LAWN BOY GARDEN EQUIPMENT Service Repair Manual 1950-1988

This Service Manual is Dedicated to -- FIRST - Lawn-Boy Service Accounts everywhere. It has been designed for your use-primarily. SECOND - Our Lawn-Boy Retailers. If theywilluse it, all our jobs will be easier. THIRD - Our Consumer. Without him this bookwould not be possible. The objective of LAWN-BOY, A PRODUCT GROUP OF OUT- BOARD MARINE CORPORATION GALESBURG, ILLINOIS is to provide quality lawn and garden equipment to its customers at as reasonable a price as possible. There will be no compromise on quality of product, or on SERVICE behind our products. THE RIGHT WAY IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO ANY- THING. FAIRNESS AND HONESTY TO EVERYONE WITH WHOM WE DO BUSINESS IS OUR CREED. With these as our standards, we (you and Lawn-Boy) will have continuing success, year after year. SAFETY THE PURPOSE OF SAFETY SYMBOLS IS TO ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION TO POSSIBLE DANGERS. THE SYM- BOLS, AND THE EXPLANATIONS WITH THEM, DESERVE YOUR CAREFUL ATTENTION AND UNDERSTANDING. SAFETY WARNINGS DO NOT BY THEMSELVES ELIMI- NATE ANY DANGER; THE INSTRUCTIONS OR WARNINGS DENT PREVENTION MEASURES. Symbol Meaning THEY GIVE ARE NOT SUBSTITUTES FOR PROPER ACCI- SAFETY FAILURE TO OBEY A SAFETY WARNING WARNING MAY RESULT IN IN- JURY TO YOU OR TO OTHERS. ADVISES YOU O F INFORMATION OR INSTRUCTIONS VITAL TO THE OPERATION OR MAINTENANCE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT.

Over the past 60 years the American consumer has been offered many kinds of luxuryitems,conveniences,laborsavingdevices,andrecreationand sports equipment. The ingenuity of the inventor, combined with engineering and manufacturing know-how, has provided the consumer with many things he would not even have dreamed before. That’s PROGRESS. Today, service and repair shops “never had it so good.” Manyof these luxuries and conveniences are mechanical. They have become necessities. As a result, the good service repair shop has started to build and expand. And, the number of shops has increased terrifically in the past few years. New discoveries are being made every day. Inventions are turned into foreword products ready for the. consumer in ever increasing quantities year after year. So, the service business should be good for many, many. years to come. And, manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the consumer as the “guy who pays for everything.” He is the one they have t o keep happy. Quality manufacturers realize that the closest link they have with the consumer is that which exists through their service dealers. That’s why many manufacturers, including Lawn-Boy, have based their over all service programs on the service dealer level, planning the entire program upward from there. Years ago we started our Lawn-Boy service program by planning the easiest and simplest methods of service procedure and policy, including the no parts returned to the factory unless requested - standard per hour warranty labor rate - fair and reasonable time limits established for various repair jobs with reimbursement of service ‘dealer costs for parts used in warranty repairs. We will continue to do everything we can to make servicing accounts work easier and, if possible, more profitable. There will be a tremendous opportunity, in our opinion, in the service repairbusinessduring the next 10 to 15 years. There will be many new mechanical labor saving devices produced which cannot help but demand more, better, and faster repair shop service throughout the country. Lawn-Boy will continue to develop new products and improve design of all their lawn and gardening products from year to year. THE OPPORTUNITY IS YOURS. IT’S UP TO You.

THE PURPOSE OFSAFETY SYMBOLS IS TO ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION TO POSSIBLE DANGERS. THE SYMBOLS, AND THE EXPLA- NATIONS WITH THEM, DESERVE YOUR CAREFUL ATTENTlON AND UNDERSTAND- ING. SAFETY WARNINGS DO NOT BY THEM- SELVES ELIMINATE ANY DANGER; THE IN- ARENOT SUBSTITUTES FOR PROPER ACCI- STRUCTIONS OR WARNINGS THEY GIVE DENT PREVENTION MEASURES. Symbol Meaning SAFETY Failure to obey a safety warning may result in injury to you or to others. Advises you of information or in- NOTE: structions vital to the operation or maintenance of your equipment. This mower is designed and intended for the purpose of mowing (cutting) grass and, when specially equipped with a grass bag, for bagging cut grass. Any use for purposes other than those noted above could prove dangerous to user or bystanders. SAFETY WARNINGS Prevent accidents. Use the following practices for operating your mower safely. These warnings apply to all rotary, gasoline recommended by LAWN-BOY and the Outdoor Power Equip- engine powered mowers, regardless of manufacturer. They are ment Institute. Inc., Washington, D.C. CLEAR THE AREA Clean the lawn of sticks, stones, wire, etc. They can be picked up and hurled great distances by the blade. Mow only in cleaned ares. Keep children and pets away from vicinity of mower as you would any cutting machinery. WEAR PROPER ATTIRE Don't wear loose fitting clothing.Provide some external protec- tion for yourself by means of long, heavy denim trousers and heavy shoes. Never mow when barefoot or wearing open sandals. Safety shoes are recommended. CHECK THE MOWER BEFORE USE Check all nuts, bolts and fasteners for tightness, especially the blade nut (torque blade nut 45-50 ft. lbs.). Disconnect spark plug lead (Electric start models; also disconnect battery connections) before check. Keep all guards in place at all times. Keep either cover plate or grass catcher chute with bag in place and secure at all times. Check grass or leaf bags for wear or deterioration. Replace bag if necessary. Have a competent serviceman make a thorough inspection of your mower at least once a year. HANDLE FUEL PROPERLY Gasoline is extremely flammable and highly explosive under cer- tain conditions. Always stop engine, and do not smoke or allow open flames or spark when mixing fuel or refueling. Do not fill fuel tank while engine is hot or running. Spilling fuel on a hot engine may cause a fire or explosion. To prevent possible explosion or ignition of vaporized fuel, do not store mower with fuel in tank or carburetor in enclosure with open flame. (Example: Furnace or water heater pilot light.) Always store or transport mower with fuel shut-off valve in the "OFF position. Fill tank outdoors. Wipe up spilled gasoline. Replace cap securely. Use an approved safety container to handle and store gas. Keep engine free from accumulations of grass, leaves or excessive grease. These combustible materials could result in a fire. Never start or run the engine inside where exhaust fumes can collect. Carbon monoxide present in the exhaust is an odorless and deadly gas. KNOW YOUR CONTROLS Learn how to stop the engine quickly. Be sure the control handle is in "NEUTRAL" position (to the rear) before starting or stopping self-ropelled models. START AND MOW WITH CARE Never allow anyone to operate your mower without complete instructions. Teach all safety rules andoperatinginstructions to all users. DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TOOPERATEMOWER. Don't start the engine until you are ready to mow. Be sure mower will not tip or roll during starting operation. When starting engine, place one foot on top of blade housing s designated with heel off the ground to aid stability. Never stand in front of self-propelled mowers. Keep clear of discharge opening. Keep hands and feet away from moving parts. Never place hands or feet under the mower while blade is turning. Stop the engine and make sure the blade has come to a complete stop and the spark plug wire is disconnected, (Electric start models; disconnect battery connections) before attempting to dean or unclog the catcher assembly or discharge chute. Alwayspush,never pull, a mower with the engine running. Mow across face of slopes. Do not mow excessively steep slopes. Control direction of mower by handpressureon the handle, not foot pressure on the mower housing. Do not lag behind or let mower pull you. Keep a firm hold on the handle and walk, never run with mower. Mow in daylight or good artificial light. Never operate equipment in wet grass. Always be sure of your footing. Stop engine before changing or emptying catcher bag, pushing mower across walks, drives, roads or before leaving operating position, even for a moment. If operating mower on uneven or rough ground, be especially careful. Front of mower may drop lower than normal, and hidden objects may be thrown by blade. Keep all four wheels on the ground when mowing. I f mower is tipped while blade is turning, blade is exposed and accidents can occur. Avoid striking trees, walls, curbs or other solid objects with mower. Never deliberately mow over any object. Exercise spe- cial care when mowing around objects to prevent the blade striking them. If an object is struck, or mower starts to vibrate. stop engine immediately, remove spark plug wire (Electric start models; also disconnect battery connections) and examine mower for damage. Replace damaged parts before restarting and operating mower. MAKE ADJUSTMENTS CAREFULLY_ Do not overspeed engine or alter governor settings. Excess speed Is dangerous and shortens mower life. Stand to one side and keep feet and hands clear while making carburetor adjustments. Height adjustments should be made only after engine and blade are stopped. Disconnect spark plug lead (Electric start models; also disconnect battery connections) prlor to performing service on eng i ne or mower. Keep lead away from plug. On self-propelled models be sure control is in "NEUTRAL" position. Never rotateblade with hand or foot without first removing spark plug wire (Electric start models; also disconnect battery connections) to prevent starting. REMOVE KEYS WHEN STORING Electric start mowers cannot be started, even manually, with key removed. REPLACEMENT PARTS Whenreplacement parts arerequired, use genuine OMC parts or parts with equivalent characteristics including type, strength,and material. Failure to do so may result in product malfunction and possible injury to the operator and/or bystanders. IT'S UP TO YOU. A POWER MOWER IS NO SAFER THAN ITS OPERATOR.

SECTION 1 MOWERHISTORY TWO CYCLE THEORY- DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN POWER MOWER The following information on thehistory of the development of power mowing in America has been col- lected from the most reli- able sources we could find. 1890 - This "One Horsepower" Henderson Mower Was Popular. Similar to First Patented Mowers. The first mechanical mower of which we have any record was patented in England in 1830 by a Mr. Edwin Budding of Stroud, Glou- cestershire. This mower moved on a massive iron roller and featured a reel blade that worked against a parallel bedplate. The Budding mower gave us the still-popular principle of the reel-cutting blade. 1500 of these were produced between 1833 and 1859. Suc- cessors to this company are still in business, under the name of Lawn Mower Works. The first power was added in 1842, when a Mr. Shanks of "Shanks' Mare" fame patented a Budding-type horse-drawn mower, In 1859 a mower using chain drive instead of the Budding gear drive was patented - the Silens Messer mower.

The firstline of reasonably moderate-priced mowers was brought out by the firm of Ransome,Sims and Jeffries, Ltd. in the 1860's. These mowers were of light con- struction and produced in a number of sizes with varying features. In , 1878, the Pennsylvania Mower Company patented a side-wheelmachinethat was driven by' a train of gearing instead of internal gear ring and pinion. The first gasoline powered lawn mower was patented by Mr. Edward Ransome in 1902, and the first successful at- tempt to market a gasoline powered mower was made by the Thomas Green firm in 1904. The electric power mower made its appear- ance in the early 1920's and rapidly gained wide popularity. The Ransome firm also mass-produced an electric mower several years later which featured headlights for night mowing. Following World War I, mass production and the general awakening of the American in- dustrial giant brought forth a host of power mower and hand mower manufacturers. From 1918 to 1925 millions of the familiar type hand-push reel mowers were made by scores of manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad. By 1925, however, the gasoline- powered reel mower began to take a bigger and bigger share of the market. For example: in 1924, 880,000 hand-push mowersretailingfor $7,000,000 weresold in the U.S. The same year, 5,000 reel-type power mowers were sold for $1,250,000. 1917 - Power Mowers of This Type Were 1920's - One of the First Rotary Power Toolbox. the Belt Drive. . Becoming Popular. Equipped Complete with Mowers, Produced in the Late 20's. Note 1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCES

Toward the middle of the 1930's the rotary power mower, featuring a horizontally-mounted cutting blade, began to appear on the American home scene. This was the first and most sig- nificant advance in a century of lawn mowing. Since World War II there have been great strides in the development of power mowers. The rotary has become increasingly popular; and in 1958 approximately 90% of the power mowers sold were rotaries, either self-propelled or push-propelled. Lawn-Roy became the country's first Production-line manufacturers of complete power mowers,includingengines,in the early 1950's when OutboardMarine bought out the Roto Power Mower Company of Kansas City, Missouri, one of the very first rotary power manufacturers. Power mower sales in 1971 exceeded 5,500,000 units. The walk-behind rotary accounted for 4,700,000, or 85% of all power mower sales according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Insti- tute. About 80% of the 1971 sales were for the replacement of the 38,000,000 power mowers currently in use in the United States. Sales of rider mowers and lawn tractors have grown to over 800,000 units annually. Lawn and gardenbusiness is booming and will continue to boom. Saturation? . . . it will HELP, NOT HURT, the quality manufacturer. 1959 - The New Lawn-Boy QUIETFLITE 1934 - The 1934 "Lawn-Boy" was Manufac- ushered in the "Golden Age of Power Mow- tured by Evinrude. Self-propelled Chain ing." Its moving and working parts are Drive Reel Type. completely Sealed and Insulated. QUIET- FLITE in 1959 was the Last Word in Modern Quiet Power Mower Development. SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . 1-3

Thru the years Lawn-Boy has continuedto improve in design and performance- of Lawn-Boy products. This is one reason why Lawn-Boy is one of the world leaders in the industry. Lawn-Boy is one of the few manufacturers that offers a complete choice of models designed to fit all mowing re- quirements. From the apartment dweller to the estate owner Lawn-Boy offers a choice to satisfy all lawn and garden re- quirements. Tests have shown the Lawn-Boy D-400 Ser- ies, 2 Cycle Engine, to be one of thebest engines available. The heart of your mower is the engine and the D-400 Series is designed to offer years of dependable service. 1972 Lawn-Boy introduced its first Solid State (CD) D-600 Series engine. Available with manual or electric start - self-propelled or push propelled type models. The solid state ignition system has no moving parts, is completely enclosed reducing ignition failure while producing up to 30,000 volts. No points, coil or condenser to replace, offering longer spark plug life. The all new carburetor used on the D-600 Series engine is completely automatic. No adjustments other than an atmospheric pressure adjustment is re- quired. A new primer system forces compressed air into the float chamber which forces fuel into the carburetor venturi. This method of priming is effective and consequently, one prime is usually sufficient to start the engine. The larger muffler design reduces noise and exhaust down into the turf. 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCES

Lawn-Boy developed the revolutionary CORDLESS ELECTRIC MOWER - powered by 36 volts this compact mower contains all the engineering "know-how" and safety features of gasoline operated mowers. Exces- sive noise and exhaust fumes are eliminated. One more FIRST for Lawn-Boy. In the future Lawn-Boy will continue to improve to offer you, the dealer, and your customers the best product available. SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

THE NEW GENERATION Thenewgenerationseries ofLawn-Boymowerscombines 68 years of 2-cycle technology with advancedengineering and manufacturing procedures. The final result is an all new look from the "grass up." 21 fewer parts, less weight, and introducing an all NEW "F" series Lawn-Boy engine which produces 20 to 30% more usable power. Lawn-Boy has retained and refined all the outstanding features that have made us famous. Easy fingertip starting - a reduced4 to 1 gear ratio resulting in the easiest starting mower in Lawn-Boy's history. Quiet operation - featuring a new exhaust system. The welded muffler assembly contains an additional baffle and muffler tube. Designed as a one-piece assembly secured to the mower with only three screws. Super vacuum action - the design of the mower housing and famous durable Lawn-Boy high lift blade has been improved to discharge clippings into the rear of the grass bag -- this creates a well manicured mowing appear- ance. Also added under the deck is a crankshaft support located approximately 2 inches above the blade to provide additional pro- tection for the crankshaft and crankcase. Thenewgenerationbegan in the summer of-1972. WHY? 1. Contain fewer parts. 2. Design a new engine which develops more power at lower RPMS which meets or exceeds OPEI safety standards. 1973: First engineering prototype "F" engine run. 1974: New fuel and governor system developed and 1975: In May, first factory "die cast" engine tested. 1975: In October, first units released for extensive field 1977: In October, full factory production began after tested. testing. - 2 years of thorough and extensive testing. This is not the end -- rather, the beginning of a NEW GENERATION for us the manufacturer and you the service dealer. 1983: In July, after 9 years of research and development, Lawn-Boy started producing compliance lawn mowers that featuredtwo different blade stopping systems. One is the blade, brake, clutch (BBC) system which stops the blade within 3 seconds after the operator releases the bail. The engine continues to run with this system. The other is a flywheel brake system which stops both the blade and engine within 3 seconds after. the operator releases the bail.

THE NEW GENERATION "F" SERIES 2 CYCLE UNITIZED POWERHEAD An automated, computer-controlled machine manufactures two pieces into a cylinder blockassembly that has uniformity and precision. PRESSURE-BACK PISTON RING Minimizes compression blowby- to increase usable power, improve fuel economy and aid starting ease. NO-TUNE-UP ELECTRONIC IGNITION \ I ENGINE FRICTION-REDUCING NEEDLE BEARINGS The crankshaft, top and bottom, as well as the connecting rod, are nestled in precision needle bearings, resulting in free running, smooth operation. Silverplated bearing liner at the big end of the connecting rod. I Lawn-Boy mowers meet or exceed current A.N.S.I. B71. Ib 1977 safety standards for rotary-type mowers. We proudly display this Outdoor Power Equipment Institute seal on each machine. \ MORE USABLE POWER Displacement is increased from 6.6 to 7.7 cubic inches. This and other improvements add 20-30% more usable power. SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

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LAWN BOY GARDEN EQUIPMENT Service Repair Manual 1950-1988

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