# Picked up a free Gilson 835



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

WOW, that sucker is solid metal. That was easily as bad as any of the Ariens or Craftsman 32"s I've loaded.

It's in pretty bad shape. The chute rotation u joint is shot, it's missing the shift handle and control rod so they bent the clutch rod to go from the left side handle to the right side control !! The speed shifter is held with a bungee cord. It's raining out so I didn't spend much time looking at it.

I think this is going to be a parts machine but I'll have to wait till the rain lets up to drag it out to the shed and look it over good.
Think the oil problem is just a blown head gasket.
Model 835 Ser# 735975 trying to figure out the year. Seems it could be a 1967 or 1968 
The engine is a 7hp, Aug of 1967 Briggs

Photo from the ad.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Man, it looks heavy KaF! 

It's too bad the previous owner(s) didn't see the value in maintaining a vintage piece of old iron.

When you get that old Briggs running, maybe you'll have a renewed interest in keeping her whole


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The Briggs runs according to the owner. I just haven't tried to start it up.

There is a sister machine (Wards) on craigslist for $50 asking so maybe between the two of them ... offer $25 for the other one.
At 25 to 50 bucks it's worth it just for the shifter handle and rod !!

$50 machine: Newer 5hp Tec engine and no chute control crank rod or belt cover. BUT it does have a drift cutter, one ! :icon_scratch:


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

On mine the back of the transmission body where the clutch and shift rods go through looks like someone took a cutting torch and cut it out ??
There are two large angle iron pieces welded on that bolt it to the sides.

Anyone know if the transmission body top, sides and back were all one part and only the bottom was removable for access to it's "guts" ??


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> The Briggs runs according to the owner. I just haven't tried to start it up.
> 
> There is a sister machine on craigslist for $50 asking so maybe between the two of them ... offer $25 for the other one.
> At 25 to 50 bucks it's worth it just for the shifter handle and rod !!
> ...


Hopefully Spectrum will swing by and let you know what's cross-compatible.

Otherwise...before you know it, your new Gilson collection will start growing exponentially  opcorn:

I can't tell...is the U-Joint for the chute crank there?


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

Hard to tell without pictures, but check and see if you have this "sidewinder" shift control set-up as shown below in the pictures. These came from the factory this way and these type of non-traditional Gilson machines come up from time to time - particularly on 5HP 1969 or so Montgomery Ward branded Gilson 835's. The traditional shift is not on the console but is on the right hand side of the machine.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I didn't notice that mine has a handle bar control, cheesy lever control and a flimsy rod.


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

That handle lever on the left hand handle bar of your above photo is the "final engagement lever". 

There is a 3-part process to make the tractor engage and move forward. You have to put the machine in the speed range that you want (2-speed left or right knob at the very bottom of the chassis - waaay down there), then use the shift handle to put it in gear (forward or reverse), and only then do you squeeze that dangling handle there to make the machine go forward. It's an early gear drive so things are a little different than the traditional friction disc mode of operation.


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

Also, that "knob" that the bungee cord is attached in your initial above picture is your shifter knob - I just saw the photo now. That is the first start of the engagement process I mentioned above. 

The reason it is attached w/a bungee cord is that the internal sifting parts (left side and right side) need some lubrication. Once lubricated, you can gimme the knob left or right to make it shift correctly (it's a process where you hold the shifter either in the left or the right side (second gear vs. first) while moving the machine a few inches back and forth with your other free hand. This predicament can occur when the internal transmission chains are stretched and need to be slightly tightened. Let me go did up some internal transmission part pictures and explain....


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> I didn't notice that mine has a handle bar control, cheesy lever control and a flimsy rod.


That cheesy lever was state-of-the-art in the late-60's / early-70's :laugh:

It's referred to as "Touch-O-Matic" on my '70 Allis. :icon-cheers:


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

Here's what your internal transmission guts look like. The guy used the bungee cord because the "cogs" shown below were out of alignment. It's an easy fix. 

I do not know why the weld hole was cut in the chassis.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*You really do need some professional help with that problem of yours there. BROTHER FROG. your old lady will have you sleeping out there with them.:icon_whistling::icon_whistling:*


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

classiccat said:


> That cheesy lever was state-of-the-art in the late-60's / early-70's :laugh:
> 
> It's referred to as "Touch-O-Matic" on my '70 Allis. :icon-cheers:


"Touch-O-Matic" :confused2: Sounds like something you'd get charged with for hanging around a playground. :facepalm_zpsdj194qh

The rain continues so it's still sitting on the trailer. Thanks for the input on how it get's shifted. First Gilson so it's all new to me. Until I can tip it up and get a good look inside to figure out how it all works I'm just guessing.

Speaking of tipping it up that's a challenge all on it's own. One is the weight of it tries to crush you and second is having half a bucket where the augers sticking out puts the auger against the ground about half way up and it tries to roll away on you !!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> *You really do need some professional help with that problem of yours there. BROTHER FROG. your old lady will have you sleeping out there with them.:icon_whistling::icon_whistling:*


Ain't that the truth !!

It was free and the trailer is hidden on the side of the garage. I can get away with free. All in all I'm thinking it wasn't worth the gas to go get it but we'll see. Have to sand down and paint the little PS first once I make a new head gasket for that mitsu engine on it. Then I can spend some time on this guy.

Hope to get snow this coming year so there's more of a market but snow or no snow I'm going to have at least five machines for sale so I get down to a more reasonable number. 

Toroused, thanks for the photos. Yup, some backyard, retarded, busted knuckle, north Korean, inbred isis radical so and so took a cutting torch to the transmission body and cut that back panel off !! Why in the world :dizzy:

Pretty sure that I'm sittin' on a parts machine.
Well, I can always use the engine on something else. :facepalm_zpsdj194qh


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I may have to take back some of the things I've said about those 2 stroke, oil burning LawnBoy mowers and the mother company.

I sent them an Email to see if they had anything on the Gilson 835 and I received this:

Mark,  
Thank you for contacting Lawn-boy. We have placed a no charge order for the manual for your machine. Please allow 2 weeks for delivery.

Thank you for contacting Lawn-Boy. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you. If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at 800-526-6937.

.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Here is the one I should be on my way to get. It's free and has a lot of the parts I need.

free snowblower come pick up


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Here is the one I should be on my way to get. It's free and has a lot of the parts I need.
> 
> free snowblower come pick up


Todd's Step-brother of Destruction! :icon-hgtg:


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