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Hi Lawn Boy guys. Does anybody know if Lawn Boy ever put catalytic converters on any of their mowers to help meet emission standards ? Years ago I remember the nearest Toro dealer told me that Lawn Boy used them on their 2 strokes because of the EPA, and that added several pounds to the mower so that they were not as light anymore, being just a heavy as the 4 stroke Toro's. Last night I watched a Youtube video about a Duraforce mower that this guy bought. He said it had a catylitic converter on it. He showed the underneath of the mower and where the boxed in area is covering the elbow exhaust pipe, he said that was the converter. He sounded like a young teenager and I don't know if he knew what he was talking about or not. Someone had to have told him that. I have seen several youtube lawn boy videos with teenagers and young fellows bragging about their new finds, I think that is great that a new generation of guys are finding out about our old lawn boys. Any how, I didn't know if some M series mowers might have them or not. I have never really seen one in person.
If anyone knows anything about this, would you let me know? Thanks.
PS, I saw a video that a guy named ghost_wireless posted about a lawn mower auction. There was probably over 100 lawn boys and some were vintage. There was all kinds of parts for sale and also a couple of brand new F series mowers, never used at all. My mouth was watering. That was something to see. I just thought I would share this little story.
Jerry

Hi Jerry,

The Duraforce doesn't have a catalytic converter. The box (transfer chamber) the person is referring to, I think, was an attempt by Lawn-Boy to re burn any un burnt gas vapors, in the exhaust. So was it a emission control device, yes. Then there is the mysterious small square plastic tube that leads back into the air filter box. I think the owner manual i have for my 10323 (Duraforce) does mention emission control devices, I'll have to dig around in the mess I call home.

Not sure if you remember a company called Orbital? There were developing a 2 stoke engine they had planned to install in a car, but could never get it to pass emissions even after years of trying.

Regards

Jeff

Hi Jerry,

After thinking it about it for a bit, it's possible air was mixed with the exhaust to aid in more complete burning of the exhaust and lower emissions. Remember the air pumps on cars just when they switched over to unleaded gas?,,,did about the same thing.

Regards

Jeff

LOL,,,upon further review, please disregard my two previous posts,,,no timeout will be charged,,,LOL.

Ok, i found my owners manuals for my 10323 and 10547. It does mention catalytic converters and emission control devices. I'm thinking this wording was an EPA mandated legal jargon required because the engines were certified "EPA Phase I Non-Road Emissions regulations for engines under 19 kW. This product does not meet CARB TIER 1 regulations and cannot be sold in California". Also shows a warning sticker above it saying "the engine from this product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm."

So, if it wasn't even sold in California, why the California warning label? Again, legal jargon, they problably had to print it, even though it didn't pertain to their product.

My question is why the transfer chamber? It's NOT a catalytic converter. Those have some sort of platinum coated pellets to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. It's possible it was used to reduce the decibel level of the exhaust as the EPA did place restrictions on how loud an engine could be. Only a Lawn-Boy engineer could tell us that for sure. Kinda strange as my Honda HR17 has the exact same exhaust as the Lawn-Boy Duraforce. Exhausts routs under the deck, then make a U turn to a muffler on top of the deck,,,strange.

Regards

Jeff

Hi Jeff. I'm going to jump around here on a few random topics.
I worked on a duraforce once and had to take the exhaust off to change the bottom crank seal. That sure didn't look like a catalytic converter to me.
Those air pumps on cars were kind of a joke. I guess egr valves are to help clean up the exhaust too. When I was in high school I worked at a Sohio gas
station and used to see some 60's Saabs that were 2-stroke. I think they were 3 cylinders but not sure, Also there was a French Citroen that would stop once
in awhile. They sounded kind of neat. Back then my favorite bikes were 750 Kawasaki's. They were 3 cylinder 2 strokes that would scream. They had a unique sound to them. About 8 years ago when I gave up on my first lawn boy, I wanted another 2 stroke mower. I found an older commercial Toro that hadn't sold and sat around the hardware store for years. I came real close to buying it but backed out after seeing that it was a mulcher only. It had no side shute at all.
I don't care how powerful an engine is, when you get into tall grass a mulching mower doesn't do a very good job. Well anyhow, thanks for replying and for listening to me ramble.
Jerry

Hi Jerry,

I never worked at a gas station, but spent many hours wrenching on my cars. My dad owned a tool and die shop and would work on my cars there. I owned some pretty interesting cars in my life, my two most notable ones were a 1969 AMX with a 390 (a California car with zero rust) and 1973 Mustang convert with a 351 2bbl in it (bought from the original owner). Wish I still had those two. One of the grinder hands my dad hired was very knowledgable with auto body repair and taught me quite a bit about bump and painting.

Anyway, I can't afford 60's and 70's muscle cars and don't have the room to work on one, so I "morphed" to working on lawnmowers, rototillers and such. I plan to retire next year and start a small engine repair/reconditioned lawnmower sales shop. My wife is pretty tolerant of having lawnmowers filling our garage and basement,,,lol.

Regards

Jeff

Hi Jerry,

My "other" hobby is building small gas turbines, most people know them as jet engines. I have a Bridgeport mill (inherited from my dad) and small lathe (Emco Super 11) in my basement. These two turbines are based on Thomas Kamps and Kurt Schreckling designs, but enlarged 40%.

If you get REALLY bored, you can check out my YouTube video's, just do a search on Jeff Pittel. Some of the video's are how to, made for the members of the JATO forum (a forum for homebuilt jet engines). Some are actual starts. I've had the best luck with the Schreckling design, but my first build's carbon fiber compressor exploded at just over 30K,,,NOT FUN. I can't get my Kamps build to self sustain. Currently making a second Heineken turbine with a stronger carbon fiber compressor.

Could there be a turbine powered Lawn-Boy on my bucket list,,,maybe,,,LOL.

My apologies to the members of this forum for being so far off topic.

Regards

Jeff

Hi Guys,

No grass to cut now, so I've resumed work on my turbines. I finally got my Kamps turbine to run.

Regards

Jeff
https://youtu.be/PnRuXQP9U-A

jp1961 said:

Hi Jerry,

My "other" hobby is building small gas turbines, most people know them as jet engines. I have a Bridgeport mill (inherited from my dad) and small lathe (Emco Super 11) in my basement. These two turbines are based on Thomas Kamps and Kurt Schreckling designs, but enlarged 40%.

If you get REALLY bored, you can check out my YouTube video's, just do a search on Jeff Pittel. Some of the video's are how to, made for the members of the JATO forum (a forum for homebuilt jet engines). Some are actual starts. I've had the best luck with the Schreckling design, but my first build's carbon fiber compressor exploded at just over 30K,,,NOT FUN. I can't get my Kamps build to self sustain. Currently making a second Heineken turbine with a stronger carbon fiber compressor.

Could there be a turbine powered Lawn-Boy on my bucket list,,,maybe,,,LOL.

My apologies to the members of this forum for being so far off topic.

Regards

Jeff

Click to expand...

Here's a you-tube you may find interesting,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae3ju4rEGgQ&feature=youtu.be

I was a jet-eng mech. in the A.F. ( 66-70 ) I used to have a ton of flying model airplanes as a kid, always have and ALWAYS will, love aircraft, my # 1 favorite of course, is the fantastic SR-71 BlackBird... to this day, a modern miracle.

Thanks for posting the link to the R/C aircraft. Yeah, those guys have a TON of money wrapped up in those models, especially the ones with 2 turbines. Going over 20K is probably not hard to too, those guys have much deeper pockets than me.

Jeff

jp1961 said:

Thanks for posting the link to the R/C aircraft. Yeah, those guys have a TON of money wrapped up in those models, especially the ones with 2 turbines. Going over 20K is probably not hard to too, those guys have much deeper pockets than me.

Jeff

Click to expand...

YEAH I know that issue well, used to be a sign in the hobby-shop I patronized, it read :
What separates Men from Boys, .. Is the cost of their toy's ! I hated that *&^$#@%$# sign ! ..:laughing:..:laughing:

All this motorhead talk is great. It certainly reveals that us Lawn Boy fans have one common denominator-we love most anything involving internal combustion! My early interests began with motorcycles. I was an adolescent during the late 60’s and early 70’s when Japanese motorcycles were as common as house flies. What a great time to be alive! 2 stroke or 4 stroke, the roads were filled with these mechanical wonders that were cheap, looked beautiful, and could transport you away to wherever you wanted to go. My dreams of owning a bike were fulfilled when my Dad allowed me buy one as long as I got my driver’s license. He helped me cut a deal on my first motorcycle—a brand new 1973 Honda CB 125–paid for with my own money, of course. I was a fan of 4 strokes at the time and Honda was a dedicated 4 stroke motorcycle maker. I didn’t care for the noise or the smoke of the Yamahas, Suzukis, Kawasakis and (remember?), Bridgestones. But they sure were a lot faster.

After all those years of despising 2 strokes, I sure love the older Lawn Boys. Funny how that is. And another thing I find perplexing is how Lawn Boy had something that was elegantly simple and reliable, and with the stroke of a few beaureacrat pens, it became something complicated and (dare I say) homely looking. All because a small, noisy crowd said that those little 2 strokes were killing people by the thousands, not to mention, the planet. I often wonder if the day will come when a guy like me will be arrested for operating anything that uses internal combustion for power. I hope I’m enjoying Lawn Boy (and motorcycle) Heaven by then.

Just my three cents worth of ramblings.

Don't take much to amuse us gearheads and get us fired-up ! here's a pic of my 98cc. Ducati Bronco (circa 1960-65) A great little street bike for my paper-route. Yep the 60s were THEEEE years to be a teen with a license, Road-Rockets & Muscle-Cars ruled the roads.

As long as we're walking down memory lane, my love affair with the I/C engine began as a kid with Cox model airplanes and cars. What fun those little 1/2 A engines were, torquing off the neighbors with their high pitched scream, cutting your fingers on the prop and the castor oil in the fuel ruining your clothes,,,lol.

LeRoy Cox was a genius, keeping the tolerances on his engines down to millionths and doing so on modified screw making machines, unbelievable.

Regards

Jeff

jp1961 said:

As long as we're walking down memory lane, my love affair with the I/C engine began as a kid with Cox model airplanes and cars. What fun those little 1/2 A engines were, torquing off the neighbors with their high pitched scream, cutting your fingers on the prop and the castor oil in the fuel ruining your clothes,,,lol.

LeRoy Cox was a genius, keeping the tolerances on his engines down to millionths and doing so on modified screw making machines, unbelievable.

Regards

Jeff

Click to expand...

OH YAH—I forgot about those! On winter nights my friend and I would run these little cars with those engines in each other’s basements until the air had a blue haze. Loved the noise and the smell! But our Moms did not share that love.
I remember our cars were called “Baha Bugs”. The little Cox engine had a tiny recoil starter just like Dad’s lawnmower. I don’t know what ever happened to mine, but I do have a little grandson who was born with the “motor” gene. He would’ve loved it.

This is off the subject but I was just looking on craigslist, Cleveland, Ohio for lawn boy mowers and I came across someone that had a lot of about 60 Lawn boys for sale. I wish I had the money and room to keep them all. Hey Jeff wouldn't that be fun to have to start your own Lawn Boy shop shop?
I copied the browser address if anyone wants to take a look.
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/for/d/lawn-boy-lawn-mowers/6411005804.html
Jerry

viperv10 said:

This is off the subject but I was just looking on craigslist, Cleveland, Ohio for lawn boy mowers and I came across someone that had a lot of about 60 Lawn boys for sale. I wish I had the money and room to keep them all. Hey Jeff wouldn't that be fun to have to start your own Lawn Boy shop shop?
I copied the browser address if anyone wants to take a look.
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/for/d/lawn-boy-lawn-mowers/6411005804.html
Jerry

Click to expand...

Just makes your mouth water, fingers twitch,eyeballs pop out, drive ya crazy to no end !!

Hi Jerry,

I'd have to build a pole barn for those 60 mowers, but yeah, starting a repair/resale shop is something I'd consider.

Regards

Jeff