OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames old victa 550 questions

A friend of mine has an early victa 550, wants to get more power (he's a contractor, recently aquired it). I have the same base/engine and have assumed that all that can be done is to rebuild the engine (is this the 125 or 160cc?) there are mouldings in the frame that suggest perhaps a different engine could (??) fit?

the last 2 images show the stub mouldings

I would imagine getting a new engine on would be difficult due to the drive system, the base design, and blade clearance, however, unless it's already fitted with one ( I don't think these were, but I don't know for sure) you could try finding an old power plus head and muffler and swapping those over.

Personally I think they have more than enough power if the engine is in good shape and tuned properly. Perhaps its tired or something is choking up the fuel system.

Hey Redeye....
As someone who likes to fiddle things to squeeze a bit more out than the factory intended I can understand where you and your mate are coming from...

"you could try finding an old power plus head and muffler and swapping those over." AS Ty suggests is the easist thing to do and will give the mower a lift.

Depending on how much trouble you & your mate want to go to I would go a new piston and rings or a re-bore and new piston and rings (see on line store on here for the parts etc)but before you do that spend some time with some wet and dry carborandmn, wrapped around a wooden dowel(sand paper)and polish out the casting marks in the ports, in the barrel, being carefull not to change their hieghts relative to the piston in the bore (make even and match up the transfer ports). Use the old piston as a gauge, maybe even up the exhaust a bit...it's up to you, it all helps...It will have more power.

Make sure all other bits i.e. Decomp valve, carby, ign., air cleaner, fuel system are good and clean. Actually it might pay to change the crankcase seals and check the main bearings while your at it!(see on line store on here for the parts etc)

Whatever you guys do; have fun!

Another Idea that could go along with some of those methods is the alteration to the power plus head I believe Joe is looking into at the moment; removing the decompresser and filling in the recess to close the combustion chamber further.

Yeah that would help too, however if the machine is used in a contractor role it may stress out the starter mechanisim too much. How good are those side pulls? It would pay to give that a go over as well.

You could also machine 1/4 a millimetre safely off the "top" of the barrel as well as 1 - 2 millimetres off any head. Even better if you know someone in a machine shop they could angle machine it in a lathe or mill to take more metal off the side opposite the decomp. valve and then clean out the bolt holes and spot face the tops (on a drill press) in the head to make sure that the head will tighten up flat. (sorry guys thats the machinist in me coming out....)

You might have to flare the air cowling around the decomp. valve for a bit more clearence if it sits up too much.

If your really Keen PM me and you can post the head (& return postage) & I'll machine it up for you!

The starters are not that great, but there is an alloy version of that starter out there that would take on the stress better.

Hi Guys,

I'm the owner of this prime piece and I appreciate your input in regards to improving the performance of the engine.

One thing however remains a mystery...can anyone advise as to what the two raised castings are for (Shown in picture 2 & 3) they are drilled out from under the deck and have only a mm or two left to break through the top...I assume they are additional engine mountings, if so what engine are they for or do they have some other use?

Cheers

Kevin

Hi Kevin!

Welcome to the OutdoorKing forums!

I hope someone will be able to help you out there, I have the same model and to be honest, I wouldn't have a clue really what they are for!

I would hazard a guess that they may have had something in mind for a later model, or that model, which didn't make it off the drawing board...Maybe one of the Victa GURU's on here can provide some insight..


John

Hi Kevin, and a warm welcome to the forum. We all like to learn new things and tinker here.
For my two bob's worth, I think John; (FAST GRASS), is right on the money....Victa often came up with ideas that for some reason or other that were never to see the light of day....for example, the fabled edger groove that was cast into the bases of the Models 4, 5 (Special) and Sheerline.

However, they could also left over from the casting procedure itself as well....as John says, one of our members may shine further light on it.
Once again Kevin,

I cant say ive noticed those cast lugs on mine.


It is possible that they are mounting lugs for a 4 stroke or even possibly a power torque motor.


Easiest way to tell is to pull a power torque off a mower, grab the metal plate that goes under the motor and lay it on the lugs to see if it lines up.
Youd have to pull the full crank off of course.

Are there 3 or 4 lugs.
The 4 strokes mount on 3 in a circle.
The power torque mounts on the same 3 but has a 4th one off set under the carb, so the same spot as the carb thats on it, is there a lug there???



You could make the SP work with a 4 stroke. Just a matter of buying a pulley the right OD, then getting the ID machined to fit the shaft and working out how you are going to make it stay on the shaft.
Youd need a 4 stroke victa crank boss, then workout the height from the one on the full crank and work out what goes where.


For unlevel or hilly terrain its hard to beat the full crank.

I remember Youtube user Geoff390 made a video (been taken down now) of one of those with a powertorque engine on it....

I'm not that good at drawing but It would look like that base with an oddball style shroud ( I know there's a picture but I have no idea where)

But the point was there was such a thing.... that's what those mounts are for

UPDATE================================================================

AH!! Found it, Joe I think I killed 2birds with stone here, now we finally know where that shroud is from.....





UPDATE================================================================

Here's another one.... Looks newer than the one I saw....





Kori