HI all, I was recently given a Kirby Tecumseh Model HK30 off from a rescued Scott Bonner mower. It seemed like a good project as the motor turned over easily with reasonable compression. Unfortunately as it seemed to backfire rather severely I guessed that it must be out of time. In hind sight it may have been something else. With these motors you need to remove the head and flywheel to adjust the timing and while removing the fly wheel I broke the end off from the crankshaft. (Didn't think I hit it that hard, by the crystalline appearance of the break I guess it was a fault in the metal or metal fatigue). There is about half a thread left on the crankshaft.
Regardless it has made it a little bigger project then what I wanted to take on in a reward effort ratio.
If any one out there wants it they are free to collect it in West Australia or I am happy to drop the oil out of it put the pieces in a box and drop it at the post office.
It had a compression reading of 70psi before I pulled the head off, good regular spark. There are no obvious scratches or marks in the cylinder wall and I cannot feel any play in the piston. The cylinder head appears in good condition. The valves do not have any obvious marks on them but are badly carboned which may have been the problem. The only thing I am aware of that is missing is the fuel tank and the air cleaner. I want to keep the drive pulley shown in the photo.
Let me know if you are interested.
If I can get a large enough hammer it will run for awhile just trying to get away from me
Hi Byomarimba, Tecumesh are like that, just ask vint mow, he absolutely detests them for this reason. Hope he doesn't see this and gets himself worked up again
I have quite a few here that I just won't ever bother with and are heading off to scrap metal shortly. If anyone in South Australia wants them they are more than welcome to take them away.
Cheers, BB
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
In the past my posts have received encouraging supportive remarks, it does appear that I may have reached for the caterpillar hammer instead of the Kirby. It seems there is good reason to send the Kirby Tecumsehs off to the scrap metal dealer. I suspect in there day they were a great reliable little motor. How else could they survived when you need to take the head off to check the points. It would seem they are suffering from a metal fatigue in the 21st century as there are a few other posts with unexpected breakage. In any case it inspired me to see if I could make it go and at least my early diagnosis was proven correct in that it was seriously out of time. Probably firing about 20 degrees after TDC. If you loosen the ignition mounting plate too much it can slide off from the collar on the engine block giving you an incorrect reading when trying to set the timing. A simple matter of testing it again when tightened would have saved my predecessor a lot of grief and the motor would have ran.
I drilled out the centre of the crankshaft and tapped it with a 5/16" UNC. It was much easier then I expected. I had always thought crankshafts would be very hard steel. I vaguely recollect being told that they had a process to just harden the journals and leave the rest as mild steel.
Reset the timing (never would have had a chance of timing it without a post telling you how) and tested the spark at the lead using a drill to turn the motor over. It looked great. Reassembled it no spark. Pulled the flywheel off and I must have failed to clean all of the metal shavings out as the seal was leaking and flooded the points with oil. $3.00 for a new seal retimed it . It runs roughly just needs an air cleaner and a fuel tank so I can adjust the carburettor.
I would not recommend this process to any one, I just got the satisfaction of seeing it run after someone else had given up on it. At the end of the day it is still an old motor which is likely to let you down.
Thanks to everyone especially Mr Bonnar for their previous posts which gave me the smarts to make it work.
If I can get a large enough hammer it will run for awhile just trying to get away from me
Well done Byomarimba They aren't a bad engine, in my opinion.
I have one Tecumseh - on an Alroh edger. I don't know what model it is or the year. It starts first or second go, even after sitting 5 months in the shed (health issues meant projects were left).
The edger seems to be the sort of machine that was once cared for well, but then run into the ground by the next owner (or user). The oil was like custard (complete with a skin on top), the air filter was a piece of foam bed pillow.
Much to everyone's surprise, it started (with new oil and filter) 5th go. I cleaned and set the points, but forgot the timing. Half the chassis of the edger must be removed to gain access, making it a PITA.
Seems to be a good engine, but Briggs seems to be more consistent, and Victa 2 stroke more bulletproof
It's a shame most of the population are so anti the 'hassle' of mixing oil. A next door neighbor (renter) a couple of years ago had a Victa 2 stroke powertorque. The amount of lawn meant a 2 minute mow with an 18 inch Victa. Just before he moved out, he told me he 'usually' used oil in the mix - I guess it never got hot enough to seize. The oil he used to put in was what ever his missus had used in cooking the previous week - canola, vege or olive oil.
Mowerfreak, I got a similar 125 engined edger a couple of months ago. Runs great and makes plenty of noise with the bun muffler. Just picked up another 125 zip start from the tip yesterday - it was seized. Some ATF and oil, and a few hours to soak, it turns over great, pretty good for $5. piston not scratched and rings freely move. It has a black zip starter on it - like the one used on the silver VC 160 Autodrives - and (strangely) the starter pawls don't slip.
Now you are not suppose to kill the patient Bynomarimba.
