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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.

G'day Everybody,

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.

Weeds:- Hypochaeris radicata,~Cat's Ear/False Dandelion, Trifolium repens~Clover, Cyperus rotundus~Nut Grass, Soliva sessilis~Bindi or Jojo, Plantago lanceolata~Lamb's Tongue, Daucus carota~Queen Anne's Lace, Taraxacum~Dandelions, Oxalis corniculata~Creeping Oxalis.

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.

Again, my apologies,

mice_elf

G'day again, Everybody,

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...

mice_elf

Thanks for going to all that trouble Max. but it might have been easier for you to just say throw it out

Hi MM,

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.


Cheers
Max.

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

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.

Cheers
Max.

It is obviously an early full crank motor and the decomp hose fits on the little pipe on the inlet tube manifold between the carby and the barrel. I have never looked but as some motors came without decomp valves this tube may not have been fitted. Easy enough to drill but finding a bit of steel tube to put in there might be a problem
I have just had a thought, does this motor have a blade carrier fitted?
You must be using the wrong rope or you must have big shoulders if you can break a cord on one pull

G'day Norm,
Just need the lens, the reflector still in good condition.

Laser cutter is the go but probably want to do 50 and would end up out of my price range, I might have to buy a plasma

Just a bead around the outside of the bearing

Rover ProCut 560 – Spring Service

It’s now been a year since I found this beauty, and its been working hard!

When the Rover came to me, it was in remarkable condition for a 10-year-old mower. The previous owner had inherited the machine after his father passed away, both clearly kept it well maintained. Even still, I did a reset on it by changing the oil, plug and air filter. I also had to refresh some of the drive system parts, but overall, I had a near new ProCut 560 for half the price I paid for one new in 2015.

After a busy 2024/2025 spring/summer, in February this year I gave it an oil change and a set of new blades. I also replaced the useless fuel tap with a fuel filter. Now that the weather has warmed up and the grass is growing again, I want this mower in top condition for the season ahead. Look after your tools and they will look after you……………………..




Blades –

The current set of blades have been on the mower since February, and while they looked ok at a glance, I had been noticing a decline in cut quality. On closer inspection, they were well worth replacing. As per most Rover stuff now, finding OEM has become hard. I’ve noticed that when I’ve put the OEM Rover blades on the mower, they seem to last longer than the aftermarket stuff from GA Spares or Jak Max. Depending on where you get them, they will come pre-packaged or drawn from bulk lots of blades and hardware. The Rover branded ones come pre-packaged in sets of two. In this case, I’m using the Jak Max versions.











Deck –

While I had the blade carrier off, I took the opportunity to scrape off the accumulation of dirt and grass. Nothing special or glamorous here, just a paint scraper, wire brush………………….. and a giant mess afterwards.





Oil Change –

Briggs normally specify SAE 30 oil, which I use in their older engines or for break-in. Otherwise, I’m using Penrite 10W-30 semi-synthetic. For the big block 850-series, you need 590 – 600ml of oil.

If Penrite is good enough for a Bathurst win last weekend, its good enough for my lawn mowers. …………………



I normally drain or suck the oil out via the dipstick tube. On this occasion, with the blade carrier removed, I decided to remove the sump plug instead. I’ve actually never done it this way, in fact Briggs & Stratton have removed the drain plug from their engines in recent years. Victa’s fitted with this engine are pressure lubricated via an oil pump, which is ran through an external oil filter. Those little filters are extremely expensive at $19.95 each, twice the price of some automotive filters. For the ProCut, Rover went for the basic splash lubrication, which saves me $20 per service.



Cleaning –

With the oil change finished and the blade carrier reinstalled, I decided to give the unit a clean. Shine Supply Wise Guy was sprayed on, left to soak, then rinsed with the pressure washer. A little Hydr02 for the deck, and some Hyper Dressing for the plastics, I then used my blower to dry it off.




Spark Plug –

The plug was last changed 12-months ago when I got the mower. I could have just cleaned it, but I had them in stock so just went ahead with a new one. I went with the Champion RC12YC, but NGK BCPR5ES works as well.




Air Filter –

I’m actually a little disappointed in myself for not checking the filter sooner. I normally tap them out weekly, but for whatever reason I had let it go. No wonder the engine was running rich.

Briggs & Stratton -

Early Models (Long-type) – 795066 (Filter) + 796254 (Pre-Filter)

Late Models (Triangle-type) – 595853 (Filter) + 597266 (Pre-Filter)






Fuel Filter –

With these, you need to make sure you have the correct one. The white 75-micron filters are for engines with a fuel pump, the red 75-micron ones are for gravity fed. The red ones are universal, but the white ones need a fuel pump to draw through the finer filtration material. These pancake filters use a metal screen, which is superior to the paper cartridge style filters that can sometimes break down and send filter material into the carburettor. Both are unidirectional for ease of installation.

Briggs & Stratton – 298090S


Service Cost –

Below is the parts cost to complete this service. If I add my labour rate to that, it would come out at about $177. So I saved about $90 - $100 by doing it myself.

Blade Kit - $39.95

Oil (590ml) - $7.45

Spark Plug - $8.95

Air Filters - $19.30

Fuel Filter - $9.95

Shop Supplies (Towels, Carb Spray) - $2.00

TOTAL - $87.60




Ready for Work –

A quick test fire and the ProCut is ready for the peak mowing season.






This mower also represents the beginning of a massive change to my daily life. I went to pick this mower up on the first day of my long-service leave, and what a sigh of relief that was. In the two weeks leading up to leave, I had a very upsetting and uncalled for interaction at work. I held it together and forged on, so walking out on my last day and the little road trip to buy this mower was the beginning of a new life. Two weeks later, my new car arrived. A month later I landed in hospital, no doubt my body finally giving in, the recovery ate up a month of my leave. Another month on and I resigned, finally putting end to a long running and constant drain on my mental health.

So, every time I use this mower, I’m reminded of how it was the catalyst for change and the feeling of freedom.

Thanks Max for all your info and help.
Cheers.
Maurice.

Hi Merediths,

I can give you a one size fits all type of order of removal ,just take from the following what's applicable to your mower.

Typical removal sequence — do these in order

Remove the blade and arbor nut — leave no load on the spindle.

Remove exterior pulleys / belts / drive components that are on the spindle. If the spindle has a pulley or gear, there may be a keyway and a key — remove the key after loosening the pulley set screws.

Look for set screws or lock nuts at the flange — many machines use a collar or nut behind the flange. Rotate the spindle slowly by hand; you may find a small grub screw/allen screw that locks the flange. Remove any visible set screws.

Remove any snap rings (circlips) visible on the shaft or inside the housing. Use internal/external circlip pliers as appropriate. These often retain the flange or bearing spacer.

Inspect inside the housing for a bearing retainer plate / cross bolts — some housings have a small plate fastened with screws that hold the inner bearing race or retainer. Remove these screws.

Apply penetrating oil to the mating surface between the flange and spindle/housing and let it soak (30–60 minutes is typical).

Use a puller on the flange — attach a 3‑arm puller to the flange face or to the hub if there are threaded holes. Tighten the puller centre slowly. If the flange is stubborn, heat the flange (not the shaft) with a torch for a few minutes — expansion helps free it. Be careful with seals and paint.

If flange still won’t move: use a slide hammer pulled from the flange face or pull from any threaded flange bolt holes (with proper puller bolts). Alternatively, place soft‑faced drifts at several points and give short, firm blows to break the bond — avoid hammering the shaft directly.

Once flange comes off, remove spacers and record order — take photos or lay out parts in order.

Extract bearings from the shaft or housing:

If the bearing is on the shaft (press fit): press the bearing off the shaft using an arbor press or large socket bearing driver, pushing on the inner race only.

If the bearing is in the housing: press it out from the opposite side, pushing on the outer race only.

NEVER press on the wrong race (will damage bearing).

If stuck, heat the housing (not the bearing) slightly to loosen the fit or use a split bearing puller.

Inspect shaft and housing for scoring, pitting, runout. Replace/repair if damaged.

Fit new bearings:

Clean surfaces thoroughly.

Press bearings on by the race you’re supposed to press (inner race for press‑on shaft bearings; outer race when pressing into housing).

Use correct bearing heater or induction or a short, controlled press. Don’t overheat seals.

Reinstall spacers, seals, and any snap rings in original order.

Reinstall flange:

Clean the contact surfaces; consider using high strength retaining compound only if the manual specifies (do NOT guess).

Press flange back on, or reinstall with puller in reverse. Align any keys.

Torque any flange nuts/bolts to the manual spec (if you don’t have a spec, tighten to a firm stop and check axial play).

Check axial/preload (if applicable): some spindles require a certain preload or shim pack. If the unit uses shims, measure end‑float with a dial indicator and adjust with shims until in spec.

Reassemble pulleys/guards, test rotation by hand, then powered test at low speed. Listen for noise and check bearing temperature after a short run.

Common traps and tips specific to “housing assembly and flange won’t come off”

Hidden set screws: look under paint, behind seals, inside small recesses. Use a flashlight.

Snap rings inside the housing: sometimes they’re tucked behind a shoulder — remove them first or the flange won’t clear.

Loctite / thread locker: previous repairs may have used thread‑locker on retention nuts; heat and penetrating oil will help.

Corrosion/bonding: flange can corrode to the shaft — heat the flange (do not overheat bearings) and use a puller or slide hammer.

Don’t hit the shaft end hard — that can damage bearings/seals or cause the shaft to displace and damage the motor.

If the flange is a press fit on the bearing and you try to pull the bearing by the stator/housing, you’ll destroy parts — always support and push on the correct race.

If you get stuck

Are there threaded holes in the flange face? They often accept puller bolts or are where the blade guard attaches.

Is there an internal circlip under the outer housing seam? Remove housing cover and inspect inside.

Does the manual show any numbered retaining screws? If so, those must come out before the flange will move.

Reassembly checks & run-in

After reassembly, run the spindle by hand to feel for smoothness.

Run at low speed under no load for 5–10 minutes. Check for unusual vibration, noise, or heat.

Re‑check end float and bearing preload after first run (some bearings seat slightly).

Cheers
Max.

Thanks Max.
I spent some time on it this morning and have answered both of my questions, as follows:
1. The reason for the odd configuration of the cutter brake bell crank was that the threaded rod that goes to the front of the mower and back into the U piece that attaches to the top of the bell crank had been pulled so hard the spring had bound and the end of the rod had been pulled out of its hole and was jammed against the cross piece. Easily fixed once it was out.
2. The plate with the threaded holes is an Engine Mounting Bolt Plate. The engine mount bolts go down beneath the engine deck and screw into it. Need some Loctite for next time. If there is enough clearance I'm going to get longer bolts so I can put Nyloc nuts on so it can never vibrate loose again.
Cheers
Doug

Thanks Max.
This crankshaft actually came out of a Victa crankcase, it is in used condition, I will try to post some photos.
Cheers.
Maurice.

Yes 125 cc doesn't sound too good Norm for a slasher, you would think it would only be good under light load cutting.

Looked up a comparison , a rough comparison.

Feature 125cc Victa 160cc Victa
Displacement ~125cc ~160cc
Typical HP (approx.) ~2.5–3 HP ~3.5–4.5 HP
Torque Lower Higher
Blade Handling Lighter blades / small mowers Heavy blades / slashers
Cooling / Load Design Lighter use Designed for higher resistance

Cheers
Max.