Today's Score- '81 Bolens G16YT

Went and picked up this machine today. A 1981 (I think, that's what the engine code is) Bolens G16YT Yard tractor. Seems a winner right out of the box. 16hp Oppy Twin (G1), Peerless 4 speed transaxle with 1" shafts and bolt-on wheel hubs, 12" rear wheels, Electric PTO clutch, all steel construction, dash-mount shifter, etc...

$100 out the door including cutting deck and spare set of rear rims!

When did they start making those twins? 1981 has got to be pretty early for them. Looks like a neat find. Last picture needs to get framed!

If I recall correctly- the oppy series debuted in 1978, and the 16hp (40cid) was the first model out.

What tranny is in it?  Peerless 1in shaft, if it's not a high-low, sounds like 820.  Post a pic of it...

I'm thinking you need a rally/haspin tractor.

I've seen 12.5hp opposed twins.

Here's the odd part- the transaxle is a 4-speed, tagged "801-006". It has 1" shafts. The 820 IIRC has a gusseted case like a 920, and no carrier like a 920. This thing is basically an 800- iron carrier, plain case- but 1" shafts. Still researching.

As for the twin- I'm not sure which other oppy models were released when, but I was reading an oppy history thing awhile back and I'm pretty certain the first was the 16hp, in '78.

Sweet, look like mules big brother almost.

Don't give me any ideas. I already got a 2nd MULE in the works! There's only one of me! Help!!!

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Don't give me any ideas. I already got a 2nd MULE in the works! There's only one of me! Help!!!

Alright! just give it to me, ill find use for it. LOL

Doc Sprocket wrote:

As for the twin- I'm not sure which other oppy models were released when, but I was reading an oppy history thing awhile back and I'm pretty certain the first was the 16hp, in '78.

I didn't realize that they came out that early. I kind of thought all that stuff was more recent. Compared to other stuff, there are a lot of lawn mowers and mower engines out there that are pretty old and still in really good shape. I guess when people stop using them, they just end up buried in a garage for years and stay out of the weather.

GREAT SCORE DOC. though i hve my doubts as if its really a bolens. i dont recall them ever being orange. its always been white or green

willis923 wrote:

GREAT SCORE DOC. though i hve my doubts as if its really a bolens. i dont recall them ever being orange. its always been white or green

He said the owner repainted it. It used to be white, look at the inside of the hood. Looks like a "rare" ariens GT LOL

Doc Sprocket wrote:

As for the twin- I'm not sure which other oppy models were released when, but I was reading an oppy history thing awhile back and I'm pretty certain the first was the 16hp, in '78.

Close! But no cigar  

Production of opposed twin ends
A great engine dies after 25 years and 4.7 million units

Briggs & Stratton Opposed Twin Engine
By Ross Winklbauer

I can still remember the first day I started to work on the Opposed Twin crankshaft in the old 168 department. Little did I know back then that I would be one of the several thousand Union members who would help create nearly 4.7 million Opposed Twin engines – during a 25 year history.

I think of how hard our Union brothers and sisters worked, and the dedication they showed to make this one of the best engines ever built. Our members took pride in knowing they built a quality engine. An engine, that even today is 2nd to none.

I would like to thank Kent Pfeifer (MED North Quality Manager) and Barbara Meyer for supplying me with the following list of "Great Dates in the History of the Opposed Twin."
bullet

On Monday June 10th, 1977 the first pre-production Opposed Twin was built on assembly line 12 and a great product was born. That same year on December 5, 1977, the first customer production build took place, and the customers like M.T.D. anxiously awaited the first multi cylinder engines Briggs & Stratton ever built in its 68-year history.
bullet

On September 17, 1992 the Plant 5 Focus Factory built the 2,000,000th Opposed Twin, which showed it, was still going strong, with great acceptance of the engine by our customers and the final product consumer.
bullet

On June 10th, 1997 the Opposed Twin celebrated its 20th anniversary, meaning the engine had lasted the test of time with engine horsepower ranging from 161/2 to 21 HP.
bullet

On April 24th, 1998 The Opposed Twin Factory along with the rest of what was known as the UED received its ISO Certification. This was a major step in route of not only being a good supplier of engines, but an excellent quality supplier too.
bullet

During the year 2000, the Opposed Twin in its 23rd year of production, the product is recognized as a leader in quality at our customers. Comments from our three major customers M.T.D., Fridgidare Home Products, and Murray, like we don’t have problems with the Opposed Twin are common and took the hard work and dedication of everyone in this plant to get us there.
bullet

May 2000, the engine is eventually going to go out of style because of emissions and the side valve design. It is not going away easy however, because with the end in sight we accomplished another milestone. This month on May 22, 2000, we surpassed the previous Opposed Twin high yearly build total of 324,898 engines. This means there are 4,349,274 of them produced as of that date, and still counting.
bullet Nearly two years later, on May 3, 2002, the Opposed Twin Factory built its last engine and a great engine has now gone away. Over its almost 25 year history, 4,688,823 engines were built.

Knowing that the Opposed Twin was being replaced by the V-Twin, the Union tried to get the Company to build it with the same dedicated, quality minded workers here in Milwaukee but management wanted to build it cheap…er down South.

As I wrote this article, I couldn’t help but to think of the members that I had the privilege to work along side of.

source: http://www.pace7232.org/reporter/Jun%2002/production_of_opposed_twin_ends.htm

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Here's the odd part- the transaxle is a 4-speed, tagged "801-006". It has 1" shafts. The 820 IIRC has a gusseted case like a 920, and no carrier like a 920. This thing is basically an 800- iron carrier, plain case- but 1" shafts. Still researching.

As for the twin- I'm not sure which other oppy models were released when, but I was reading an oppy history thing awhile back and I'm pretty certain the first was the 16hp, in '78.

The 800/801 series transaxle is basically a combination
of the 700 series transmission with a 600 series
transaxle differential.

From the Tecumseh Peerless Manual.
The diff. housing looks interesting.

No Cigar? That says the first twins were produced in DEC77. Would that not have been for the '78 model year? And it WAS the 16hp. If I don't get the WHOLE cigar, I want most of it!
As for the transaxle, yeah- I've got that documentation, too.

very good find for the price. unless you have a plan for it, put it too the side so it dont brainwash you.

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Here's the odd part- the transaxle is a 4-speed, tagged "801-006". It has 1" shafts. The 820 IIRC has a gusseted case like a 920, and no carrier like a 920. This thing is basically an 800- iron carrier, plain case- but 1" shafts. Still researching.

820's have a bolt together diff housing, spider gears are inside. Kinda of like a peerless 100.

Doc Sprocket wrote:

No Cigar? That says the first twins were produced in DEC77. Would that not have been for the '78 model year? And it WAS the 16hp. If I don't get the WHOLE cigar, I want most of it!
As for the transaxle, yeah- I've got that documentation, too.

True
you deserve atleast half the cigar for that  

Okay- the mystery of the 801 has been solved. I had a good look at it, and it indeed has 3/4" shafts. There's a 1" sleeve over the protruding axle between the case and the hubs, which is what threw me off. Bit of a pity, but no worries. I still very much like the bolt-on hubs and wheels.

Got that ol' oppy running. I had to replace a section of fuel line, swap out the starter relay, rig some wiring, and fix a sticky float valve. When I first fired her up, she was flooding like hell. Good news, it was- meant the fuel pump was working beautifully! Running pretty good now. Still has a slight periodic miss that I will sort out later.

I'll tell you something though- it is amazing just how much a locked rearend and some tires really help in the snow. This Bolens could barely keep moving, and just would not make it up the slight incline in my driveway. On the other hand, I took MULE out for a toss. Not only was it a totally unstoppable tank, but I was pulling two sleds with my two kids- like a train- and it did very well on and off road. Even that hill wasn't a problem.

Now that I got 'er running, I really gotta figure out what I'm doing with this Bolens...

Awesome score Doc! That's a good looking tractor. I like how the cylinders stick out each side from under the hood.

That pic of loading it into the minivan is epic.   

T-Dub13 wrote:

Awesome score Doc!  That's a good looking tractor.  I like how the cylinders stick out each side from under the hood.  

That pic of loading it into the minivan is epic.   

Yeah- I get a kick out of how the factory hood was too narrow for that big twin so the have those cutouts. Has an even greater visual effect when you're driving it, and they are sticking out right in front of you!

I have gotten a lot of comments on that picture. I was unloading it, and just decided to block the wheel and snap a shot. Who knew?   

Thats almost the same mower as my yt16 ford, the 16hp magnetron oppy, peerless 801, the only difference is the hood and mine had 12" 3/4" bored rims on the axle and mine was 5 speed!

A wee update on this- it's been decided that we're going to turn it into an offroader for my younger son (he's 11). So the first thing we've done is given him the 22x11-8 Kenda Scorpions that MULE wore up until last weekend!

tell him to have fun! is that frame the same as mull?

1997 Murray wrote:

tell him to have fun! is that frame the same as mull?

It's funny you should mention that. When I was working on it last weekend, I noted some real similarities between this chassis, and MULE's. The sheetmetal is all different of course. But it looks like the frame may be common as well as at least part of the dash metalwork. They were made 8 years apart and marketed as different brands, but I would not be at all surprised to find there was a common parent company involved, or something like that. I DO know that the MULE (being an '89 Lawn Boy) had a sister model Ford that was part-for-part identical. As we look around, we see a lot of this kind of thing.