OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Victa Two Stroke Engines Victa 18 Special Standard

Hi all

I have just purchased a Victa 18 Special Standard mower for the cheap price of $35.00, I just wanted some advice on how to get this classic running again.
The mower currently has a great spark, I have tested it several times.
I poured some petrol into the carby to see if it would fire but still nothing. The mower has been sitting in a shed since 2001 so the carby and fuel tank may be in need of a little work.
Are there any other things that I should try as well?

There is a good chance it was stored with fuel in the tank and/or carburetor, and the petrol has evaporated leaving oil, which has plugged the main jet and perhaps some other bits as well. Does the carburetor have a flood button (which pushes the float down, thus allowing the float bowl to over-fill, so fuel runs out a small hole in the top of the bowl)? If it does, you can use that to check whether fuel is flowing into the float bowl and whether the needle and seat are working properly. Have you tried removing the spark plug and squirting a few millilitres of 2-stroke fuel (not straight petrol) through the plug hole, then reinstalling the plug and its lead, opening the throttle, and pulling the starter? If it has spark and compression, it should start and run for just a few seconds. Once you've established that it can run in that way, we can talk about a process for cleaning the tank, fuel line and carburetor, and assessing the compression.

I suggest you go carefully to avoid damaging the mower in these early stages. Never put unmixed petrol in the mower, and be thoughtful and gentle, always using the right tool when you dismantle bits of it. Anyone can make a mess, but it takes a responsible person to take care of old equipment and ensure it gets better, not worse, while in his or her care.

Hi again

I have got the mower to run, however the needle and seat do not seem to be working correctly. Fuel continues to pour out around the float bowl and through the fuel tickler. I have had a look at the needle and seat and both seem to be fine.

Once the engine is running is only seems to run on full throttle and bogs out in idle and low throttle. Would this be caused by the fuel issue or would something else cause this to happen?

Also at the moment the mower only has the blade plate on the bottom without the blade tips installed as the had rusted off the plate.

Hope someone can help.

With the float bowl overflowing the engine runs rich, and the richness increases as speed decreases. Hence you cannot expect it to run properly until you get the float bowl working.

If it floods, the needle is not closing properly against the seat. The most common reason is dirt in between the two parts. However it can also be due to the float arm being stuck (the part the float lifts up, and which in turn lifts the needle until it presses against the seat).

One of the traditional ways to check the operation of the needle and seat is to remove the carburetor, empty it, turn it upside down, and suck on the fuel pipe barb. If you can suck air - even a tiny amount - it isn't working. To work properly you have to get it so that you can suck some vacuum then put your tongue over the barb and wait to see how quickly it loses the vacuum. It should hold for quite a few seconds.

It is OK to run the mower with no blades, so long as the blade plate is installed.