Antique Lawn Mowers

2door · Apr 30, 2014

My neighbor who I've been friends with for well over twenty years has a 1968 Lawn Boy 2 stroke mower. Last fall he brought the thing over to me and asked if I could take a look at the pull start. It wasn't engaging. I found it had two springs, both broken. He went on the Internet and found a source for parts for this 46 year old mower. He ordered the parts, I installed them for him and the old machine served him well for the remained of the season.

This year he used it once but it didn't run too good then quit and refused to start. He brought it to me, again, and I started troubleshooting. Yes, it had ignition, fuel, and the choke was open but it didn't even pop when trying to start it. I had the plug out and did a compression check. Zero compression. I can hold my thumb over the plug hole and not feel a thing when you pull the rope.

He says he's going to put it out for the trash man to haul away but I started looking at the engine. It is a sweet looking little air cooled 2 stroke and I have to wonder what CC the thing is. The cylinder and head are an integral piece. The fins are round and it reminds me of the Russian predecessors of our Chinese HT engines. I told him I'd like to take the engine off the mower deck and "do an autopsy" to see what's wrong.
The old Lawn Boy is now in my garage. I'll let you know what I find.

Tom

maniac57 · Apr 30, 2014

It's my guess you will find a wasted cylinder due to lack of oil in the gas.
Hope I'm wrong, but no compression is never a good thing to fix, especially on these one piece cylinder/head combos

2door · Apr 30, 2014

My thoughts too but if he found recoil starter parts there's a good bet I might find what it needs. The engine just looks so good that I keep thinking about what it would look like on a bike. I would probably need a centrifugal clutch but not much else to make a neat antique looking motorized bicycle. When I get it apart I'll check the displacement and see what I've got then check where he found parts.

Tom

paintgun · Apr 30, 2014

Now this is just way too weird. I was thinking just yesterday if a Lawn Boy engine could be mounted to a bike. I have an old one out in the garage. It's a 1987 model I got 10 years ago for 50 bucks. About 3 years ago, I bought a used 4-stroke department store brand mower and decided to give the Boy a rest. Didn't use it for 2 years. Decided one day to put a drop of gas in it just to see if it would still run. Started on the 2nd pull. Seems they are almost indestructable. Unless, that is, you don't use premix in it.

maniac57 · Apr 30, 2014

2door said:
My thoughts too but if he found recoil starter parts there's a good bet I might find what it needs. The engine just looks so good that I keep thinking about what it would look like on a bike. I would probably need a centrifugal clutch but not much else to make a neat antique looking motorized bicycle. When I get it apart I'll check the displacement and see what I've got then check where he found parts.

Tom

I agree! They are very cool looking motors and the few I have used all ran like sewing machines! The only issue I see would be parts availability. If you can find the parts, by all means build something cool!
These engines are one of the reasons I love two strokes so much.
Simple, reliable and powerful!

GearNut · May 1, 2014

A few years back I found a worn out mower from the 70's. in the trash. I think it was a Lawn Boy, but I am not positive. It had a bad carburetor which was easily enough remedied by using an NT on it. It had great compression but no spark, it was a bad CDI/ coil unit. I went to what I was told was the best mower shop for old mower parts. This mower had Sachs engine.
Nobody there had even heard of a Sachs engine before.
Dead end...
Frustrated, I threw it away. Not even 3 months later I found the exact CDI/ coil for it in the 'net. I wasn't even looking for it, $19 shipped.
I hate Murphy and his damm law!

I vote for rebuilding it 2door. I bet it will make for a really good MB, or a lawn mower if that is what you choose to do with it.

xseler · May 1, 2014

Most old Lawnboys can be fixed by replacing the reed behind the carb (sometimes, you can just flip it over) & then put the machine on it's side, remove the muffler (it's under the deck) and remove the carbon from the exhaust ports (I believe there's 3). Almost bet that will do the trick.

A 'defective' reed will let the engine lose compression.

I used to repair a lot of these machines back in the 70's. Good luck!!

turnofftheradio · May 1, 2014

I think Lawn Boys are awesome. I'd love to see a build with one.

I've been looking through CL lately looking for one to use as a mower, since my mower is the only piece of equipment I have that takes straight gas. The prices are wild it seems, some are super cheap running, some are really pricey running. Some are more popular with the collectors, I can't tell the difference. There is a pretty big following for them as far as lawnmower collecting goes. I think they had an aluminum deck too?

Don't think I can link, but this is my favorite place for lawn stuff, with a sticky on lawnboy.
mytractorforum. com/showthread.php?t=208240
just delete the space between dotcom

silverbear · May 1, 2014

Interesting thread. I hope you can make it live again, Tom. A couple of years ago Curtis Fox & I were talking about the possibility of using a two stroke lawn boy for a bike build. Lots of them around, being two stroke it could be run in any position... pretty simple to swap a China girl carb for it... powerful... and best of all made in America. It seems to me that I recall someone here doing a build (or maybe just planning one) using an old Clinton 2 stroke mower engine. I had one of those that ran forever. Good to see American made engines on our home built bikes.
SB

BarryT · May 1, 2014

I'm sending this string to an old high school buddy of mine who is writing a book on antique lawn mowers. Much to his wife's chagrin, he's turned his living room into some sort of mower museum! Maybe he can provide some leads.. Although, he may blow us off due to the photo I sent him for his book: a Texas self-propeller, automatic fertilizing, lawn care unit. (A King Ranch Long horn)

fasteddy · May 1, 2014

Lawn Boy. That was the mower the Walton's used. My favorite mower was a Lawn Boy that I paid $20 for. Add a little extra oil and the skeeters got it as you mowed.

It will be interesting to see what you find as you take it apart.

Steve.

Moto pope · May 1, 2014

I bought an old 4 stroke motor from a 50's "Pioneer" reel-type mower. It runs great, but I figure it doesn't really have the power to run a mb. Fun just to play with, however.

Ludwig II · May 1, 2014

I bet you it does, but never as a performance item.

maniac57 · May 1, 2014

Moto pope said:
I bought an old 4 stroke motor from a 50's "Pioneer" reel-type mower. It runs great, but I figure it doesn't really have the power to run a mb. Fun just to play with, however.

With the proper gearing or belt ratio, it will toddle you around just fine!
Don't you remember minibikes?
Man I had some tiny 3hp briggs that flat SCREAMED with a straight pipe and motorcycle carbs....the nt is a super simple swap and works great on old flatheads.
DOOOOO ITTTTT!
dnut

Tinsmith · May 1, 2014

I keep my eyes open for an old Jacobsen reel type mower. Had a chance at one at auction last year it pristine condition but went way too high for me. Don't really know any of the specs on them but grew up using them on the farm and they look like they would mount fairly easily.
Dan

Moto pope · May 1, 2014

You almost have me talked into it! If I do, it will be a belt drive.

D.J. · May 2, 2014

This is my 2 stroke, air cooled/water cooled outboard. The same engine was used on lawnmowers. The base plate was different on the lawnmower. Water is forced through the little tube behind the prop to cool the exhaust in the outboard.

This is direct use of an air cooled outboard on a bicycle.

silverbear · May 2, 2014

DJ,
What make is that engine?
SB

D.J. · May 2, 2014

I don't know for sure. I believe that it is either a 60's Clinton or Eska.

maniac57 · May 2, 2014

It's a COOL engine is what!

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