Two Toros, And They're Something Else

 First time I've worked on a Toro lawnmower, and this one was mated to a Honda GSV190 engine, and boy what a solid engine it is! I had worked on a GCV160 before, and it was a fairly easy engine to work on, with lots of power, smooth running, quiet, and easy to start.

This mower was no different, other than the fact that it had a slightly larger, and more powerful engine. It was just as quiet, and started with barely a pull.  My father in law (who's 85) could start it without much effort at all, and it brought a smile to his face when he started it.

The only issue with the Honda mower wasn't that it wouldn't start, but that the mowers both had broken wheels. It was annoying, but I found the parts, brand new, at a local Toro dealer.

Thankfully it was a pretty simple repair to get the wheel fixed. It was a broken height adjuster handle. 

However, this isn't about the repair, it's about the Toros.  Although the video centres on the one, it had a twin.
The second Toro was in a bit worse shape, overall.  I fixed the wheel on that one too, which had a similar problem. Even on the exact same side! 
The only difference between the two, was that one had a Mulch plug, and the other had a bag. That's it.

When I listed the first one I had repaired, the person that contacted me asked if I had more than one.
And if I work on them.  So I ended up with 3. He dropped off one for servicing. I tried and tried and tried to get the OEM carb fixed, I ran it thru the Ultrasonic, then blasted it out with carb cleaner, and finally, I just gave up and bought a new carb.

That's when it did something I was waiting for.... It idled.
That was the issue I was having with the original Carb, it wouldn't idle. I cleaned out the pilot circuit several times to try to get it to idle, but it just refused to idle. It would surge, then die. But at full throttle, it ran pretty good.

As for the second non-running Toro I had, well, that was a little different. It just needed a carb clean, and... A new spark plug!  I laughed when it actually needed a spark plug. I regapped it, no effect. 
So I took the spark plug, on a whim, from the customer's mower (I thought I was going to need to replace the carb on the second Toro), and popped it in, pulled it over, and it roared to life.
Dang! It's never the spark plug, but sometimes it is!

It happens from time to time.  In the end, customer was very happy with the transaction, especially when he heard his mower idle.  His words, "Wow! Now that it has never done before..."

So clearly it was in desperate need of attention. Very happy with the experience.

Definitely a mower I'll be on the watch out for!
The Honda GSV190 engine does a good job selling itself, however. The Honda reliability is legendary for a reason.

Anyway guys,

Chat soon!

Winterizing A 2-Stroke

2-Stroke engines, at least smaller ones, require a little bit more work when you're preparing them for winter. As they contain rubber diaphragms, which dislike ethanol, as it dries them out, not to mention the fuel likes break down with the ethanol fuel, faster than using regular fuel, and the UV rays damaging them. If you've ever seen rock hard fuel likes, or ones that fall apart just by looking at them, it likely means that it is Ethanol damaged, unless they're very old.

Opening the fuel cap on a Stihl BG30 Leaf Blower

A simple method to keep that from happening?  Add 2-stroke oil into the fuel tank, and pump it thru the carb.

Adding 2-stroke oil to the fuel tank

By doing this, you're essentially displacing the fuel, and keeping the diaphragm, and fuel lines, well lubricated.
This will help keep them from dying out, and falling apart.

The only thing is that, come summer, when you drain it all out, the first few minutes of run time, it'll likely smoke like a fire pit!  But that's okay, it'll help clear the air of mosquitos, and other biting pests!

When you have the fuel tank filled up, and you start priming the system, you'll notice that it gets quite difficult to get it to pump after a bit, this is because the oil is quite a bit thicker than 2-stroke fuel.
But that's okay, it's worth it in the end. The oil won't break down, it'll help keep the rubber lubricated and protected, and means saving money in the spring, when you get it out to use, and.... find that you can't get it started because the diaphragm has dried out.
It's either your time to fix it, if you're proficient, or your money, if you have to take it to a shop.
And if it's a home owner's model, well, then it'll likely be a "toss/sell" and get a new one, which means... more of your money!

Pumping the oil thru the system

Draining Out The Excess Oil

When you've finished priming the system, you can drain the excess out back into the bottle, or you can leave it in the tank, and pour it out in the spring when you get the machines back into service.

Anyway guys,

Chat soon!