This Troy-Bilt Mower Has Rod Knock

[@boxman139]

Ask Troy to fix it, he's the one who built it after all

[@scottdunn4506]

You know what he would tell you to do with it he would say shove it up your butt lol 😂

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

LOL!!!

[@Delerium_22]

@@boxman139 sure, do you know his address lol

[@jesterr7133]

My favorite mower has a little rod knock, but it has been there for years, and thankfully has never gotten any worse. The engine still runs really well, so I am going to roll with it until I notice it getting any worse, and then i will rebuild it. This one is part of the permanent fleet, so I am not worried about the money.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice, I my old mower was like that, it was extremely loud. But after what seemed like 8 or 9 years it finally stopped running. Now it's waiting until the winter as a new project

[@HerbSpencer-t6i]

Like yourself I always like working on my lawn equipment and other items outside. Since I have been following your channel, I like how you set up on your outside work bench. Since I have had shoulder surgery and will be 80 next January, I built an outside bench from scrap 2X4s and decking boards. I built a ramp at one end and put a winch at the other. The bench is located right near the door to my shop and its just a few steps to my tools and supplies. I also have a small power washer set up right near the bench. It is easy now to simply push or winch the heavier mowers up to the bench to work on them. Thanks for the inspiration!!! Herb Spencer.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you and I really admire your determination!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Drain the oil, replace with Delo 15/40 and reduce the revs somewhat and RUN THAT BABY! Happy week

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's definitely and idea!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE The thicker oil works wonders sometimes. Lower r.p.m.'s don't hurt either.

[@nathanhalsema4859]

This man is the chris fix of lawnmowers

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

LOL!!!

[@tjclarke4604]

Great work. That will last another 10 years if taken care of, those Quantum engines are bulletproof.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

totally agree!

[@Capyberto593]

I found a trimmer in a ditch I repaired it and it works. The only problem is that the air purge and I don’t even use it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice work!

[@jnovickijr]

I had one with that engine and what i thought was rod knock was a slightly off kilter blade reinstall. It wasnt loose, just not within the exact place it should be. Cleared right up and kept running until the frame cracked.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice work finding out what the problem was with it.

[@HerbSpencer-t6i]

Good job on getting this one running. I have the exact same Troy Built model with the exception that mine has a Honda engine on it. I am thinking it has the been the best mower I have had. I have taken very good care of it with all the maintenance needed. The combnation Troy Built/Honda was probably their best offering circa 2010. My Troy Built mower is sitting in my shed beside a much newer Snapper mower "with" a Briggs engine that has about had it! I wonder if your Briggs would be worth a teardown and overhaul, although that would be a cost recovery last option. Its a lot of time and effort to spend on going into the block. Time and parts into an older model seems a bit much. Thanks for your video as always. I look forward to each new video you produce!!!

[@scottdunn4506]

I found a newer troy bilt push mower with a Honda engine in the trash last week the blade was on backwards I put the blade on the right way and it started right up no bent crankshaft ehiter and they overfilled it with oil it was a easy fix it’s from 2018 I love Honda engines

[@HerbSpencer-t6i]

@@scottdunn4506 These Troy Built mower frames seem very well made and I like the self propelled system. Another plus is the parts are readily available for them on Amazon. I recently replaced all the wheels and also the side discharge chute assembly fairly inexpensively. The Honda is very easy to maintain and I feel this mower will last a long time. No so on my $550.00 Snapper (Blaming Briggs on that)! I would love a Snapper (new) with a Honda Engine but would to way too expensive!! Thanks for replying Scott!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks for the comment, I think the wear on the rings is minimal if I remember. The only thing I would change would be the connecting rod and the rod knock should barely be noticeable after that.

[@Delerium_22]

Personally I’d go for a new quality mower, I’m not really gonna go after used mowers since you don’t know what condition its in typically until you’ve used it a few times, and you don’t know what the seller knows about the engine/mower itself either, so there’s no real guarantee. I mean if I bought it from someone like you then I’d certainly buy it knowing that it’s gonna be in the best condition it could be in

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I really do appreciate and I know what you mean.

[@robertm5969]

If you buy off marketplace from someone with lots of high reviews, you'll rarely go wrong. You might get unlucky but chances are whatever you get should run a while longer.

[@jesterr7133]

I got my mower with the spark issue running again. I wire brushed the kill switch for the 800th time, and it suddenly started working again. It seems to be running well, but has a little bit of a rattle. The blade needs to be replaced, but appears to be balanced, and the crankshaft isn't bent, so I have another weird issue to figure out, lol.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

glad to hear you got it going!

[@mjg263]

Usually if I have a mower with a rod knock I swap the engine out and use the knocker for parts. Still a ton of good Quantum parts on that engine!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's a good idea. If this one was a lot worse, I would have done it too.

[@jesterr7133]

I working on a Cub Cadet self propelled mower with a Chinese engine of some type. I am firmly convinced that it was designed by a five year old that won some kind of contest. The breather tube is placed in the direct path of the governor arm, and prevents the governor arm from moving properly. The governor arm is actually wearing a hole in the breather tube. The choke lever is nearly an inch too long and prevents the choke from opening and closing properly. I don't see how it ever ran.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes those overseas engine surprise me too with their design choices

[@MixingGBP]

My 2006 Toro SR that was gifted to me this year has a little rod knock. When I got it, I went over it and made sure good gas and oil were refilled. After most of this season with it, the noise has not gotten worse. The mower cuts great. I would sell it. As you said I would tell the buyer about this noise and that it is why they got a discount. Advise them to stay on top of the oil level and put ethanol free gas in it. If they agree to this, then I would feel ok selling it. This one sounds like it is near the end of its life, though. I would be curious what your selling price is.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

to be honest I film these repair videos months ago, so I don't remember right off hand how much I sold it for.

[@scottdunn4506]

As long as it cuts grass I don’t see it being a problem I have used lawnmowers with rod knock and never had problems with them as long as there’s oil in it and the rpm’s are not high it won’t blow up

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

well said!

[@mattwickert736]

This is where it gets tricky. Especially, if this is something that comes across your bench towards the later part of the season. If it were me, given everything else looks good on it, I'd probably swap the engine. If it was a simple side discharge deck, make it the "end of year special" for someone just needing to get through to the next year.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like this advice a lot

[@liljoeii6091]

Yep that's all I could afford I'd buy I actually have a Troy-Bilt at rusted into I got from a friend then I got a whole one for my brother he didn't know what was wrong with it carburetor and the gas tank have water in it I did it all cleaned it out make sure the carburetor all clean and it runs like a top so now I got a bunch of extra parts so I should be good for a little bit THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice mower and nice work getting it going again!

[@beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu8756]

Id just toss in a new set of rods and lifters and tappets if it needed them. They aren't that expensive and it will sound like a new mower. I just got finished with a Toro Recycler it got a cylinder hone new piston rings and carburetor that came with the filter and shut off valve. The price of the parts was worth it. It fires right up half way through the first pull cold or warmed up. Although im not a fan of the auto choke its working well. I do have several throttle cables and handles if it does what they do and usually when you want to get the lawn done and go do something. But thats Murphy, Toro can't do anything about that. I started to do a write up tag on the projects. Its so much easier to pull one out and review the card. Plus theres times when I get deals on multiple parts when ordering. The savings add up and having the parts on hand is great. Im still waiting for the air cleaner and filter to get here before I can list it. Seems like its always those specific parts that hold you up. Really like your video's unfortunately for myself I have a voice for silent movies and a mug for radio. So you won't find any competition here 😅.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

this only needs a new connecting rod.

[@antoniopilar6941]

Mine has a little rod knock too, been using it that way for two years now

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice, you're doing it the right way.. keep the oil up, and keep using it.

[@matthewwearsch242]

Haven't paid for a push mower in years but I have bought some parts in the process of repairing them myself.That mower needs new drive wheels because you can't get traction on turf with those MICKEY THOMPSON racing slicks🏎️

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it's FWD, the traction from it is minimal to begin with.

[@matthewwearsch242]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I know that but that's a good way to judge condition when the drive tires are worn smooth it's some tired 😴 iron

[@MikeFoster-sy8jl]

Starting to lean towards the 190cc as my favourite engine but find it to be a high maintenance machine like the Honda 160GCV but disappointed over all by the little things on the Honda engine even though I love how it’s built compared to the Quantum. Probably as is better than what you can buy in stores and probably will last longer even with the rod knock. I really can’t tell what is a better cut between the 190cc and 160GCV but I can tell you the 190cc comes fully sealed.. what a way to find out you stored the Honda with too much oil… atleast it wasn’t gas..

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

to be honest, I'd take the honda GCV 160 but the 190 is best. Also if you can find one with the choke lever and not the auto choke, it'd definitely take it.

[@jwayne777]

I reckon I would buy it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks, I think it's still a good machine and should last a long time.

[@garyalensr]

If the mower had slight rod knock and i was buying it from you? Absolutely id buy it, i wouldn't hesitate a bit because I'd know im getting a damn good well maintenanced mower. All the equipment you sale is meticulously fixed!

[@scottdunn4506]

Same I use it the way it is till it stops working

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I really appreciate that

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice, I would have no issues using this mower until it stops which is going to be awhile

[@NickSpires09]

Nice mower and great work why does it knocking when running

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it was ran for a long time while low on oil. That made the clearance too big on the journal and hence the sound you're hearing

[@pit4955]

You should’ve stuck to your original intent save it for parts ! I’m sure you ddi a video on it. Good info thx for sharing 👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you're the second person you mentioned that.. now I'm going to go back and look at the video.

[@jesterr7133]

Have you ever seen algae inside a carb? It is a first for me. I opened up the carb on my mower with the spark issue, and it had algae in the bowl, or at least that is what it appeared to be. How would it get there? Long term exposure to water? This machine had been stored indoors during the time it was not running.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I don't think it's algae only because if there was even a drop of fuel in there, it would have sanitized the bowl. Also algae needs sunlight to grow.

[@jesterr7133]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE It was definitely some kind of bright green sludge.

[@haneyoakie14]

A replacement Quantum engine is easily available. That is what I would try.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

You got that right, even if I had to replace it with another good used engine, I'd be fine with doing it

[@haneyoakie14]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Quantum is such a good engine that they frequently outlive the mower frame if people don’t bother to remove their wet grass clippings causing the frame to rot out.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you're right about that

[@MarkMeadows90]

As long as it has just a little rod knock, it should be fine sold at a discount. Just be truthful in the description when selling of course.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you are correct

[@CalvaryDavis-o1o]

Which do you think is better a Honda push mower or a john Deere push mower. So far the john Deere and the Honda work good. But I do not know which one to sell.I have had them both for years now and that are both good mowers. I just don't know which one to keep. What would you suggest!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I guess it would have to depend on the year of each one, their condition and also which version of each one you're asking about. The HRX217 is a fantastic mower but it's miles away from the standard honda with a metal deck and one speed trans. The same goes for the John Deere. I'm partial to honda, so I'm a bit biased already

[@adammosher1115]

I'm pretty sure you did a video on this one before and it was tapping and you said it was going to be for parts or of you did sell it discounted at a price you would de happy with I just can't remember

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I wish I could remember. The only thing that's changed since then would be market dynamics. Things suck so bad now, that I'd take a tapping mower from 14 years ago instead of the new stuff now.

[@mitchellbroderick5097]

Reguarding what time you sell. Do you sell at peak season since the prices? So you hold on to the mowers. Or do you sell them all year round regardless of what season? Kind regards

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I mostly sell near, during and after the peak season. For me, that's May to early September. other than that, I'll put them into storage after fixing them.

[@gordonthompson7251]

What cleaner do you use on your equipment? Been watching your videos for a few years, haven't heard you say.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I’m using Super Heavy Duty Degreaser from Harbor Freight.

[@gordonthompson7251]

@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE thank you very much.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@ramadinsookhoo6141]

Hey bro what's up? I believe that I would pass on purchasing this mower however I wouldn't mind putting a little extra and getting another used mower which would last a little bit longer.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's understandable

[@paulmonk7820]

Is there a valve adjustment for this engine?😮

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

not an easy one. It requires a lot of work to do it

[@robertmailhos8159]

That is the truth about low oil will cause the rod knock push mowers now don't have a throttle control system to slow the engine speed

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

very true

[@robertmailhos8159]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE you know that is the truth @insidehousegarage

[@josephmeadows8521]

Is there any way that I can contact you for some help with my project and I can't find any answers to it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sure you can send it to my email, [e-mail]

[@josephmeadows8521]

Thanks Buddy, I sent you an email😊

[@don1857]

Are the valve clearances adjustable on these Quantum engines?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

not easily

[@gillgetter3004]

I’ve bought worse and ran them when I was broke. Now a days naw I’d buy new and maintain properly 👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you said it all, that's the best way for sure

[@pollym.2126]

Do the mowers with auto choke need the thermostat? Or it can run without one. Because mine is broken. And when it turns on, it's at maximum rpm. Idk what it could be other than that

[@tinkerscorner54]

The Governor needs adjustment.

[@pollym.2126]

@@tinkerscorner54 how do you adjust the governor?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

this mower doesn't not have a thermostat, only an air vane to bypass the choke. Since I don't know what mower you have I'd only be guessing at to what the problem is with yours.

[@pollym.2126]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE mines a toro 22 recycler

[@brianandrews7099]

No, I would definitely pass on any mower with a rod knock unless it was free or nearly free and was otherwise in really good physical condition and I had a replacement engine on hand to install on it. My fear would be that the engine would fail within a year of use and something like a 20% discount would not cover the time and gasoline I would use later to go out and find another good mower to replace the “knocker”. I’d rather pay alittle more for a machine with no serious mechanical issues.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I completely understand your choice and respect it.

[@rickthelian2215]

She’s about to blow Scotty’s (Star Trek) No I’d pass unless I had another motor for it.😊

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

LOL!!!

[@philliphall5198]

Probably carbon on top of piston cause by corn gas

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you might be right

[@HarrisonsGarage23]

I would definitely not buy a mower with rod knock. I'd have to respectfully disagree with what you said about the rod knock not getting worse as long as the oil is full. I have seen a few engines with rod knock (with the correct oil level) still blow the rod. Think about it this way, What is rod knock? The clearance between the rod and the crankshaft has gotten to be so big that the oil isn't providing that thin layer of protection that it once had. When that clearance gets too big, the oil cannot sufficiently protect the rod and crank from contacting each other. This produces a noise we call rod knock. That noise it literally metal to metal contact. That gap between the rod and crank will only get bigger and bigger until something breaks. (Almost always the connecting rod since its aluminum)

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

first off, thanks for the respect, I appreciate it. But I have to ask how "bad" was the rod knock on the one that blew? The reason I ask is because continuous use with higher than normal engine speed, will end with a broken rod. I've have not seen a broken rod due to excess rod knock.

[@HarrisonsGarage23]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE On the few I have witnessed this on, the knocking wasn't bad at all. About the same noise level as your machine had. One notable example I can remember is on my personal toro recycler lawn mower. (Same engine as the one in your video) The oil level was always kept full and (reasonably) clean. About halfway through mowing my yard, it started making that sound. I shut it off to empty the grass bag. After that I started cutting the grass again and it kept getting louder and louder until BANG.... the rod had broke. A teardown revealed the connecting rod broke at the bottom. I also checked the cylinder walls to make sure it wasn't something to do with the piston siezing up in the cylinder or something. Everything was good there. Just the bottom end was trashed. The RPM had been previously set at around 3,200rpm during a tune up about a year prior. I think you can safely run them up to 3,600 but I figured 3,200 was good enough. I've also had this happen on some older riding mowers too. They never seemed to last that long after the knocking started. Maybe a thicker oil could have helped it last a bit longer 🤔 This obviously wouldn't happen in every case but this is my experience with rod knock. You might get lucky and someone could get a few years out of that mower or it could blow pretty fast. It's hard to tell.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks for the information I appreciate it.

[@RandyOwnbey-jx3qh]

Run a heavier oil in it maybe would reduce the rod knock

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I wish that worked but it doesn't

[@petefroud5308]

Sadly the mower has been rinsed wheels are wheels worn

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it front wheel drive, so even with "tread" on the front drive wheels, it's not going to get that much better traction

[@Trump985]

Well first off I wouldn’t buy a FWD push mower. Whoever came up with the idea of a FWD mower obviously hasn’t ever used a mower before. Second off I wouldn’t buy a push mower with rod knock for any amount of money. Third off I wouldn’t buy a used push mower period. I’ve walked away from some really cheap nice commercial stand on mowers due to internal engine problems. These engines are outrageously expensive to replace, and they are not only expensive to rebuild in both parts and machine work, but not really rebuildable. Maybe if I got a free commercial stand on mower that had a bad engine but was in mint condition I’d put a new engine on it, however the ones I see are all worn out, and not worth putting that much money into. In my opinion if the engine is bad (I consider rod knock bad) the mower is totaled. If I found this push mower in the trash I might use it till it throws the rod through the side of the block, but I’m not going to pay a penny for it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you make a really good point, only buy new mowers.

[@curiosity2314]

Yeah I would pass.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

understandable