Toro Recycler engine swap?

[robb123]

I have an older Toro recycler with a Tecumseh LV 120 361541B engine. What newer Toro engine could I swap out with my mower?

 

[Ty_Bower]

I'm in the middle of re-powering an older SR4 with a blown Briggs flathead (125K02-0189-E1). It threw the connecting rod and blew a hole out the side of the case.

I wasn't particularly careful in selecting a replacement engine. I basically grabbed the first 190cc Briggs flathead (122T02-3824-B1) engine I saw. There's a few things I learned along the way, and if I did it again I might do a little more research up front.

1. The replacement engine really needs to have the same mounting pattern as the original. Both of my engines have the same three bolt pattern to attach to the deck. Some decks have "extra" holes. I suspect some engines do as well.
2. The replacement engine should have the same length PTO at the end of the crankshaft, and the mounting height (with respect to the deck) should agree. If not, you'll end up with a blade that sits too low or too high, and you get poor cutting/mulching performance. Some people have adapted an engine with too long of a PTO by using shims or spacers to raise the engine slightly. The Briggs engines I used both have 3-5/32 inch long PTO.
3. Most (all?) push mower engines have either a 25mm PTO (0.9838 inch) or a 7/8 inch PTO. You really want this to match, otherwise you are going to have a difficult time getting the blade adapter (driver) to match up. Edit: Looks like Toro has a driver (blade adapter) for engines with a 7/8" PTO. Toro part number 125-2500. I'm fairly certain it has a 3/16" key.
4. Most (all?) push mower engines have either a 3/16" or a 1/4" key seat. The Toro SR4 blade driver has the key welded inside, so you can't easily change it out. My blown engine had a 3/16" key (Toro blade driver #106-3987). The replacement engine came with a 1/4" key seat. I purchased a new blade driver (Toro #114-2774) with the correctly sized key. Both of these drivers are for 25mm PTO, by the way.
5. Most (all?) push mower engines are drilled and tapped for either a 3/8-24 blade bolt, or a 7/16-20 blade bolt. My blown engine had the larger bolt (Toro #105-8579). The replacement engine needed the smaller bolt (Toro #145-5695). Again, I purchased a new bolt so things would match up properly. I could have used a generic 3/8-24 bolt from the hardware store, but the SR4 blade has a 7/16 hole. It relies on the bolt to keep it centered. The proper Toro part has a 7/16" shoulder with a 3/8" thread, so everything just works. Also keep in mind that blade bolts probably ought to be grade 8 or better.

If you have a blade brake clutch, I'm sure there are additional complications. You may need to keep an eye on the deadman cable and/or the throttle cable if they are involved. I think the Toro Recycler has a lot of similarities with the SR4 (Super Recycler) so maybe some of the part numbers that worked for me will apply to you. Toro has fairly decent parts catalogs available on their web site. I'd suggest you get the documentation for your specific model. Briggs has a lot of documentation available for their engines and crankshafts, although sometimes you have to search a little harder to find it. You can probably get a Honda GCV160 to fit. Many Toros also came with a Loncin TXP 159cc motor.

Good luck.

 

[Ty_Bower]

I have an older Toro recycler with a Tecumseh LV 120 361541B engine. What newer Toro engine could I swap out with my mower?

So, I did a quick search. Looks like the Tecumseh LEV120-361541B engine has a 37692 crankshaft. Drawing is below.

It's got a standard sized 25mm PTO, 3-5/32" long with 3/16" key seat and 7/16-20 tap for the blade bolt. Look for a replacement engine with similar specs.

Briggs repower guide: https://www.briggsandstratton.com/c.../en_us/Files/FAQs/2016_RepowerEngineSpecs.pdf

I think the Loncin is a direct match.

Honda will probably need the 1/4" key and the 3/8-24 bolt.