Couple quick LB questions:

Did LB make their own engines? Or were they made for them? I thought for some reason, that the 4.5 4-stroke on mine was a Tecumseh. I don't know where I got that Idea from......there's no badging on it at all, other than 'Lawn Boy' on the fan shroud. The badging that stuck out in my mind (that I mentioned in my oither thread) was off the Kawasaki on my JD. It's really simmilar to the Kaw, come to think of it........other than it's a flathead.......

Thanks in advance - she needs rings bad, and I wanna do a rering/gasket job on it before I install it on the new deck.......:smile: Thiink I found them......still no info on who made the engine, though.

Also, after looking at parts lists, I see there is a plate that goes under the blade - a 'mulching plate'. Since I am not going to be mulching, does it matter if I don't have this part? I just wondered if this piece is part of the overall design of the deck, and side-discharge performance would be affected in it's absence.

Here's what I'm talking about: (Part #13)

I'm pretty sure that the two-stroke engines that built the Lawn Boy reputation were made by OMC (Lawn Boy's parent) -- they also made two-stroke Evinrude boat engines, snow blower engines and lots of other things.

I think, but I'm not sure, that Lawn Boy did not make the four-stroke engines that they started installing after they stopped making the two-strokes.

I don't know about your mulching plate question.

Thanks, Two-Stroke.

I've not seen anything quite like this engine. It's like a briggs/tecumseh/honda mishmash. Parts are available - but they're from Canada....

The gennie LB blade I bought for it is part #612543-03. It says that replaces part #612543 (but, of course, not why). The new part is a "tri-cut", and looks totally different than what's in the pic - I wonder if this new blade replaces the blade/plate combo.

Anyone who can shed some light on this, I'd appreciate it. I'll buy the plate if it will make the mower perform better. But if this blade replaces that fan, it's overkill - and a waste of money.

There was a big recall on this mower, i see - regarding the mulching blade. It said stop using it immediately have the blade replaced.......hmmmmm

I think I know what the recall was about - when I got this mower, I checked out the blade - the wings were ground off-they went the wrong way (they pointed DOWN)! I thought some idiot put the blade on upside-down. They might have had a batch with the wings bent the wrong way.........the body (center) of the blade was right - but the rest of the blade was backward.......

Having worked assembly line before, I see how this would've happened - they lined up the plate with the center, and didn't even notice the cutting surface was on the wrong side, and the wings pointed down - because the center lined up fine, and the confusion of this plate would make it seem it was fine.........someone making $0.50 above minimum wage to replace the high-paid guy that'd been there forever who could've spotted this in a heartbeat......all the while, the slavemaster cracking the whip like a Viking over his rowing crew........yeah, it's all speculation, but I could SOOOOO see it happening.

A couple more thoughts:

Are you sure there's no model number on the mower at all? If so that's very unusual for Lawn Boy.

If you could post photos of the engine (preferably with the large plastic cover off) somebody might be able to ID it.

Two-Stroke said:

A couple more thoughts:

Are you sure there's no model number on the mower at all? If so that's very unusual for Lawn Boy.

If you could post photos of the engine (preferably with the large plastic cover off) somebody might be able to ID it.

Click to expand...

Oh, there's a model number on the deck - 10302 - but no ID on the engine, as is per the usual with anyone else....it is totally bereft of any markings at all (again, aside from the fan shroud).....maybe cast into the flywheel (which is shaped unlike anything I've ever seen). I just wondered....it looks for all intents and purposes, like a two-stroke......but it has valves and crankcase oil.......smokes like a two-stroke, too! :laughing:

Like I said, I found the rings and gaskets/seals.....just still don't know who made the engine. I'll update once I get it apart.

There are photos in my album (two of them are still in 'latest photos' at the bottom of the homepage), and the same photos in the last post I made in the"New deck" thread here.

Here you go:
Model Number 10302
Model Year 1997
Beginning Serial 7900001
Ending Serial 7999999
Product Name Silver Series Lawnmower
Product Brand Lawn-Boy
Product Type Walk Behind Mowers
Product Series 21" Steel Deck
Chassis Type Steel Deck WPM
Swath 21 inch
Discharge Mulcher
Safety System Zone Start
Engine/Motor Manufacturer Tecumseh
Engine/Motor Model TVS115-57905D
Engine/Motor Size 4.5 hp
Engine/Motor Type 4 Cycle
Engine Starter Recoil
Transmission Manu. Lawn-Boy
Transmission Model NA
Transmission Spds 1 Speed
Transmission Type Gear

Yea, that's a Tecumseh engine alright. you'll probably find the model # stamped into the sheet metal blower housing somewhere. As for the mulching fan, the blade tips would make air under the deck rise and the fan blade would blow it down making a circular air movement under the deck. This would blow the mulched grass down into the turf making it easier on the engine. You don't need it for blowing the grass out the side.