OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers "NEW" Victa VC Autodrive

Evening Tyler, Gadge and Mowerfreak,

Thank you for the ideas. I've pumped some INOX down it, but no joy. I no longer have a block splitter and my compressor is an El Cheapo, 70L/min FAD 1HP with an 8L Chineseium tank.

Might have to take a visit to the mower shop in the morning on the way to picking up some parts from the Vapour Blaster.

I've gone overboard and got pretty well everything blasted. I just couldn't bear to think any parts were slowly corroding away. Were these things painted in a hammer tone silver? Are there any brands you could recommend that are petrol resistant? I think a clear coat over the top of a hammer tone defeats the hammer tone purpose?

I'd make a small tin of 50/50 atf/acetone and 'park' the mower on top of it for a few days with the crank down in the tin (use the height adjuster to get the right clearance)

Wouldn't suggest getting the mix too near the lower seal though

Thanks Tyler, but thankfully crisis averted. It's off, thanks to my local shop...

More progress today.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Just a tidy up, I said. Nothing too extreme, I said. So I wonder how we ended up with my motor in a fruit box! It's in super good nick. Going to get all prettied and cleaned up.

Do I spy, with my little eye, something called EI?

P.S. Would Loctite SI 596 Hi Temp Silicone Sealant be sufficient to use when putting the crank case halves back together?

G'day all,
Yes, but only a very thin smear of it.

The recommended product in the Repair Manual is gasket cement; Permatex #2 [or #3 Aviation] non-hardening cement has always worked fine for me.

Hi Gadge,
The Loctite that really caught my attention years ago was the 518 . I was putting an Indian "repaired" Enfield together for a mate and the top of the cases looked like they had been machined flat by rubbing them back and forth across concrete or asphalt, the oil was pouring down the front of the cases like a waterfall. Gave them a clean, bead of 518 around the top of the cases, bolted it back together and not a drop of oil got out through the gap.

Hi all,

I agree with Gadge with using gasket cement; Permatex #2 [or #3 Aviation] non-hardening cement but Loctite SI 596 is
Verboten ,it's classified as oil resistant but not fuel resistant . Silicone breaks down when used in a fuel environment.


Cheers
Max.

Well thats a nice little bonus. I could see the crankcase was going to end up getting split haha

By the way, remember you may have to retime the engine once the coil is back on (edit, actually ignore me as the holes aren't oblong)


Max, quick question - which of the permatex's are actually petrol proof (or at least resistant). Everytime I look at Repco or SCA I never seem to find one (except for one called permashield I think)

Regards
Tyler

Morning Gents,

Max and Gadge, thanks for the advice. I did end up doing some extra reading and came to the same conclusion that Si is not the best in a fuel/oil ENVIRONMENT. I didn't realise that cement and silicone gasket sealant were different beast. I almost bought some Loctite 518, but at $30+ on special, I settled for some Permatex #2! Maybe I'll treat myself next time. If Norm's experience is anything to go by, it sounds like a magic product.

Tyler, from my reading, Permatex #1, #2 and #3 are resistant. Max will no doubt clarify if I'm wrong. And yes, massive bonus! I pulled the flywheel (by hand, no less) and was really confused when not much was there!

Now, I don't think I'm going to pull the crank to bits. That's probably a bit much, and I ain't got any of the proper tools for it. I don't even have the correct tools to replace the oil seals. But the crank does have a bit of surface rust. I figure I should probably remove this with a VERY light sanding? I'll grab a photo and post it up later today.

G'day all,

Yes Mystyler is correct Tyler, Permatex #1, #2 and #3 are fuel resistant.

Stag-joining-paste is another fuel resistant sealant.

Cheers
Max.

Stag was the go to sealant in the sixties but I haven't seen or used it since then, I had no idea it was still available these days

Thank you Max and Norm.

Some photos for the brain's trust. The crank in all its glory. Kinda looks a bit worse in the photos. Does it need attention? I'd prefer to leave it if it will do no harm as we're now starting to get into territory I've not been in before.

As long as the bearings feel ok I would leave it alone, not like it is going to be returned to tearing through heave vegetation ever again. Replacing the big end is specialized and requires special jigging to true it up and you will struggle these days to find somebody capable of doing it

Legend, thank you Norm. Aside for the surface rust, it all feels very nice.

And no, the most it'll tackle is about 120sqm of very spoilt suburban Buffalo, but only for about three months a year when it's not covered in Box Tree leaves or nuts!

So I've got my parts back from being cleaned.

I'm wondering if I should replace the seals? They look good and feel good? I don't have the correct (or any) press to do it but could still get it done. I'm also wondering if the little bit that has corroded away near the bottom seal will present a problem. I don't think that area would be under too much stress? I've circled the area so it is hopefully easier to spot. I'm happy I pulled everything apart, didn't realise there was so much corrosion going on at the bottom. The pulley was full of old grass and debris so perhaps it shouldn't be much of a surprise.

The bore has been honed and I'm fitting new rings. I ordered an entire new piston set just in case but it still looks good.

Now the question is how to repaint it. Still haven't solved that dilemma yet. I think the base certainly needs a hammer finish.Luckily my parts aren't here yet so I've got time to think on it.

Still waiting for some decent weather to get painting. In the meantime, there are still boring and far from glamourous jobs to be done.

The end result was glamorous at least.

G'day Mystyler,
Most definitely replace the seals, while it's in bits.

Absolutely no need for a press for this job; all you need is a light hammer; and a pin punch, soft metal drift, or even a piece of wood dowel. I've fitted uncountable numbers of Victa FC seals this way; it's the quickest method, too.

Drift the old seal out, then the new one in.

Lube the new seal's circumference with a drop or two of engine oil. When fitting the new seal, work around the periphery of the seal, with light hammer taps, so the seal stays reasonably straight as it goes in.

It seats against a shoulder in the crankcase bore, so that'll ensure it's perfectly square to the crankshaft axis.

If only there weren't so many that needed cleaning MF! But thank you.

Gadge, cheers. I bought a handful of top and bottom seals from ODK just in case. They were cheap enough. If I read correctly, the bottom seal goes on last, and is tapped down the crank?

G'day Mystyler,

That's as good a method as any; it's the way we used to do 'in-service' bottom seal replacements.

Or you can install it prior to assembling the crankcase halves. Put the bottom half upside down on a clean flat surface, and just tap the seal in as above, until its outer edge is just flush with the lower edge of the chamfer in the crankcase bore.

Well #@*%.

Oh Bugger

If its any consolation, I did the exact same fin (1 from left of upright) trying to get the flywheel off my sunbeam - I was thinking about reattaching and put a little glob of selleys knead it epoxy steel weld,

It stuck to the crack and is like concrete - probably more or less made up for weight loss

Took it out today, gave it a light wash and clean - started first pull after 2 months

Oh well,
These things do happen. As it happens, there is considerable 'overbuild' in the 'fan capacity' of these flywheels. From a Fluid Mechanics perspective, that is.

So it may seem counter-intuitive; but the best thing to do is, to knock off the diametrically opposed fin; this maintains the dynamic mechanical balance of the flywheel, and won't affect the 'fan capacity' appreciably.

The shitty part is that it need not have happened.

In order to protect everything from the rain, the parts were put in boxes and stored in the storeroom. I needed to grab something out a few days ago, and the blade carrier accidentally took a tumble into the box next to it. I had a quick look then, fearing I may have snapped a flywheel fin, and obviously missed it.

Tyler, I'm guessing it has held ok? That was my first though, using some metal "weld" epoxy. My second though was as you suggest Gadge, Dremel the opposite fin off. My third and current train of thought is that I don't like either the first or second thoughts. The first because I'd hate for it to let go in service, the second because I haven't learnt yet to accept "good enough" on my projects. And I take great pride in maintaining all of my equipment to the highest standards. I'm entertaining the idea of it getting professionally fixed. Or finding a replacement flywheel.



I apologise for the mini-rant. I am just a bit upset when the level of effort and care otherwise put into the project is nothing but 110%, with limited space and tools to boot. I had a few dodgy aerosol cans of paint let go today as well. Character building!!

Let's see what tomorrow brings. I appreciate your continued assistance in this project.

I would suggest going to the tip and looking for one. Only problem is most already have a tooth or 2 missing. I hate to accept it as well sometimes, but others I just put up with it

Was trying to fix a hot air damper on the Camira last week, snapped the flap off. That should mean new air filter assembly, but a slim chance of ever finding one. So I will have to use a glue to put it back on and hope it doesn't drop and melt on the exhaust manifold. Putting in a new (read expensive) choke pull off valve tomorrow and if I stuff this up there's going to be a problem haha.

Have sliced fingers, lost marbles and once almost sacrificed toes in the pursuit of perfection - often can't be stuffed especially when it often comes back to bite me or ends up no better

Hi Tyler,
Just about the Camira I saw on an outback collectors show last week, some bloke in WA has a factory built Statesman with a Camira engine, only one in Aus. They were not called a Statesman, some other name, Jupiter or something like that and they were only sold in NZ, real oddball thing and I guess a bit short on power as well

Geez NormK why would anyone entertain such an idea and actually carry it out? They were not known for low end performance and they put it in a heavy car.
Reminds me of the HJ Kingswoods badged as Mazdas, exported to Japan and fitted with rotaries.
At least the Kingswood taxicabs I remember fitted with four pot Peugeot diesel engines would have had low down grunt.

I saw that as well Norm

It was a VN Calais with the 2L JE camira MPFI engine - they had around 86kw v the 1.6l 64kw - called the Holden Royale. I was sitting there watching it saying 'VN Royale from NZ with 2.0l' as I had heard of it

Cars were pretty expensive back then in NZ (before grey imports they love), so the cheaper 4 cyl (along with perceived fuel economy) probably made sense at the time

The New Zealanders did that from the VH onwards - always had a 4cyl SL/E equivalent 'Royale' - with the starfire 4 up to and including the VK, and then a Nissan RB20 in the VL



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Royale

Hey, HEY!

I can't have you lot mentioning the 160cc full crank and Starfire in the same paragraph! A rotary, however...

I must say I had NO idea that the Kingswoods were ever fitted with a diesel. Admittedly, they were before my time.

Going to see what the tip shop holds tomorrow. Otherwise I might just have to suck it up. On the plus side, the hammertone paint on the deck is looking superb! Will hopefully have that finished up tomorrow.