Hey guys,
I’m hard at work on my current project, a 1966 Toro Whirlwind 21. I chose to make my own thread instead of using the big Whirlwind thread because that has really become a library of information for these mowers. This thread will cover the restoration/creation of a 1966 Toro Whirlwind 19220, a 21” push mower.
1966 was a big year for the Whirlwind. It introduced new styling with lots of white accents. New features included a washout port (yes, it’s NOT a new idea!) and a gadget called Trimit that helps cut grass along sidewalks. Also new was a vinyl-bottom bag that lasted much longer than usual cloth bags. Probably the most interesting new feature was the Auto-Oiler, which eliminated dipsticks, funnels, and rags. The ad below indicates what the finished product should look like (that's actually a '67 but you get the idea). No matter what your favorite mowers are, you must admit this thing is cool! :thThumbsU
I plan on keeping the mower as correct as possible – right down to the stickers - with the exception of the starter. The 19220 had the so-called “Saftey Spin” wind-up starter. You wound up the crank several times, pushed the throttle forward, and the starter would release the spring energy and turn the engine over. It was a cool idea but has proven to be the opposite of safe, with that enormous spring waiting to snap. So I will replace the crank mechanism with a standard recoil starter.
Before going further I will extend a HUGE thanks to David aka ToroWhirlwind1970. :thanku: He has been EXTREMELY resourceful in getting me the parts to make a working 1966 Toro. I actually started with a 19” model 18220 that I found at the junkyard. It turned out to just that - junk! - but it did have some usable parts that will find their way into the finished mower. And it still had the crank starter and I’m going to hang onto that.
David sent me a complete 1966 deck/wheel assembly, the blade and associated hardware, a correct handlebar, and the bag chute and rod (I’m still working on finding the bag). He also sent a solid 1969 Tecumseh engine. The engine came from a self-propelled mower, which uses a longer crankshaft, so he also sent a correct crank for me to swap in. Finally, David supplied most of the rare “extras” such as the oiler, engine shroud, deflector shield, and Trimit knife. These parts are needles in big haystacks so the fact that I got all this stuff (and at a reasonable price!) is nothing short of a miracle. :dancingpa
Now you will see that this project is much more than putting together a bunch of rare parts. Several parts have needed some very challenging repairs and I will show this work in future posts. Be sure to stay tuned because I’ll have plenty of pictures coming up! :bannana:
I’m hard at work on my current project, a 1966 Toro Whirlwind 21. I chose to make my own thread instead of using the big Whirlwind thread because that has really become a library of information for these mowers. This thread will cover the restoration/creation of a 1966 Toro Whirlwind 19220, a 21” push mower.
1966 was a big year for the Whirlwind. It introduced new styling with lots of white accents. New features included a washout port (yes, it’s NOT a new idea!) and a gadget called Trimit that helps cut grass along sidewalks. Also new was a vinyl-bottom bag that lasted much longer than usual cloth bags. Probably the most interesting new feature was the Auto-Oiler, which eliminated dipsticks, funnels, and rags. The ad below indicates what the finished product should look like (that's actually a '67 but you get the idea). No matter what your favorite mowers are, you must admit this thing is cool! :thThumbsU
I plan on keeping the mower as correct as possible – right down to the stickers - with the exception of the starter. The 19220 had the so-called “Saftey Spin” wind-up starter. You wound up the crank several times, pushed the throttle forward, and the starter would release the spring energy and turn the engine over. It was a cool idea but has proven to be the opposite of safe, with that enormous spring waiting to snap. So I will replace the crank mechanism with a standard recoil starter.
Before going further I will extend a HUGE thanks to David aka ToroWhirlwind1970. :thanku: He has been EXTREMELY resourceful in getting me the parts to make a working 1966 Toro. I actually started with a 19” model 18220 that I found at the junkyard. It turned out to just that - junk! - but it did have some usable parts that will find their way into the finished mower. And it still had the crank starter and I’m going to hang onto that.
David sent me a complete 1966 deck/wheel assembly, the blade and associated hardware, a correct handlebar, and the bag chute and rod (I’m still working on finding the bag). He also sent a solid 1969 Tecumseh engine. The engine came from a self-propelled mower, which uses a longer crankshaft, so he also sent a correct crank for me to swap in. Finally, David supplied most of the rare “extras” such as the oiler, engine shroud, deflector shield, and Trimit knife. These parts are needles in big haystacks so the fact that I got all this stuff (and at a reasonable price!) is nothing short of a miracle. :dancingpa
Now you will see that this project is much more than putting together a bunch of rare parts. Several parts have needed some very challenging repairs and I will show this work in future posts. Be sure to stay tuned because I’ll have plenty of pictures coming up! :bannana: