[ToroWhirlwind1970]

While I was waiting for the 1970 Whirlwind to ship in from Oklahoma, I found a 1981 model 16320 locally. It was $70 and included the bag and attachments and original owner's manual. I installed a new muffler, new Champion J-8C spark plug, a new head gasket to replace the crumbling original, and an NOS wash-out port cap because the original was missing. Did some cleaning and paint touch-up. This is the result (disregard the date in the photos, as I have never set the date on the camera). Looks and runs like new, even though it's 31 years old:

 

[Five Points]

Thats a nice machine you have there! Are you going to use it or make it garage queen?

 

[Austen]

That's awesome, nice work! It's fun to get a machine like that back in tip-top shape again.

It sure is very nice and clean. Thanks for telling us about it!

 

[ToroWhirlwind1970]

Mowed the lawn here with it yesterday....I never let any mower just sit as display only.

The 1970 arrived yesterday from Oklahoma, via UPS. The box was labeled THIS END UP, etc, but they paid no attention to that whatsoever....oil all over the inside of the box. Got it all reassembled and it does not want to start....and the seller had it running fine just before he shipped it. I am going to contact UPS tomorrow and do some chewing out. :soap:

I'm going to do a carb rebuild and see if that solves the problem.

 

[Austen]

Mowed the lawn here with it yesterday....I never let any mower just sit as display only.

I hear you there! That's where the true enjoyment comes from.

The box was labeled THIS END UP, etc, but they paid no attention to that whatsoever....oil all over the inside of the box.

Darn!! Sorry to hear that. Having it arrive like that would irritate me as well. My guess would be that oil got into the fuel system otherwise I would check for connections that may have come loose during shipping.

On a side note, this definitely brings back some memories of working at the tractor dealership that I worked at for my first job when you describe how it came in the box.

 

[Five Points]

I can envision oil in the head, flooded carb oil in the exhaust. be ready for the smoke, you may want to make sure the muffler isn't filled, that could cause a non start as well and pull the spark plug too, if the cylinder is filled with oil it could lock up or foul the plug. Good luck to you and be glad it wasn't a flat screen TV

 

[rhenning]

That looks familiar as mine is the same style but a push not self propelled version. Roger

 

[ToroWhirlwind1970]

Great news! The problem with the 1970 turned out to be a very stiff throttle control spring. In the reassembly, I connected the throttle cable as normal. This morning, I was going to try a direct knob rather than a cable at all, because 2 model years back, in 1968, they used a knob and no cable. When I tried the knob, that's when I discovered that the spring was so stiff that it would not hold any position with the knob. So, I went back to the cable, put that on again with adjustment so that the complete range of movement was verified. Then it started right up!

It had been that last fraction of an inch that had prevented achieving choke.

I will do some painting in the next day or two and then post some photos.

Roger, if you ever decide to sell yours, let me know. I actually prefer the push type rather than the self-propelled....so I like yours very much.

 

[Five Points]

Great! Sometimes its something simple and it goes over looked. Reminds me of the scene from "Swingblade" where Carl walks up to the mower, takes the gas cap of and says "It ain't got no gasoline!...Emmmm" :ROFL

 

[ToroWhirlwind1970]

Great! Sometimes its something simple and it goes over looked. Reminds me of the scene from "Swingblade" where Carl walks up to the mower, takes the gas cap of and says "It ain't got no gasoline!...Emmmm" :ROFL

:bravo: Great movie....one that my wife and I really enjoy.