Scored a CLEAN 655

[Greentored 3,201]

10 minutes from my place, been watching it for over a month. Couldn’t get him below 400 Which is a bit more than I normally pay, but went for it due to its completeness, condition, and ‘survivor with a repainted hood’ status. 
Needs a carb clean, battery charge, and a deck belt, but runs, drives, and blades turn freely! 
no doubt the cleanest, most un-hacked original I’ve run across! Someone took care of this ol girl and kept her indoors for sure. 
don’t know much about these little machines, so any input would be great.

[Pullstart 62,792]

Sweet machine there!  I can’t figure out where the pull cord goes, is that to tug it home if the Tecky is a stubborn mule?

 

First time I’ve seen one of those decks with height adjustments and an easy tensioner was just a week or two ago.  They are much easier than the early 60’s decks!

[wallfish 16,985]

1 hour ago, pullstart said:

 I can’t figure out where the pull cord goes, is that to tug it home if the Tecky is a stubborn mule?

Under the debris screen is a cup with a rope starter

This was typical of the 64 models and as far as I'm aware, 655 should have a recoil starter along with the electric start. Maybe an early 65 and they used up the leftover parts from earlier models which they were known to do. Seat is from a later model and the gas tank as well. It would have had a smaller metal tank. Not bashing, just info for reference

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Wash it, wax it, tune it up and run it/use it and enjoy it.  

[squonk 41,025]

Always good to have a spare starter rope on hand with any Tecky powered equipment! 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

19 minutes ago, squonk said:

Always good to have a spare starter rope on hand with any Tecky powered equipment! 

Always good to have a spare kohler on hand ready to go in

[SylvanLakeWH 25,490]

Nice! 

 

I see it came with the very rare NOS belt “box guard”... They are so rare because they only lasted about two revolutions ... 

Edited September 19, 2020 by SylvanLakeWH

[ebinmaine 67,277]

That's a very nice looking tractor Scott! Good score. I don't know what they go for down in your area but up here, twice that would be a good price to pay.

 

 

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

Great little tractor ya got there.I like the recoil start AND the electric start.Great for when the battery is a little low and you're a 1/4 mile from the nearest electric outlet.Have fun with your new toy.Also........love the tractors that are so close to home.

[rjg854 11,350]

Nice clean tractor, and a square hood to boot, my favorite model.

[71_Bronco 1,072]

Very nice.

 

I like the look of the skinny rear tires. I was debating that on my Commando 8, but went fat since I had the 7" wheels already.

[Tractorhead 9,064]

This are great workers.

i just did a Full Service on mine ( what i would suggesting)

and since i just have Fun at Work or even on trials with it.

 

Tecky‘s are better than their image, just if wrong services they get stubborn.

My Mule runs Tank for Tank.

 

[Yossarian 208]

$400 isn't bad, all things considered. Around here that kind of money will get you a Poulan or Craftsman that "ran when it was parked" and "needs the carb cleaned"  with a chewed up seat.

[ebinmaine 67,277]

2 minutes ago, Yossarian said:

chewed up seat

Don't be so stingy. Gorilla tape will fix ANY seat. 

[Greentored 3,201]

Ok, tekky bashers, I can see why! Threw a battery in and cleaned the carb.....about seven times, and it’s still not right. Won’t idle. 
My very first engine work ever was a 3.5 tecumseh minibike when I was 12. I bent the idle mixture screw beyond repair by installing it while holding the carb upside down. There’s a little rod that floats in the idle well, and if held upside down, it’s in the way of the idle mixture hole. 
Fast forward 33 years, I could NOT get that rod to free up, and since it’s a replacement carb and junk as is, I used a hacksaw to access the idle well, got the rod freed up, drove a trim nail in to plug the passage, and she took right off! 
what’s odd is, it’ll run fine, then suddenly not want to idle again. Possibly just passing crap through it. 

Also, the governor linkage is missing and it’s bypassed. Any chance at all any of these WOULDNT have been governed via centrifugal weights?  
On a good note, she cuts grass beautiful! 
 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Stick a clear inline fuel filter on it, run some fresh gas and a little marvel mystery oil through it.  Stick a new ngk plug too

[Tractorhead 9,064]

The Governor shall be working for a nice and smooth throttle response up to Full throttle.

 

idling is wrong - huh? 

Depends on how the Engine is in status first,

good setup on the Carb as second and finally how well the complete hardware is behind this Scene.

Most issues on this i seen on Tecky‘s are clogged Air filters, clogged or no Fuelfilters, dirt or even waterdribbs in the Bowl.

 

First of all precheck or better change the whole Envoirementals - means

Oil, Airfilter, Inline fuelfilter, Fuel, Points, Sparkplug, timing, condenser.

Also check if all Screw‘s are tight, especially on Carb and intake side and if all Seals are good.

A light Worn carb butterfly does not effect that much as i.eg. Micro Waterdribbs in the Fuel.

 

Clean the Carb Bowl, especialy if PO used that new „superduperfuel“ with Bioethanole and the Tractor is sat for a longer delay.

Here on my Side, we cannot change back to absolute pure Gasoline, because by Law they must mix at least 5% into.

On filling station they just announce at least 5% Bioethanole, but i don‘t know how much they really mixed into, however.

This ethanole is able to binds Water if it sats for a longer periode, what can cause in wrong throttle response

and even in wrong idling.

 

In the Attached Document you will find all needed things and Data’s to setup that Engine.

I hope it‘s ok, if it ain‘t Sorry Mod‘s than delete it.

 

 

Tecumseh_quick_reference.pdf

[wallfish 16,985]

10 hours ago, Greentored said:

what’s odd is, it’ll run fine, then suddenly not want to idle again. Possibly just passing crap through it. 

Also, the governor linkage is missing and it’s bypassed. Any chance at all any of these WOULDNT have been governed via centrifugal weights?

Air leaking past throttle shaft and or gasket. Spray carb cleaner on those areas as it's running. If you here rpm change it's sucking in air.

It should have governor control. The shaft is sticking up to the right of the oil fill tube but the arm and linkage are missing. Posting a wanted ad on here should most likely get you the linkage. Unfortunately I recently scrapped a few old snow blower engines which are plentiful up here but maybe not so much down in NC. A Kohler carb will bolt on with a little creative linkage mods

 

[ebinmaine 67,277]

19 minutes ago, wallfish said:

Posting a wanted ad on here should most likely get you the linkage

I've got a couple tecchies. Maybe find a pic of what you need. I'll see what I have.  

[squonk 41,025]

12 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Don't be so stingy. Gorilla tape will fix ANY seat. 

Make sure you put it on sticky side down!

[ebinmaine 67,277]

4 minutes ago, squonk said:

Make sure you put it on sticky side down!

Ooh. Oh. Ow. 

 

Yeah good advice. 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

Air leaking past throttle shaft and or gasket. Spray carb cleaner on those areas as it's running. If you here rpm change it's sucking in air.

It should have governor control. The shaft is sticking up to the right of the oil fill tube but the arm and linkage are missing. Posting a wanted ad on here should most likely get you the linkage. Unfortunately I recently scrapped a few old snow blower engines which are plentiful up here but maybe not so much down in NC. A Kohler carb will bolt on with a little creative linkage mods

 

 

Good advice on leak test John.

 

There are 2 possibillities of governor’s technique i know about the Teckys,

 

 they are flywheel based versions - like a Windmill and there are engine Based.

What in witch timeline was used i‘m not sure about.

 

 

On that Pict you can see how it shall be, that the Governor acts.

 

 

 

Between the Exhaust manifold and the Oilplug you can see the Governor Lever arm.

also on mine the safety bolt in the upper was missed.

Simply a screw with a short thread and several mm longer with removed thread works.

 

 

on the Spring i estimated, because mine doesn‘t have a spring before.

the spring rate shall be strong enough, to pull on Full throttle the Bytterfly lever to fully open.

i used a standart set of springs i had aside, where i test out, witch spring reacts the best.

 

I think even with engaged Deck mine works smooth like silk

 

 

[Greentored 3,201]

Really appreciate the help fellas! @ebinmaine From the pics, it appears all that's missing are the actual governor arm and link to the carb, if you have one let me know!. I have a Tekky 6 here off the 654 with blown up flywheel magnets, unfortunately the linkage is missing on that one too. So far I have checked and set points at .020, gapped the plug at .025, fresh 93 octane, fuel lines and filter are new, checked valve lash (they were .010/.010) float height set, etc...  really think that 'jiggle rod' is still a little sticky, as it will be somewhat decent, then wont idle without major choke, and if i tap on the carb with a small wrench, she will start idling again. How are the chinese carbs for these things, work as well as the Kohler ones? @wallfish if a Kohler carb will bolt up and only require some linkage trickery, i'm all about that!

Really dig this little bugger and even in its current state, am very impressed with just how much 6 measly horsepower is capable of! My push mower is a 5.5 and bogs in taller grass, and its not pushing a 400+lb machine with a rider. That's wild!

 

Are these engines really that bad, or is it just a crappy carb design?  Story time  - Back home in upstate NY in my teens, used to run 'microds', (basically a go kart with suspension, and depending on class, either a wood body or sheetmetal with open wheels like a modified). One of the wood body classes ran 6hp tekkys, and all that was allowed were milling the head .030, removing the governor, a pipe and open air filter. They ran strong- like radar gun verified 48-50mph down the straights on the larger 1/10 mile tracks! The open wheel class ran 5hp Briggs with the same rules, plus block decking, aftermarket rod and piston, file fit rings, some mild cam work allowed, race gas, timing bumped, etc...  we spun them 5500-6000. The tekky powered wood body machines carried an extra 20lbs and only spun 4000-4200rpms, and once up to speed, would run right up the rear of the open wheels! They rarely blew up, but would score a rod journal if spun much over that 4000-4200.

Funny part is, we would be checking competitors with a stopwatch during open practice, and suddenly one would slow down exactly .2 for no apparent reason. Scored rod, like clockwork, every single time someone lost exactly 2/10.

[Greentored 3,201]

Well, here we go- governor gear is apparently fragged, as there’s zero resistance to moving at any rpm. New parts on the way. 
On a good note, she fired right up, sat there and idled perfect! Apparently getting some fuel flow and a splash of sea foam finished cleaning the passages not accessible. 
Not ready to throw in the towel on the Tekky just yet, but if it proves to be a constant pain, there’s a couple complete generator style K181s sitting on the bench. Just hate to do that- this is the most original, un-bastardized one I own. 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

I‘m sure you get it back to Work.