee cord around safety lever on handle), which can sometimes even clean out a carb enough to allow it to run and clean the carb out a bit more by itself... then at least you have a better idea what to look at doing next.
The OLD MAN at Eliminator Performance, amazing how many customers do not change their air filters nor make the proper adjustment on the Toro drive cable. If Toro increased the diameter of the drive gear on the wheel for full tooth engagement they would have no issues but you sell a lot of drive wheels i guess. Nice to see you do a mower video.
Thanks Wayne. Saw a very helpful Eliminator Performance video recently on a high resistance Honda spark plug cap. That was exactly my issue on a GX390. The secondary on the coil tested fine at 6500 ohms. The plug cap came in at 100,000 ohm and then when open circuit. th-cam.com/video/ejAX6Bn4WSo/w-d-xo.html
I disagree. I have this same engine on a husqvarna AWD someone gave me and there's always something up with it. I wish I had a way to put a manual choke and throttle on it. I also heard the cam shaft has plastic lobes on it. Thankfully I've never had to go that far into it.
I love your videos keep putting 👍great content out...i got my rum and coke, and watch a couple videos before turning in for the night...very thorough and clear instruction
Excellent job!! I would have put another 20 bucks and got a new blade. Still a very nice mower for resale or personal use. I think they designed them to fail, just not as fast as they do. I've come across some with an aluminum gear and they hold up better.
Hello there. Drive issue on that lawnmower. Tips of gears are barely engaging. There is no adjustment to it, but, you can fix that problem by bringing center of wheels closer to center of drive gear. wheel carrier plate could be drilled and nut weld on back side. Some measuring is needed of course....depending on skills and tools someone has. Keep up good work.
Crankshaft pulley will wear some, cause slippage. Belt change-out not much fun. Try snapper self-propelled for some interesting design. The original one, rear wheel with friction disk multi-speed.
I've seen other videos where they put shims in between that gold bracket and the frame to get the gears to line up better. And some guys replace the plastic gears wheels with the older medal gears, which last longer. I got a 2006 Toro similar to this with the metal gears.
For 40 bucks I'd sooner just push the mower. Good exercise. It's Dr recommended The wheel issue is mendable. Cut the threaded wheel mounting hole off and re attach it ( weld) closer or further which will give a better gear mesh.
Watching you repair generators and having an eye for detail , I was a little set back when you only gave the underside of the mower deck a hit and a promise. I would have thought you would use one of those plastic cleaning wheels on a side grinder to clean her up a bit.
if I was going to guess I would say you have a vacuum leak somewhere in the fuel system. When things get hot the system expands and stops surging. Take some WD-40 and look for leaks around the gaskets near the carb. and tank. Other than that you might have some slight blockage somewhere, but I didn't notice any when you had things apart. Outside of a weak spark those are two most common reasons for surge.
Yeah I'd definitely be more likely to try printing than buying some wheels, but that's because I already have a printer. Apparently some public libraries have 3d printers too?
Yeah the kind of plastic really matters, as does the design and printing direction. "Maker's Muse" channel has done a lot of 3d printed gears for high power brushless motors recently and the durability varied a lot even between brands of nominally similar varieties of plastic.
I remember that recall from years back in Consumer Reports. Once again it's a process of how can we design something so crappy to increase profits margins only to have a recall and shell out the money for that. Penny wise pound foolishness. Anyway, great find and repair. Hope you had no flooding in your area from Ida. We are good here. The tropics are teeming with activity.
20:55 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! for cleaning up the tank release ring.... I'm sitting here thinking please don't put it back together without cleaning that ring.... that would've bugged me to hell and back....... You had me in suspense there for a bit James..... 😂😂😂😂😂
I've only watched a couple minutes of the video. I love these videos, by the way, but after the oil level was right, I started wondering if the mower was filled with mix, causing it to smoke and start hard?? We will see 😊 Nope, great video and fix! Thanks, fun to watch and learn.
Nice job Looking at the back plate that the wheel mounts to looks like there is plenty of room above to drill and tap a new hole a bit closer to the drive gear if that’s possible ( don’t know what’s behind it) The only issue with that is the rear wheels will sit slightly lower but at least you could get more life out of the wheels / gears. The other option would be a small metal plate bolted to the back plate and sitting lower which would raise the rear wheels up. But that looks like the only options I can see without having to spend a lot of time and money sorting out what is a basic manufacturing issue If they made replacement gears out of stronger material and or made one of the sprockets slightly bigger would be a cure the manufacturer could have done but being the age of the mower and the fact that most manufacturers don’t care as long as it makes it out of warranty then it’s the customers problem
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Unlike modern cars, lawn power equipment still requires maintenance to keep them from failing before or during use. If you lack the skill and/or ability to service and repair your own equipment, your at an extreme disadvantage because your going to either be spending a lot of your money at the shop or constantly giving up on your equipment and buying new to replace it. Lucky for some of us who are glad to take your old machines off your hands and repair them for their own use or to resale. Good job with this Toro!
I had a lawncare business Hire some with integrity one young man ran right over a stump and ripped the engine right off.
Modern cars do to uless you want to "upgrade" every 5 years.
In these interesting times, I've seen pickups, suv, heck even those with trailers picking up people's discards to fix up and resale or use.
Next thing you'll see is box cart sized vehicles collecting it besides clothing donations
always refreshing seeing someone actually take some pride in what they do.
Thanks
Agreed!
Gosh you’re a joy to watch-you’re knowledgeable, meticulous, and oh so clean!!
I have a Toro mower similar to that one. I solved my problem by putting new rear wheels with the metal gears. They cost a few dollars more but well worth the price!
James, thanks a million.Listened 2 few guys, only u got 2 issue, thorough, great teacher, patient, knowledgeable, solved problem, learned lot from u. Thanks again, will continue 2 tune u on..... Efrain Sr.
I have used and repaired my own Toros for about ten years. Yes the rear drive wheel gears are a common issue. There is a replacement for the plastic geared wheels with metal ones and it’s a good idea to replace the small gears too. The wheels with the metal gears last much longer.
Ditty Wheels 4
New wheel 🎡
I love the Torro Personal pace system my 2000 mower is running great with just oil and filter changes. It smokes for a few seconds when cold but for 22 years not bad.
Watch many other with small engine repair but none compared to your abilities and thoroughness. And the way you present your videos are very complete.
Nice repair, Jim. I might add here that the trick to getting the mower deck to last a long time is to keep the bottom side of it clean and free from debris. The grass clumps hold moisture and the pH of the grass is slightly acidic, causing the deck to rust over time.
Keeping that mess off the top helps a lot, too. I was shocked, nay appalled, at the depth of the filth around the pulleys on the machine I ride a lot (beautiful black topsoil once you blow the grass clippings off the deck). It's a Deere, so the finish is coming off in sheets, not chips. I'm guessing I'll get to strip/treat/prime/paint it this winter, don't see the guy going for powder-coat, but a girl can dream. Probably be lucky to get real John Deere Yellow paint
Also, the washout actually works quite well but(and it's a big ol' fat but) you have to use it each and every time you run the mower, skip it once and debris start to cling and the port becomes useless in short order.
help to sand the deck and apply a can of undercoating, just be sure you prep it before spraying.
@@dixiechampagne2892 A powder coated mower? That's my dream too!
Nick sprays Rust-Oleum paint under deck after cleaning
I picked up one of these today but it has the 6.5 Tecumseh on it. People said didn't know what was wrong with it. Got it home and WAY overfilled with oil to the point there was so much oil in the cylinder it was almost hydrolocked. I drained out the excess oil, tipped it up and let oil drain out the plug hole, then fired on the first pull, doesn't even need the carb cleaned. Only thing it needs is a self propel cable then I can get it sold.
The only way I can see to fix it is either a larger drive gear or a different mounting plate for the wheels. It might be worth checking parts diagrams between years to see if the part numbers have changed or if there's an after market replacement for the parts.
My experience with the toro recycler drive wheels is that they use a par of bevel gears and a washer to control how much they mesh. The washer wears out as do the nylon teeth leading to the gearbox being unable to transfer much torque. A new gearbox is expensive, but putting a nylon washer between the housing andcthe bevel gear increases the mesh of the gears and it solves the issue much of the time.
Yes, you are right on the design issue. To bad there is not an after market fix for cheap. But you got it working good as new. Great job. Now get back to mowing. Thanks for the video.
Thanks!
I had the same issue with my wheels on my lawnmower. My local Toro dealer ordered some updated wheels and they have not failed in the five years since I installed them. Toro did refund me money for the previous set of wheels I had bought in the past. Glad I had the receipt. Thanks for the video. You do a great job and explain everything to us in language we can understand.
Love these videos. Simple fixes and sometimes massive repairs, but alway done well and explained… keep up the great content !!
Thanks Nick
That's a pretty nice mower to get for free, just a few simple fixes and a little tlc was needed, nice work James!
Thanks
Nice fix James, I recently had a mower that the air filter was so bad that it was sucking oil from the crankcase thur the breather tube. Changed the oil and filter and after running for a short time all the smoke stopped and ran great. Lack of maintenance again. Also try Fluid Film after cleaning under the mower deck, works great. Thanks for the video.
Great tips! Good to know that a dirty air filter can do that. Never thought of that.
These air filters are designed badly. Without a pre-filter they clog very fast in dusty conditions, and who wants to change the filter every time the gas tank is filled? When I mulch leaves with a mower like this one, that is about how long it would take for the filter to be clogged to the point where the engine has no power and is running very rich. Just adding a pre-filter would accomplish nothing since the air enters from the side and bottom. On mine, I have drilled a series of ~1/2" holes in the front of the housing, blocked off the normal air entry at the bottom, and added a foam pre-filter. It potentially could allow more water in in rainy conditions, but I do not do much lawn mowing in the rain. The change is a dramatic improvement. You still need to clean the pre-filter, but that is cheap and easy. Better but more work would be to remotely locate an air filter high on the handle where there is much less dust, although I have not yet tried that to see how well it works.
@@jimmonte9826 Man your right I had a one of those mowers and the filter was designed was just like you said you could not keep it clean and it would suck in oil and ruin the filter that was way over priced.I know it wasn't right but I took the crankcase breather hose off the filter and raped it in a pre filter foam.
I have one of these from about 2002. It has the 6.5 hp with primer bulb. No problems with the drive except once the gears got packed with mulch.
I had one of these mowers that stripped the drive wheel gears. They actually make upgraded wheels with a steel gear instead of plastic, problem permanently solved.
Until the tread wears out?
@@jcadult101 Things wear out with age... you should see my knees.
Another great quantim. Sometimes it is a few issues that add up. Thanks for balancing blades like I do. Great video. You took care with the auto choke reassembly. Nice
A good freebie!! Got to be happy with that. I do think the drive pinions should be bigger to engage. I'd love to get one of these mowers, take the back wheels off, then look at the drive gears, & make bigger ones from alloy bar using a mill cutter
I’m a big fan of yours. I wish I were as good at these small motors as you are.
Since you already had the wheels off I think I would have removed the pinion gears and cleaned up the spring loaded keys which if you look at the inside of the gear makes it a one way drive. This allows the pinion gears to act like a differential drive and reduces the strain on the plastic gears. Not that this would be a total cure, it would contribute to a little longer life of the plastic. gears. On the keys, I use never seize and wipe most of it off so it won't collect alot of dirt and seize up again. Some mowers use a pin instead of a key but theory is the same. Great video as usual.
I have one out in my yard and I noticed the same exact thing about the wheels. You saved me from breaking it down to figure out why. I thought it looked in too good of shape to be out by the curb. If the drive issue can't be fixed or modified to work without being engineered to fail, I could see me using the engine for a swap or maybe building some small contraption
Even $500 lawnmowers are now expendable and throw away. Where do people get the money to just throw things away like that I don’t get it
@@birdmountainboynope
I agree 100 percent. But because anyone lacking knowledge of small engine repair would have to pay a shop $80/hr labor plus parts to fix it. If you can get a brand new one for $300-$500 why would they want to spend $200+ to fix a 7 year old mower?
Ppp
Sometimes people have been thinking of an upgrade, and decide to do it when they have an issue, I give away free stuff because I'm upgrading, it still has a life after me and I get something new and better, nothing wrong with that.
It started in the mid 70's. I was a witness to the whole thing. People began to get lazy, but nothing like they are in the last 25 years. This is a whole new HELL!!!! 😦
Thanks for detailed video. Our similar rotary mower actually did catch fire once, but only petrol/gasoline and some grass got burned. The carburettor had a small leak, the exhaust/silencer next to it was damaged, and you can guess the rest of the story. Apart from a few burn-marks on the engine-casing, there was no damage!
thank you.
Very simple repair! Great job! A little cleaning, new wheels and VOILA!
Thanks!
you guys are lucky i can remember when a sling blade was state of the art for ( mowing) theb came the reel type they cut good very sharp i got 50 cent for about 2 hours work back then
File with a file, no heating issue with the blade material... if it's made with hardened steel. Unregulated heat can wipeout the temper.
GOOD fix and I was expecting a lot worse too. The Snapper I got from the Re-store for $15 had the differential with no stopper packed FULL of leaves. It took a new pinion, a plug and some 00 to fix that one and a Kawasaki motor off a dead Derre to make a bagger out of it. My electric start has a nice thick coat of oil base black all over the underside of the deck after an angler grinder wire brushing and blowing off. The charger came this morning and now for a battery and carb. I leave the cleaning up of that one to her since she says that 409 is too strong for me to mess with. No telling how many truck cabs it got rid of all the tobacco smoke and such but I'll never live to be sanitary! God Bless and THANKS!
I found that inside the adjuster is are two small bushings which can wear out. These help centralize the shaft better maintaining the distance between the pinion and plastic wheel gears. At most it would improve the meshing of gears by 0.030" (if they are worn out or paper thin on one side). Every little bit helps.
i started using a needle scaler (air) on the bottom of my mower decks. works fantastic. no scraping .
Man you are the Bob Ross of small engine repair! Thank you
8 mm & 1/4 maybe 3/8ths sockets used
Ten mm too
Yes, I agree he makes happy mowers! Listening to his instruction is very calming.
This summer there has been a lot of free mowers at the curb, all easy fixes too like this. Going to be some easy money this next spring
Free mowers on the curb? If u believe that Ive got sum ocean front property in Arizona.
@@elcomandante9299 little mijo sorry about your bad luck
everyone is going battery !
A tank with Seafoam has done wonders for me for a not perfectly running motor. Love the channel!
Yes, some SeaFoam in the gas for a few hours running has let me get away without pulling the carb. Why wasn’t THE FIRST thing did
Vacation Day, sips coffee , checks notifications....Big smile , Good morning James .....
I particularly liked the way that the beauty cover cleaned itself instantly with the touch of your hand.
This is hands down the best repair video on this mower on TH-cam. Well done. Subscribed.
When the air filter is plugged , it's normal for them to suck from the crank case vent tube drawing in oil. I wouldn't call that bad. I remember picking up a mower like that. Last year, I got one where you pulled the cord and oil would gush out the exhaust. It was trash. It was not over filled, just toast. Good video. I tell my customers it I'd absolutely essential to check that air filter a few times a year. Grass and dirt can plug up a filter easily. I like to take off the tins as well. Dollar store simply awesome works great for cleaning and degreasing an engine. Save yourself a few bucks on cleaners.
those smokers keep the mosquito's away.
Bought a toro 190cc recycler 22 for 50 bucks. Didn’t start, sprayed starting fluid and got it to surge. Replaced spark plug and air filter aswell as cleaning the carburetor. And as been running nice for 6 months
I have been given more of these mowers because of the wheel issues and Toro is aware of it. If there was a cheap supply of wheels that would be great because overall very good units!
You should align middle setting on height adjuster bar behind where wheel bolts on pry out till wheel stands up straight. Gears will mesh better. I flip little gear over use new side of teeth. Remember ALIGNMENT teeth will mesh better closer. Amazon had wheels last spring &12 a pair. Ordered 6 pair
What a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable video. Super photography, great audio and no stupid music. The work and explanations were all very nicely done. Kudos Sir! 😬 Subscribed and liked.
I use a big long pry bar to bend the wheel adjusters (pry between the wheel adjuster and the deck) to push the wheel gear closer to the drive gear. Over time, the metal gets bent, but a minor “tweak” brings them back into tight mesh again.
Thanks, just bought a used Craftsman 6.75 22" and basically all the wheels are bent inwards towards the top. Also was pretty filthy but it's harder to push than it should be and I'm thinking it's got to be the bent axles. I was really hoping they could be bent back instead of buying new adjuster assemblies and will try it this way.
Yes james, thank you for showing us these basic maintenance items. I've had this exact same model since 2013 and recently replaced both rear wheels as well as the drive belt. I replaced all of the drive components because I wasn't sure
Which was contributing more, worn out belt or worn out gears on the rear wheels. I also took the time to take the cover off and clean the whole mower, then sprayed a mixture of lots of dishwashing soap and hot water to clean the motor. Then sprayed carb cleaner in the carburetor; also took out the spark plug, sprayed inside the cylinder with carb cleaner. Had to change the oil because water got in the oil. Cleaned up the spark plug.
Use a concentrated mixture of very hot water and dishwashing detergent in a spray bottle. Then rinsed the whole machine off with a couple of handheld gallons of very hot water. Because I wanted to be pollution Free pollution on the cleaning job. Then I blew dry the entire machine. Now starts After the first pull. Thanks again for showing us how it's done.
Had the same problem with wheels. Purchased the wheels with metal gears but you have to change the drive gears too since the teeth wont mesh due to a different count of cogs.
I saw that. Was not in a rush to put more money into this mower. Am surprised the gears do not match.
I think many of the mowers come out of the same Chinese factory. I hate working on dirty engines and usually will clean them up first. I like to pull the spark plug to check the gap and see the condition. My neighbor started to mow her yard but shut it down she said it smelled funny. She said she had a guy change the oil and put a new blade. The blade was new so I looked at the oil. It had a dark gray smear at the bottom of the dip stick. I told her I would replace the oil . When I drained it about a teaspoon came out. After putting oil, it ran fine and didn't overheat. I didn't know the quick lube mechanics also did lawn mowers.
No kidding. Years ago brought my jeep YJ to a quick lube to do the manual transmission fluid change. After getting it back, had all sorts of problems shifting. Checked the fluid and they short changed me by about half the amount that should have been in there....
Excellent video. Excellent production quality. I had just repaired and sold a very similar Toro 22 self propelled mower earlier this week that had the exact same problem. Great job James - keep those videos coming!
Thanks!
Nice video. I have yet to see anyone flush the gas tank when doing a carb cleaning or replacement, I always do. Also, Toro doesn’t use in line fuel filters, which you can buy on Amazon, to keep dirt from getting into the carb. I like to add one when working/ repairing neighbors mowers.
That and a fuel shutoff, just not much fuel line to add all that :(
@@jcondon1 A shut off would be nice, but you are correct no room. Usually room for a filter
Un robinet et un filtre à carburant sont nécessaires, pour limiter les pannes sur ces petits carburateurs.
I saw a you tube small engine repairman recommend a Kawazaki fuel filter says the plastic type are junk also put inline shutoff valve.
I have the FWD version of this mower and the gear teeth are molded into the outer edge of the wheel, are wider and seem to mesh better than the RWD version. The drive gear looks the same as the RWD versions. Mine is a 2011 and I never had a problems with the drive system. FWD isn't for everyone though, especially if you bag or have hills, as the drive wheels can easily slip but I like the easier way it backs up and that you can push on the handlebar and easily maneuver the mower.
It is a good drive system. Have worked on many that work very well. Just this particular model someone made a mistake on.
Another great video. It mirrors my experience of getting mowers with "issues" that are often more about maintenance than actual repairs. Bad gas, filters and carburetors seem to be the most common failures. I use non-ethanol gasoline and synthetic oil exclusively in all my small engines. I also add fuel filters when I can. After every use I blow off the engine with compressed air. And blow out the air filters every three or four uses.
Way to go there. Nice mower. Wish I had that one when I was a kid pushing a Clinton
three WHEELED fixed mower. Whew! (but it ran good)
Yep my dad bought me a used three wheel mower and it lasted for years plus I mowed grass after school and weekend
Remember the basic 3.5 briggs back in the day were $29.oo way better than the push reel mowers we used as youngsters to make a few bucks.
Just rehabbed a similar Toro self propelled somebody got fed up with and kicked it to the curb. OK I'll take it. Rebuilt carb. fired it up. sold for $150. Easy money.. A neighbor threw out his troy built a couple of years old. Cleaned it up rebuilt carb. I'm keeping this one.
All Toros are good mowers but I prefer my 2 ancient 35 year old Toro self propelled recyclers with the Suzuki motors. Never had an issue with either, still use them. One is a 4 stroke Suzuki, other is a 2 stroke variety. The 2 stroke mower is much lighter then the 4 stroke. Easier to use on hills.
I like that some carbs are pretty clean on some engines. Makes the job so much easier to get done lol.
Surging on a Briggs & Stratton is often caused by air leaks in the intake manifold or the carburetor. On a Honda or Kohler, the pilot jet sits on top of the carburetor where it's easy for dirt to get into it.
Great video. You’ve inspired me to buy a $30 mower off craigslist (that runs and cuts but is smoking a little) and go through it. The mower in this video, I would have disconnected the drive mechanism as I like to push my mower. Thanks again!
Great little mower there. If only the tips of the gears are engaging try replacing the rear axle bearings that mount in the HOC plate, they may have too much play. You can also use the older wheels with steel gears (the LawnBoy version of this mower uses steel gears too). The surging on these Quantum engines is often caused by that gray plastic intake manifold coming loose where it attaches to the intake port, make sure those two little bolts are tight. The carb “O” ring may be worn too, either of those conditions will cause a vacuum leak and surging. Lastly check and re-torque the cylinder head bolts, particularly the three around the exhaust port. You will almost always find those three loose on a Quantum that hasn’t been serviced in a while.
My old Honda Buffalo surged from having Vac or seal leak
Something you should have done is clean and lube the drive sprokets. These need yearly maintenance as well. I use mineral oil which I learned from gun cleaning tutorials. Cheap and effective.
I’ve had 3 generations of toro recyclers just like these
1. They HAVE to warm up before they run good
2. Toro advertises its a “never change your oil” mower
3. Even my brand new one smokes on start up!
4. The oil quantity supplied by toro in box is too much
For the initial fill up!
5. It’s considered a disposable mower in today’s standards that’s why there’s no oil change needed.
6. Advertised horsepower is a joke! Mine is a 5.75hp
and I’d be shocked if it was 3.5hp at most.
7 if you don’t clean your toro “ every single time you use it” it will be junk before your first oil change!
So, what have we learned?
It’s disposable, needs more than advertised and it’s not what the rates specs claim…..
ITS CHINESE MADE JUNK!!!!
BUYER BEWARE!
It’s considered a disposable mower in today’s standards that’s why there’s no oil change needed.
This is a common misconception about these 'never change oil' small engines. I agree the quality has dropped and their life expectancy isn't nearly as long as older ones. However, these engines achieve the 'never change oil' because they are designed to burn oil. The engines consume about 25% of the oil every 40 hours. If your adding 25% of your oil every 40 hours, thats basically the same as changing it but over a longer period of time.
wannawin95 That’s certainly the case with the Honda SX I inherited from the in-laws when they moved to Florida years ago. This thing must be close to 45 years old and uses a tiny bit of oil every year and the oil always looks very clean. Great machine.
This is common among newer cars. Oil change intervals are way too long, oil breaks down and things like timing chains wear out unexpectedly, resulting sometimes on interference engines with destroyed top ends and worse. I stick to 3K mile changes no matter what. Cheap insurance. 👍🔧🧰🚗
The Toro Recycler and Personal Pace are at the top for the $400ish price point. They are NOT junk, their are A lot of them out in the field still running 20 years later. You sir, don't know what you are talking about.
@@mikespain8655 these mowers are indeed junk, you don't have a clue guy. I've seen them sell at home depot for less than 200$ even the lower end hondas with the gcv160 engines are better than theses piles of crap, its a embarrassment to the toro name. The old school toros with the aluminum decks, and 2 stroke suzuki engines put these to shame.
As I've learned from donyboy73, some carbs have a secret screen in the fuel inlet barb of the carb that can be clogged. Keep an eye out for those pesky things.
I think he said those were on the POWERMORE carbs.
@@ronnieso Yes, but They are not the only one with hidden screens or "filters" if you will. : )
@@bushmaster2936 Which other ones?
Nice fix. I always did away with the self propel system. I never needed it
Great video again. I just did my mower as well and found about three ounces of water in my tank. I do leave my mower outside but how would it get so much water? After cleaning the carb it is a one pull start. Also replaced the geared wheels all were stripped. It takes two and a half hours to mow my lawn. The only thing I might suggest is sharpening the blades away from all your equipment . I see a rotor nearby and other stuff that could get metal filings in them.
I love finding free or low cost stuff like this. I'm semi-retired and love to work on projects like this. I came across a deal with a very clean Toro Recycler (Not running and a valve cover leak) with a Briggs, and an old Troy Bilt with a Honda GVC 160 engine. Got both for $50. The Toro was a simple fix and is in use now. The Troy Bilt with the GVC 160 runs good but smokes. I'm gonna go through the engine and I'll get whatever it needs. The way it runs, I'm thinking a fresh set of rings and a carb clean. Honda is going to quit making gas powered lawn engines, (going all green), so I'm gonna get whatever the engine needs now while the parts are plentiful. Honda engines last forever. Oh, good job on your finds. You're like me, if I find something and think it's worth fixing, I'll take it. lol
good video. I was surprised to learn that the blade torque is only 35ftlb.
I think it ended up being higher according to the manual (50+). Wanted to make sure it was at least 35 before trying to start it.
Torque isn't necessary for the blade.
Ours we had issues with grass filling at the front and the blades were sharp and the shooting blade not the mulching...so we traded it and got a greenworks 80 volt...baller
I have the exact mower and l learned a few things about it if there is ever a drive issue. Thanks.
Another problem they have is the side discharger failure. After only a few times using it the plastic mounts fail and is no longer usable and falls off the machine when trying to use it. Thanks for another video.
Compacted grass that gets hot and burns usually means the auto choke has interference also. The belt drive on the PTO is probably worn and slipping. I haven’t watched the fix-phase here yet. I’m going to bet the carb is clean. I like to make my own calls to see if I’m right. In 50 years of mowing grass, edgers, trimmers, push mowers and riders, tillers, pressure washers and generators, I’ve NEVER had to take my equipment in for service. I do it myself. My last push mower lasted for 25 years, 10 of that in commercial service. (The deck had holes in it, so I gave it to a 13 year-old aspiring lawn care professional. His dad is a welder by profession!)
I have the same mower, in fact the 2010 model as well. As with any drive system, the bearings, bushings and the spacers wear out over time and in fact get "egged" out. This causes the drive gear to lose engagement with the wheel gear. So the solution for me was to replace those parts along with new steel gears and wheels that have steel gears as well. There used to be a guy on eBay that was selling these kits, but he no longer does that. I think you can get these parts from the Toro website. I did this a couple years back and it's worked well for me.
Greatly appreciate your channel. Thanks for the tip on the degreaser.
James, another very fine video. Methodical and predictable. Look it over, assess it, run it, clean it up and change the oil. Then use it. Growing up during the 1960's in a suburb of Detroit where people had fairly good paying jobs, they threw out mowers when they failed to run or start properly. Because (I thought at the time) there were just no repair shops, people went to Montgomery Wards, Sears and Roebucks or the local hardware store and bought new ones. For me it was a goldmine having people put old lawnmowers out at the road for rubbish collection. I collected them. I had so many engines from various lawnmowers one time an Uncle came over and upon seeing them remarked "You've got more little engines than Carter has little liver pills." That was my upbringing. Dad had a few tools and I used them to rip apart everyone of those little engines and learn all about them. For me the neatest thing was that after I had 3 or 4 of the same engine, one would have a bad part that another had that was still good. So I'd combine them and Voilà, I'd have a running engine. In short order I scrounged together an entire lawnmower. It was named after the man who created the Oldsmobile Car, Ransom Eli Olds. It said "REO" right on it. It was a 17" rotary mower that I used as I began my first real money making job mowing lawn for a very nice elderly lady Mrs. Climber. I split $5.00 with my best friend for mowing the front 1/2 of her 2 acre property about once per week. When she paid us I would immediately go down to my local auto parts store and buy a quart of Wolf's Head motor oil for 75¢ and then hit the corner Oak Gas station to fill a 2 gallon can for 50¢ Between mowing jobs, I worked on building a Go-Kart. It was strictly illegal to ride it on my dirt road, I was told by police. So I only made "trial" runs, but only seldom, just to see if what I had accomplished actually worked. Funny thing though; somehow I always managed to burn my 2 gallons of gas by the time the next mowing job was done. Thanks for the video, and conjuring up those old memories James. See you next time. ben/ michigan
Small engine repairmen are millionaires, Ha Ha Ha
Hi James. I bet you are good at jig saw puzzles because you are very methodical and have an eye for detail. Anyway, thanks for the educational videos. I always look for your latest offering. Cheers.
Excellent work. It cleaned up nicely. I was concerned about the oil dipstick getting knocked out while you were cleaning it. It didn’t happen but could have. Sometimes it’s a bit to easy being an armchair quarterback, forgive my pickiness.
I do the same thing when editing my videos. Always see things better when watching it after the fact.
@@jcondon1 new subscriber. I liked yr vd very neat, clean &professional work. Like yr explanation.keep up the good work.
You know people knock Toro and Murray mowers but I have found them to be excellent for parts and serviceability
Same here. They are easy to work on and get the job done.
Thank you, brother. I learn a little more with each of your videos.
Excellent job James. A nice mower there for someone. Thanks for uploading the video
Gentleman your show is outstanding, you are a complete professional and I express my gratitude, about the issue with the rear tracking wheels is that it is a comercial matter, if it doesn't break they make no money, a perfect repair would be finding a metal driving gear a little larger than the one on the equipment , perhaps Mc Master Carr have them in stock, from the endless summer paradise, giving you my most expensive thanks, Jesus Torres.
When your carb is dirty like that and you cleaned it. It may be that the fuel lines are breaking down, putting debree in the fuel bowl. It also is wise to add a fuel filter to the line
How often should I change the oil of the mower. Saludos desde la luz Michoacán México and thanks 🙏 a lot for the video
I'm not a fan of the thermostatic choke system, the primer bulb seems more straight forward. The last one I fixed, I swapped the carb and air cleaner housing for the primer bulb style. Starts first pull every time (after pressing the primer 3 times). Also the "personal pace" drive system is my least favorite setup on the Toro recyclers, unnecessarily complex .
I like a manual choke even better. Have full control. But agree in that (keep it simple).
I never understood this, people bothering to mention or even caring if a mower started on first pull opposed to 2nd or 3rd. For Pete's sake, you're about to mow a lawn yet pulling a string more than once for 4 extra seconds is a factor in that? If pulling a cord is such a hardship, take the cover off the top (or cut out an access hole just large enough) and spin start it with a socket on a cordless drill/driver/wrench/etc.
This is also a very handy thing to do when you have one that won't start, instead of continually pulling the cord you can be spraying carb cleaner in while you spin it (wrap bungee cord around safety lever on handle), which can sometimes even clean out a carb enough to allow it to run and clean the carb out a bit more by itself... then at least you have a better idea what to look at doing next.
@@jcondon1 I totally disagree. Auto-choke Rocks! That however is just my opinion. I just found your channel sir,.... Subscribed ! - Ed from Indy
@@stinkycheese804 Spinning the starter with a drill is a great way to hurt your hands.
@@stinkycheese804 the more you pull the more wear and tear on your shoulder.
Well done. If that little drive gear was slack adjustable that problem would not be as frequent as it is. Anyway, great video. Keep them coming.
The OLD MAN at Eliminator Performance, amazing how many customers do not change their air filters nor make the proper adjustment on the Toro drive cable. If Toro increased the diameter of the drive gear on the wheel for full tooth engagement they would have no issues but you sell a lot of drive wheels i guess. Nice to see you do a mower video.
Thanks Wayne. Saw a very helpful Eliminator Performance video recently on a high resistance Honda spark plug cap. That was exactly my issue on a GX390. The secondary on the coil tested fine at 6500 ohms. The plug cap came in at 100,000 ohm and then when open circuit. th-cam.com/video/ejAX6Bn4WSo/w-d-xo.html
That is a nice little Engine after a LTC.
I disagree. I have this same engine on a husqvarna AWD someone gave me and there's always something up with it. I wish I had a way to put a manual choke and throttle on it. I also heard the cam shaft has plastic lobes on it. Thankfully I've never had to go that far into it.
I love your videos keep putting 👍great content out...i got my rum and coke, and watch a couple videos before turning in for the night...very thorough and clear instruction
Thanks
Excellent job!! I would have put another 20 bucks and got a new blade.
Still a very nice mower for resale or personal use. I think they designed them to fail, just not as fast as they do. I've come across some with an aluminum gear and they hold up better.
Not designed to fail.....
Designed to a price....
@@ronjohnstonaustralia2417Tout à fait 👍.
I repair and sale used mowers and they all get a new blade also
Hello there. Drive issue on that lawnmower. Tips of gears are barely engaging. There is no adjustment to it, but, you can fix that problem by bringing center of wheels closer to center of drive gear. wheel carrier plate could be drilled and nut weld on back side. Some measuring is needed of course....depending on skills and tools someone has. Keep up good work.
Well that is how I balance blades as well. That is sad the recall doesn't include this mower. Great video Jim
Thanks Bruce. Thought of buying one of those fancy balancer tools, but this works just as well.
Crankshaft pulley will wear some, cause slippage. Belt change-out not much fun. Try snapper self-propelled for some interesting design. The original one, rear wheel with friction disk multi-speed.
I've seen other videos where they put shims in between that gold bracket and the frame to get the gears to line up better. And some guys replace the plastic gears wheels with the older medal gears, which last longer. I got a 2006 Toro similar to this with the metal gears.
For 40 bucks I'd sooner just push the mower. Good exercise. It's Dr recommended The wheel issue is mendable. Cut the threaded wheel mounting hole off and re attach it ( weld) closer or further which will give a better gear mesh.
Watching you repair generators and having an eye for detail , I was a little set back when you only gave the underside of the mower deck a hit and a promise. I would have thought you would use one of those plastic cleaning wheels on a side grinder to clean her up a bit.
My Brigg Platinum engine drinks only ethanol free gas. They love that stuff. Mine is on an old Sears mower with no self-propel.
if I was going to guess I would say you have a vacuum leak somewhere in the fuel system. When things get hot the system expands and stops surging. Take some WD-40 and look for leaks around the gaskets near the carb. and tank. Other than that you might have some slight blockage somewhere, but I didn't notice any when you had things apart. Outside of a weak spark those are two most common reasons for surge.
For the drive, the only thing that might work would be a slightly larger gear if one was available.
How about 3D printing new drive gears that are about 5 or 10 percent bigger. If you can get gears with proper tooth engagement it should be ok.
Sure Larry, the 3D printer is definitely more accessible and less expensive than some $40 mower wheels from Amazon.
Yeah I'd definitely be more likely to try printing than buying some wheels, but that's because I already have a printer. Apparently some public libraries have 3d printers too?
My son has one. He has made me a few parts, but they fail really quick. The plastics used on those printers have a low melting point.
Yeah the kind of plastic really matters, as does the design and printing direction. "Maker's Muse" channel has done a lot of 3d printed gears for high power brushless motors recently and the durability varied a lot even between brands of nominally similar varieties of plastic.
I remember that recall from years back in Consumer Reports. Once again it's a process of how can we design something so crappy to increase profits margins only to have a recall and shell out the money for that. Penny wise pound foolishness. Anyway, great find and repair. Hope you had no flooding in your area from Ida. We are good here. The tropics are teeming with activity.
Ida was exciting, but no flooding here.
20:55 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! for cleaning up the tank release ring.... I'm sitting here thinking please don't put it back together without cleaning that ring.... that would've bugged me to hell and back....... You had me in suspense there for a bit James..... 😂😂😂😂😂
I've only watched a couple minutes of the video. I love these videos, by the way, but after the oil level was right, I started wondering if the mower was filled with mix, causing it to smoke and start hard?? We will see 😊
Nope, great video and fix! Thanks, fun to watch and learn.
Nice job Looking at the back plate that the wheel mounts to looks like there is plenty of room above to drill and tap a new hole a bit closer to the drive gear if that’s possible ( don’t know what’s behind it)
The only issue with that is the rear wheels will sit slightly lower but at least you could get more life out of the wheels / gears.
The other option would be a small metal plate bolted to the back plate and sitting lower which would raise the rear wheels up. But that looks like the only options I can see without having to spend a lot of time and money sorting out what is a basic manufacturing issue
If they made replacement gears out of stronger material and or made one of the sprockets slightly bigger would be a cure the manufacturer could have done but being the age of the mower and the fact that most manufacturers don’t care as long as it makes it out of warranty then it’s the customers problem
I drill a new hole to bring the gear closer. Already fix several Toro. Only for person with skill.