lawn mower repair; bent shaft.?
I have a toro recycler mdl. #20017 with a bent crank shaft. I have confirmed the shaft is indeed bent. I can not bring myself to just throw the mower away. It was bent by a relative who borrowed it. He states he hit the foot of a hammock stand and the mower cut off and he noticed oil had leaked from the bottom. He couldnt re-start it. I got it back and was able to re-start it like normal and noticed a heck of a vibration. I hoped the blade was bent, but it is definately the shaft thats bent. What can I do. A new comparable model is around 500 bucks. With this economy, thats out of the question, I have tools, wherewithall and some knowledge.
There’s not much to be done but to replace the crank and the lower bearing and seal. If it’s leaking oil, you should first make sure the crank case is not cracked. If it is, the engine is a goner. You can buy a replacement on the net.
There will be a product label somewhere on the engine. Find it and see who the engine manufacturer is. It is unlikely that it’s Toro, probably Briggs & Stratton. The same label will have a model and serial number. Go the the manufacturer’s website, look up the exploded view of your engine and identify the parts you need. (sometimes the bearing and seal are the same unit)
If you’re fairly mechanical, the job should occupy an afternoon. Good luck.
You have two options.
1) Purchase a new crankshaft with piston and do the work yourself…. About $200.
2) Or buy a new mower.
mmalky:
Sounds to me like he bent the shaft, knocked the seal loose, dropped the oil and the motor locked up. YOU got lucky and get it running.
You can buy a new shaft, seal and bearing (if required online) but you have to take the engine apart. Also what the condition of the block, it may have cracked. If it were me you can by a china made motor from Harbor freight that are decent for less that 200 bucks complete drop in. With warranty