Picked this 17" up today off verge collection. Apart from the dubious Star motor , what's the go with the rest . It look remarkably like a SB 45 which it could well be a chinese copy. I'll have to fix the pull start and if this motor is same as the Star edgers it may just need the main jet cleaned to get it going. That's hoping anyway.
Here's is one of many available YouTube videos [which I should of included in my McCulloch M T1255 CLS Line Trimmer post] regarding Quick Feeding :"Tap'N Go" Brush Cutter Heads For Almost Any Make Of Model of Line Trimmer, on the market today.
My humble apologies to you all, for my eagerness in posting the Botanical Names only of the Grasses and Weeds, in my last post. I wish to rectify that, by listing the common names for all, so you can understand what is what.
Firstly, Grasses:- Poa annua~Wintergrass, Lollium perenne~Perennial Ryegrass, Sporabilis africanus~Paramatta Grass, Digitaria didactyla~Queensland Blue Couch, Elusine indica~Crabgraass or Crowsfoot Grass.
Bear in mind that these are only a few, that can get into your lawn, however the Roundup Half-Rate trick will knock most of them, with the only exception being Nut Grass [Which produces a network of creeping underground rhizomes and small tubers], and will usually require the chemical to be applied via. a small paint brush, at full strength.
A while ago, I had the misfortune to lose a critical part of the Tap 'N Go head. [See attached photo].
Getting a replacement for this American made straight shaft model, became a minor problem. At the time, eBay had only one complete component, and that was from the UK, priced at $AU75.00, thank you very much!! Sourcing it was near impossible, even from McCullouch Australia, themselves. That has changed considerably, as there are now many eBay Sellers [mainly from China, and the odd few in Australia], with variable, but reasonable prices, for the complete head set-up, for this machine model.
As it turns out, I had to go to Lithgow, [not very far from where I live, on another matter], where I discovered there are a plethora of Mowing shops. On going into the second one, the bloke behind the jump said to me he had never heard of McCulloch line trimmers. [I didn't take the complete machine with me, only the damaged head.]
However, he showed me an alternative, a JAKmax 3.75" Quick Feed Brushcutter Head [Part No: JMQF375, which has extra fittings in the box, to suit almost all makes and models.] [see attached photo], which he said would fit straight onto my machine, at a cost of $AU40.00, which, I thought was a fair price at the time, and taking his word that it would fit [which it did!, straight out of the box!!].
The beauty of this replacement head, he told me, is that I never have to take it off the machine when the 2.4mm line I use, runs out. I simply rotate the head until the arrows marked on the bottom, line up with the holes. I can then pull out what's left of the old line, then insert two or even three fully outstretched arms lengths of new cord through the aperture, leaving roughly equal lengths dangling on both sides.
Then, I then rotate the head clockwise until the desired lengths on both sides are left [all of which, I have done on several occasions]. The whole process takes about 2 minutes, and then I'm back at work, with a full Tap 'N Go head. He also told me that "The Tradies" love them, as it saves them hours of work. I agree with him on that, and I can truthfully say that it's the best $40 bucks worth of machinery parts, I've made in a long while.
There are many You Tube videos out there, that explain how these types of heads work [although I haven't found one for this Model, but the principle is exactly the same], and they show in detail the simplicity of what I have discussed above.
I hope this helps you, should you damage your existing head, regardless of the make, or model of your machine, straight or bent shaft...
Carburetors are usually made of die-cast aluminum or zinc alloy (pot metal). Over time, several things can create microscopic cracks or porosity in the casting:
⚗️ a. Corrosion from Ethanol Fuel or Water
Ethanol attracts water from the air.
That water, combined with fuel residues, forms acids that attack aluminum or zinc.
The corrosion pits and weakens the metal, especially around thin internal walls and galleries.
With time, these pits can connect, forming tiny internal cracks or porous spots between adjacent fuel and air passages.
🔥 b. Thermal Cycling
Lawn mowers go from cold to hot repeatedly.
The carb body expands and contracts each time, stressing thin casting areas (like around the emulsion tube or fuel well).
This mechanical fatigue can form hairline cracks over years of use.
🔩 c. Overtightening Screws or Fittings
If the fuel inlet fitting or the bowl screws are overtightened, the metal can distort or crack, especially around threaded holes or sealing surfaces.
Once the crack starts, vibration can slowly extend it further into the body.
🧴 d. Manufacturing Porosity
Some carb castings have tiny air bubbles or inclusions left over from the die-casting process.
With time and corrosion, those pores open up and act like tiny leaks.
⚙️ 2. What Micro-Cracks Do to Carb Function
Carbs rely on precise pressure differentials to meter fuel — a few inches of water column is all it takes. Even a microscopic leak can upset this delicate balance.
Here’s how cracks cause trouble:
💨 a. Internal Air Leak
A crack between an air passage and a fuel passage lets air bleed into the fuel stream.
That leans the mixture — so the engine surges or “hunts” as the governor constantly tries to compensate.
⛽ b. Fuel Leakage Between Passages
If a crack connects the main jet well to the float bowl vent or to the atmosphere, fuel pressure can’t build properly.
The carb can’t pull enough fuel up through the emulsion tube → lean running or stalling at throttle transitions.
💧 c. External Fuel Seepage
A visible hairline crack in the casting (often near the bowl threads or inlet) can allow fuel to weep out slowly.
You might see dampness or fuel smell even if it doesn’t drip.
🧭 3. Diagnosing a Suspected Crack or Porosity
You can try a few tests:
Vacuum Test: Plug all outlets and apply light suction to one circuit (like the idle jet port). If it won’t hold vacuum, there’s an internal leak.
Soapy Water Test: Fill the carb body with light air pressure (~5 psi) and spray with soapy water. Bubbles = leak.
Fuel Dye Test: Fill with dyed fuel (like 2-stroke mix) and watch under bright light for seepage through the casting.
Magnifying Glass / UV Light: Sometimes cracks show up as faint lines or stains along cast ribs when viewed under UV or strong light.
🧰 4. What To Do if a Crack Exists
Unfortunately, there’s no reliable permanent repair for an internal micro-crack in a carb body. Epoxy or sealant might work briefly, but fuel, heat, and vibration eventually break it down.
I can only assume that you are talking about USA Roundup labels containers in your post.
I'll try to explain, the basic meaning of my post,
1. Using the rates I provided, will have a detrimental effect an most grasses that have a fibrous root system. These include Poa annua, Lollium perenne, Sporabilis africanus, Digitari didactyla, Elusine indica, to name a few.
2. The same rates will also have an effect on most flatweeds, such as Hypochaeris radicata, Trifolium repens, Cyperus rotundus, although several sprays will be reqiured for this one, Soliva sessilis, Plantago lanceolata, Daucus carota, Taraxacum, Oxalis corniculata and many more.
If you are talking about the instructions for 1 acre applications, I refer you to the statement I made regarding some N.S.W. Golf Course Surerintendents, that have used this half-rate method on their Couch Grass fairways [or the U.S.A term for that is I believe Bermuda Grass], in which the correct amount of water and Roundup were added to the spray tank, after the spray nozzles output were calculated and pre-set to ensure the unit and speed of travel, as such, were set to deliver exactly that was required to do the job.
Having said that, my post was aimed for folks who have a backyard & front Common Couch lawn, who just want to get rid of any weed infestation they might have, using any container they can connect their hose to, using the guide in my post to work out their rate. Note: There are not many of us who have one acre properties in the urban regions of Sydney, although I could be wrong about that...
One way I change seals when it's not worth buying one as I'd have to wait days to to get one in here is I just swap the bottom of the Briggs motor with a bottom part from another motor with a seal that's not leaking if you have a few spare motors ,I don't even worry about the gasket getting damaged when I swap parts as I just use high temp silastic on the mating surfaces but if you had to buy the silastic the seal would be cheaper to buy.
The common way to remove the seal is
Drill one or two small pilot holes (1/16" bit) in the metal edge of the seal face.
Be careful not to go deep — you don’t want to hit the crankshaft.
Thread in a self-tapping screw a few turns — enough to grab
Use pliers or a claw hammer to pull the screw — the seal will pop right out.
I don't like to drill the seals as you get metal filings and the chuck will most likely rub on the crank so I just sharpen a small nail on a grinder and make 2 small holes in the seal by hammering the small nail in then use a slide hammer with a self tapper on the end and pull one side then the other.
You could use a cheap can of brake cleaner ,Boston 300g Aerosol Brake Cleaner $7.50 ,you may need to drill the cleaner nozzle and push in the small plastic tube from a WD40 can , then spray that into all the orifices to make sure they are clean.
Sometimes I need to use fuse wire to clean a jet back to original size and sometimes you need to push an oxy tip cleaner through if a pilot jet etc won't unblock after cleaning.
I have heard some people say the only thing after cleaning the carby that stopped the surging was to increase the jet size.
Most of the time the surging is the blocked jet on top (pilot jet)
I've been meaning to try Acetone overnight but as we know What NOT to Soak
Rubber parts (gaskets, O-rings, seals) – acetone will swell, crack, or dissolve them.
Plastic pieces (floats, choke housings, etc.) – may soften or melt.
The motor is running very well, sounds perfect right through the rev range, not blowing any smoke and it is only a weep. Used a tank of fuel yesterday and the oil level dropped very little. Yes I will just keep pushing on. If it gets worse I'll have a look at replacing the seal.
Ok I am obviously doing something wrong. I have put a number of Honda carbies and Briggs as well through the ultrasonic cleaner, clean the emulsion tube, main jet and blow air through the jet on the top of the carby. Some carbies are fine after this but I still get a percentage of these carbs that usually still hunt. I know if I put a new carb on it it will work fine, I am just curious as to why these carbs do this. Is there something I am missing?
If you got 2-3 mm you got some serious wear. And I remember correctly this is L-head engine. An normally if this a rubber coated seal they are unually fairly easy to replace.
Here I have used GLY-4 [Round-Up] at half of the recommended strength with two results. This level is actually mention on the label for growth regulation of perennial grasses. Now for broadleaf control I use 2-4-D which also controls our wild garlic. Locals calls it wild onions but I know better.
Annual Grasses are reduced if not eliminated.
Second its acts like a growth on perennial grasses thus reducing the frequency of cuttings.
I was plagued by our sage grass which was taking my field of Tall Fescue. After the first year the sage grass was nearly gone and the second year pretty eliminated it. Of course there will always be few bunches around from wind blown seeds.
Here is one key thing the instructions are for one acre applications so just using a hand sprayer can result in horrible results as you can easily over apply it.
The old electric Mulchers I come across usually have a red overload switch on the motor and a different switch on a longer wire , sometimes the other switch could be a circuit breaker but from memory I think it was a Safety Interlock Switch
Purpose: Protects you, not the motor.
Function: Prevents the motor from running when the chipper’s hopper, funnel, or access door is open.
How it works: The switch must be closed (pressed ) for the circuit to complete. If you open the funnel to clear debris or service the blades, it opens the circuit so the motor cannot start — even if you press the power button.
The switches are bypassed easily or you can hold them in for testing. But you must be careful not to injure yourself or others.
Red switch = overload reset switch ,thermal overload protector.
The Other Switch (on a long wire) = it’s a safety interlock switch, designed to prevent the motor from running when the hopper or funnel is open. This protects people.
**⚠️ You are NOT meant to bypass or hold the red switch in for safety reasons.** With these Cheap motors I've just sticky taped the switch in so it can't work as a safety switch , but What Happens if You Tape or Bypass the Red Reset Switch
You remove the motor’s only temperature protection.
The thermal protector reacts to heat inside the motor windings, which your household fuse or breaker cannot sense.
So if the motor overheats, nothing will cut power — it will keep running until the windings burn out, possibly causing smoke or even fire.
I keep an eye out for the motor and don't get the motor too hot or overload the motor if I bypass the safety switch so it's at at your own risk if you bypass the thermal overload switch and I wouldn't let anyone else use the motor if I bypass the safety switch.
I've never had a problem bypassing the switch but I keep an eye of the motor temp and a replacement switch may not be that expensive.
Also if the motor stalls or jams up with branches you would need to cut the power straight away so it doesn't burn out with the switch bypassed.
**⚠️⚠️⚠️ THERE ARE SOME SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN BYPASSING THE OVERLOAD SWITCH ⚠️⚠️⚠️** It's always recommended not to bypass the safety switch but should be fine to test if that's your problem with the stop start operation.
The following is just a universal guide to checking the red overload switch.
🧰 Step-by-Step: Testing and Replacing the Red Reset Switch
Unplug the machine completely. Safety first — disconnect it from mains power.
Let the motor cool down if it’s recently tripped. It may reset automatically after cooling, so see if it “clicks” back in first.
Inspect the switch physically.
Look for signs of heat damage, corrosion, or a burned smell.
Wiggle gently — it should feel firm, not loose or melted.
Test the switch with a multimeter.
Disconnect one wire from the switch.
With the button pressed in, you should have continuity (a closed circuit).
When it’s tripped (button popped out), it should be open (no continuity).
If it doesn’t behave like that, it’s faulty.
Check for the cause of tripping before replacing it. A switch that trips often usually points to an underlying issue:
Overload or jammed blades
Worn bearings (motor working too hard)
Dull chipper knives
Undersized or long extension cord (causing low voltage)
Blocked motor cooling vents
Replace with the exact same rated part.
Use the correct thermal protector rating (°C and Amps) for your motor.
These are inexpensive and often mounted with simple spade terminals.
Make sure connections are tight and insulated properly.
B&S engines can be reliable but they can/do fail. B&S are to blame for some failures in particular on their bigger engines with the crappy decomp system that has been known to fail on motors with as little as 20 hours on the clock. I could not imagine how many B$S motors I have taken to the scrap man, it is in the hundreds, and sure a lot of these motors have been destroyed by abuse and lack of maintenance
With regards to both NormK's and Max's replies, they are both correct, and I would also like to add my thoughts on this matter.
[Remember Rule#1:- Before you do anything on your mower, always remove the rubber grommet cover from the spark plug] Having said that, have you considered draining all the existing engine oil out, and replacing it with a new supply, of the same? [e.g. when I do my mowers, I measure how much is drained into a container, weather it be 15W 30, 40, or 50 e.g., and the amount that comes out, a new supply of the same amount goes back in, with a small top up if necessary]. As Max says, don't over fill it!. Also, remove the existing spark plug [the # should be on it], and give it a good clean, or replace it with a brand new one. While you're at it, take a good look at the air filter, as it could very well be clogged full of unwanted detritus, and may need a good clean, or even replacing.
B&S engines are normally very reliable, regardless of the model # and a tad of TLC now & then, can often make a huge difference on their performance...
Difficult to tell without looking at that models electrics.
I'd look for a loose wire or connection first.
How the Overload Switch Can Cause the Issue:
Worn or Sticking Switch: As overload switches age, they can become overly sensitive or malfunction, causing them to trip unnecessarily. This could lead to the Muncher cycling on and off repeatedly.
Faulty Reset Mechanism: Some overload switches have a reset mechanism that may stop working properly with age or wear, so the switch keeps tripping and never fully resets.
If the run capacitor goes weak or fails:
The motor can start but struggles to stay running.
It may hum, stall, or trip the overload.
You can get that on → off → on → off cycling because the motor draws too much current (overload trips, then resets).
Sometimes I hold the reset switch in and it fixes the problem and with these mulchers that aren't worth much, I'd just tape the switch so it can't trip or bypass it.
I have a Rover Muncher, model 97361 which, when turned on, turns of > on > off > on repeatedly. Has anyone had any experience fixing these mulchers or familiar with this issue?
Firstly - Roundup: Active Constituents: 100g/L Glyphosate present as isopropylamine salt, if used correctly can be a very powerful tool, for those who like to keep their Common Couch home lawns, totally weed free.
Note: DO NOT apply if rain is expected within a 6 hour period. Do not disturb treated species for 7 days. And most certainly, don't use in windy conditions
Now there are 3 Full Strength recommended rates, and they are as follows:
1. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 20mL [used primarily for Annual Ryegrass, Buffalo Grass, Kikuyu, Nutgrass, Oxalis, Paspalum, Bindii [jojo], Sorrel and St. John's Wort et al.]
2. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 30mL [used primarily for Blady Grass, Couch Grass, Queensland Blue Couch, Paramatta Grass, Crab [Crowsfoot] Grass and, Onion Grass~All States except for S.A.]
3. Rate per 1 Litre of water - 40mL [used primarily for Blackberries et al.]
Note that the above rates will give you a Total Kill to the species mentioned along with many others, not mentioned.
So, how does it work on your Couch "Cynodon dactylon" lawns? The actual chemical itself is not a poison [nor does it have a Poison Schedule No.], in fact, it doesn't even have a UN number! I was once told by a very reliable source, that it works by tricking/preventing the plant/grass/weed etc., from photosynthesizing, and of course without photosynthesis, no above ground grown plants can survive. That is how you get the total kill effect. I have known of some highly regarded Golf Course Superintendents, in N.S.W, who have used this half-rate method on their Couch fairways, with amazing results.
All of this is possible, because most Couches on well established lawns are stoloniferous, and usually have relatively deep rhizomes, so, you can actually get away with using the chemical at Half-Rates, as per the table above, to end up with a weed free lawn.
In my case, I simply use a well cleaned "Weed 'n Feed" 5 Litre container, using the no. 2 option above, i.e., meaning I needed to put in 5 Litres of water and add 75mL of Roundup, along with a teaspoon [5mLs] of dish-washing detergent, which acts as a surfactant. I then give the container a very good, gentle shake, and go out and spray.
It is very important to remember that one application of this mixture [employing this half-rate method and whatever container size you use], will not be enough. You will need to do this 2, or perhaps even 3 times [depending on the infestation], to get the desired result [usually a week and a half between each spray & cut], and of course, you can only apply this method during the vigorous growing season, i.e., Early Spring-Late Spring-Very Early Summer. You should also be aware that your Couch, after the first application in some instances, may look a tad bedraggled. Just accept that, as things will quickly improve.
Below are a few pics I took today, after my first application of this mixture on our back-yard croquet lawn. You can clearly see the effect [i.e., the brown spots] this method has had in the weed eradication process. The lawn was double cut after a week and a half of the first spray, but it is going to need another application ASAP [and maybe even a third]. Finally, it is always a very wise thing to keep notes on when and where and what was sprayed, for future reference...
Once the end result looks good to your satisfaction and your Couch is "jumping out of the ground", spread some Shirley's No 17 Fertilizer [or whatever you use] on your lawn, water it in well and then when the time is right, [if you are using A SB 17" e.g.] start double cutting it [or however you mow], and your lawns will be the envy of all your neighbours.
I hope this post helps you, on how to use this excellent and powerful tool...
I can't find much on the VAS 201 H model MM as my model number list only goes to 1991 and it's not listed in that but found a listing that mentioned the Vas model from 1999 to 2005.
I saw a while ago someone fixed a broken primer by picking out the old rubber primer and then they used a whipper snipper clear primer but from memory they had to jam a big O ring in to hold the primer bubble in tight. Otherwise most people just buy a new primer cap.
I don't think the fuel tank / top cowl is correct as it looks from an earlier model ,the parts list for 1999 on shows a later top cover.
Thanks Max, don't know why I didn't notice the sticker on the air filter..........
Model # VAS 201 H S/N 0738-51.00
And now I know it's a LM/Late Model G4 that wil help me sorting the carb. I have a few other Victas with similar carbs but haven't needed to delve far into them because they run OK. Just noted this one has a split in the primer rubber.
Won't have time to get into this mower for a few weeks, it will keep. Seems to be worth fiddling with though, am using plenty of machinery that is actually much more tired than this :-)
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/beN1DbC.png)
