5HP B&S on 60's-70's Tiller - Repair Questions

[KennyV]

Thanks, I appreciate it... Buy I don't think it is that rare... I think there are a lot of folks that will help when they get an opportunity....

To your question, You have an older engine that likely didn't have the best early life... and most likely has very worn oil rings, that's why it smokes... The rings are good enough to support compression & relative easy starts and no big indication of lacking power...
If the compression were down where it was hard to start, or if it really was lacking HP... You would then maybe have a cracked ring that over time would score the cylinder wall...
Again I don't think you have anything but bad oil rings... Will use a little oil and may foul the spark plug eventually but should not be a need to rebuild...

If it were a lawn mower, you would have to think about doing something sooner... But then a mower gets as much use in a mth as a tiller gets in a season... :smile:KennyV

 

[zman]

KennyV is giving you some good advice here. I've been doing exactly what he says with my tiller for the last 12-13 years. It's a RotoSpader or something like that, smokes like crazy. I struggle to get it started every year, check the oil frequently, and after it's hour of use, I'm done for the year. I don't smell too good after I'm done using it, but my wife would tell you that's how I finish up every day I'm home.

 

[natenkiki2004]

I'll revise my statement then, it's rare to find someone knowledgeable, willing to help AND someone who isn't condescending.

I'll agree though, I own 6 acres and mow maybe a third of it. I've lost count of mower hours, I'm probably past 25 hours now. I had the garden tilled with a tractor this year before I bought this one but I probably won't till more than an area 75x75 feet in a year. I don't mind a fouled spark plug, I'm going to get in the habit of checking them at the beginning of the season at the very least.

I know this is a controversial topic but is there any engine treatment that would be good for an older engine? I typically use Techron in my 5 gallon jug that fills up the mower and tillers. It's not overly expensive and I did read a lot, it tends to have more people liking it rather than some of the other snake oil products out there. I will look more into synthetic oil for next season like you recommended Kenny.

 

[KennyV]

Additives can be just a maze of 'testimonial' driven marketing... with most doing little or no harm, But also doing little or no good...

For fuel treatment, Techron is one of the better. To make it more economical you might look at Techron Concentrate... And there is likely no real need to always use it... it should be as effective every forth or so tank of fuel in your mower... Gasoline has a lot of additives as it comes from the pump...

Stay happily mowing:thumbsup: and till up your piece of Idaho... :smile:KennyV

 

[natenkiki2004]

Hehe, yea I bought the Techron Concentrate bottle. It lasts a long time and the cost is affordable, I'll keep using it.

I got all the parts in for the rototiller and I went down to make sure they were right and in the process I got side-tracked and realized I didn't have the tools with me to do all the repairs so I decided to drain the oil and check the gear fluid. When I changed the oil, it was pure black again. I've put maybe 2 hours at most on it since I last changed the oil, I would have expected it to be brown like my lawnmower's oil is even after 25 hours. Should I be concerned about this or should I just flush it a few more times and then change it at the beginning of the season? Also, something else has me worried, it seems like on slower revs that it will miss causing a puff of blue smoke. I'm going to clean the carb completely, will that solve it or is it just old age?

Sorry if these questions are noob-like but I do plan on using this tiller as my main unit (to replace an almost hand-held Stihl 3/4hp) and I would like to make sure that it's as healthy as possible as well as reliable.

 

[KennyV]

The puff of blue is probably oil burning...

Your oil may be black from what is already in the crankcase.... or it could be carbon from ring blow by. You are still starting easily so the rings are not that bad yet... I would not be too worried about it...
Another change after the next use should clean it up some...

:smile:KennyV

 

[natenkiki2004]

I actually am having some hard starting now but I think it's because of the choke. I must have pulled it a dozen times before I tried holding the choke closed with one hand and pulling the starter with the other and it fired right up. Problem is, which seems common, on these older B&S engines is that the choke actually gets sucked back open ever so slightly and I seem to need to have a fully closed choke and then open it halfway 2-3 seconds after pulling the starter. I'm learning