Don't laugh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, to hard!! UPDATE! progress pics

[Collector]

OK so I needed to get a rototiller, and i figured on getting a used one to save cash. I found this one on C.L got it for $75. Now I wouldnt say this thing came over on the Mayflower, it was here long before that! DW told me not to drag in another project, so I tried to sneak it into the garage before she came out and saw it, but I wasnt so lucky. The good news is when she got up this morning her eyes had stabilized alot and were not so loose and rolling around as much as they were last night. Then she asked me to take it out and till up the spot for her BB patch, I told her that the spading fork she gave me for my B-day was all that was required for such a small job. She had her hands on her hips when she asked me if it ran or not,I didnt have a chance to say a word just the look on my face triggered another spell. She asked me if I tried to start it or if it even had gas in it. [Oh, does anybody remember or need any Ethyl gasoline, cause I am pretty sure thats whats in this thing]. I told her of course i tried to start it, but I thought it needed a new spark plug. Luckily that convinced her to leave me alone cause she walked away very loudly for someone her size though. That gave me a chance to look it over a little closer. one of the first things I noticed was there was no engine tag on it so i could figure out the manufacturer or horse power [they probably couldnt figure out where to hang the stone tablet LOL]. Good thing is its a bottom shaft motor with no gear box on it so those kind of motors are a dime a dozen [problem solved there].Also I engaged it and pulled the rope a few times and the tines turned so the gearing still works. The tine shaft does have a lot of movement side to side and up and down so I am sure that it needs new bearings, races and bushings you know small stuff like that. I really think a got a good deal, hope I can get it going before next season [ dont count me out yet]. WELL HERE SHE IS!

You havnt heard the last of this [ and neither have I LOL]

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

I like it!

 

[hoodat]

I'm almost certain that's an old Bolens. When I had my plant nursery years ago that was what I rented out because they're very hard to tear up. One word of advice, get some practice in relatively soft soil first. If you aren't used to them those old front end tillers will drag you across the garden.
BTW most of them had Kohler engines with cast iron blocks.
On front tine tillers the depth is regulated by lifting up on the handles which tilts the tines into the ground. The big beginners mistake is lifting too high which causes the tines to take a deep bite and that's when it takes you for a ride (probably through your wifes favorite flower bed. )
Another mistake is trying to till with the wheels down. If it's a Bolens you should be able to swing the wheels up and pin them to expose the drag bar which acts as sort of a brake.

 

[Warthog]

Doesn'r matter on age, as long as it does the job you want it to, good luck getting it fixed up.

 

[journey11]

You havnt heard the last of this [ and neither have I LOL]

Enjoyed the story on it. You painted quite a picture! I could just imagine your wife's face as I read.

It will make for a good winter project anyway. Good luck! I hope you get 'er running! When you're handy with that sort of thing, you really can save some money.

 

[hoodat]

Pull the starter cord slowly till you have turned it over a couple of times. You should feel resistance build up and suddenly release as the valves open. that gives you an idea of the compresion. If the compresion feels good the trouble is almost certainly in the carburetor. If there doesn't seem to be much compresion pull the head and look at the valves. Be sure you have a new head gasket for it on hand first. It may take some looking online to find one for an engine that old. The valves can be lapped in with an old fashioned hurdy gurdy valve lapper. There are still plenty of them around. If you can't bring the compresion up it's best to get a new engine. Sleeving the old one can be done at a machine shop but it's expensive.
BTW old tillers are collectible by quite a few enthusiasts but it's unlikely an old Bolens would bring much on that market. they made too many and they were so tough they lasted for many years.

 

[Collector]

Well after spading up the dirt where DW wanted the berry patch pounding in the posts, then going and digging up the BB plants at the neihbors [about 15 miles one way] and mowing the grass I had about 1 hr to work on the tiller.
I was really thinking when I went to dig the BBs up I pulled the plug on the tiller and stopped at the IH dealer to get a new one. The guy at the counter looked through all of his cross reference manuals and told me that it must be an old plug cause none of his manuals had that plug number but it looked like a lawnmower plug. He went and grabbed a bunch of plugs and started matching them up until he found the perfect match.
So this afternoon I put the new plug in and fresh gas and started pulling on the rope no luck she wouldnt fire. Then I pulled the air cleaner off and dumped gas direct into the carburater [yes genius move] pulled it a couple times and she fired up at least until the carb ran out of gas.At least i know it just needs a carburater rebuild kit then it will run.
Next I tipped it up and took apart the lower drive unit. The bolts holding the tines on had never been removed I think . 2 of them broke and had to be driven out. once i got the tines off I took the bolts on the gear housing out and pulled it apart. More good luck the only thing wore out were the brass bushings on either side of the housing I can get new ones at Brown Bearing after work one day. While I was there I checked the bearings in the drive shaft between the upper pulleys and lower gear box they were in perfect condition. I took some more pics.



this is what it looked like when i took the lower unit apart.

this is a pic of the jack shaft gear that the tines bolt onto. the gear is in great shape.

this is the outer gear housing it shows the brass bushing that needs replaced.

this is not a very good pic but you can kinda see the bearing that goes up the drive shaft to the pulleys its in good shape and so is the top one. you can also see the worm gear its in great shape also.

I am suprized at how good of shape its in cosidering how old it is. yes this may seem boring to most folks but not to me. Plus I have to prove to my wife that its not a piece of junk [it really isnt]

 

[hoodat]

By Jove I think he's got it. That's looking a lot better than I thought it would. I believe you bought yourself a tiller. Those old carbs aren't hard to work on. A rebuild kit should get it back in shape.

 

[Collector]

By Jove I think he's got it. That's looking a lot better than I thought it would. I believe you bought yourself a tiller. Those old carbs aren't hard to work on. A rebuild kit should get it back in shape.

Yes hoodat I'm also suprized at what good condition It's in considering it's age. Took it apart just to see if it was even worth trying to save. The short answer was yes it is worth saving. It is a testament to how well built things used to be. I'm thinking while a have it all apart I will remove the motor and repair any damage then repaint it, sorta do a miny ground up restoration. Have checked around the net to try to match it with other tillers so far no luck but I did google gilson tillers and think I'm on the right track. It looks like tillers made in the mid 1960s. Will also goggle Bolens tillers. Thanks for your interest in this old tiller. Will keep posting as things progres.

 

[digitS']

Careful, Collector , you may lead people to think that everyone in this neck of the woods knows something about making machinery useful and how to work on an infernal combustion engine . . .

All I can say is that if it takes anything beyond WD-40, you'd find me fairly close to Ataloss . .

Here is Wishing You the Best of Luck!

Steve