OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Other Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers 1992 Rover Combat - A Suprise Packet!

After determining the fuel leak was coming from a crack in the tank outlet, I went and tracked down a new petrol tank. Easier said than done!

From what I can tell, there are three different tanks used on Quantum's. One was used for the earliest engines in the 1980's, which accounted for the vertical-pull starter and central dipstick. The second iteration was used during the early 90's and like the original, it covered the whole topside of the engine. This version accounted for the left side dipstick and flywheel starter. The third generation lasted up until the end of side-valve production and was slimmed down to allow Briggs to fit different dress cowling.



The later third-gen tanks are readily available, while the first two are very hard to find. In the end, I found someone listing the tank I needed, but had to wait for it to come from Briggs and Stratton in the USA. Technically, I could have tracked down a used tank, but this is a common problem for these tanks, so chances are it would likely be leaking as well. I waited nearly four months for the new tank!

So, while I waited for the new tank and a carb kit, I attended to a couple of other issues.

For a 31-year-old mower, it looked fantastic! The blades were basically brand new, even the carrier disk still had red paint on it. The oil also looked fresh, again with its red colouring present. Having said that, I wanted to go over the whole thing properly, starting with a new spark plug. The CJ8 fitted was ok, but I swapped it out for a new Champion J19LM, the modern replacement for the CJ8.





I then made sure to re-torque the cylinder head bolts as these have a habit of backing off over time, especially the exhaust side.



The handlebar locking handles had cracked and were not offering enough tightness, so I replaced those with some aftermarket cam-locks as I couldn't find the OE ones.





However, I wasn't happy with them, they just didn't fit as well as I was expecting. I eventually tracked down a set of NOS ones, which I had to get out of the UK. I know the mower is old, but with this machine and my ProCut 560, Rover have basically abandoned the Australian market. Parts are hard to find, and the mowers they sell now have nothing on these older models. Many thanks MTD, way to completely ruin a brand.





Next, repairing the catcher. The old brittle mesh screen had broken, in turn allowing the clippings to escape. For this, I cut strips of gutter guard and zip tied them in place. Problem sorted!









I then waited...........and waited...........and waited........and emailed...........and waited..........and then emailed..........and finally the fuel tank turned up, joining some new fuel line, air filters and a carburetor rebuild kit.

To be continued...........................