Opinion on buying a Lawn Boy

[Vervepipes]

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.

 

[beg]

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.

 

[Vervepipes]

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.

 

[Vervepipes]

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.

 

[Vervepipes]

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.

 

[unclelee]

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

 

[Two-Stroke]

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

 

[Phototone]

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.

 

[Vervepipes]

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.

 

[unclelee]

Mag decks will have this mark in the casting