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Just thought I'd post some pics of the work I'm doing on my 8255. Although it runs very well and the motor seems to be mechanically good, I thought I'd clean it up and give it a little TLC. I'll get it back together when my new gaskets and seals arrive. This CL find was a good purchase.

Got to love CL

2smoked said:

Just thought I'd post some pics of the work I'm doing on my 8255. Although it runs very well and the motor seems to be mechanically good, I thought I'd clean it up and give it a little TLC. I'll get it back together when my new gaskets and seals arrive. This CL find was a good purchase.
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Nice!

Appreciate the pics.

CL is great for finds like this. Hope to see it all buttoned back up and in fine running condition.

Finally got it done. This has been my first experience with a D (481) series engine. I am so used to the F series, which is a much simpler motor. Although I like the F motor, I have now come to appreciate the D and I kind of like its more primitive appearance. You just have to be prepared to fiddle with ignition points and the little parts and pieces that make up the governor. I now have a good understanding of their differences and would not be afraid to tinker with another D motor Lawn Boy.

Here is a little summary of my work:

Installed a new coil (only $30 on "fleabay")
New air filter and spark plug
New exhaust port seal
New lower crankshaft seal (made a noticeable difference in power output and cured the oily leakage)
Cleaned out the carb
Cleaned out the muffler
Cleaned and adjusted the points and the shut-off switch
Installed a new primer hose
Sharpened and balanced the blade
Degreased the deck and the motor.

This little gem got it's first workout today and it runs beautifully. It's not a garage queen or museum piece but I like the overall shape I found it in. Glad I bought it.

Absolutely beautiful!

Nice work. I have worked on a D motor for a neighbor, but my LB is an F. Yeah, the F is easy to work on. D is a bit more tinkering.

I'm glad you replaced the crank seal. Amazing how this can be a power issue on 2 stroke. Obviously no issue with Reed Valves. Usually not, but at the age these are getting to, I suspect them more and more as an issue source, especially if everything else was done and you get no ignition.

I love the pics! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the compliments bt3.

One thing that I failed to mention involves the reassembling of the points wiring. When I first finished the mower, it did not run good at all-it just sputtered.
While trouble shooting the problem, I referred back to the service manual, and noticed an instruction about attaching the on-off switch wire to the condenser. It said to make sure that the connecter is not touching the armature plate. Well, sure enough, my connecter was very close to the plate- just close enough for engine vibration to intermittently short it out. Anyone who is working on a points ignition set-up will want to remember this little tidbit. Because the points are in a confined area of the plate, it is easy to overlook this.

My pleasure. Thanks for posting.

It's not that I don't appreciate my Commercial Snapper. I do. I bought it new in the mid 80's and it's a tank - literally. Built like one and weighs like one. However, there is something about a Lawnboy 2 stroke that I have always liked. Probably because my first bike was a Yamaha 125 Enduro 2 stroke. Lots of power for the size and weight. Same with Lawnboy. After hossing my overweight 70 lb Snapper around, the Lawnboy is anorexic by comparison. I just love LawnBoy mowers. I'm in the market for a Duraforce. Looking daily on CL. I'll find one sooner or later.

Anyway, you did a great job on that LawnBoy. I've owned my L21ZSM for about 8 years now (bought it used) and I try and keep it looking and running as good as possible.

bt3, I love Lawn Boys too for all the same reasons that you do, especially the lightweight part. That 8255 has the self propelled feature but I never bother to use it. My lawn is level and the mower is so light, there is no need to engage it. But if my leg power starts to give out with age, maybe it will see some use. On the subject of the DuraForce--I don't know where you live, but around here, there seems to be at least one DuraForce on CL everyday. I recently visited a lawn equipment bone yard about 30 miles from my house and saw at least 5 of them in pretty good shape. I would be willing to bet that some of them only needed a coil and some TLC to get going. That is another thing I like about 2 stroke Lawn Boys. If they don't run, it's usually a simple problem to diagnose and fix.
Personally, I prefer most Lawn Boys from about 1980 on back, especially F engine models with no safety features and aluminum decks. But to each his own. If I could just find a good brick top model for cheap, I think my collection would be complete (maybe).

Happy searching and mowing to you.

Thanks!

Well, I see some Duraforce listed, but sellers want too much for them. I'm not going to pay $100 for a used Duraforce from a private seller. From my dealer, when he went throught it with a fine tooth comb? Sure. Not from a private seller. Too much. I saw a Lawnboy on CL the other day (4 stroke late model) in excellent shape the guy was basically giving away to get it out of his garage for $20. I was tempted but I don't need another 2 stroke. I'll keep looking and sooner or later I'll find one priced reasonably.

I'm in the same boat with a fairly flat lawn - depending on the direction of mow - there is a slight rise from street to house if you mow in that direction. I pushed that Snapper Commercial around for years with a broken self propel. It was brutal. When I got the LawnBoy I couldn't believe how light it was. I never use the self propel on the LB. It's like I'm not pushing anything. And you are right. I could tear this L21zsm apart and put it back together in a day no problem. They are so easy to work on.

Thinking about my Yamaha 125 Enduro I had when I was a kid, that was oil injected. Great design. That smell was unique. I remember pouring in Yamalube 2 cycle oil into the Oil Injection chamber and then just filling the gas tank with regular gas. I always wanted a lawn mower with oil injection, but mixing is no big deal. I run synthetic at about 40:1 with no issues. Seems to work fine.

If I find a Duraforce, believe me, you'll know. I'll post it here PDQ and be tearing it apart for a cleaning and tinkering before you can say "2-Stroke". :smile:

bt3 said:

Absolutely beautiful!

Obviously no issue with Reed Valves. Usually not, but at the age these are getting to, I suspect them more and more as an issue source, especially if everything else was done and you get no ignition.

I love the pics! Thanks for sharing.

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Not so fast. I have had a number of Lawnboy mowers, of all motor models with defective reed valves. Rusted through. This generally happens if the mower is stored outside and it gets rained on repeatedly. Water gets thru the carb and settles on the reed valves, which causes them to rust. If they rust they can develop holes, or other factors that keep them from making an airtight seal.

Phototone said:

Not so fast. I have had a number of Lawnboy mowers, of all motor models with defective reed valves. Rusted through. This generally happens if the mower is stored outside and it gets rained on repeatedly. Water gets thru the carb and settles on the reed valves, which causes them to rust. If they rust they can develop holes, or other factors that keep them from making an airtight seal.

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I agree.

As I stated, at the age these LB's are getting to, I suspect Reed Valve issues more and more if I can't start. Easy to check by pulling the carb. Even if the Reeds are in tact, you have to make sure there is nothing holding them from sealing. Especially if you got a mower used. You never know if someone ran it without a filter, or let it sit in wet conditions. My mower is high and dry, but I always inspect the Reeds when I pull the Carb.