Onan Engine Refurbishment & First Start for Bolens QT16 Garden Tractor

[@Jeremy-fy1sz]

Watching this trying to figure out how to take apart mine and clean it to deal with suspected overheating. Appreciate the detail.

[@TractorHoarders]

Hope it helped! I would just give it a good cleaning, and ensure the flywheel is able to pull in air to blow out through the cooling fins on the head. It would be a good time to replace your head gaskets too.

[@DannyBland-jh5qy]

You'll get it apart. my 18 was mounted to a steel plate probably how they mounted it to a mower or something but there was a bolt on each side so the plate had to come off so I could get those last 2 bolts I was thinking about mounting the onan 18 engine to my old john Deere 110 but the 18 is missing the engines shaft pulley but I do have spare parts around and one might fit or weld it to the end of the shaft

[@hunter7476]

Hey you did a great job in that engine everything you did was fine I love those onans I have one in my John Deere 318 garden tractor it’s very reliable and runs excellent I always pressure wash motors if I have them out of the machine the spilt intake manifolds are a weak link so you’ll in the future possibly need to reseal them

[@TractorHoarders]

Thank you! The 318 is a great tractor! I believe those have the Onan P218 engine, right?

[@hunter7476]

@@TractorHoarders yes the early models 1983-1987 had a b43g engine and the late models 1988-1992 had p218gs mine is a 1992

[@hunter7476]

It sounds great after you had it running

[@TractorHoarders]

I’ve got some other videos where I put it back in the tractor. I have a Bolens QT16 playlist you can find it in. I think it sounds good too! Thanks!

[@trentwheeler6161]

Are these similar to the onan engines used in john Deere lawn tractors? And I love your channel! I love old and new tractors as long as it's not an MTD lawn mower

[@TractorHoarders]

Hey Trent, thanks for the on-going support! These are very similar to the engines used in the John Deere 316 and 318. This one is a “B series” and JD used the “P series”, but very similar engines. These were also used in Gravely, Case, and Wheel Horse. I like them all too! Like you, not much of a fan of the cheap, mass produced MTDs that are branded many different ways. I guess I just like stuff that is built well! I appreciate you following. I know that when I post things like this it typically doesn’t get the higher views like my 1025R videos, but I like the old ones too, like you. Have a good weekend!

[@trentwheeler6161]

@@TractorHoarders thanks man! Bought a house with a little over half an acre back in 2018. Yes yes, I wanted 2 to 5 acres minimum but the housing market is crazy. I need to get a riding mower but hate the low quality mtd. Wanted a john Deere, cub cadet, Wheel horse, bolens etc pre 1990. Not sure at all what I'm going to do yet. I'd enjoy something older that's built to last. A JD 318 sells for $1500 ish and I'm trying to stay around $800 or 1000

[@DannyBland-jh5qy]

The 19.9 muffler pipes actually came off easy they have a short sleeve piece that fits in what's connected to each muffler I know mine needs a new condenser probably spark plugs to even though they tested put good the one closest to the battery showed a weaker spark but then it could be the old plug wires are shot all the stuff on the mower is all original even the starter Same for the onan performer xsl 18 on it is all original parts I still might make a spot on the back for the battery so I can have a gravity fed gas to the carburetor and no pump because the cheap little pumps mess up to fast so that and a shut off valve and put the new gas line on I'll probably try a kohler pump or Briggs one on first before I do and changes with the tank

[@devon6313]

Carbon was probably from the carburetor not being tuned right, or needing to be rebuilt

[@TractorHoarders]

I'm in agreement. I'm thinking it has maybe run a little rich and burning a little oil too. It was like an oily carbon.

[@DannyBland-jh5qy]

So now I see the top side of this onan manifold #170-2968

[@alfonzoidalgo9091]

Nice

[@TractorHoarders]

Thank you!

[@DannyBland-jh5qy]

I was given 4 old push mowers still good and a onan performer xsl 18 engine and a sears onan gt 19.9 mower and a craftsman gt 16hp mower And I've cleaned one side of the 18 now just got the other side to do and get some cheap parts for it and see how it goes Wonder why people like the onan 19.9 better than the craftsman so once I get the 18 and 19.9 finished they're gonna be put up then I'm gonna start on the old craftsman and use it for cutting think it's transmission is in a gear cause it didn't wanna roll. I also got a manifold and carburetor it goes to a onan not sure what size it fits on but it's smaller than the 19.9 onans manifold I got all this old stuff free so it's new this single manifold and Nikki carburetor on the onan manifolds #170-2969 anyhow I cleaned it all on the inside

[@WASIMEDOO]

Help please i have a generator will not start i am spark getting gas but it will not start can you give me some good advice what to check on i check but can get it

[@TractorHoarders]

If you have spark and have gas, but it will not start. 1) try using starter fluid in the air intake. If it tries to start, your carb needs cleaned. 2) Do a compression check 3) check your timing

[@WASIMEDOO]

I tried all of that still it's back fireing

[@MYNautiGirl]

@@WASIMEDOO What's the compression like? My onan 6.5kW genset had 135psi in one cylinder and 0 in the other, turned out it was a completely stuck exhaust valve I needed to replace, it was so rusted.

[@DannyBland-jh5qy]

I say the stuff is old its all gonna have black on it because it's old used some people you know once something breaks they quit using it then let it sit for years so it's just years worth of old carbon build up there's some people that buy a item and never clean it but only use it until it breaks on them and then we get they're broken toys

[@chrisfiat]

No rings and no valve job, not a rebuild just a make work project

[@TractorHoarders]

Certainly not a rebuild and wasn’t intended to be. The whole tractor came out looking great with an engine that runs just fine.