G'day Pitrack_1,
Originally Posted by Pitrack_1
1) Firstly, any reason not to use an impact driver to get the base plate nut off? Just about off to TotalTools to make an 'investment' (read: male retail therapy wink )
Every reason to use an air/electric impact wrench - it beats hammering on a spanner, which is what we used to have to do. For dismantling, anyway. I have a couple of air ratchet wrenches, too. Oh, and buy sets of Metric and AF 6-point impact rated sockets for it!
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2) I assume an original plate in good nick will be hard to find. I note a replacement on the GA spares site. I assume this is a non-original design (too many holes and looks different). It's not the same as the one I have fitted, is it? It would 'dilute' a restoration?
The GA Spares one is fairly close, apart from the extra holes. In fact I'd say that's what is currently fitted to Eric.

THIS past thread has pics of an original Turner disc.

A cropped pic of one of the blades - which would be the correct type for your side-throw chassis.
[Linked Image]
Unfortunately these [Turner P/No 50-07-18] ones are long unavailable; that poster seems to have had a bit of a NOS Turner parts trove...
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3) I also note the thinner, scalloped blades in the 1962 RPS photo. The GA Spares blades are straight, so non-original as well? More dilution?
The GA Spares blades are an accurate repro of the Turner late type rear-catcher blade.
A pic from CyberJack of a NOS set:
[Linked Image]
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4) "fluted'- you mean what I call 'fan blades', i.e. upturned back outer corner?
Yes, that's it. It's the industry technical term. Most of these blades now have a 45deg flute, but one of the old Victa side throw blades [P/No 9-152] had a 180deg flute!
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On that subject, the blades fitted to my Victa Utility w/ the B&S are I suspect also non original. They are straight fan blades that seem way to powerful... Like described elsewhere I mow around, working inwards with the grass ejection inwards to self rake/mulch. However the flap can be 'blown' open (no spring nor attachment for one as far as I can tell) by heavy grass, if that happens the clippings go rows across...so I tend to mow two rows in the middle before I reach there, that way any clippings end up in the middle, overlapping rather than crossing-over and causing more (albeit little) raking. (I assume these are windrows).
Yes, those are windrows.
Most Victa Utes should run flat blades - there was an exception in the 1970's that used P/No 9-262 blades, with a low ~60deg flute, but those blades are NLA anyway.

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4) Windrowers (have to look up)... What about the one on the side of 'Eric' (as you've so named him). It's curved, the one in Jack's pic is square and has some sort of metal wire/bar support.
That one looks like it might be made of plastic, too. It's more of a chute than a windrower, really. Eric's current one has the look of a 'tenant improvement'...
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5) It may be a case of restoring to a good, repaired/working/workable condition then chasing complete originality. It may end up being a 'non-original' restoration rather than complete originality one. Would this be an offence against any laws/customs/sensibilities/deities?
The way I would go with a Turner is to get it to functional condition, for a start.

If you then decide to return it to completely original, you will at least have a 'runner' for the probably considerable time it will take, to acquire the OEM parts needed. And the haunting of swap meets, FleaBay and Dumbtree that will entail.

Cheers,
Gadge

"ODK Mods can explain it to you, but they can't understand it for you..."

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