Tired Tecumseh Troy-Bilt Tuffy Tiller - No Compression 

And to think I told you the previous owner was sure it was only a carb issue. Fooled ya! Lol. I’m glad I brought it to you rather than trying to dig into it myself. This was way beyond my ability. Great job, Jim. You’re still the best of the best! Hope you find it a good home.

My grandfather was born in 1918. Died in 2011. Saw it all. Learned to be frugal. Lived his life saving family & neighbor’s cars and equipment from the scrap yard. He would certainly love & appreciate your work.

I had that exact tiller! My wife's father bought it brand new sometime in the '70's or '80's, and used it a lot. When he died, we inherited it, and I used it several times over the last 23 years or so. Sometime last year (2022), it lost compression, and it was so old and beat up, that I decided not to fix it. I gave it to my gardener. He fixed it (stuck valve) and is still using it to this day. It's got to be 50 years old, and still going strong.

I've been looking for a used tiller for several years now and have been paying a reasonable charge to rent one. My hunt was accelerated when the business I rented from for all those years increased the rate over 100% this year (it's the same machine I've been renting for years). Last week I visited a garage sale and found this model offered for $25. The seller accepted my offer of $20. I did get it to start but only by spraying starting fluid into the carburetor. The starting cord was broken and I was able to use the remaining cord for a few pulls until it broke again. I watched your presentation from cover to cover as I believe that my machine has many, if not all, of the issues. I was delighted to find your presentation and hope to be able to make all of the repairs. You have provided me with a wealth of information on how to get my machine operating. Thank you.

I have one of those. One of the first things I did when new was to grease those axles, then put the wheels back on. They come with quick disconnect pins so you can take them out, push the wheel back, then re-install the pin so it can freewheel and you can roll it around with the engine off. If you forget to put the pins back to drive position and engage the tiller in the ground, hold on! Really god job on that tiller. Troy-bilts are good ones.

James, that pitted transmission shaft can be renewed with a "speedy sleeve"!

Another fine fix James. I wanted to mention a product in the heavy machinery industry we called them ( Speedy Sleeve ) Any place that sells Chicago Rawhide seals or a place like Motion Industries should carry them. They are a paper thin metal sleeve that fits onto the damaged or worn shaft where the seal would ride. You give them the seal part number you are using ( OEM ) and they will supply you with a speedy sleeve and the shaft seal to mate with that sleeve. An awesome product I have used for over 35 years on 350 to 1000 horse power gear boxes without any failures.

I’ve never had very good luck with Tecumseh engines. Good job!

Good job, Jim. When you were going to RTV the gear box plate, I was thinking...just make a gasket. And then...yep, good job! ;-)

Such a great design! I’ve been retired 10 years, limited funds and who knows how much time I have left!!! But I recently bought a well beat Silver fox cart, restored and repaired and reinforced the frame, extended the rear chassis to fit a Duromax 440, improved the brakes, added lights and have a lot of fun with it! You’re never too old!!!! You’re only as old as you let yourself be!! I have a Baja Warrior I have done a lot of mods to also!

I swear, I've been watching you too long. I ordered a roll of gasket material yesterday for those "Just in case" moments, and here you are using it today! By no means am I close to hanging with the big boys like yourself, but you and a few others have inspired me and not to mention taught me so much and for that I am grateful, so thank you!

Your attention to detail always astounds me, you find the small things a lot of us miss, great fix, and great video as always!

This😊wasn’t what I expected. Found it very interesting. This guy can do everything. It’s nice he is so skilled.

My son walked by while I was watching this one and said "Oh you're watching Mustie". I said no this guy actually buys new parts for machines!

The older Troy Bilts were awesome! (Not so much the newer MTD clones...) My mom had one of the 5 HP Pony models and it did a beautiful job. It's only downfall was it was a little undersized for the area of her gardens, but she was scared the bigger Horse model would have been too hard for her to handle. Great job getting it back up to operational status and I found the meticulous cleaning of the top end very rewarding :).

You can use a spring tightly fitted over a hose to prevent collapse in a tight bend. Also, there are fuel shutoff valves with a 90 to connect at a right angle. Great video with good tips and info.

James ,, I've been watching you foy quite sometime now. i am 75 years old now and I've had learned a lot from your cha

The Tecumseh engines seem to go for ever especially if the oil is checked regularly. I have a 20yr old Ariens 1128 snowblower with a Tecumseh 11hp, it has no trouble moving snow. I gave the blower a bit of TLC last year and rebuilt the drive, this year I will rebuild the auger section. The blower is built far better than todays machines. Thankyou for your quite detailed and informative RU-vid videos, I enjoy watching someone else work on equipment having retired out of industrial engineering after 50yrs of challenge lol.

James, what I'm about to say I mean in the most respectful way... You should change the name of this channel to "Mr. Condon's Neighborhood"! You are with out a doubt the "Fred Rogers" of small engine repair. You are so patient, so thorough, and that soothing and calm voice... at 60 years old I feel like a kid again with every episode; I learn something new about small engine repairs but I also learn how to be a calmer and better neighbor! :) Thank you, Sir!

Wow, that machine was totally beat up and not cared for. You brought it back to life!

I love the way the choke lever allows the careless operator to touch the uninsulated plug ..... I have (not so) fond memories of reaching to shut off the press to close fuel tap on our old Victa mower - the tap was located directly above the spark plug. I came to on my backside 10 feet behind the mower which was still idling away...... That was 60 years ago, never forgotten 😂

I want to say thank you ! Great video, well illustrated and explained.

I have just completed the same task, on the B&S side valve motor. No compression; exhaust valve not sealing. I made me feel good, that l had done it right, when l watched this. This is one of my most favoured channels; thank you !

you live dangerously James, I would of tied the knot before cutting the pull cord. thank you for the video!

You're an awesome excellent small engine mechanic and possibly a large engine mechanic too! Thanks so much for sharing I really enjoyed watching and learned while watching!😊

GOOD fix! I got a horse model with a blown Tecumseh and put a Wisconsin Robin on it and swapped it for 2 Gravelys which made one good one. My dad got a horse YEARS ago with a 7 horse Kohler that is still going. I stored it but he needed it and still uses it. They're tough and will jump like a deer if you hit a hard place or a rock just right. And the loss of oil is as we both know that who was running it didn't check it. Good deal and God Bless

I was so glad that James repaired the ignition wire instead of ordering an oem one, but my happiness was short-lived when an oem gas tank was ordered instead of trying to fix a minor crack.

My father bought a Troy-Bilt tiller in 1969. Back then they were made with cast iron and the tines rotated opposite of the direction of travel. He had a large garden and tilled it every week from April to November. Every winter he would replace the front shaft seal and the seals on the tine shafts. Dirt just tore them up. His has a lever for several speeds forward and reverse and I think the wheels can drive without the tines rotating. It has been sitting in my storage building since about 2004.

I recently swapped the engine on my family's lawn mower, thinking it was beyond repair of any kind. It had no compressjon like this one. I ended up tsking the engine to my workshop, tore it apart, lapped the valve's and adjusted rhem by grinding them (flathead engine), and I once again had compression. Its not as good as it should be, so im sure its down on power still. But i got it running, and i ended up doing something fun with it instead of using it on a lawnmower. I tore it completely to bits again, and installed a oil splasher and did some other minor modifications to the oiling system. Then i changed the orientation of rhe carburetor, built my own governor linkage to convert the governor into horizontal mode using parts from a old radio and some nylon string. I made a horizontal engine out of a vertical engine. And ive put about an hour of runtime on it so far without any issues whatsoever, and im now in the process of building a small generator with it :) nothinf crazy powerful, just something that can output about 1000 watts or so, using a induction motor wirh capacitor excitation as alternator, works great. The engine will never have as much power as it should, but in my application, it'll work more than well enough! And if it fails, i can easily swap it with any off the shelf engine. My frame is entirely home built and easy to modify. Love your videos James, you're a huge inspiration for me!

For some reason I've been watching your videos for over a year and I thought you were like 25. You sound very young lol. I saw you cutting grass and realized you're my dads age haha! You're awesome dude these guys my age think they know what they're doing some of these channels are funny like Mr Tecumseh.

Yup... Valve adjustments on those old T's where grind, check & grind.

I have a Troy-bilt Pony tiller with Tecumseh engine made by the original Troy-bilt company. May be the same engine. This was purchased in the mid-80's. It is kept indoors. The paint has faded over the years, but the engine starts easily and runs well. I also had a leak at the tine end of the gearbox. Easy to fix that leak. Glad your tiller is back to a good second life. Dave.

All over RU-vid, there are videos that claim to be satisfying. It's videos like this one that bring something back to life with minimal expense that are satisfying for me. I have a David Bradly tiller built in 1950 that the engine died in spectacular fashion. The tines were worn to nubs and barely moved the dirt anymore. I got a new engine and made 18 new tines out of flat stock and put it all on the old frame that weighed more than the new engine and old one combined. This thing is now a dirt digging beast.

Looks like Mickey and Minnie had that Kill wire insulation for lunch! Love them Tecumsehs!

The worn gearbox input shaft looks like a perfect application for a Speedi-Sleeve.

A little TLC brought this work horse back for more years of service. Great video as usual.

What a beauty they were and this one still is. That's a Cadillac in tilling world.

Jim, with regards to that pully, you are one lucky puppy. :)

This was another great video, with fantastic editing. The time and attention you put into these projects is really paying off. Thank you for sharing!

It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, James. Another great machine saved and revived 👏

My Dad bought one of these in the early 1980s with a cast iron sleeve Koehler engine, made in America. Ran like a tank, started first pull

Im more than looking forward to what else this guy brought for you to work on

James. This was another one of those shaggy dog repair / restoration jobs. Kudos. It takes a lot of patience to keep after it. Good catch seeing the milky transmission oil. And so as not to disappoint when draining the oil a second time you found the gas tank leaks. Gremlins are like that. I am presently restoring a 1976 Horse. The manual for that machine goes into great detail on how to shim all the bearings to the correct clearance. There is a source for a PDF shop manual for the horse on line. It is quite clear that the driveshaft must be shimmed to eliminate almost all front to back play. You may want to check to see if that gasket you made is the correct thickness to get the right bearing clearance. According to the manual after final assembly there should only a "trace" of end play in the shaft. Since every video you do I learn something new I thought I'd try to reciprocate and throw in a crumb of helpful info. They always work better if they're clean! Keep the great videos coming.

Always informative ! --- Best on YT !

You and your counterpart on another channel have taught this old dog so much. The way you follow a very direct testing path to get to the heart of each issue is just amazing. I watch every video no matter what the machine is. Thanks for every one you make!

Thanks James. Got a old millwright tip for you. When punching holes in gasket paper, Put a small block of wood in a vice, cut edge up and use it for a backstop for punching holes. Saves the edges of your punch and leaves nice clean holes in your gasket paper

That old worn out Tecumseh runs pretty good and still gets the job done, nice work repairing this tiller James!

I'm in the process of restoring an old Stiga tiller with a B&S engine, picked up quite some tips here - Thanks! A pleasure watching you work, as always.

One of the tools in my gasket making arsenal is a compass for drawing larger holes. I would also change the tiller shaft seals, I can't believe they aren't leaking with all that landscape fabric wrapped around them where the seals are.

Even though I will never have a tiller like that I enjoyed watching how you go about finding out what needs fixed ans showing how to do it. Keep up the great work.

OK James. Another good one. Those markings on the cylinder wall on the flywheel side are suspiciously in the right place for the wrist pin clip to be rubbing on the wall, but the marks make it all the way up to the top, so that is not consistent with wrist pin clip damage unless it made it out of the cylinder. Need to look into that so it doesn't get worse. I grew up in a blue collar neighborhood and everyone fixed their own stuff. We learned to do things a little bit differently. If there was no spark we'd have addressed that. No compression? Just connect the engine to another engine with a v- belt and run it at 1,000 rpm or so spraying starting fluid into it and it would start right up. Then add some carb cleaner to the gas tank with fresh gas and run it on propane while closing and opening the choke to pull gasoline thru everything. 99 times out of 100 that would be it until after the immediate need for use was met. After that we'd cut the valve stem and do what ever else. Some things I had to work hard on were those old ratchet windup starters on Lawson and Tecumseh's and points under the flywheel. Diesel fuel or Easy Off Oven cleaner was my goto for cleaning off grease and oil build up. Spray or brush it on, let it sit and hose it off. But way befor Brakleen, we put gasoline in a pump oil can to clean parts and blew them off with compressed air. Starting fluid was great after filing points as a parting shot to clean them. And we filed them a lot. Today I prefer a woman's emery board. The thin two sided ones with Orange colored grit on one side and Tan on the other. I don't use Brakleen any more, it's too expensive. I buy store brand spray parts cleaner like Rural King's Providence or Walmart's Super Tech. I just make sure I DON'T get the one that contains water. ben/ michigan

Judging from the wear on the tines and the fact that they look like the original ones, that tiller seen very little use to he in the condition its in. That is what letting things sit outside will do for you.

You are definatlly the smaall engine whisperer. I am so old I almost forgot I took a class in the 8th grade Small Engine Repair.

James, your efforts as always exceed expectations and results are outstanding. Keep posting on the different repairs and equipment. Tks Michael.

Looking at the state of the cylinder and the pile of carbon on the piston, I was sure that we would lose sight of the engine in the smoke... but it's surprising how well it runs. Good work.

This is a really interesting video. Both sets of my grandparents were farmers. So it is interesting to see the repair of power equipment meant for the garden, especially the issue with water in the tiller gearbox. From the way you were using the (repaired, functioning) tiller in your yard, it does seem to be a light duty machine. Both sets of my grandparents had large personal gardens. They needed something big for tilling the soil. I think one set of grandparents tilled their garden with a standard Farmall tractor and plow, but the other grandparents used a rototiller. I'm not sure why -- maybe because their garden was close to the house and they did not want tractor tire marks on their lawn, or risk accidentally plowing their lawn. I seem to recall that grandfather used a huge rototiller. It was big and tough to control! This was back in the 1960s. Most things seemed to be built much more stoutly during those years.

Had a craftsman that looked exactly the same but green. $100 predator engine from harbor freight and was done with it in 1 hour. Has been 100 percent reliable for 5 years now and so much more power.

Amazing. You are an expert in so many things and I’ve learned a ton from watching over 20 of your videos. Thanks for what you do!

Getting that pulley off with an air hammer was impressive, and no heat necessary! I have a feeling that engine oil was factory, and never changed or even checked😐😑

Yes that tiller should work for many years. One thing I noticed was the gas tank heat shield went missing. No big deal. Great job!

Jim, a ball pein hammer can be used to cut a gasket where there are square edges, and it does no harm to the surfaces, if done properly. My dad and many other mechanics use this same procedure with very good results. Even bolt holes can be done, but with the ball end, tapping lightly, just enough to cut the gasket material. Look on RU-vid, and give it a shot. You might try it on parts you dont have plans for for the practice. This technique is called a mechanic's scissors by some, and it works on cast aluminum as well.

Well James: I always learn something every time I watch one of your videos. I am a Canadian, & am wont to employ some of the Brits "sayings". The Brits would look at the oil you drained from the machine , & say : " GUNGE !! !" The other one I like is when they refer to the metal chips or strings of metal or milling cuttings, as "SWARF " ! Hell of a job James....WELL DONE ! cheers! Brian

Always good stuff James. I fixed a couple of Troy Bilt Horse tillers with the Teumseh engines that blew a connecting rod due to low oil. No block damage, cleanup the crank rod journal, install a new connecting rod and they ran like new.

Another excellent video. I love the attention to specs. Doing it right the first time. Thanks.

Any day we get a new James Condon video is a good day. 😄 I'm a little surprised you didn't go after that valve clearance and timing issue, but I guess it's a matter of balancing effort and expense with the expected results. You got it running and running quite well enough to do its job, so that's what matters.

A long one for sure but surprises around every corner. Great job May the 4 th be with you

You saved the day when, at 57 minutes in, you started cleaning. I was starting to twitch and get sweaty ,like withdrawal symptoms, thinking I would have to go through a Condon video cold Turkey with no cleaning. Great job.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✅✅✅✅✅

you have to watch those Tecumseh gas caps. the vents swell up and plug causing fuel issues.

This seems to be a very good quality piece of equipment built to last. Certainly no Tecumseh junk. I always love seeing one of those engines coming back into service, ma favourite brand. Thank you, James, an excellent episode!

Very nice watching you giving this machine such a good overhaul while explaining your considerations for doing or not doing everything. Thanks for making these videos, James!

Thank you Professor Condon for the latest episode in the Small Engine PhD program. Have to say, my OCD was kicking in big time over those two little areas of gunk left on the top of the piston. Sorry.

Dad and I rebuilt a lot of 2stroke engines and only 1 or 2 4 stroke so while we rarely needed a valve spring compressor took we(dad) all ways found a way to get by without one but see you use one it sure would have been nice. When I rebuilt my 350 Chev V 8 removing and reinstalling the valve springs and keepers without a valve sprung compressor tool was a MAJOR PIA. MAJOR.

Impressive knowledge, skill and patience

Great work Jim that old Troy built rear tine tiller got a new life works very well @James Condon

A pre-MTD Garden Way Troy-Bilt! This thing should outlast pretty much anything.

Tap the gasket out using the the gearbox faceplate,it’s old fashioned but it always works.

My favourite part was when you placed your free hand directly on top of the "Place free hand on gas tank when manually starting engine" sticker

Hello James great job and another machine saved from the land fill, to be productive again. I was a little surprised that you did not free up the stuck wheel shafr.Usually a few heating & quenching with penetrating oil & some hammer blows free them up. It helps a lot when using the machine in restricted areas,or doing edging & contour surfaces. A suggestion for your maintenance kit. Purchase a nail grooming set with small curved scissors, they are great for making replacement gaskets. Not a must have but one of those items once you stare using them you don't want to go back to not having them. Looking forward to seeing what the next item is out of the trailer load.

I had a Troy-Bilt tiller built by Garden Way, that sucker was heavy and tough! It was more like an car transmission with wheels on it. The Troy-Bilt they make nowadays is nothing like what I had. Love your videos 😁👍

I had a chipper with a similar Tecumseh with lack of compression. One of the valves was not closing properly. I watched enough RU-vid videos to figure out how to lap and adjust the valves. It was the greatest thing when it fired right up on the first pull.

Art supply stores or graphic supply stores have device for cutting circles and straight-lines for photography mats in fairly thick dense cardboard.

I love those small Tecumseh engines - so simple to diagnose and repair and they last forever if you treat them like you do James. Hope you move this machine on to an owner who appreciates a quality machine.

I think the ball-peen hammer method would have worked best for cutting that custom gasket. Much faster and just as effective. Place the gasket material on the sealing surface. Lightly peen one bolt hole, remove the cut gasket material, and place the bolt in. Then hold the gasket material in place and lightly peen around the rest of the features. It cuts out an exact copy quick and easy. For larger gaskets it's helpful to hold the gasket material in place with two opposing bolts, so it doesn't move while you are cutting the pattern. I bet half of the gaskets on US Army equipment are made of manilla folder and high-temp RTV.

From Angus in the UK. Pitted shafts and leaky seals. Google shaft repair sleeves. Not cheap but cheaper than a shaft and labour.( sorry, labor!) Tecumseh valve clearances on those old small and medium frame side valves ( flat heads! ). Only ever check gaps at TDC on the power stroke or just 1/4” past. Anywhere else and it’s likely to snatch . And another thing ! Starter rope / spring pretensioning. New rope should always pull tight at LEAST ONE TURN before the spring gets coil bound. Keep em coming !

A few years ago I had one just like this one and it worked great. If you dig in hard sod they can run away from you so be careful. Mine quit when a hurricane/tornado dropped a huge pine tree on my shed. They will squash. Thanks for the video.

Neighbor gave me this same tiller. Tecumseh engine was shot. Harbor freight 99 dollor engine. Yes no reverse. Runs great. Job done.

Great job as always! Thought I would share a trick that worked for me on a low speed gear box on an old International hay rake that would no longer hold a seal. Get a tub of white lithium grease. Mix regular 85/140 gear oil with the lithium to make a heavy slurry. We ran that rake for years with thst mix, raking a couple hundred acres per year. Worked well for something that isn't used 24-7 365.

Very interesting! I had no idea that an engine could run that long with only the fuel in the bowl! Thanks for a great video.

Definitely a new air filter! Good call! I wish you were closer. I’d have you resurrect my old Troy Bilt Junior that I bought in about 1982.

With a side valve the movement is totally inline so any wear isn't going to accelerate by side movement so that sloppy valve isn't going to be too much of an issue . Great work as usual.

This was great to watch. Thanks, made my afternoon. Patience and attention to detail wins every time.

Watching you make the gasket reminded me of my dad making one using a ballpean hammer to mark the edges of the gasket and bolt holes. Your way worked too! 😊

Last year a guy brought some small engine equipment in to the scrap yard, and i was there woth my car. Everything seemed to be well maintained, but the guy was acalong back. There was a Pony tiller in the mix.

Thank you for bringing us Great Instructional video's... the Air Impact hammer (Muffler removal tool) with a punch to remove the pulley was a new one for me... thanks

Now it’s time for me to do a check up on my own killer loved the video it was great information thank you and have a blessed day

In the "old" days we used to knurl worn valve guides. I bet those tools are still available. It is fast and easy to do.

I wish it was always like this wonderful service in my country. Great video!

I love gravity feed carbeurators . Just one thing less to go wrong. That trick with the air hammer and pry bar is a keeper. Steve's Small Engine Saloon is a firm believer in sharpening the tines of rototillers. I'm a little disappointed that no one on RU-vid cleans up rusty bolts. they run in so much easier when run against a wire brush wheel.

I have one of these, and it works great in ground that has already been broken up. Hard ground it will drag you across the yard 40 feet before you can even think about letting go of the bail handle. It's perfect for running between rows though.

I have a similar Troy-bilt with similar leak. You just gave me the energy to give it a go.