Mowing ..

[janddbone]

Ha ha, I did this to my neighbour once that complained I mowed the lawn one Monday morning! Two mowers whipper snipper, trail bike, four cars all got started up!

[DFB FGXR6]

I have decided to clean and focus on getting the VC Mustang running, rather than a big resto. I just know that if I go all in with a full rebuild that I would never use it again, and that makes me sad. Before I even extract it from the depths of the garden shed, I know there are a few things I want to try and order.

Firstly, I wanted to find a replacement fuel cap, one that still has the clear fuel gauge/level. I have a feeling the original is sitting at the bottom of the tank. Ebay to the recuse.



That same listing also included a "catcher eye", the little flap that raises when the catcher is full, which went missing decades ago. I thought I would need to find a new catcher to address that.







I also need a replacement orange hub cap, which I'm having trouble finding, save for buying 4 incorrect wheels to get just the one cap. The other option would be to re-paint a grey coloured version. If anyone has one or sees one in their travels, I would give it a good home.





And a replacement spark plug rubber boot is also needed, which should be easier to find.

[Tonz]

seriously I threw out some old mower wheels 3 weeks ago all had orange caps. Ive carried them around for 15 years. never need those now out they went sorry

[DFB FGXR6]

With the exception of the VC Mustang, all mowers in the lineup are expected to make me some money along the way.



What a lovely mower. I've never really liked the saying "they don't make them like they used to", mainly because I'm a big lover of the new or latest and greatest, but that saying is true here. I would say this thing performs as well, if not better than some of the newer machines in my collection.

The deck design and huge rear chute mean cutting and catching is brilliantly efficient, and the engine has so much torque that it just pulls through with minimal intrusion from the governor. While it doesn't smoke, like all older Briggs, you can smell the oil in the exhaust. I also love how light it is, perfect for winter mowing.

[DFB FGXR6]

This is easily the oldest mower in my collection, a 1970's Victa VC Mustang. This is what my grandfather called his "motor-mower", always set to the lowest setting and virtually never ran at anything more than half throttle. As a kid, I loved this thing, I guess I still do.



In the late 90's, he finally decided to retire it from use and replaced it with a 4-stroke Rover, but I get the feeling he preferred his old Victa. Pa gave me that old Victa, which I have had running a few times over the years but it's sat idle for most of those 25 years.

With my latest run of mower resurrections, I wanted to focus some attention on the old Victa. It was running the last time I had it out several years ago, but would it today?

First, a little history on this era of Victa. With a 16-inch alloy deck and powered by 125 and 160cc "full crank" 2-stroke engines, these machines were very long lasting. They had a two-piece crankcase, a separate cylinder barrel and a flat cylinder head. The full crankshaft permitted a top mounted flywheel.







After 1984, those full crank engines were replaced by a simpler "half-crank" Power Torque engine. These were only made in 160cc form and had a single piece cast iron cylinder and crankcase capped with a flat alloy cylinder head. The flywheel was bottom mounted, and the top of the crankcase was capped with a plastic starter cup and sealed with a rubber o-ring. I feel these engines are a bit rougher running, but no less durable. Presumably, the Power Torque was quicker and cheaper to manufacture.







My VC Mustang is a later model, fitted with a plastic G4 carby rather than the metal G3. Earlier examples with the G4 didn't have a primer at all, later models like mine had a remote primer. The later generation of G4 LM carbs had an integrated primer and were used right up until they stopped making 2-stroke engines in the mid 2010's.

My first step was to clean the poor thing. P&S Brake Buster for the body and the excellent Bilt Hamber Surfex HD for the oily bits.



Removing the cowling proved difficult due to the rusted screws, but I persevered and got there in the end. I actually replaced them from some new ones I had in stock. Note the fuel cap must be removed as well.



With the mower clean, I spritzed some Carpro Hydr02 on, rinsed and then dried off with the EGO. The cowling was temporarily reattached with just a single screw just in case I needed to go back in. The air filter was not up to scratch so was replaced with a new one I had in stock.

It was then time for the moment of truth, would it start? As expected, the tank was bone dry, so some fresh 25:1 was added, the primer push and to my amazement, still worked. I selected the cold start position on the throttle. One full, two pulls, three pulls and it spluttered to life.............just. Initially, I thought it just needed to clear its throat, but it just wouldn't rev at all. Again, I thought I would just let it chug away and see where that would lead, to no effect.

I pulled the plug and it was clearly getting fuel, so as a hunch, I took off the cowling and removed the muffler, which is held on by a clip and through bolt.



The exhaust port was fine, save for the cactus gasket. I then got out a flat bladed screwdriver and started poking into the muffler outlet, which is routed downwards into the deck and not accessible on the machine. What came out of the muffler sort of confirmed what I was thinking........................50 years worth of carbon!



With as much carbon removed as possible, I opened up the outlet with the screwdriver and reinstalled the muffler and tired again......................



(Sorry about the video formatting, I just couldn't get it right).

So, the muffler was preventing the engine from breathing. As you can hear, it idles and runs hard! It's noisy, it's smoky............. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Idle speed -



Full throttle -



It cleaned up ok.................









I'm conflicted with this mower. I would love to return it to showroom condition, but I would never use it again, and that makes me sad. So, at this stage, I'm going to fix a few things that I can deal with: a replacement fuel cap with the integrated fuel gauge, a new spark plug boot, a new muffler, some replacement stickers, a replacement orange hub cap for the rear wheel and hopefully a catcher in better condition. Some of that I have already found, the hub cap and catcher are proving difficult.

But it is running. And I can't begin to express how happy that makes me feel.

[roKWiz]

Sir Nigel Gresley of lawn mowers.

Looks great.

[DFB FGXR6]

As a follow up to yesterday, I spent several hours shopping last night for the VC Mustang. I'm not sure what I find more satisfying, the thrill of the chase hunting for parts, or the satisfaction of seeing and hearing my efforts come to life.

The decals on that mower are (were) pretty good, however in the final rinse the BP ZOOM sticker let go, soooo close to saving it! When I removed the cowling, I also found the lost fuel tap diagram. And the engine designation sticker is pretty degraded. Trawling the internet, I found someone reproducing period correct decals for old Victa's, in some cases they are not completely word-for-word correct, but good enough for me.

In this case, I have ordered a 25:1 Mix BP Zoom 25 (B), Cold Start Primer (E), Fuel Tap On/Off (H) and the Mark 4 decal (E).

https://www.ebay.com.au/str/vintagem...75.m3561.l2563







When I replace the engine decal, I'm thinking I will paint the recoil/flywheel cover black while I'm at it.

Meanwhile, how good does BP ZOOM sound! I'm old enough to remember when petrol stations sold pre-mixed 2-stroke fuel from a barrel. In Pa's case
, he would take in his matching Victa fuel tin, the operator would fill it up and charge per liter like any other fuel offered on the forecourt. That was happening right up until the early 2000's in my area.

Last week, I just happened to stumble upon a replacement fuel cap that came with a catcher full indicator "eye", but apparently that sold several months ago and wasn't removed from sale. I have since found another fuel cap, but not the indicator. As such, I'm still on the lookout for a suitable replacement catcher, and an orange hub cap.

Also on the order list were some specific parts from Push Mower Repair, the main item being an aftermarket muffler, muffler clips and gasket. Additionally, a new sparkplug and plug boot, fuel lines and tap, a cut-out switch and cover as well as a new earth lead and pins.

The fuel lines don't leak, likewise the tap, but they are hard and brittle so it's only a matter of time, so this was proactive rather than reactive. The plug boot is in nasty condition, so a natural inclusion, and the cut-out switch is not functioning, which I think is the frayed earth lead.

https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/

The rust on the chrome handlebars is also annoying me, not sure what my options are there. Do I just sand them back, prime with rust converter and repaint with a chrome paint? Other than that, I don't really know, so I would be grateful for comment on that.

[Citroënbender]

I’d consider a chelating gel on the chrome handle rust if it won’t remove the undamaged plating. Then seal the lot with one of those patina preservers.

[Citroënbender]

Both Evap-o-Rust and Deox Gel are supposed to be safe for chrome.

The patina preservers like Eastwood’s one, are all matte - probably not what you’re looking for. I reckon a good buff with Autosol after rust removal, then wax and grease remover to remove the residue. Work in (by hand, with sacrificial rag) a double coat of a sealing oil with added polyurethane or just Penetrol, hand buff off the excess with clean rag and let dry a couple of days. Then rub the whole thing with Carnauba wax.

[DFB FGXR6]

Any tips for painting the black recoil/flywheel cover? I want to remove the pitting, so it looks smooth when re-painted.





I assume I would soak it in the Evaporate solution, dry, scuff/sand and then apply a primer (what sort?), a light sand and then a topcoat (engine enamel?)

As you can tell, I haven't done something like this properly before, so I'm using this as a learning experience.

[Citroënbender]

Looking at the sheen and how it’s aged, I think that’s painted in nitrocellulose lacquer. That’s extremely uncommon now. A very light sandblast or paint strip plus chosen rust remover, followed by aerosol engine enamel, will probably get closest to original. I’m as guilty of over-finishing things as the next bloke, I’m years “stale” in experience and even materials available have changed.

[Interceptor]

So..... I'd like to get your thoughts on something
I currently have 2 19" Honda mowers, and one needs to go.
One is powered by a GCV motor with the blade brake that I bought new in April 2021, maybe 20 hours on it, and its been very well looked after.
The other is a ~2007ish HRU19 with a GXV160 I picked up as a non runner that ended up needing a throttle cable and a service, heck, it was a non runner that started straight away once I found the throttle cable was seized.

I'm a big fan of the GXV motors for their reliability, and I trust Hondas, but tbh I'm unsure about the GCV's blade brake in terms of service life before it becomes problematic.

Which one do you guys think I'd be better off keeping?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

So..... I'd like to get your thoughts on something
I currently have 2 19" Honda mowers, and one needs to go.
One is powered by a GCV motor with the blade brake that I bought new in April 2021, maybe 20 hours on it, and its been very well looked after.
The other is a ~2007ish HRU19 with a GXV160 I picked up as a non runner that ended up needing a throttle cable and a service, heck, it was a non runner that started straight away once I found the throttle cable was seized.

I'm a big fan of the GXV motors for their reliability, and I trust Hondas, but tbh I'm unsure about the GCV's blade brake in terms of service life before it becomes problematic.

Which one do you guys think I'd be better off keeping?

I'm assuming both are non-self propelled?

If the hours on both are similar, the older machine with the GXV 160 would be my choice.

I don't like the that the whole engine needs to dismantled in order to service the head or valves on the GCV. Or the rubber belt to drive the overhead cam. For the average user, you would most likely wear the rings out before needing to do that sort of thing, probably 15 years usage. Obviously commercial use will accelerate that considerably.

Splitting hairs here as usually, the wear and tear on the deck will greater than the wear on the engine, especially with the cast iron bore on a GXV.

[Interceptor]

Both are regular push mowers, newer mower has maybe 20-25 hours use, god alone knows how many are on the older one but it runs well with only a puff of black smoke on startup or when going from idle to full throttle.
The deck on the older mower is in pretty good nick considering its a 2007-ish model.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

Both are regular push mowers, newer mower has maybe 20-25 hours use, god alone knows how many are on the older one but it runs well with only a puff of black smoke on startup or when going from idle to full throttle.
The deck on the older mower is in pretty good nick considering its a 2007-ish model.

I wouldn't worry too much about the black smoke, seems to be common for them. I'm sure you already know this, but just check your air filter is all good, both the foam pre-filter and cartridge, dirty filters will be contributing to the black smoke.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I wouldn't worry too much about the black smoke, seems to be common for them. I'm sure you already know this, but just check your air filter is all good, both the foam pre-filter and cartridge, dirty filters will be contributing to the black smoke.

When I threw a new throttle cable at it I also shouted it a new aftermarket carby & air cleaner kit as I'd noticed it leaking fuel when tipped on its nose.... didnt fix the problem though!

I'm not discounting that the aftermarket air filter may be a bit more restrictive than genuine, but as its black smoke, it only happens when accelerating, and it clears up immediately, I'm not bothered by it.

[DFB FGXR6]

VC Mustang update...............parts have arrived, which I have started tinkering with.

First, the replacement fuel cap.





To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how these work, but the clear plastic "dagger" is supposed to indicate fuel tank level. This piece snapped off many years ago, at one point it was floating around in the tank. I thought it might have still been in there, but no dice. A small detail, but one of those little things that made a Victa a Victa.

Next, a brand-new Muffler.

https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/produ...-clips-gasket/

This is probably not needed, but with what I managed to scrape out of the original, I wanted to start fresh. I ordered the kit form, which includes a reproduction muffler, two clips and a gasket. The original gasket did absolutely need replacing.





I have refitted these mufflers a couple of times, and they are always an absolute pig to get right. The bottom clip especially due to a lack of clearance. The clips themselves attach to the ribs on the cylinder head, the clip is then levered to latch onto the muffler. I have since read up on an easier method, where you fit the bottom clip first and then use leverage to attach the top clip. Next time.

Next, the spark plug boot, the original was perished and cracked.

https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/produ...ark-plug-boot/



This item is not OE, rather a generic part. In my case, I cut the end off the plug lead to remove the original ring connector. The kit is supplied with a small Philips head screw, which is driven into the end of the lead. The screw then helps clip to the spark plug. A choice of plugs is given, but I stuck with the classic Champion CJ8.

She fired on the first pull after that, then promptly popped the muffler off. Bugger, try again DFB. And if you think a Victa 2-stroke is loud, then you should hear one without a muffler!

Included in my order was length of the correct fuel line and a replacement fuel tap, which was only just starting to weep. I decided to replace the fuel inlet, breather line and decompressor line.

https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/product/victa-fuel-line/
https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/product/victa-fuel-tap/





Next, I want to work on those dodgy looking electrical wires coming out of the carburetor, which are the cut-out wires. I'm pretty sure they are the work of my grandfather, most likely a repair with whatever he had on hand. The replacement decals have also arrived, and I'm also looking to repaint the flywheel cover and sort the rust on those cylinder head "spikes".

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how these work, but the clear plastic "dagger" is supposed to indicate fuel tank level. This piece snapped off many years ago, at one point it was floating around in the tank. I thought it might have still been in there, but no dice. A small detail, but one of those little things that made a Victa a Victa.

I think you'll find that the steps on the plastic "dagger" that dips into the fuel will show light/dark segments indicating the level of fuel inside the tank, something to do with how the stepped edges reflect/refract light, in the same way that when a glass is sitting on your kitchen bench its a lot more visible than when you put it in a sink full of water

[roKWiz]

Little clue for DFB on what I bought yesterday.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Little clue for DFB on what I bought yesterday.

image

Don't leave me hanging, spill the beans!

MS 251? MS 271?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Don't leave me hanging, spill the beans!

MS 251? MS 271?

Decided on the MS 181 Mini Boss as I'll be a infrequent users.







Great service, German and US parts, Made in the USA.
Asked if they can upgrade it to tungsten blades later but will need to change to a wider bar for it.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Decided on the MS 181 Mini Boss as I'll be a infrequent users.

image

https://www.stihl.com.au/stihl-hp-ul...ngine-oil.aspx

image

image

Great service, German and US parts, Made in the USA.
Asked if they can upgrade it to tungsten blades later but will need to change to a wider bar for it.

Nice one! You'll get years of good service out of it.

Dealers will often throw this in, but if not, I would highly suggest getting some of the full synthetic Stihl HP Ultra oil to run it on.

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...ngine-Oil.aspx



Once upon a time, any quality 2-stroke oil would do the job. But with what I have seen, it seems using a cheap lubricant can lead to premature bearing wear and cylinder scoring on newer Stihl engines.

The HP Ultra oil also burns much cleaner, producing less smoke and keeping the exhaust port and muffler free of carbon buildup. Before I switched, I was cleaning exhaust screens on a regular basis, I haven't needed to clean one ever since. The extra cost pays for itself then.

[roKWiz]

Thanks DRB, for all the great help. Appreciate it.

[LG17]

I bought an MS 181 earlier this year and can't fault it.
I usually just use it for cutting firewood and chopping down dead trees in the back paddock. I don't have a lot of strength any more and the weight and balance of this one suits me well.

[Interceptor]

MS181's are a great little saw, I have its baby brother the MS170 living in the back of my landcruiser as its just the right size for clearing most of the stuff that comes down on bush tracks.
The 170 replaced a 181 that I'd rebuilt from a wreck that appeared to have been dropped from a decent height and was also full of palm tree garbage.... cleaned it out, fitted a replacement handle/chassis and it saw a couple years more use untill one day it simply decided it didnt want to start, the "non running" 170 turned up shortly after with instructions to keep it for parts..... fresh fuel, new plug and it fired straight up!

[DFB FGXR6]

Tinker day!

The original handle locks on the Rover were cracked and not providing sufficient torque.



I didn't find any locally, so I went with some generic cam locks that were also used by Rover. However, due to the orientation of the handlebars on this model, I had to mount them backwards.







These universal items were not doing it for me, they looked goofy and didn't function as well as I expected, so I tracked down a set of OEM Rover knobs.

https://www.powertoolspares.com/rove...res?sku=A03285



At this point, I want to have a rant about Rover not stocking parts in Australia anymore. This is such a shame and representative of an American parent company (MTD) who has no interest in the brand other than making sure they are not competing with their own brands. This is so disappointing as otherwise serviceable machines are sidelined because there is no parts support anymore. Not everyone is going to take the time and expense to track down OE parts located on the other side of the world.

Anyway, the correct part is A03285 and listed simply as "Knob" on the parts breakdown. This does not even include the required bolt, nut and washer. I decided to source replacements from a local fastener company as the original bolt had warped, which likely caused the split on the original parts.

A quick replacement that has this part of the mower functioning correctly.



Next, the catcher. The original mesh screen had been damaged, allowing clippings to fly out the vents. Interesting to note that the Pro-Cut Rover catchers have steel mesh rather than plastic for durability.



I'm sure I could track down a secondhand catcher, but it would likely be the same. In the spirit of my grandfather, I decided to get creative...............

https://www.bunnings.com.au/jack-180...guard_p3040589



There are a few different mesh sizes of this stuff, I went with the sturdier and tighter weave to better match the original. Also, how Bunning's get away selling the Saxon stuff is beyond me, it couldn't be any flimsier if they tried and I have to wonder if it would actually function for the intended purpose because I reckon a single gum nut would crush that stuff. But it's cheap, right?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/saxon-18...guard_p3041095

Anyway, I cut two identical lengths and then attached them together using cable ties, overlapping to get the correct depth.



I then secured it to the original mesh with more cable ties.



Not my usual way of repairing things, but a quick mow of the front lawns revealed I had fixed the problem. Win! Now I have the better part of 8 meters of gutter guard I have no use for.

[LG17]

I mowed my horse paddocks over the last couple of days.
Well, didn't really mow them but set about breaking up and spreading all the horse poo.
It's supposed to rain over the next few days but I'm not counting on it. If it does, I'm ready.

[Citroënbender]

Gutter guard is a good idea. I used unimesh (the usually green scaffolding mesh) and two aluminium strips with tek screws to patch mine. It’s too floppy and your solution would avoid this.

[Citroënbender]

Mr B, please tell me I’m not the only person who cleans the outside of their Jerry cans with a brush and appropriate detergent…

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Mr B, please tell me I’m not the only person who cleans the outside of their Jerry cans with a brush and appropriate detergent…

Of course not, did it all the time.

I say DID because I haven't needed to since I moved to the no-spill type.........

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product...age&th=1&psc=1





Looking at the Amazon link, these things have gone up so much since I bought mine. I'd still buy them again though, I spent 20 years spilling fuel, but not again with these.