Waking up an older Troy-Built horse...

slowrev · Mar 10, 2004

Tim,
I have a 71 vintage Troy built with a 6 HP Cast iron Tecumseh on it. Still going strong /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif And yes they do lunge a bit when hitting a root or something and the tires can't hold them back. Still a LOT better than wrestling a front tine tiller. The newer Troy Built tillers are nothing like the older ones. Not sure if anyone mentioned this but check/clean out the cooling fins on the motor good. Might smell cooked mouse and overheat the motor otherwise.

Good luck and happy tilling.

JazzDad · Mar 10, 2004

... and in case of cooked mouse, keep a bottle of ketchup at the ready. As Andy Griffith used to say, m-m-m-m good!

5030 · Mar 10, 2004

One thing worth mentioning is that the drive for the tiller shafts on the older-good troy bilts is a bronze worm. The worm lies at a 90 degree angle to the tine shafts. There are 2 seals, one on each tine shaft that contain the hypoid oil. I ruined one seal on mine when I inadvertently wound a coat hanger around the tine shaft and it rubbed the rubber seal. You do have to watch for any foreign objects that might get wound around the tine shafts. They can destroy the seal in short order.

If you can, remove the tines from the tine shafts and coat them with never seize and put them back on. Chances are they are already frozen to the shafts. If they aren't, put on the never seize so if you ever have to work on the final drive, you won't have to cut the tine carriers off.

timb · Mar 11, 2004

Daryl,

Good point. I know we replaced the tines themselves once after wearing out the original set - but I doubt we ever pulled the carriers off.

OK - really dumb question. I just looked on my "supplies" shelf and I have two weights of hypoid oil. One is a "75W-90" and one is an "85W-140". If the tiller calls for 90W under normal use/temp conditions - which is the better choice? (Both are GL5 hypoid). I think I'd lean toward the heavier - especially to compensate for older seals - but is that too heavy in this application?

Tim

fishman · Mar 11, 2004

My new Troybilt Bronco calls for 85-140 GL-5 oil if replacing the entire gear oil supply. Apparantly that is the original oil in the tiller. 80-90 was o.k. if adding only a few ounces to top it off, according to the manual.

I'm pretty impressed with the new tiller. The drive shaft looks very durable and at least from the description and drawings in the manual appears to be the same as the "old" tillers. Add that to a 5.5 hp Intek OHV and it seems like it should last.

5030 · Mar 11, 2004

Tim:

I'd go with 75/90 rather than the 85/140. Here is why. The GL5 or 4 rating for that matter indicates the relative resistance to shear and the lubricity. That is an API rating, obtained after extensive 1st. article testing.

You live in a relatively cold climate. The 85/140 will be extremely thick and resistive to movement and circulation in cooler temperatures like in the spring and fall when you are going to use the tiller the majority of the time. Because of the resistance the 85/140 would put on internal components, I think you'd run a higher risk of damaging a seal than with the lighter viscosity oil. Remember, the API rating is GL5 for either lube. The 85/140 will also absorb more horsepower from the engine allowing less horsepower to travel to the tines especially when cold. I always thought that 85/140 was a better choice than 75/90 or 80/90 too. I had a scenario a few years ago. In short, here it is...

I had a small Japanese car with a 5 speed manual gearbox. The box called for straight 90 weight GL4-5 hypoid oil. I though that 85-140 would be better. It was fine in the summer. Winter rolled around and one morning the ambient temperature was about 5 degrees. I was getting ready to go to work. I started the engine with the gearbox in neutral and the clutch depressed. The clutch had an interlock. After the engine started, I let out the clutch and promptly spun the clutch. The internal resistance that the cold 85/140 put on the pilot shaft as well as the gears, overcame the clutch. $400.00 later and a new clutch as well as the recommended 90 weight in the gearbox, I was ready to go again. Motto of the story, sometimes it's better to use a lighter gear oil, especially if the owners manual calls for it.

timb · Apr 6, 2004

After a 10 year (?) snooze, it's awake! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All it really took was some fresh gas, a plug cleaning, and some air in the tires. The engine oil was very clean, at the right level, and showed no sign of contamination that I could see. (The gas tank shutoff had been left open with about a quart of gas in the tank).

Shot a little spray gumout into the carb throat, then dropped a capful of 30 weight into the cylinder and cranked that around a bit with the plug out - then let it sit for a few hours while I took care of other chores. Repeated that step 1 more time - then after checking over things to make sure that bolts that were supposed to be tight were and pivots that weren't, weren't - I gave it a try.

No go - so I gave it a very short burst of starting fluid and it would pop a few times, actually blowing some of the added oil right out the (rusted out) muffler). A couple of tries later I was up to about 5-10 seconds of running before it would quit. Cleaned up the plug again - and it fired up for good. All the oil burned off fairly quickly and it settled out pretty well.

Took a little bit to shake the rust off the drive pulleys but I ran it around the yard for about 10 minutes forward and reverse - then tried it under load even though it's far too wet here to till yet. It settled right into the load without issue and would idle like a watch at the far end of the row.

It's going to get a full fluids change next week, a muffler, and a new air filter. I'll pick up a point/condensor set but I may not change that until I need it. Anyone know where I can get a gas tank shut off valve? This one just spins in place.

No other issues spotted, no leaks anywhere. Guess it's hard to keep a cast-iron old-fashioned Kohler down. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

bontai_Joe · Apr 7, 2004

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gifGotta love those old iron Kohlers. They are hard to kill, put out all the torque you will ever need and are easy to work on. I'm very glad to hear that you got it running and also glad to hear that you are gonna change all the fluids and out in fresh. Small price to pay for an engine that has been sleeping so long. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

timb · Apr 7, 2004

I'm glad it's going again as well... brings back good memories. Technically this was my Mom's tiller and although she was an avid gardener she never ran it herself.

When my brother and I ran this tiller for her back in the late 70's / early 80's (figured out it's a 1978 model) we changed oil at least twice a season. This tiller always got great maintenance back then. Never sat outdoors, and it was always put away in the off-season with all gas run out, fresh oil in the case and a shot of oil in the cylinder. By the late 80's Mum wasn't gardening much anymore and it sat for maybe five-six years. Then it was run once by a neighbor for my Mom without any prep when we weren't around and she got a notion she wanted to try a small garden again. Far as I know it sat untouched (under cover) for the 7-10 years since. So far it doesn't seem much the worse for the slumber.

I know Mum would be glad to hear it thumping along again.

Tim