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Hi, I have an opportunity to buy an old 1973 Lawn Boy. The owner says it was running 2 years ago but couldn't get it running last year. It looks to be in great shape physically and comes with the manual. The owner wants $50 for it. He doesn't know what it wrong with it, hasn't looked too deeply into it. Does this sound like it could be worth picking up?

if it has compression and is complete, deck not broken chipped or cracked...buy it. A restored 73 bricktop just sold on ebay for $1025+ $75 shipping

This one isn't a brick top I'll go have a peak at it

unclelee said:

if it has compression and is complete, deck not broken chipped or cracked...buy it. A restored 73 bricktop just sold on ebay for $1025+ $75 shipping

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Wow! I haven't checked eBay lately -- I guess the prices have gone up.

Lol...I had to take a screen shot

Just came back, it has a crack in the deck so I got it for free If I can get it running I'll use it as my personal mower, otherwise I can save it as a parts bin if I find another good deal on one. The shroud is missing a piece on top which has a piece of metal riveted onto it.

Here's a picture of the old girl. The crack shows up in the picture, I couldn't see it on the bottom of the deck though, just on the top. Not bad for a 20 minute drive's worth of gas and my time.

Vervepipes said:

Here's a picture of the old girl. The crack shows up in the picture, I couldn't see it on the bottom of the deck though, just on the top. Not bad for a 20 minute drive's worth of gas and my time.

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You might just have a crack in the paint -- not the deck.

Can't go wrong with an F-series engine.

A 19" mower is mower is rarer and more collectible -- at least down here in the US.

We scraped the paint off on a small area to verify, and it is definitely a metal crack. There is no flex to it though, it'll be good for my own use I think. Primer button is roch hard, I'll have to buy one later.

I looked in the gas tank and found parts of the fuel cap inside it. There was also a clear plastic tube, I couldn't identify wheat it belonged to right away, it is threaded female on one end. I'm heading out of town for the day so I'll take a pic later to help to identify it. I also put a splash of fresh gas in and trie to start it since the tank was actually empty despite what the seller said, and it was a no-go. There's a spare ignition module that came with it, so maybe I'll give that a try tomorrow.

So it has fuel but no spark. It came with a spare ignition module and with it swapped in, still no spark. I'm going to try to jump the on/off switch another time to strike that off the list.

assuming you have points
I had one that had no spark coil was good points looked okay the condenser was the culprit.Was informed by people with more know how that it most always is the condenser as it gets old and dries up.

I suppose it's a cheap enough part on Ebay that I can give that a go. It's been quite rainy and I've been up and down due to surgery. I want this mower as my personal mower because it's so light, and besides, with cracks in the deck it's worthless to sell like the others I've been repairing.

The recoil spring in my Honda HR194 broke so I decided to take the opportunity to try to get the Lawn Boy running. I ordered a replacement ignition unit and found that it would now run with the primer button pressed. I cleaned out the carb completely and put it back on and it runs! It was rough for the first few minutes and very smoky but I dialed in the adjustment and it runs beautifully. I love how the exhaust shoots the gas out of the discharge chute, and it doesn't slow down for anything. Still left to do on this mower is a replacement gas tank (this one is cracked) and to strip and verify if the cracks I spotted are indeed cracks, or if they are casting flaws. Being a '73 model, I'm not sure if it's magnesium or aluminum, maybe somebody can school me on it. If they are cracks, I'll have them welded, pretty sure there are a few VW specialty shops here in Halifax that can weld magnesium, and then re-paint. This free mower so far has cost me $30 for the ignition and nothing more, but I think it will be well worth the investment. I even have the original owners manual that goes with it.

I was driving to Peggy's Cove yesterday and saw a LawnBoy on the side of the road. I came to a screeching halt and it has a tank like I need with the correct "19" stickers!. Score!. Deck is rotten away and I haven't tried to start it but the engine will sit on a shelf for spare parts.

the magnesium decks I have seen have said magnesium in the casting....a drop of white vinegar on a magnesium deck will have a reaction......if it is aluminum there will be no reaction ( bubbles)....a few filings taken from hidden spot can also be tested for flammability as magnesium will burn
Lee

I think the alloy decks are the right blend of magnesium and alumnium. They're light, strong and will never rust. :thumbsup:

You can stabilize these cracks by drilling a small hole at each end of each crack (this relieves stress and prevents them from spreading), and putting a bolt washers and nut in each hole. Use locktite on bolt threads. Make sure your use short bolts that don't interfere with blade underneath. If you then repaint, it will hardly be noticed. I love the 19" size Lawnboy mowers. I have 3.

The one I just picked up curbside is definitely magnesium. It was on an oceanfront property and very much resembles salt damaged magnesium aircraft parts in the way it has corroded. Once the tank is swapped over and I'm happy with it's running state I'll decide on what course of action to take on the cracks. There may even be a few welders on the base here who would like a case of beer for a few minutes of work (standard currency here for small jobs). It does suck though that I just shelled out some coin to buy a new ignition only to find a spare for free a week later, but oh well, now I'm good for a long time. The bag blanking plate on the donor is much nicer than the one on my mower, it is still bright green where mine is almost brown, looks like it was poorly painted with something in the past. The donor's deck also hase some sort of spring mechanism on the rear of the deck. I haven't investigated to see what that is yet.

Mag decks will have this mark in the casting

Phototone said:

You can stabilize these cracks by drilling a small hole at each end of each crack (this relieves stress and prevents them from spreading), and putting a bolt washers and nut in each hole. Use locktite on bolt threads. Make sure your use short bolts that don't interfere with blade underneath. If you then repaint, it will hardly be noticed. I love the 19" size Lawnboy mowers. I have 3.

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Would a pop rivet work instead of bolt and nut?

I just replied to an add for another 19, this time a 1980 5277, These seem to popping up like crazy lately. I was the second visitor to the add so hopefully I was the first to respond. Waiting impatiently now because there was no phone number, just email. This one also has a manual but it also has a bag. I could put together one sweet mower with the other 2 I have, and have a spare to sell.

I parted out the one with the corroded deck and replaced a few parts on my runner with the possibly crocked deck. Looks nice now. I'll pull it into the basement for a good cleaning over the winter, re-gasket the carb and strip the paint off. I hope to get a good assessment of the cracks and maybe have it welded before spring, if it is indeed cracked and not just a casting flaw. New paint and clear coat in the sprring and it'll be good for another 40 years, given that I now have a complete spare F100 sitting on a shelf in case of emergency.

1973 is not so old. I have a 1960 Lawn boy with grass catcher I bought new in 1960. It runs good and I use it every year to mow around the back door of the house. I always cut off the tank valve and run it until it dies. I then turn it completely upside down to empty the tank. It usually starts on the third pull with the choke pulled. It has always been store in the shed. I'm wondering if it will last another 54 years, but since I am 78, I will be gone before then. :laughing:

(Click on thumbnail photo to enlarge)

graydog said:

1973 is not so old. I have a 1960 Lawn boy with grass catcher I bought new in 1960. It runs good and I use it every year to mow around the back door of the house. I always cut off the tank valve and run it until it dies. I then turn it completely upside down to empty the tank. It usually starts on the third pull with the choke pulled. It has always been store in the shed. I'm wondering if it will last another 54 years, but since I am 78, I will be gone before then. :laughing:

(Click on thumbnail photo to enlarge)

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That is a rare modle big brother...I have a 53, a 63, and a 64, amoung other newer modles..and they are all more common than yours.
Thanks for showing us a pic.
Lee

unclelee said:

That is a rare modle big brother...I have a 53, a 63, and a 64, amoung other newer modles..and they are all more common than yours.
Thanks for showing us a pic.
Lee

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They don't make 'em to last like that anymore.

:thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing about this, These older mowers are cool looking. Even more impressive they are still working after 40+ years!!! :thumbsup:

I'd love to find a very old mower, mine is 11 years older than I am but I'd like even older if I can find it. I missed out on a pair of gas reel mowers earlier this year.

Graydog,

That is one sweet ole LawnBoy. Gold and red color is awesome, thanks for posting the pics. I was born in 1961, so it's older than me,,,lol.

Jeff

graydog said:

1973 is not so old. I have a 1960 Lawn boy with grass catcher I bought new in 1960. It runs good and I use it every year to mow around the back door of the house. I always cut off the tank valve and run it until it dies. I then turn it completely upside down to empty the tank. It usually starts on the third pull with the choke pulled. It has always been store in the shed. I'm wondering if it will last another 54 years, but since I am 78, I will be gone before then. :laughing:

(Click on thumbnail photo to enlarge)

View attachment 24143

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My family had a Lawnboy of that vintage. That color. But not with the grass chute or self-propelled. I do remember we were told to turn off the gas and run the carb dry when finished mowing. Ours had the leading front wheel on an arm that was spring loaded, which was supposed to follow the contour of the yard better. It didn't. Lots of scalping. My dad put some washers and stuff on the spring to immobilize it, then the mower worked much better, no scalping.

I pulled the 1973 model 5247 into the basement utility room tonight and scraped the underside all around the cracks and it's for sure not all the way through the metal. Looking at it n
ow, it almost seems like a casting flaw because of the way the metal "overlaps" itself when scraped with a sharp knife. I couldn't find any "magnesium" label cast into the deck, I'm not sure where it would be but I took a quick look. I shaved a thin piece from an inconspicuous location, held it with some pliers and tried to light it but no dice, must be an aluminum deck. It was also a good time to try out my new Cannon Rebel T5

I'm not sure what to do with the white stuff on the top of the tank, both the original and this used replacement have the same white rough coating of sorts on it. I think it looks out of place and work out, maybe a shot of paint to cover it up. The front wheels need replacing, I could just drill and bush the hole, but the tire is in rough shape as well. The rears are sturdy. I'll start taking a few parts off here and there during the winter and clean it up in detergent, and strip he deck for a repaint when it gets warmer.

I found this video on youtube that shows a technique for refinishing old plastic. I just used on the fuel tank of the 6302 I just restored and it worked great.

How to Restore Faded Plastic Motorcycle Fenders (For free) - YouTube copy the title and paste it on youtube, it should bring it right up. I bet it will take care of the top of the tank.

The white stuff can be scraped off with a box blade...take your time..vinigar will react with magniesum (bubble) but will have no reaction with aluminum.
Lee

I think the guy who gave me this mower was confused. He gave me a "1973 Lawn-Boy owner's manual" and said it was original to the mower, but I think the serial number and aluminum deck point it to be a 1979.

Did a practice run on an old tank I had laying around....I didn't try to do it perfectly...just wanted to see how it worked.
A 73 would have a D series engine....the fins around your plug would be straight up and down...yours are at an angle....F series.
Lee.

Yes, I can see from the signs that the owner was mistaken, or was misled when he bought it from somebody who gave him that manual. In any case, I will try that method for sure and will keep an eye out for replacement decals as well. I will try my best to keep the mixing instructions intact as it is in great condition, and getting the correct bilingual one could prove challenging.

My first and only new mower I ever bought was a 5247 like yours except it was made in Galesburg, Illinois. That was in 1980. I was a first-time home owner and needed a lawn mower. I didn't know a lot about Lawn Boys back then except that they had 2-cycle engines and cost quite a bit more than many of the run-of-the-mill Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh powered mowers. I was attracted to the aluminum deck and the engine, thinking at the time that those features would reward me with a long service life. My Dad stopped over just when I was about to fire it up and use it for the first time. He immediately questioned my wisdom for buying a Lawn Boy, referring to it as "expensive 2-cycle junk". My reply to him was that I figured it would last me a long time with proper care.

34 years later, my Dad is now gone, but that same Lawn Boy is still running strong. In all that time of continued use, I have replaced wheels, spark plugs, air filters, carb float needle and seats, blades, crank seals, shut-off switch, the coil, and the filter cover. Motor internals have never been repaired or replaced. The deck, shroud, and handle have their original finishes. The gas tank developed a crack about 15 years ago, so I simply mounted an auxilliary tank to the rear of the deck. Considering all the wear and tear this mower has endured, it really wasn't all that expensive. No wonder that people (myself included) look for these old mowers and collect them. To me, they are worth buying and repairing and using.

And it also helps that they look nice with their beautiful green color.

It sure does stand out in a sea of black and red mowers

2smoked said:

My first and only new mower I ever bought was a 5247 like yours except it was made in Galesburg, Illinois. That was in 1980. I was a first-time home owner and needed a lawn mower. I didn't know a lot about Lawn Boys back then except that they had 2-cycle engines and cost quite a bit more than many of the run-of-the-mill Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh powered mowers. I was attracted to the aluminum deck and the engine, thinking at the time that those features would reward me with a long service life. My Dad stopped over just when I was about to fire it up and use it for the first time. He immediately questioned my wisdom for buying a Lawn Boy, referring to it as "expensive 2-cycle junk". My reply to him was that I figured it would last me a long time with proper care.

34 years later, my Dad is now gone, but that same Lawn Boy is still running strong. In all that time of continued use, I have replaced wheels, spark plugs, air filters, carb float needle and seats, blades, crank seals, shut-off switch, the coil, and the filter cover. Motor internals have never been repaired or replaced. The deck, shroud, and handle have their original finishes. The gas tank developed a crack about 15 years ago, so I simply mounted an auxilliary tank to the rear of the deck. Considering all the wear and tear this mower has endured, it really wasn't all that expensive. No wonder that people (myself included) look for these old mowers and collect them. To me, they are worth buying and repairing and using.

And it also helps that they look nice with their beautiful green color.

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It's great to hear that.

I bought one of my LBs (model 7266 -- 1977 -- suitcase shroud) from the original owner who only sold it because he quit cutting his own lawn.

The oxidized area of the shroud that outlines the area of the gas tank is a product of the interaction of the fuel and the shroud plastic. I just clean and paint the whole shroud with the same grabber green color High temp fuel resistant engine enamel that I repaint the deck with. Never yet had a problem with it.

My deck plate, the part that covers the bagging hole, is so badly oxidized that I'm not sure it's salvageable, at least the letters will be permanently screwed up. I have 2 spares, a correct coloured green one from a slightly newer F100 powered mower, and a black one from a newer style silver series, but from memory, the green one is deeper and not exactly the same. I'll have to see which works best. Right now the deck is stripped down to wheels, and the basic engine block. Plastics will get washed in mild detergent soon and will get stored until the rest is complete.

OK, so neither the silver series or the part's mower's deck plates work on this deck, they both overhang the front of the deck by 1/2 to 1 CM. I'll try to restore the original but I'm afraid that it may simply be too far gone and needs to be replaced with a better one. What I may do is install one of the spares until another like it pops up, or maybe even try to trim the black silver series plate and paint it. Other than the overhand it fits and does the job. The spares I have are dished where the original is not, and feels like a solid brick of plastic.

The tires and wheels are also pooched, I have the right size of ball bearing wheel for the rear that I picked up for my '67 Gilson snowblower, luckily I haven't welded the stub axles to them yet, so I just need to go pick up some wheels for the front.

Here it is, the deck is down to nothing but the deck, and the engine is removed. I think all I'll do to the engine for now is clean it up and paint the muffler, there is definitely no lack of compression and from a quick look the seals don't seem to be blowing by or leaking.



The plastic parts have almost all been washed in mild detergent, here is what I got done tonight.





The bolts for the handle brackets, engine mounts and wheel adjusters will be replaced with stainless steel to have a bit more resistance to galvanic corrosion, maybe I'll even put thin plastic washers between the bolt head/nuts and the deck to further increase resistance. I hate rust.

Well, that's all I have for tonight. Maybe this weekend I'll hit up a coin op car wash to pressure wash the engine and deck to get all the crud off. It's below freezing now so I can't use my own, it's hibernating in the basement next to the Lawn-Boy. If I'm done with the mower quickly enough, it's frame will be next for paint, and if I'm REALLY done fast, maybe the Toro will get the star treatment as well. Man I wish my garage was built already, I have such a small corner of the utility room to work in!

I pressure washed the deck today and picked up a few things to help me along. I got two ball bearing wheels for the front, the tread isn't the same, but it wasn't the same when I began the project anyways. I also picked up a small bench vise just large enough to hold the small parts that need grinding and painting, and some new wire wheel rotary tool bits. I need new wheel bolts, but the stores don't have those out anymore due to the seasonal change, so I may have to use some spares until I can get new ones. The originals are badly mushroomed at the ends and have the most wear I've ever seen on a wheel bolt. All the wheels are white, but since they were purchased at different times and are likely different manufacturers, I may paint them Chevy orange like the commercial wheels. I really want to get the deck done so that I can get parts back on as I complete them, but weather will be my enemy. There is a day with 11 degrees in the forecast but there is no way I can get it done by then. Since the deck is not cracked through, I think I may just stop drill and braze the visible cracks.

Looks like I'll be painting the wheels. On their own, each set looks very white, but put them together and the front wheels look almost bluish. No problem, just adds another stop to my list, I just hope I can mask the tires off well enough so it doesn't look bad. I started on the wheel adjusters too. I didn't bother with the axle bolts though, they are toast and are only on the adjusters to hold the washers until the new bolts are in. Pictures will come later tonight.

The engine is almost completely apart, the piston is still inside the cylinder but the case has been opened up. That's when I noticed during light cleaning that the bracket for the fuel tank is cracked almost completely off. Tomorrow I'll bring the spare F100 from the shed and if it's in better shape I'll use that engine block. Maybe the seals will be in good shape as well, but I'm not holding out any high hopes. From the little I could see inside the cylinder, the walls and piston are in great shape so it sucks that the bracket is cracked so badly. I'll try not to feel too down until I evaluate the spare. Worse case I use the best of both. The carb leaked on the original mower, the spare has a rotten muffler, already used the spare's tank. I hope to have the engine reassembled by the first week of the new year, what will slow me down is the shipping time on the seals, there is a Toro dealer in town but I don't know how good the old Lawn Boy stock is for availability. I'll make an ebay shopping list and compare prices.

The muffler has been degreased and will get the wire wheel treatment soon in prep for high heat paint. It is in VERY nice shape, looks like the self lubricating properties of the leaky seals has extended the life of this antique muffler.

As for the deck, I decided for sure that I'll try to braze the cracks. All adds that I've responded to for welding services do steel only, so I'm out of luck. Worse case it costs me a few bucks in brazing rods and it sucks, then I clean it up and pay somebody to do it properly, but I'm certain it will do the trick looking at videos of aminum brazing techniques. Long ramble over.

I've never had much success gas brazing aluminum. I bought special powder flux and the aluminum brazing rods. Results were not pretty. I'd try to find a welding shop that could TIG weld it. Make sure the deck isn't magnesium, trying to gas braze it would be disastrous.

Jeff

I've made sure it's aluminum by the build date and to be sure I tried to ignite a sliver. Aluminum it is. I pulled the spare engine in this morning, it's filthy so I suspect it needs both seals as well. The aluminum also seems very oxidized so I'm not sure this block will be better. When it warms up a bit more to the touch I'll start tearing it apart to investigate my best direction to go from here.

Dodged a bullet, the bracket is bolted onto the block, not part of the casting as I had thought. Makes sense now that I think about it but I didn't have a lot of time to take a good look at it. Work will resume later today I think.

Prices are cheap online, so I have bought a new intake, exhaust and carb bowl gasket, new needle and seat for good measure. I know some of the gaskets can be reused, but the exhaust one was toast and I'd rather spend the little bit of money to have a trouble free engine.

Also finally got my shipping quote for the oil seals today, so they're on the way too. This should make for a tight engine.

Everything came in the mail yesterday, as soon as the holiday rush is done I'll be slapping the engine back together.

I lost some steam over the holidays, a lot due to the utility room getting cluttered with stuff we moved around. I finally got to work today, the carb got a mild dish detergent bath and was rebuilt using new parts and gaskets. I also went out to Princess Auto and bought some self fluxing aluminum brazing rods. When I'm done cleaning up the wheel adjusters I'll turn my focus to the deck. I've decided that I'll use a brass wheel to remove the paint on the deck, I'll test a spot first to see if it mars the aluminum but I hope a soft metal like brass will be OK. Then I'll stop drill the cracks and braze them.

Anyways, first things first, pictures of the now clean carb. The cover has a few scratches that didn't come 100% clean but I'll call it good. I do need to buff that metal rod though...

Those plastic carbs are nice and simple and easy to clean. Yours is looking good.

I remember when mowers like yours were new. There were guys who would laugh at them because it had a "cheap plastic carb" and a "cheap 2-cycle engine". They spoke with pride because they refused to buy one of those "junky" Lawn-Boys. Well, all their so-called "better" mowers ended up on the scrap pile decades ago. Yes, I know some will say that everything wears out and that is true. But many vintage Lawn Boys are still going strong and all it takes is a little work and reasonable care and maintenance.

Looking forward to seeing yours running again.

That carb looks great! That's the first close look at a plastic Lawn Boy carb I've had. Pretty neat.

are you sure all the parts are on that carb?

Both carbs that I have are in the same condition, if anything (except the mounting screw caps) are missing then I'm unaware of it. Do you see something that I don't? This one is slightly different than the one that came on my working motor originally the the manner of securing the air filter cover, and there is a small hole in the front, that is the only missing thing I could think of but I'm going to modify the housing to fit the '79 style cover.

Geeze what a cool thread. Took me about 20 minutes to read the whole thing. GREAT pics OP. Love the cat nosing around the underside of the mower deck. Priceless.

My Gold series is not much different, just a bit updated, but the plastic carb is very similar. I've had a lot of issues with it over the years, but it's worth the work in my opinion. I have mine torn apart replacing the rings. I must have had the mixture set too low, or the rings just finally failed after decades, but there was little compression left so I had to tear it down.

Keep us posted. I'll look forward to the finished product.

I got around to the engine block... and broke a piston ring. It needs a bit more degreasing but will come out decent. The piston top and inside the cylinder don't have loads of carbon which makes life easier. I intend on trying to have the engine back together in a week's time frame, allowing me to work on brazing the deck cracks, but being winter it's not like I can do much painting anyways.