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Planned or Not Obsolescence

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,424
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Well three days ago, tilled garden, OLD Troy Bilt Tiller my Father In Law sold to us for $200 MANY Years ago. Troy built does not have parts guides anymore for it is So antiquated yet NOT worn out. Main reason needing parts is after used three days ago, parked in Shop, went to start today and No Compression, Barking back thru the intake, either Seriously Stuck or smoked Intake valve. Briggs and Local shop NLA on head Gaskt, or Valves for this old cripple and I Do NOT want to spend a Grand for a replacement Tiller so started Engine Shopping, No Direct Replacement according to Briggs. Small Engine guy suspects Position of Output Shaft where nothing to bolt into where this one is. Man that sucks, Obsolete Engine that I cannot get repair parts on a Tiller Troy Bilt will not admit built.

Guess I am back in rock to a hard place as NEED to till five more slots in garden, just Need a tiller.
 

Acoals

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2019
Messages
1,271
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Jack of all trades/Master of none
Have you looked online? There has got to be head gaskets and valves for those old Briggs engines. I have an old generator with one of them, and my dad has an old Troy Bilt tiller, we have been able to get other parts for them. You have any numbers off the engine?
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,863
Location
WI
pull the plug and see if the valve is stuck and if you can tap it down. If it's a 7-8hp model, then a harbor freight 6hp engine bolts right in place, just need like 1/8" or so of shims to get the pulley to line up. or it may be a lot older than I'm thinking, need pics of the mounting style.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,424
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Had plug out, Intake is Burnt, as I could see into chamber under the head the Valve appears to also not drop to the seat so may have been cooking off during last bit of run. Buddy came over stuck boroscope in, Cylinder also has a gouge from roughly Top ring the length of stroke. Called around, after local small engine guy called me back on replacement engine, Aftermarket potentials and only after we get old one off to measure probably Chinese knockoff, at minimum $480 to somewhere around $600 plus shipping. NOT Absolutely certain will not have to construct shimming for mount. three to five days.

Ran numbers, figured lost time, bought a $750 completely new Yardmax Tiller at Rural King. Will deal with the old one as have time to, do not need to be dinking around while need to be setting plants.

 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I had a potential job recently, home standby generator with a Briggs engine, engine was making metal so we were going to just replace it. Well Briggs or nobody carries that engine any more, only made 10 years ago, V-twin Vanguard made in Japan. I think the bankruptcy Briggs just went through, kind of made them forget all history.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,424
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
What pizzed me off more than anything is the New Engines will NOT bolt or align where the old ones come off. Small engine guru here said would have to redrill tiller frame, make mount plate to reposition engine to align to driven equipment. So was figured in to remove the Old Stuff.
 

4x4ford

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
237
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Occupation
aunts on the strip Currently drive a 1951 chevy pa
Used to have an older troybilt horse that had an 8 horse Koehler used that thing for every thing had the factory bumper on worked great pushing cars in and out of the shop wish I had another one now
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,424
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Kid at Troy Bilt had no clue as to this one, tried looking ot up but s/n catalog online did not go back that far
 

mowingman

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
SE Ohio
Occupation
Retired
For parts, try "Jacks Small Engines". Fantastic website with many Troy bilt models listed, including parts diagrams.
 

TomA

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
143
Location
Mariposa, CA
I have re powered 2 Troybilt Horses with the 6 hp Predator engines they bolt right up. Big improvement, start on first pull, lots of power. I think all I had to do was change the small bolt in the end of the crank from NC to metric.
 
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