Torybilt Horse engine swap,

[tdump]

I just thought I would make a quick post while I was here to help folks out.
I have a stack of Organic gardening magazines from the 70's and early 80's and I used to look at them and wish and think how fun gardening would be if I had 1 of those Troy bilt horse tillers! Wow, I was being flopped around by a old 4 hp Merry tiller.Did a good job but was hard on me
Well,fast forward to 2013 I did some work for a lady who's husband had 1 of the original 1's from the 70's and it was under a tree rusting. He had passed away and I was getting her tractor running so she could bush hog. i did the work for the rusty tiller that she said did not run. The tines are half worn but work fine for me.
I struggled for a while trying to get the 7 hp Tecumseh engine to run and it did but not well and not for long.
I picked up 1 of the 6.5 hp Chinese Honda clones for 20 bucks that needed a carburetor at a tractor show and I did the repairs and put it on the troybilt. Direct bolt on except you will need a 5/16ths bolt for the crankshaft instead of the stock 3/8ths bolt that retains the reverse drum.
It so happens the engine I picked up was a electric start 1 so i built a battery box for the tiller.

I type this to say if your tiller needs a new engine, the 6.5 hp manual start engine you can get at Harbor freight for around a 100 bucks on sale will work wonders and if you are handy with tools you can swap it yourself using a floor jack to support the engines as you remove and replace them.
No need to junk a otherwise good tiller because of a engine.
I am impressed with how quite the engine is and how powerful it is.

[LIcenter]

Good on you tdump. I see another forty + years in it's future. I had a large tiller for the longest time. Every spring I would pull it out to do the yearly maintenance on it, then put it back never using it the entire year. Three years ago was the last time I pulled it back out, and decided to put up for sale do to lack of use, and prime shed real estate being taken up. I now have a Honda 4 stroke mini tiller that I love to no end, and gets used the entire growing season. If the need arises for something bigger, I just rent it for the few hours I need it.

[tdump]

I really gave this thing a work out the other day and it really has the power and I have figured out how to run it and not get drug around the garden! .So although it took some effort, it was worth it.

[ccar2000]

Nice, I have an OG 8hp horse that I bought new in the late eighties. I use it several times a year. I also have the front blade attachment. Wish I would have bought more of the attachments

[meandtk]

I put one of the Harbor Freight CHondas on my dad's TroyBilt Horse a couple of years ago. Then there was a pto problem, and it sat for a couple of years.
Dad's dementia is a bit more advanced that I wish to admit, I guess. Though a retired mechanic, he did not think/care to start it and take care of the gas issues. I couldn't start it.
I took it to a friend to fix the problem in the transmission. He took care of it all. I brought it home, but the tines didn't engage. I took the rear off, reinserted the key firmly, put it back together, and then I put it to work.
It works so much better than my 14 inch Snapper rear tine tiller.
I'm thinking of looking for one that I can call all my own. They're selling in my area for about $350 on Craigslist.

[tdump]

Yea, 350 is about right. Just check the tines for alot of wear and such. I aint so sure tines can be had for the old 1 like ours.

[meandtk]

Yea, 350 is about right. Just check the tines for alot of wear and such. I aint so sure tines can be had for the old 1 like ours.

I didn't find a horse for myself, but I did find a 1989 Econo Horse. I got it for $60.
I've put a carb on it, and a tube in one tire. I still have a few more things to do. I should have it going well for a total of $150.