OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Tip & Curb Side Finds Any Good?

I have heard some of the later tecumseh engines are not all that great, wondering if this one (on a over i recently aquired) is worth mutch effort, it currently does not work, and will require at least a new throttle cable to be bought.

How much is this thing worth putting in?

Photo's to come.

Badge says Model TVS90
Serial 43754N (c)
DOM 7235J

HT Lead is dated 97

Should i put the money into fixing it up, or strip it down for parts?

Also, what carby would this be?

Keep or Scrap? single choice

Fix it up (80%, 4 Votes)

Scrap it for Parts (20%, 1 Votes)

Total Votes: 5 Voting on this poll ends: 0 seconds ago

Dont need to spend anything.
Dont need the cable to fix it, or see if its fixable.
Some of the older had a friction throttle that didnt need a cable, just had a red plastic knob on the throttle lever. If it wont stay put just use a cable off anything.
Ive got a short one off a Rover Mulch Shredder that i use.
You could use one off anything, some of the old Rovers used a spring steel metal clip to hold the cable to the handle, one of them will hold the control end to stop it flopping about if it wont meet up with the screw holes in the handle.


Check the spark. If thats good you need to look elsewhere.
Most of them ive pulled the head off have had those laminated graphite gasktets so i tend to avoid removing the head if i can.

If it wont go, do a compression test. 70psi or so is good, it will run and run OK. Might even run with less.
Pull the carb off and clean it out, blow it out, id suggest a can of carb cleaner.
Most common problem ive found with the Tecumseh motors is the carb just clags up. Put it down to time and not having a fuel tap. Any water in the tank settles in the carb.

Parts are not easy to get for them but it seems that one thing thats real easy to find are the new bulbs for the primer on the carb. Theres two sorts, with hole and without.

Then while the carb is off mainfold off, muffler off and check the valve clearances (if the compression is sad)

Should be able to fix it.

You mean its worth, Fixed??

Depends very much on its appearance and who you are trying to off load it too.

$150-200 with a good catcher.

Throttle, blades, plug, oil. probably set you back $35-40

Sounds to me like its got a good return for effort and cost then, OK, well i'll get it onto the pile to get done for the end of winter.

I'm running a small show with an older gentleman who lives in Canberra, he runs an add in the paper picking them up for free, i come round, and grab them in lots, fix them, and we sell come spring, and split the money.

Sounds like a good thing.


I like the idea of leaving them sit for a week or two or more before putting them up for a new owner. That way if theres an issue you can get on it.

I rent 1/2 an acre surrounded by the landlords land, And i have permission to "Mow as much grass as i like in some areas of paddock, so i have pleanty of test area.

lol, ive got to load the mower on the trailer and go for a drive. dont have to go far, a block or two. Plenty of weeds to mow up there.


Ive got the nature strip about 40-50' long, then in the back yard about the same length but 3 feet wider. And only about half of it is fully grassed. The back half is still just clumps. Might take a while to fill in as it gets very little sun.
Next door gets his nature strips done regualr by a mob and all the rest round here is concrete. Up the corner i mow his verge whenever i get a utility i want to play with.

Sounds a bit like my old place in banks, Really nice house, cement yard... Really not the place for a mower collector!

Well, here she is, can anyone shed some light on her carby make and model?

Thats an earlier one. Surprisingly on a rover base.

That the early type carb with a fixed main jet.
Not sure about who and what with the carb, might be Tecumseh's own design. Its not much different to the way old ones as seen in Pacmores thread.

I have begun cleaning this one up, it will be repaired, and sold off in spring, I'll put up some pictures when done, and anything interesting along the way.

Hmmm, did they even come out with that motor on them???

I really don't know, i have seen them with similar motors, and the age match seems right (engine is 97) however I'm fairly new to the Tecumseh, so i cant be certain of much.

i had one of those with a briggs sprint 375 build date was 96 from memory i liked that mower till it decided to go bang i was even going to buy a new engine for it ended up chucking it out still miss it.

I think i have the same thing, but i cant be sure, sounds alot like what you are describing though, and consensus from it's id thread on here seems to hint in that direction.

Here's why i just cant be certain:

I have a green rover that had one of those engines from the factory, seems like a good enough mower, usually tecumseh engines fail from user neglect rather than wearing out.

I have found that with some of the briggs too.

Some of them come in, compleatly dead, but a fuel flush, fresh oil, and a new air filter seems to get the running smooth, if not, a good clean of the carby will settle most of the tough ones, with only a few needing to undergor anything more.

Are these tecumseh's a little more sensetive to neglect?

The neglect issues with the tecumseh mostly comes from the carb. They didnt have fuel taps so leaking needle and seat is an issue.

They hate ethanol as do all mowers. Water in the carb, most ive fixed have had it.

If they havent been run dry on oil and the air filter has done its job, usually a carb clean out will fix them.

Used starters do OK on ebay, $10-15 seems to the the going rate.
Coils do OK too, i find that strange as i have never had one here thats had no spark.

I wish there was something on the bowser clearly stationg the damage ethanol does to mowers...

...Then again, i still think those using it wouldnt care.

I dont think it matters.
Thinking about it, its probably more what the water in the ethanol fuel that does the damage.


I fixed the tecumseh that i had here.
Drained the tank and fuel bowl. Fresh fuel and it went first pull.
For some reason petrol engines do not run very well on Kerrosene. lol.

Them farmers out dads way need to try a bit harder. It takes the sport out of it.

Washed it, Cleaned the filter, re-oiled it, changed the oil and its ready to sell.

This one sounds fairly promising, Hopefully it wont be too much more than that!