Looks like it takes a sealed acid battery like you would find on a generator or motorcycle, does the manual lust specifications as far as type dimensions and minimum cold cranking amps.

 

I don’t have the manual. I have seen a couple video, one actually specified “looks like the previous owner switched to a lawn mower battery for more reliable starting”.

 

I can't see the carb but usually those gas tank mounted carbs have a diaphragm that acts as a fuel pump. They get hard. If the engine surges, then it definitely needs a new diaphragm. Only use Briggs, Stens, or Oregon. Also those carbs have a primer bulb or a primer bulb many times can be added.

 

Any and all help greatly appreciated.

I don’t have the manual.

Manuals are readily available if you provide the model number... For example, for a 47287:

Troy-Bilt (GardenWay) Chipper/Vac Owner/Operator Manual, Models 47286 & 47287Page front

Parts: - list# - PartsAndService - View Illustrated Parts Catalogues - ipl.cgi.v305 1 -

The battery (Part #52) appears to be a size 1/2-U1 12V 18Ah (Troybilt Chipper/Vac) Battery. This is the same size battery used in a Honda HSS1332AATD snow blower.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

Manuals are readily available if you provide the model number... For example:

Troy-Bilt (GardenWay) Chipper/Vac Owner/Operator Manual, Models 47286 & 47287Page front

The model number is 48287. I read that manual quickly. Just says lead sealed battery.

That is good info. Thank you. I should be able to trapick one of them down.

I have faith that it will start with the key. Not sure how much pulling it’d take to sifen gas up into the carb but seems like the key is better option. It does cough until the starting fluid is gone, but doesn’t run long enough to suck gas through the system.

 

You are correct. I miss typed.

 

I owned a Troy-Bilt 47286 (the non-electric start version) for two years, 2013-2014. It was one of the last Troy-Bilt products before they went bankrupt, MTD bought them out, and then tossed all the spare parts

Obviously an aftermarket ignition coil on that one ^^^.

The bungee cord around the chute cage cut down on rattling considerably. It's still a machine that demands you wear hearing protection (like most OPE).

At the time, the Owners Manual was unobtainable. I paid an obscene amount for a really bad scan of the manual from eBay, then rescanned his pages, deskewed them and cleaned them up as possible, and put them online: Troy-Bilt Stuff. That's more or less the same link as tabora posted above; that's my site and my work. When tabora says "readily available", he means today, not nine years ago when I needed one

Regarding the vacuum-(or pressure-pulse)-operated fuel pump, the one on mine had a cracked body and it was NLA from B&S in 2013 . . .

. . . and I replaced mine with a different version, Walbro FPC-1-1. It would not physically fit where the old one was, and I mounted it externally with spacers to mitigate heat transfer from the muffler shield. It barely got warm. If your fuel pump's body is similarly in poor condition, it may not be able to move enough fuel in short enough time to get the carb primed up.

That Fraken-pump worked fine. I had bought the rig from a seller at the Portland Auto Swap Meet (the largest on the West Coast, "Always in April") for $75 -- down from his asking of $200 -- in 2013. Beside the aforementioned cracked fuel pump, it also had a leaking head gasket and the self-propel didn't work. It fit into the back of my Aerostar, so I bought it! I needed a chipper and was too cheap to buy a real Amerind-MacKissic Mighty Mac chipper that I really wanted.

The self-propel problem was a disconnected shifter cable (1-2-3). That cable was unobtaininum, so lubricate and treat yours well. The chipper knives were pretty dull, but I got through my project -- a bunch of holly and alder at my mother's house -- and sold it a couple years on for $150.

Both the chipper and vacuum portions worked well, though I only tested the vac part, I never really campaigned it. It was heavy. The tiny belt for the propel feature didn't look like fun to change.

[Huh. I guess mine was a 47287, as I see the electric starter in that pic ^^^. I guess maybe I was missing the battery holder, which also functions as a cover for the shifter cable terminus and the top of the transaxle.]

Somebody was selling repro chipper knives on eBay, but I didn't feel like changing out mine -- it's not a 30-minute job -- and I had a limited need for the chipper, so I just paid for more gasoline and took more time to get the project done.

Regarding starting, the engine has a carburetor with a float bowl, so it's easy to start as long as you don't run it out of gas, which I never did. If you do run it dry, it can take some cranking to get fuel pumped up to the carb from the low tank.

 

I owned a Troy-Bilt 47286 (the non-electric start version) for two years, 2013-2014. It was one of the last Troy-Bilt products before they went bankrupt, MTD bought them out, and then tossed all the spare parts

View attachment 190511

Obviously an aftermarket ignition coil on that one ^^^.

View attachment 190512

View attachment 190513

The bungee cord around the chute cage cut down on rattling considerably. It's still a machine that demands you wear hearing protection (like most OPE).

At the time, the Owners Manual was unobtainable. I paid an obscene amount for a really bad scan of the manual from eBay, then rescanned his pages, deskewed them and cleaned them up as possible, and put them online: Troy-Bilt Stuff. That's more or less the same link as tabora posted above; that's my site and my work. When tabora says "readily available", he means today, not nine years ago when I needed one

Regarding the vacuum-(or pressure-pulse)-operated fuel pump, the one on mine had a cracked body and it was NLA from B&S in 2013 . . .

View attachment 190507

. . . and I replaced mine with a different version, Walbro FPC-1-1. It would not physically fit where the old one was, and I mounted it externally with spacers to mitigate heat transfer from the muffler shield. It barely got warm. If your fuel pump's body is similarly in poor condition, it may not be able to move enough fuel in short enough time to get the carb primed up.

View attachment 190510

View attachment 190509

View attachment 190508

That Fraken-pump worked fine. I had bought the rig from a seller at the Portland Auto Swap Meet (the largest on the West Coast, "Always in April") for $75 -- down from his asking of $200 -- in 2013. Beside the aforementioned cracked fuel pump, it also had a leaking head gasket and the self-propel didn't work. It fit into the back of my Aerostar, so I bought it! I needed a chipper and was too cheap to buy a real Amerind-MacKissic Mighty Mac chipper that I really wanted.

The self-propel problem was a disconnected shifter cable (1-2-3). That cable was unobtaininum, so lubricate and treat yours well. The chipper knives were pretty dull, but I got through my project -- a bunch of holly and alder at my mother's house -- and sold it a couple years on for $150.

Both the chipper and vacuum portions worked well, though I only tested the vac part, I never really campaigned it. It was heavy. The tiny belt for the propel feature didn't look like fun to change.

View attachment 190506

[Huh. I guess mine was a 47287, as I see the electric starter in that pic ^^^. I guess maybe I was missing the battery holder, which also functions as a cover for the shifter cable terminus and the top of the transaxle.]

Somebody was selling repro chipper knives on eBay, but I didn't feel like changing out mine -- it's not a 30-minute job -- and I had a limited need for the chipper, so I just paid for more gasoline and took more time to get the project done.

Regarding starting, the engine has a carburetor with a float bowl, so it's easy to start as long as you don't run it out of gas, which I never did. If you do run it dry, it can take some cranking to get fuel pumped up to the carb from the low tank.

My 5hp version of this broke on me this fall. I think engine is done for. It was the same way. If you let it Run until it coughs out of gas, it can take a few pulls to get gas headed in the right direction again. Way better to try to keep an eye on it and any time I shut it off I tried to back the throttle down slowly to keep gas in the lines. I’m hoping to get a battery soon and see if she runs or not. I’m thinking she will. I still have a bunch of leaves that need picked up and mulched down. I was lucky enough that when I bought the first one it came with extra blades and I sent them to work with my dad (works in a machine shop) he sharpened them for me. This one didn’t come with any of the accessories but my 5hp did. I also need to locate a gas cap. The newer one i have has a red plastic cap that pushes on but isn’t even threaded. I’d prefer to track one down that looks like all the pictures (OEM).

 

So I went out and gave it a fair try today and was left stumped for now. Looking for help. Took carb off, sprayed cleaner all through it got it to come out in other places, seemed clear. Took the fuel pump off. Has 3 hoses. Sprayed cleaner in one bottom hole and it came out the other, seems clear. Went all the way down to the in-line fuel filter didn’t seem like gas was even getting that far so I switched it out. Still won’t run. its possible I didn’t get the hoses back on the fuel pump correctly I guess. Not s really sure what to try next.

 

Definitely had hoses crossed. Used the diagram of the fuel filter above to fix that problem and it still won’t go. Took the inline fuel shot off off and it didn’t smell like gas. So I guess it still isn’t vacuuming for whatever reason. No physical damage to the fuel pump that I can see on the outside.

 

B&S of that vintage: with engine on level surface, remove fill plug and add oil until no more can be added. It's a messy method. If I feel I need to add oil, I tilt the equipment so I can add without overflowing, then drop the equipment level to check if I added enough.

 

Made about 6 bags of leaves this afternoon. Overall, happy with this machine. Seems to have more suction and slightly quieter or less RPM’s than my previous 5hp model. When you lose all suction she’s FULL. Haha. As mentioned above, as long as you throttle down some before shutting off, it starts back up first pull when ready. Seems to like to start on choke, even after being plenty warm. May have to give the chipper blade a look and possible switch when I get around to opening the side panel. We’ll see. That’s another day.

 

Hey Chevy88, I have the same 8hp chipper vac, but mine is missing the electric starter. Any chance you could look for a starter PN on yours and share that with me? Or maybe a picture of the tarter and mounting bracket, if it's not too much trouble. I've found other pictures which show what looks like a bracket that bolts to the engine, and the starter then bolts to the bracket or something. Unfortunately, I'm missing both the starter and the bracket from my machine, but I would like to get replacements for both, if possible. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

 

Unfortunately, I'm missing both the starter and the bracket from my machine, but I would like to get replacements for both, if possible.

Before you jump into this too far, check to insure that your flywheel has the ring gear that the starter engages (see page 6 in the linked manual below); if not, you're looking at a very pricey upgrade. You'll likely need the charge coil, battery and bracket, relay and harness, and some other widgets, too.

http://asavage.dyndns.org/Troy-Bilt/47287-ChipperVac/Briggs_Parts_Manual_192400.pdf

 

Hi tabora, yes, my machine has the ring gear, etc. This machine originally had the electric starter (as evidenced by the key switch circled in blue in the photo below), but somewhere along the line the starter was removed, along with the bracket and cover. I'm just trying to figure out what starter motor to use on it. I have the parts manual for the Briggs motor (model 192437 type 1125 E1), which lists a compatable starter motor PN 498749, and I even have that starter motor in my posession, but it doesn't bolt up to the engine because the chipper feed chute is in the way. In Chevy88's photo, it looks like there might be a mounting bracket (green arrow in the image below) between the starter and engine on these machines, but I'm not sure if it's a Briggs bracket or if it's something that Troy-Bilt (Garden-Way) designed specific to this application. Also, I'm not sure if Troy-Bilt used the prescribed Briggs starter motor (PN 498149) with that bracket, or if it's another starter motor that they made work with this machine. I'm just hoping Chevy88 can either find a part nuumber on his starter, or get a good photo of the whole set-up so I can see if his machine has the 498149 starter or if it looks like something else completly.

 

it looks like there might be a mounting bracket (green arrow in the image below)

That might be this:
801A 496825 Cap–Drive
Used on Type No(s).
0125, 0161.

It offsets the starter motor.

 

Going to be a rainy couple of days and my chipper for the moment is outside under a tarp. When I get a good day I’ll go out and check on some things and at the very least take a few photos of what I have.

 

Thanks Chevy88, I appreciate it - I'll wait for your photos before ordering the $56 part. I don't want to buy it if it's not what's being used on these machines.

 

Yes! You're probably right - I totally missed that when looking in the Briggs parts manual. Thanks! Too bad it costs more than the actual starter motor...

Thanks for the help, I greatly appreciate it!

 

My 5HP has the key switch and has never had electric start (and I bought it new). The key switch means nothing in that context . . .

 

Here is the promised pic of my 8hp starter. Best I could do. Brings me to a question for the knowledgeable. I just bought and charged a brand new battery for it. Hook it it all up, tried the key. Absolutely nothing. Doesn’t make a noise, doesn’t try to start, nothing. Is there a bad wire connection somewhere? Starter gone bad? If so, worth the cost of a new one to replace? I don’t mind using the pull starter as long as I remember that the key still needs to be in the ON position in order to start even when pulling it.

 

I assume the starter has a solenoid, since the Troy keyswitch is not that rugged? If so, jump the battery hot to the solenoid and see if the starter engages. (If no solenoid, simply hit the starter with direct battery to test).

Oh, and I don't see any picture . . .

 

Hey Chevy88, thanks much! Those pics are helpful. I'm pretty sure I just need the bracket (Cap-Dive) that tabora mentioned. Thanks for the pic - I feel a little better about ordering a $50 part now.

Hey, regarding your starter issue, check the underside of the key switch to see if any wires pulled off the terminals. I found one that had pulled off of mine. Just something to check, simple and easy. Otherwise, you can try bypassing the solenoid / energizing the starter by connecting the 12+ from your battery to the 12+ terminal on the starter (like the blue line in the photo). Use a jumper cable or something with sufficient current carrying capacity, though, as the starter draws a lot of current.

The black wire in your photo (see the green arrow below) is the wire from the key switch to the solenoid; it looks like there's a splice or terminal connection right by where I drew the arrow Maybe it's dirty or corroded? If it comes apart, try cleaning it. I'm guessing that the solenoid is energized by 12+ through the key switch, then through that wire (and grounded to the chassis), so you could also just energize the solenoid by applying 12+ to the terminal on the solenoid where that wire connects. If the starter turns with 12+ applied directly to it, but not when you energize the solenoid, then your solenoid is probably bad. If your starter is bad, you can get a replacement on ebay for ~$55, but save that aluminum bracket on the front! You'll need it!

 

So I tried hooking my battery charger/booster to it. Negative to left battery terminal. Not shown above and positive to the other end of the blue line. Did not start. However, what did happen was interesting. The starter had trouble moving at first, but then spun the whole time. Didn’t matter what position the key was in or if the key was in. Only way to stop in from spinning was remove the positive.

 

Hi folks
I recently obtained a Bolen 8 hp chipper/ vac.
Model 47289
It is in great shape
It seems this model has disappeared from the planet!
Looks to be the same as a Troy Bilt model 47287 (not much info on this model either)

The drive belt part #1909198 is no longer available except on ebay for $50.
Seems like a lot of $$ for a small flat drive belt.
Any cross reference parts ideas?

Thanks

 

According to this website TROY-BILT Belt size, length, width for TROY-BILT belts by part number. it's 28" long by 7/8" wide. If you find a belt with those dimensions, maybe it will work? Even if it's not the right material, profile, or whatever, it might drive your machine for a few seasons before it wears out.

 

That’s pretty cool. I never knew those existed. Of course, I didn’t know the Troybilts did either till about 5 years ago. Since then I have had about 5 come through here. Owned/used 1 (5hp), flipped a couple. My personal one broke and I ended up coming across this 8hp one. They appear to be identical machines. Is the belt number the bolens part or the matching TroyBilt part? Overall, I like these machines. I feel like the self propelled is out of necessity due to the shear weight of these things. Pushing them around a yard would be brutal. The bag being so low is kind of a pain to empty, but it’s way better than bagging leaves by hand. I have 3 different from nossels, prefer the one shaped more like a scoop. I can rake leaves into it from a pile and it does a nice job. Would love to someday get the electric start option on mine to work but that’s a different language for me.

 

Thanks for the info guys.
It is a great machine and with 8 hp much better than the lower hp vacs that seem to look like converted lawn mowers.
The fan is vertical not horizontal which I feel is more efficient
The belt replacement advice was great.
a 3LV 290 $6.50 belt did the job.
.

 

Hi all,
Just purchased a Troy Bilt 47287 with the Briggs & Stratton 192437-1125 engine.
After replacing carb and rebuilding the fuel pump she runs like a champ.
See the amount of knowledge in this thread, I was hoping you could help with my last issue...

I can't get the throttle linkage to move the lever. My apologizes if I'm not using the right names...
My expectation, is that when the Throttle is moved up, the Lever should move to the right.
What creates the linkage and make the Lever move?
Picture below...

Not sure if it, but the Throttle is 222A and the Lever is 227 on the parts sheet.
Link to Control Bracket Parts Sheet

I really appreciate your help!

 

The throttle control should put tension on the gov linkage to tend to pull the throttle open, in opposition to the forces opposing it coming from the gov. When the engine is not running, the gov imparts no force, so typically, the throttle sits at wide open, and as such, the linkage cannot move any further, which may be what you are seeing. Does the gov linkage move by hand? If not, then it's either hungnup where it exits the block, or possibly it is misadjusted, or you have the linkage wrong.

 

Thanks Tadawson!
Both the Throttle and Gov linkage move freely.
The issue is that when I move the Throttle up or down it does not move the Gov.
There is a blue spring between the two, but it is mostly loose. It doesn't look stretched...
There is also a spring at the bottom of the Gov, but it doesn't seem to do much. It also doesn't looked stretched.

1. What makes the Gov move when the Throttle is increase? Is the the blue spring dead, or is there a spring or some sort of linkage missing?
2. What makes the Gov move back when the Throttle is decreased?

 

1. What makes the Gov move when the Throttle is increase? Is the the blue spring dead, or is there a spring or some sort of linkage missing?
2. What makes the Gov move back when the Throttle is decreased?

You won't see the governor in action without the engine running. A mechanical governor uses flyweights to create a force based off of crankshaft speed which is balanced by the force of the governor spring. The top engine speed is varied by increasing the spring force to run faster or decreasing the force to run slower. The governor spring wants to open the throttle and the governor tries to close the throttle. The interaction of the governor spring and mechanical governor holds the throttle at the desired engine RPMs based upon a force balance and the load / operating conditions.

The throttle lever simply varies the RPM range over which the governor can operate.

 

Taboa!
I can't believe I didn't think to just connect everything and start it. Didn't even occur to me that the engine would create the tension. We're up and running and mulching wood.

Thanks for the help all! Hope I can help in the future!