Am I Crazy? Refreshing a 1960's V60 Tecumseh

[rmaynard 14,911]

When I bought my 1967 REO Lawn Skiff back in February I was hoping that the engine ran. Previous owner said that it ran last year, but could not get it to start before I picked it up.  So I started by rebuilding the carburetor. Then, because the sale included some NOS valves and rings, I decided that I would undertake a refresh. There was a lot of oil in the combustion chamber when I took the head off. So here is why I ask if I am crazy. There are not a lot of parts available for this engine, V60-70066C. This spec number is not even listed in the Tecumseh list of engines. 

 

I have cleaned and disassembled the engine, removed all internal components, and found the following:

1. Rings - how do you inspect rings and declare them bad? They looked normal, none broken.

2. Cylinder - glazed, but no scores or scratches.

3. Valves - other than a lot of carbon build-up, they look fine.

4. Crankshaft and connecting rod - journals are not scored. I did not check clearance using Plastigauge.

5. Oil pump and oil passages - pump looks good, all oil ports and passages are open.

 

I ball-honed the cylinder to achieve as nice cross-hatch. The new rings were installed.

 

The valves that were sent with engine were supposedly the right ones, but they were a different style. The old ones used a pin at the bottom if the stem, the new ones had a slotted retainer. The new ones had a .002 smaller diameter stem which allowed a bit more slop in the guides than the old ones, so I am reusing the old valves. They cleaned up nicely.

 

After waiting a month for a set of NOS gaskets to arrive, I'm about to reassemble.

 

Will let you know how it goes and if I am truly crazy after all. 

[WHX?? 46,820]

14 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

Rings - how do you inspect rings and declare them bad?

Check ring end gaps on both old and new rings would be my advice. I like to check the old rings to give me an idea of what the wear on things is. Comparing the old ring end gap against the new and comparing to specs is good practice.  

[squonk 38,968]

Cylinder walls. I've seen lots of them that looked nice but were either out of round, tapered out of spec or both. Of course if that was the case with yours you'd need it bored and an oversize piston that might even not be available. Tecky parts are drying up fast.

 

I would have liked to see how it ran (if it would start) before deciding on a rebuild now but that's me. As the old saying goes you can't spoil a rotten egg.

[Achto 26,576]

2 hours ago, rmaynard said:

1. Rings - how do you inspect rings and declare them bad? They looked normal, none broken.

 

If the top of the piston was clean, (no carbon on it) or a majority of it was clean. Then you were getting oil past the rings. If the old rings are cast and not chrome moly look at the edge of them. If more than half of the edge of the ring is shiny silver this indicates wear. Chrome moly rings start out life with a silver edge, so they are kind of hard to read in this manner.

 

The top of the piston on a good running engine with good rings should look similar to this when you pull the head. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Achto

[Gregor 4,838]

Tecky and crazy? I can tell you about Tecky and crazy ! I rebuilt an H 70. I think the only thing still original in the oil drain tube. But it sure runs nice.  Your V 60 is an aluminum block, like my H. Here is a V 60, 70066G

 

https://www.partstree.com/models/v60-70066g-tecumseh-engine/

Edited April 20, 2021 by Gregor

[Ed Kennell 35,866]

[squonk 38,968]

Ed Dog! 

[pfrederi 17,148]

Since you aren't going to be mowing a couple hundred hours a year with it and if it acts up it isn't you only machine.  Don't worry about out of round cylinders and stuff  it will probabaly y run OK for what you need...

[Gregor 4,838]

9 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

run OK for what you need...

Like Taryl Dactl always says, "This isn't the space shuttle here. We're not taking this thing to the moon !"

[squonk 38,968]

As long as the rings seat correctly yes.

[rmaynard 14,911]

Well, here is the update. It's been about 5 weeks since I started. This morning I finished assembling the engine. After futzing around with the governor/throttle linkage for about an hour, and finding that my kill wire had a short, I finally got it to run. I'm happy.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2021 by rmaynard

[rmaynard 14,911]

Not happy any longer  I stopped the engine after letting it run for about 20 minutes. I had adjusted the main jet and idle jet. Everything ran smooth. Went back to start again. No start. As with the first start, it is very hard to pull the recoil starter. Then the dog in the recoil stopped working, so I spent the next hour working on that. Fixed that. Engine finally started. Ran for about 10 minutes and stopped like it ran out of gas. Won't restart. It is so hard to pull the starter that I've developed blisters. Pulls easy with spark plug out. Checked to make sure I had good gas flow to the carb. Gas cap venting is fine. Difficult to check spark because I can't pull the rope and look at the spark plug at the same time. Points and timing were set before putting the flywheel back on.

Rings that I replace were STD not oversized. Engine was burning oil before replacing. Not burning now.

 

Okay, where do I go from here?

[Gregor 4,838]

I fought my H70 for a loooonng time. One minute it would have spark, then it didn't.  It's really frustrating as you well know. My problem turned out to be the brand new, out of the box, points. I repalced the points, it starts and runs like a champ. Never fails.

[clueless 2,898]

Am I crazy, that's an ambiguous question. Of course you are, your trying to get a 54 year old Tecumseh engine running for no real reason but because you want to. You could just spend that money playing golf, that's not crazy at all .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

are 

[rmaynard 14,911]

1 minute ago, clueless said:

Am I crazy, that's an ambiguous question. Of course you are, your trying to get a 54 year old Tecumseh engine running for no real reason but because you want to. You could just spend that money playing golf, that's not crazy at all 

There is a reason that I'm rebuilding it...I don't play golf 

[rmaynard 14,911]

6 minutes ago, Gregor said:

I fought my H70 for a loooonng time. One minute it would have spark, then it didn't.  It's really frustrating as you well know. My problem turned out to be the brand new, out of the box, points. I repalced the points, it starts and runs like a champ. Never fails.

New Tecumseh brand points and condenser, but...I put in an after-market coil. Setting the points and using a dial indicator to set the timing was a challenge. The video that was produced by Tecumseh back in the 1960's was actually wrong. I guess I'm off to the shop to remove the gas tank, the head and flywheel so I can recheck the electricals.

[Gregor 4,838]

What you need is a handy dandy Tecumseh Timing Tool.  No pulling the head, to set the timing.

 

With my motor, I had spark at low RPM, spinning it with a drill. I had no spark when I sped it up. For the record, My H70 is VERY hard to pull start, so I don't.

Edited June 7, 2021 by Gregor

[Handy Don 10,642]

14 minutes ago, Gregor said:

What you need is a handy dandy Tecumseh Timing Tool.  No pulling the head, to set the timing.

 

With my motor, I had spark at low RPM, spinning it with a drill. I had no spark when I sped it up. For the record, My H70 is VERY hard to pull start, so I don't.

Is that a standard dial indicator with a custom probe?

[Gregor 4,838]

1 minute ago, Handy Don said:

Is that a standard dial indicator with a custom probe?

Standard dial indicator, mounted into a custom made adapter. Screws into the park plug hole, with a small tab, that extends over the piston.I made several of them. Gave a couple away to people to test, sold the rest. I have one left, but it's mine.

[rmaynard 14,911]

39 minutes ago, Gregor said:

Standard dial indicator, mounted into a custom made adapter. Screws into the park plug hole, with a small tab, that extends over the piston.I made several of them. Gave a couple away to people to test, sold the rest. I have one left, but it's mine.

There's a couple of them on eBay, but I'm not ready to pay $129 for one. I'll take the head off if I have to.

[rmaynard 14,911]

So, back to the shop. I took the flywheel off and checked the points. They had closed to around .016. I reset them to. 020. I didn't mess with the timing. Put everything back together. Second pull it started. Reset the needle valves and shut it off. Restarted fairly easy. 

So I'm thinking the timing was off due to the points closure. That would account for the hard start, but not the sudden stop. I'll resume tomorrow.

Edited June 8, 2021 by rmaynard

[Gregor 4,838]

13 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

There's a couple of them on eBay, but I'm not ready to pay $129 for one. I'll take the head off if I have to.

I sold them for $25 (about the cost of parts) plus shipping.

[rmaynard 14,911]

Well here it is, October 3, 2023, over two years later. My progress? None. 

Engine hasn't been started since I left it in 2021.

I moved at the parts off of the table and on to the wall to make more room for the latest 701.

I'm looking at options for heating the pole shed, and if that happens, I'll get back to the restoration and reassembly this winter.

Edited October 3, 2023 by rmaynard

[23 Reo 221]

Nice looking motor.

[Moparfanforever 726]

I have had this for more years than I can count. I guess this is one of those fancy schmansy things ??