Small engine with points?

[2manyrocks]

Sometimes best to repower with a HF predator instead of chasing diagnosis and old parts.

 

[dfkrug]

We tore into the tiller today, rusty gas tank. This was given to him a few years ago and had sat unused for over 20 years roughly. He took the tank off and cleaned it out as best he could and coated the inside but it rusted again.

I have had some coated steel tanks on ATVs, and the coatings did not hold up well with 10% ethanol gas. If one is more fortunate, the rust (and the first pinholes) are mostly at the bottom of the tank and it can be patched and welded. Some early machines had soldered-in bungs in the fuel tanks, and that resulted in electrolysis.

I have also resorted to fabbing a new tank with stainless steel, but that is best when it is covered up with plastic panels.

This is where plastic tanks are clearly better, but sadly some new equipment still employ steel.

 

[2manyrocks]

Many of these old Troy Bilt tillers have sat out in the weather and had ethanol gas used in them. As long as the transmission and tines are still good, it's possible to end up with a better tiller than you can buy elsewhere today by repowering them with new engines that start more easily, run quieter, and don't burn as much gas. I've resisted putting a predator on my Horse model for years thinking that the 7hp Kohler is a fine engine and wanting to keep my tiller all OEM, but I'm tired of the hard starting, dealing with the points and condenser, etc. So my tiller is getting a new HF engine.

 

[Mike1955]

Many of these old Troy Bilt tillers have sat out in the weather and had ethanol gas used in them. As long as the transmission and tines are still good, it's possible to end up with a better tiller than you can buy elsewhere today by repowering them with new engines that start more easily, run quieter, and don't burn as much gas. I've resisted putting a predator on my Horse model for years thinking that the 7hp Kohler is a fine engine and wanting to keep my tiller all OEM, but I'm tired of the hard starting, dealing with the points and condenser, etc. So my tiller is getting a new HF engine.

2manyrocks. Let us know how it holds up for you. I’m on my third harbor freight motor on my tiller. Work great at first. Then lock up

 

[dodge man]

He was looking at a repower but it has two shafts coming out of the engine. I think ones for reverse, it’s a pretty unique engine setup that a repower probably wouldn’t work without a lot of fabrication.

 

[2manyrocks]

I would like to see a picture. Have not seen that on a tiller before.

 

[dodge man]

Here is a picture of it. The larger pulley on the right part of the engine case is part of the reverse setup. I’m not sure but I don’t think it’s a powered shaft but it does go into the engine. The main drive shaft has two pulleys and the belt can be swapped for slightly higher or lower ground speed.

 

[Jstpssng]

That's an old one. I had a Horse with a similar setup, but don't remember much about it. I do recall swapping the engine for a 5HP Tecumseh which my father had lying around.

 

[2manyrocks]

I suspect, but can't totally assure that Troy Bilt used commonly available engines with the same bolt patterns so they could offer engine options using the same mounting and accessory bolt patterns. It's possible that the reverse pulley would fit in the accessory mounting bolt hole on the HF predator, but I don't know for sure.

Also, Surplus Center currently has some new Kohler engines that might bolt up.

 

[Williy]

JB weld works. My gas tank on my 1974 Ford pickup
sprung a leak rusted and started to leak so cleaned the
area aro;und the rust spot and covered it with JB weld it
lasted for 10 years that I replaced the tank.

willy