OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames Victa Mustang VC 160 - Mk IV

Hi,
well i have 2 Victa Mustang VC 160 - Mk IV 's 1 is going fine after bring it back from the dead had to replace the carbi (pulled a carbi off a power torque - Victa Hurricane, and new spark plug and air filter and fix the starter pull cord and clutch part of it . Anyway that 1 is fine . also have repainted the engine cover and exhaust .



The 2nd Victa Mustang VC 160 - Mk IV isnt as good the carbi has the primer on it and thats shot , so i have replaced it with a newer carbi i got hold of not sure how old but i pulled it down and cleaned it and replace the rubber circle flap thing, and tested it on my other mower (above) and its fine .


Now i need to replace the spark plug and the lead, and hopefully it it kick over and be fine .
Just wondering as anybody else had any probs with the engines ? Is there any thing else i should look at to be replaced and or cleaned etc ? any other issues i should know about ?

Finally - Anywbody got or know where i can get hold of a catcher for this mower as the orginal catcher i got with it was , well lets just say only option was the recycling bin .

By the way when i got both these mower they were chocas full of grass and chaff inside the cowling !!!!!! Anyway i cleaned them down and even steamed the engines and now they are looking great , Not really wanting to paint them just want to leave them original , shows character. Both decks are 97% free of rust , tiny bit of surface rust . Got them from a decaced estate and they had lived in the timer shed all there lifes. Not bad for 37 year old mowers

Thanks in Advance

The first one is a 1976-1978 MKIII Mustang, using the Series 70 MKIV engine, and the G4 carburetor (The carby you have fitted is actually an LM, but it will do Just fine)

The second is a little older, a 1974-1976 VC-Mustang MKIIA, this one appears to have the original LM, and also uses the Series 70 MKIV engine.

This engine was quite a solid and reliable engine, and given the TLC these mowers are getting, you should be able to get many many more years of reliable service.

Be make sure when looking for parts to get parts for a VC-mustang, not a VC-160, as the VC-160 ran a different carby and engine, and used a totally different chassis and catcher (Not trying to knit-pick here, just don't want to see you run into any troubles)

The catcher I might be able to help with, I should have a trip to Sydney coming up soon, so I will scout out the catchers at the local tip shop, and if I find one, I'm more than happy to grab it for you, the shop charges $5 - $10 for catchers, however, if I happen to be grabbing a mower at the same time, and it does not have a catcher, I'll pop one with it, as that way it's free.

I'll let you know what I find mate!!!

Also, if you are keen on really bringing them back to top shelf condition, I can keep an eye out for a new base for the one with the plate riveted on, but only if you want to head in that direction.

thanks Mr. Davis for the great info and the fast reply. well ive given as much TLC as i can and the 2nd mower , well its just some thing im going to get going over the next few months not urgent.
Yes i am keen for a catcher -pls send me an inbox with your contact details and we can work some thing out. I have searched a few salvage yards and on council dump wanted $40 for me to get in and pick what i wanted from the dump, wtf ????

Anyway the $ you mentioned is fine .

Funny thing is i have both these two Mustangs and i have a newer Victa deck with a Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke on it , and 9 time out of 10 i'll pull the Mustang out and fire that up to mow my lawns lol . Suppose its like car enthusiastic they like their classic car and prefer it over there late model car

the 2nd mower that has what we think is the original carbi on it , well its not the original one as it had the primer button down on the deck , that was shot so i got hold of another and its got a turbo jet style carbi on it.

Now and then the motors blow a bit of smoke but thats the thing about a 2 stroke !.

Somebody said to me when mixing up 2 stroke fuel as the petrol at the servos now days has no lead in it and these motors where built for "Super" leaded fuel , bloke told me to add an additional 10% 2stroke oil in the mix so 220mls to make up 5 litres of 2 stroke fuel . is it worth it or just stay with 200mls ?

Thanks in advance and look forward in hearing from you about the catcher

P.S as for brinking them back to pristine condition , thanks for the offer but i'll take a rain check for the time being. but if i change my mond i'll be sure to let you know

Hi, I have my father’s old Victa Mustang Series 70, 2 Stroke, Mark 4 lawnmower that has served us well however it has developed a fuel leak from the black primer bulb assembly. (See photo attached)
I have tried to get a replacement primer bulb however there appears that the parts are no longer available due to the age of the lawnmower.
Apparently my Victa Mustang has an early version Mark 4 engine with a LM carb and the configuration of the carb and the primer bulb are different to the later versions!
I am now wondering if anyone can please provide any advice on whether I can source a similar primer bulb or a solution to fix my fuel leak?
Cheers, Lecky23

The primer bulb isnt the source of your fuel leak, the needle and seat within the carburettor will be passing fuel and flooding it out the primer line. personally to start with id remove and clean the carb cap (On the back of the carb from the perspective of your photo, replace the rubber o ring and clean the float area (be careful and dont lose the needle) i have had issues with white primer caps over the years but never had an issue with these old remote primer carbs other than a little dirt buildup or the fuel tap being left on and forgotten about.

Hi Lecky,

Yes as Joe mentioned when the float needle isn't shutting off in the carby the fuel level gets too high and starts to leak out
the primer orifice and into the remote primer.

The problem with this type of mower if you were to change the carby cap to a later model with the primer on the cap ,it would be too
difficult to prime as there isn't a lot of room to get your hand to that side of the carby.

I would buy a metal needle and see if that fixes the leak also every old Victa I've had problems with the rubber remote primer ,the problem was the rubber primer had aged too much and the rubber had gone hard ,so you may be interested in a replacement primer for easier priming.

Cheers
Max.

Thank you, Joe_Caroll and maxwestern for your replies and comments,

I have been told by my lawnmower service centre that if the petrol leak came from the carby, it would be a problem to service the carby as spare parts (eg. Rubber O ring or gaskets, metal needles, ect) could be a problem as spare parts for such an old Victa Mustang may not be available anymore!

I have purchased the red primer bulb that maxwestern suggested and will fit this to my carby and see if this will stop the fuel leaking. If this does not work, I will try and remove the carby cap and clean around the float area and replace the rubber O ring if I can get a new replacement.

Thanks again,

Lecky23

The mower joint is telling you porkies (bullshitting) to you, all parts are readily available on ebay. The leaking is caused by the float needle not seating. You can try and polish the seat with a cotton bud with a bit of metal polish on it if that doesn't work get a viton tipped needle from ebay

Unfortunately some mower shops will tell you anything to sell a customer shop equipment in stock ,my brother had a fairly new 2 stroke chainsaw that just needed a slight carby tune adjustment of the high and low idle about a 2 minute job and they told him parts are unavailable and he will need a new saw.

I went to a local mower shop here and was looking at a Victa 18 and the shop owner comes over tells me only 3 of this model were ever made and Victa wanted to buy it from him but he would sell it to me for $1000.

Hi,
Can anybody advise me where the other ends of two wires for the stop/start mechanism that are attached to the carburettor on my Victa Mustang Series70, 2 Stroke, Mark 4 lawnmower go to for connection?
One of the wires goes to the ignition coil however I can not recall where the other wire is connected to!
This wire has a flat brass round electrical connector with a hole in it so it appears that it should be connected somewhere with a screw or bolt! Is this a wire to be grounded on part of the engine or does it also go to the ignition coil.
I have tried to find a wiring diagram online without success.
Cheers,
Lecky23

It goes to ground underneath the cowl bolt directly above the carby.

Thank you for your reply bigted.
Could I bother you again on the wiring issue to clarify correct connection?
Both my two wires going into the carburettor for the stop/start mechanism are both black in colour and I just want to know whether I have the correct ones connected correctly!
Currently the other end of the ‘ground’ wire (with the flat brass electrical connector), I have connected through the centre end of the black rubber boot with a black rubber plug on the end of this wire going into the carburettor entry point.
The other wire (currently going to the ignition coil) I have the other end inserted into a hole in the side of the black rubber boot which is 90 degrees to the other wire.
Are these two wires correctly fitted into the carburettor stop/start mechanism or should they be reversed?
Thanking you in anticipation of your reply,
Lecky23

It makes no difference on the carby end. When you put the throttle in the stop position the 2 brass pins make contact and ground the coil thus killing spark.
.

Video

About two years ago, my Rover ProCut 560 to have the recoil rope replaced and new front axle bushing while it was there. At the time, I was flat-out busy running my garden business, I simply left repairs to the dealer so that my time could be spent earning money. This particular dealer I had built up a relationship with over about a decade, they sold me many mowers, including the ProCut.

However, the dealer had just changed hands and this was my first interaction with the new owners. After dropping off the ProCut, I waited and waited until 3 weeks in I gave them a call, at which point I was quite sharply told that all repairs were at least a 30-day turn-around, which wasn't explained to me when I dropped off. This was never the case as the previous owners would try to get commercial customers in and out as quickly as possible. At the time, I just assumed that perhaps it was a matter of making it known I was a long-standing commercial customer. Shortly after that phone call, I had to take in my MulchMaster for a new belt.

Then, after four weeks, I was sent a text message saying my Rover was ready for collection. When I went to pick it up, I was told that the machine was deemed not worth repairing and that I was up for a $70 inspection fee. I was someone dumbfounded, how could a broken starter rope be deemed not worth repairing? I was then told that the deck was worn and would need the engine to be removed to weld the deck. Like, what? I was handed back a machine with the front axle hanging from it, but they did replace the rope. I then asked where the axle hardware had gone and was told "that's what it was like when you dropped it off....." which was complete BS, they lost the now obsolete axle brackets. When I started to question this, I got attitude from the lady behind the desk.

At the end of the day, they thought I would just buy a new mower, which wasn't going to happen as those ProCuts were no longer in production and I already had a fleet of other mowers. So, in the end, I tracked down a NOS set of brackets and axle bushings and repaired it myself. And guess what, while the chassis did have some wear, it was not as bad as they made out. Super dodgy. It also annoys me they didn't bother to call me and ask what I wanted to do, they just wrote it off.





So, while all this was happening, I still had my MulchMaster with them, so I was trying my best not to go postal on them. A few weeks later, I got a text message to say the MulchMaster was ready. Later that day, I arrived at a job with the MulchMaster, then discovered the gearbox wouldn't drive fast enough. So, off with the cover, only to discover they had put the belt on wrong and that it had already cut the belt. Did they not even test the machine before handing it back? By this point I was livid.





Thus began a too and fro argument. All the excuses under the sun, not enough staff bla bla bla, people make mistakes, basically calling me out. My argument was, I paid $220 to have a belt replaced, only to waste time fixing the fix, and that I would soon need to do it again because the belt was already worn. He asked me to provide proof they had screwed up, which I had taken photos of the right and wrong belt orientation, the cut belt and a screen shot of the owner's manual showing the correct orientation. He wanted me to bring it back, I refused to take it back as I didn't trust to touch it again. Fed up, I just said refund me the price of the belt and we'll call it good. He agreed and said that he hoped I'd do business with them again.

A few days later and still no refund. I got no replies either. In the end, I sent all of the above to Victa head office, explaining that a Victa dealer was poorly representing their brand. That despite all of the manufacturers resources available to the dealer, they still didn't know what they were doing. A day later, the funds appeared in my account.

As a busy person, I had no issue paying money to have machines repaired. But I did have a HUGE problem paying money for a service that I ended up having to do myself due to incompetence and VERY poor customer service skills. I haven't been back, in fact the above spurred me on to do my own repairs now, same with parts supply. With the previous owners, I made a point of supporting their business through repairs and parts supply because they supported me and my business. They say we should "shop local and support local"....................well it has to work both ways.

These days, my parts are all ordered online. I have owners manuals filed for quick reference, plus a data base of parts manuals and common service parts/specs. I've also set up a "parts department".













Turns out I actually enjoy working on this stuff.

This is exactly why people stop going to mower shops for repairs DFB ,I've sold a few good mowers to people for not
much more than what they were charged at a shop to dismantle their mower and then they are told they need a new mower.

The thing is, time is ticking for these dealers as most of the homeowner stuff is transitioning to battery power, and from what I have seen, commercial handheld tools are following very quickly. I haven't used a petrol-powered hedge trimmer in years now.

You would think being spot on with customer service would be a top priority for these businesses going forward.

Hi,
I have just reconditioned and cleaned my carby, decompression valve and cleaned out the fuel tank on my Victa Mustang Series70, 2 Stroke, Mark 4 lawnmower and it started first go however it stopped after about 30 mins and would not start again. Can anyone out there provide me any advice on what I can do next to get my Victa Mustang to start and run more reliably?
Also when I replaced the diaphragm in the carby it only had a small circlip washer holding the diaphragm to the end of the poppet valve (see photo) whereas the videos I have watched show that there should be a larger metallic diaphragm retaining plate! Would it be advisable for me to replace the small circlip with the larger metallic diaphragm retaining plate to provide better support to the rubber diaphragm?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Lecky23

Hi Lecky,
Small clip is fine, it is only to hold the poppet. Silly question, didn't straight fuel it did you? It does happen. Checked the spark plug? Put in another one just to check. Also check for spark. . If all check out then start looking at fuel and that often is a problem with the float needle and I hate them with a passion

Hi NormK,
Thank you for your reply. I put 2 stroke fuel mixture into the fuel tank and not straight fuel so I can discount that theory. The fuel had been sitting in the can for a couple of weeks whilst I waited for parts to be delivered and installed, however I did shake the fuel can to mix the fuel up. The spark plug was new and I ensured that it was sparking before I actually started the mower after the reconditioning. The mower started first go and ran for 30 minutes before it stopped. I will test the spark again.
With the mower suddenly stopping and failing to be restarted have anything to do with the cutout Stop/Start wiring as I put on a brand new rubber boot and plug as part of the carby rebuild!
The poppet valve that is in my carby had a round flat disc on one end but the poppet valves I have seen in videos show that they have a little prong on the base (see photo) that is used to change the way the poppet valve is secured so that it can be rotated to increase or decrease the revving of the motor. Is this correct? If so should I change my poppet valve to the one shown in the photo?

Hi Lecky,
Yes disconnect the wire through the side of the kill switch, they are a problematic design, I find they are near impossible to get to work with the aftermarket parts. I don't use the poppets without prong on them so I don't know how well they work

Hi NormK,
If I disconnect the wire through the side of the kill switch, this would disable the Stop mechanism so how do I shut off the lawnmower’s motor? If I turn off the fuel tap and turn the throttle to Stop, will that stop the motor?
In regards to the poppet valve, my cap on the diaphragm end of the carby has a plastic round dial that can be turned to Slow, Idle and Fast so does this dial in fact control the revving of the engine? (See photo)
If I replace my poppet valve to the one with a prong, will that still work with the dial on my cap on my carby?
Sorry to keep bothering you but I seriously want to get my lawnmower working for sentimental reasons and not throw it away.

You have to remove the wire to prove it is not the cause of the not starting, do this for starters

Hi NormK,
I followed your advice and found that the kill switch was the problem preventing my Victa from starting. I found that the rubber plug that goes into the side of the carby through the rubber boot was jamming inside when the cam was moved with the throttle cable.
As you said the the kill switch mechanism has been poorly designed and problematic so I decided to by-pass the kill switch mechanism by connecting a Narva micro push button switch connected to the two wires that normally go into the side of the carby.
After installation, my Victa started first go and has started without any problems since. Fingers crossed 🤞it will continue to start with every mow to come!
Bye bye the poorly designed old kill switch mechanism.🤬
Thank you again for your advice.

Hi Lecky,
Good to hear you have fixed it. Yes I have always said that the kill switch idea was drempt up over a very long lunch at the pub. Over the years it must have sent thousands of Victas to an early grave

I think a lot of people have a problem with the kill switch because they turn the mower off and leave the throttle control
in the off position.

Pushing the throttle control to full speed while the mower is off can help ensure that the kill switch wires do not become distorted or touch each other. This practice helps to keep the throttle poppet fully open and can prevent the wires associated with the kill switch from being bent or damaging the rubber grommet. .

Leaving the throttle in the off position also compresses the poppet spring and after time that spring stays compressed and you
loose high rpm unless you stretch the spring again.