I've been running victa mowers for about 15 years now as daily's Mostly half cranks but have a few full cranks.
I have a G3 carb vc160S or whatever its called with a slight cold start rattle but runs good otherwise but perhaps a little gutless(discovered today decomp is toast) so probably why.
I have a vc mustang G4 that got a big old rod knock a few years ago so parked it up for an engine swap.
Today swapped on another engine and all is well although a faint kinda squeal sound but runs great. Not sure what that is but no play no rattle.
Anyway I'm thinking I'd like to build a nice full crank or two and I can't seem to find much in the way of big end bearings??
Is there a common easy source for these?
I have another lucky dip engine sitting there and a runner but an over revver (crank seals) and who knows what with a clutch welded do the crank so it's buggerd.
I'd like to run these old girls till I croak and I'm 37
Mid 80s powertorques are my other favourites but just not the same
I pulled the barrel off and that big end is fine so perhaps its just a rattly piston. The decompressor is knackered though. The bore is lovely. Bearings n piston I guess n see how it goes
The VC160S seems to still be quite gutless with a good decompressor. It never wants to clean up n to stroke no matter how much I load it up the G4 carbed engine walks all over it. The G3 seems to be governed fine it doesn't over rev but also doesn't seem to realy give it the jandal when it needs too. I do remember years ago playing with its setting and never could get it to 2 stroke properly. Is there a trick? Do I need to change its setting and just run it half throttle or something?
Everyone seems to hate the plastic carb but my experience is the exact opposite. I play with springs n extra washers in the G4 to get it to idle right and the adjuster knob. Not sure on the hate I think they are quite good.
With the full crank motor big end ,I saw someone saying this fits HK1616F - NTN but haven't tried one.
The later full crank can be fitted with a power Torque conrod and big end / small end bearings and piston.
The G3 ,I've had a few if there is the slightest kink in the snorkel the engine losses power ,probably the restricted air flow changes the air fuel ratio too much and most likely is why later models had a plastic coiled intake pipe like on a vacuum cleaner.
The G4 can be fitted to a G3 motor if you make a spigot.
I fit the plastic intake manifold off the later full cranks, I drill and tap the manifold in through the old decomp hole and JB Weld on the inside of the manifold before I push it on and grub screw it in place
With the full crank motor big end ,I saw someone saying this fits HK1616F - NTN but haven't tried one.
The later full crank can be fitted with a power Torque conrod and big end / small end bearings and piston.
The G3 ,I've had a few if there is the slightest kink in the snorkel the engine losses power ,probably the restricted air flow changes the air fuel ratio too much and most likely is why later models had a plastic coiled intake pipe like on a vacuum cleaner.
The G4 can be fitted to a G3 motor if you make a spigot.
Cheers Max.
Thanks mate. glad to see some victa guys still around on here. Was starting to worry I'd missed the boat. Interesting on the conrod from the PT engine. I'd still have to press the crank obviously but you reckon the pin is same size?
Thankfully the big end feels fine in the end. Certainly didn't sound like it.
Originally Posted by NormK
I fit the plastic intake manifold off the later full cranks, I drill and tap the manifold in through the old decomp hole and JB Weld on the inside of the manifold before I push it on and grub screw it in place
Norm this had crossed my mind also. Not thr grumpy screw though that would be perfect. I do have a g4 cylinder I could just throw on it too I guess.
I'm sure that g3 could be sorted as everyone seems to rave about them. Just doesn't seem to be working quite right. Not giving it the berries in the long grass. It's working in respect of reving up from idle n dropping back to its governed speed slightly but yeah not throttle up under load.
How do I post pictures?
My vc sports is called a VC160S on the badge and I can't seem to find that sticker anywhere online. It's all vc sports
My mustang is pretty nice although my biggest gripe is the catcher is faded and crazy cracked but intact. I have another fadded green 1 I tried to rattle can but the green is way off 🤣
I have 3 nice orange ones for the sports though and all have the magic eyes. Seems they are hard to get. I have 1 fuel gauge cap still intact. Well it did break off up high so I shortened it up a little n fitted it back in the cap
50 years old now and most have been scrapped with a dead plug
Sad reality of victas. A dead plug n old gas n they get trashed. 10 bucks and they would last another 6 bunnings warehouse mowers lifetimes
Hmm ok:) I might have a measure up of an old PT. Got a bunch of those lying about
Have been toying with the idea of using two PTs in an old Ride on just side by side with a belt between. Starting will be interesting. I dunno if its been done before. Probably has but nothing online.
Full cranks be nicer but running low on those 🤣
Hi Jethro, I was toying with that idea a few years ago for a mate who had a property that was very steep in Pakenham but he ended up selling it because it was just too hard to mow
Have been toying with the idea of using two PTs in an old Ride on just side by side with a belt between. Starting will be interesting. I dunno if its been done before. Probably has but nothing online.
Full cranks be nicer but running low on those 🤣
Starting will be easier if you use full crank motors and only one starter.
Hi Jethro, My idea was worse than that, I was thinking 3 Victas wide with the centre one set back to pick up the overlap between the 2 further forward, otherwise you end up with a strip between the 2 decks. Then I woke up and stopped dreaming about things that cost me a million hours
Now I see what you were thinking 🤣 that can work as a tow mower for sure. I have seen a setup behind a atv with sort of same idea. This guy had a tow hitch on each mower and ran them on a diagonal so like corner to corner. As ducks would fly I suppose
I was thinking strip the dead 4Stroke off a ride on preferably an old cox as I like the drive setup then plant two victas on the engine deck n join up a couple with a belt then carry on as normal. I'm no good at mathes but 320cc 2 stroke smokey goodness should do ok I reckon. Not sure if I'd need to build some flywheel weight into this or not but it's possible if need be
The cool thing is the guy where I get my mowers is a scrap hunter and goes around all the scrappies or they ring him also happens to hate Victas 🤣 it's umm quite nice cos I can't stand 4 strokes. My cox is a kohler as I have no choice.
Dang I'd love a good big old victa walk behind.
Hmmm I have a couple spare masport 600mm walk behinds 🤔
Hi Jethro, I just had to do some work on a Cox with a Kohler motor on it, great motor but what a pig of a thing to get an oil filter for it. I also love rebuilding the old Victa 24's, think I still have 7 of them here, hell of a lot of work getting them back into service but the satisfaction of keeping the going is worth it. The Masports seem to be ok with the bigger 4 strokes, but shouldn't be too hard to fit a 2 stroke to them. Just remember if you fit a PT to anything like that you must add up to 2 kg to the crankshaft, that turns them into a mean machine
Three two stokes could get expensive to run probably a litre an hour ,a V8 uses a litre an hour.
The block here that I mow the back yard is 15 degrees and quarter acre of grass ,I tried ride on mowers and it wasn't easy getting down tracks and around trees ,so I ended up using a quad bike with a tow mower and is much easier and more reliable and most likely all up cost of $30.These Chinese bikes with 125 cc motors are always getting thrown out .I just had to fit a smaller front sprocket so I can mow at walking speed up hills.
It's easier with just one mower for me because of the trees I need to mow around.
Ride on mower manufacturers recommend not mowing on a slope more than 10 degrees.
Yes Max, it was just another one of my wild ideas and another one was to fit a 38 inch Ariens deck on the back of a mates Honda ATV but it was just too heavy to turn around so we will probably scrap that one. Worked fine but too heavy to steer, it was a bigger one not one of the smaller Chinese ones
Too heavy to steer on a Honda ATV Norm, it must be because it's set up similar to 3 point linkage on a tractor with the weight on the back of the ATV instead of the weight supporting itself like with a trailer.
Over 30 years ago I made a small tow tractor with a 5 hp motor and geared it down and it has no problem towing 250 kg up a 15 degree dirt slope and steers without a problem with bald small front wheels.It has a rear CIG locked diff but still turns good.
I've never tried towing more weight than 250 Kg with this tow tractor.
I was just thinking about the heavy steering on the ATV ,it may not be only the weight of the slasher making steering hard as these ATV bikes can be difficult to steer at walking speeds and that's what it's mostly doing when you cut grass .
The one thing I've found with the small Chinese quad bikes is they are easy to steer at walking speed
I guess it's not worth trying to make power steering for the ATV.
No Max, we have given up on the ATV mower because a couple of weeks ago he bought a new Kubota mower 4 wheel drive and it has power steering so his mowing problems are solved except that his new Kubota takes him 3 hours to mow his lawn compared to the zero turn one he had that used to take him one and a half hours, so he is not happy about that
Zero turns are wonderful. Dang I wish I could afford one.
A super 24 victa would be wonderful. I basically use a masport version of and it's quite good amongst the trees and Berry rows
So the blade disk on a regular victa is part of the flywheel weight yeah? Does the big 24 have a similar setup? I've never laid my eyes on 1 in the flesh. I'd better have a Google
Great machine there only downside is the single from wheel stuck out the front makes it difficult to mow under trees or anything directly in front. The bar blade on these is not such a huge problem because it is belt driven and if you hit anything the belt takes the shock not the crankshaft
Well scored another VC mustang today. A G3 carby version Motor seized:( no plug for probably a decade or more no doubt and in the weather sadly. But all in all pretty happy. I have cylinders so no drama.
The snorkel is a bit sad but could be used. Throttle is good air filter housing is good. Wheels all OK. Chassis is good just faded badly and the axle needs a wee weld
The thing I'm most happy for is the catcher. It's much better shape plastic and not so faded than my other green one. It does need a repair though but I'll sus that. All in all pretty happy.
Well after dumping oil in the cylinder I managed to unseize it after a bit. Just bit by bit back n forth she slowly came free. Not sure if it has a decomp working cos jamming my finger in the plug hole it makes good compression. Presumably the oiled up cylinder will be helping the compression.
Will yank it apart tomorrow n see what's hiding. Can't find the plug lead so will see where it's snapped off or something
I carried the two catchers and the new to me catcher is noticeably thinner. I thought nah maybe the steel or a lump of grass . Nope the plastic is thinner. Almost half as thick. Interesting but yeah seems they started to beef em up more. Its definitely got more weight to it
It seems to have red paint on the victa in the catcher.
It has a red victa emblem on the chassis also. Is this original? Every VC mustang I find online has black
Guess the engine numbers will tell tomorrow but yeah how early is this 1?
Hi Jethro, Always feels good when you can salvage these from going to the scrap and with a hone and a set of rings it should be good for another 50 years
Yeah absolutely and very sad they wind up in the scrap. A mower built to last a man his lifetime. And then his son too
Put another couple hours on the runner VC mustang today. I found I've left my tools at work so could only get the cover off and the starter sorted on the fixer. The spark lead has been cut off way up by the cowl. I could probably get it running but now I can turn it over the bearings definitely need done. It sounds pretty manky. Better get some bearings n bits ordered up
Well what a fantastic way to go, somebody really did their homework when designing them, well done Mr Victa.I have a lot of full crank motors sitting here. I just hope my son doesn't send them all to scrap as he threatens to do when I am gone ,
The only thing I've never checked Norm is the above engine is a later full crank and I'm not sure if the early full crank has the same size big end , the early full crank is more like a 125 cc crank.
I assume there will always be a home for old Victa full crank motors with collectors and vintage go karts and mini bikes etc.
How early is early? Oldest I have is last of the G3 ahh mark 3 I guess.
That's cool it fits. Hopefully they press back together ok with the old pin
Just need to sort a decompressor out for the runner mustang and it should be pretty well back to original. The old dead mustang still had the plastic majiggy under the pull handle so I pinched that and also found the correct pull handle in some parts box's
The G4 in this old girl runs so well. I can't remember what I did to the spring combo but it idles so low it will stop if I wind out the idle screw. It's governed perfectly at wot and have perfect control all through the rpm range. I have a sneaky primer cap and reach around behind to use it. Bang 1st pull every time.
I usually have good luck with the G4s and LMs just by playing with the springs and I add an extra shim or clip on the back of the diaphragm. You can cut the centre out of a retainer disk thingy and add just the centre on the poppet valve and it seems to pull in the poppet valve a little and helps bring the idle down. Sort of similar kinda to Norms washers
Some carbs need washers some don't I dunno.... these carbs are funny things. Some are great some are not. Seems all the 90s mowers I get idle too high. The 80s ones seem to be nice. Not sure what changed but an old 80s alloy deck powertorque are still quite a nice solid mower to use. Much prefer them to the newer flap outside the catcher mowers
