OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Scott Bonnar-Morrison 14" Reel Mower

They were recommended by a well respected Mower business where I live. I'll let you know how it all transpires.

Chris

Thanks Chris, I'm looking forward to how it comes up as well mate!

I got the cutting assembly back yesterday.
Stripped, cleaned, painted, sharpened, reassembled and adjusted - they did a good job. I also got them to fit two new bearings while they were at it.
I'll put it all together this weekend.
Chris

Might sound like a silly question, but when you removed the cutter pulley was it right or lft hand threaded? My victa imperial is somewhat different (has chains) but I do need to unscrew that gear without damage

Joe,

Not a silly question at all - it is left hand thread so that the pulley tightens on the shaft when under load.

Chris

Cool bananas, thansk mate, I want the lawn of all lawns this summer and the imperial might just be the one for the job

Fitted the reel/blade assembly into the mower this morning.
There was a slight hitch as the guys who sharpened it reassembled the reel the wrong way around so the drive shaft was on the incorrect side of the mower
I pulled it all apart and assembled it correctly then fitted it to the mower and did the final adjustments.
The handles will go to the local electroplater soon and when I've finished the engine it'll go on as well - I've decided to fit it with a Kirby engine from another mower. I've managed to find a US distributor who stocks Lauson/Tecumseh/Kirby parts so a new gasket set and a few other bits are winging their way to me.
This afternoon I'll strip and clean the front rollers and treat/seal the timber parts.
Chris

Hi Joe, don't forget we want to video your Imperial coming apart. It will be great for the archives.

Dont know if youve attempted it or not yet joe but i made up a spanner to remove the sprocket from my imperial.

All finished though the engine is only held on with 2 bolts at present as I may yet swap it on to my other mower.
It runs, it cuts but it is really a cheap imitation - apologies to my Uncle.
I'm not sure what to do with it as I also have a 'proper' Scott Bonnar and not a whole lot of grass to cut.

Chris

It looks very nice indeed, Chris. Please don't mow with it without a full set of engine mounting bolts, there is way too much risk of cracking the deck under the engine. Note in regard to your SB45, the ones like yours with the two-rail deck are prone to cracking the front rail at the inboard engine mounting bolt, so keep an eye on it and treat it reasonably gently. Sometimes it seems that most of the running changes made in the SB45 during its long production life were for the worse.

Very nice job on that one, mate!

Yeah I wouldn't mow with only 2 bolts either....

Kori

I started it and mowed about a meter of grass just to make sure it would cut, then shut it down and hosed it off.

Fear not, if I use it as my main mower, I will finish the restoration properly

Chris

Hi Chris, on a great restoration there mate, she looks just like a bought one! Whatever you decide to use as your main machine...you can be proud of the work you put in there.

Thanks - your compliments are noted and appreciated

At some stage I still intend to write a thread on the Kirby engine in an appropriate part of the forum. It took me sometime to do the research and source parts, but I did have success in the end.

Chris

Hi Chris, for your thread, the appropriate forum would be: Repairs and Maintenance > Questions on Engines > Questions on Tecumseh / Kirby Engines.
This will be very handy for the archives, mate!

Started writing it today.

Chris

Hi murphy, and welcome to Outdoorking. Please post pictures of the mower and the engine. At this point we aren't clear on what you have there.

Hi Murphy, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's great to have you aboard. We all like to learn new things and tinker here.

Murphy, you haven't given us any information to go on, we need you to post the make and model; any serial or model numbers on the machine and to post a series of pics from different angles of the machine, including the engine.
We can then assess what needs to be done and which manuals you may need.
Murphy, to upload photos, just use our in-line uploader, its the 5th icon above in the post toolbar (with the blue arrow) For instructions, Click HERE

Once again, to the OutdoorKing forum.

Hi guys I really appreciate this thread as I have a Victa Imperial 24" in my collection that I was unsure about, but with the quality of the information here I am sure I can get it running now. Thanks to everyone especially Mr Bonnar for sharing this,
nice resto...

And a nice collection of mowers you have there mate! Pics please of each, from different angles....these would be brilliant for the archives!

What is disappointing about this thread is that Murphy never came back to the forum.

Shame about Murphy he did a nice job...

Thanks for the photo request Deejay I will work on the pics next week end and do as you suggested with the angles, there might be a few though as I am a bit of a Cylinder and Bonnar nut.

I'll make sure I put up some photos of my neighbours mint condition electric model 17 supercut, absolutely gorgeous....

Regards Glenn.

Hello all

For the record, this is a Scott Bonnar-Morrison.
When NZ's Challenge Corporation acquired Scott Bonnar from
Electrolux they slowly - then quickly - changed the Scott Bonnar range.

Challenge Corp - who had acquired NZ's Morrison Mowers, introduced
Morrison products into the SB range.

This particular machine was inferior in its design when compared to
the Model 45 14".

Nonetheless, these Model 69 machines - in 14", 16" and 24" were branded
here as Scott Bonnars. The first machines had green hammertone finish; later
machines were painted orange.

I date this machine to c1975 (given the Briggs Code numbers).
That fits the history nicely.

---------------------------------
Jack

This topic is an important one for history.

Mr Bonnar has most certainly helped others here, as have all
the contributors.

It is an old topic and should be locked now to preserve
these historical posts.

----------------------------
Jack