OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames Victa compact 85cc runs then stops

Hi All,
Firstly thanks for all the great info I've already got from this forum.

This compact has been ok for years since pulling from a tip for a few quid. It had no needle when i got it but i put one in and has been great since .
Recently though it just wouldn't start well and only runs for a short time then stops.

I thought it time to clean the carby and the primer (original external to the float chamber)has been chewed through over winter by a mousie along with a hole chewed through tank!
Anyway, cleaned tank, soaped up hole, cleaned all through, overhauled decomp v/v and still only runs for a bit then just dies. seems like a good spark to me, seems like a fuel issue to me.
My questions are, the tube from the jet screw (white) is in the jet screw itself is that right?
Could the needle be sticking closed, and is the orange one I have right? It used to work.
Is my black poppet valve in the carb right, and I assume there is no 'A,B,C' adjustment that is possible with this poppet valve.
I got hold of a new carb cover just to use as a primer and repalced the o rings on the float chamber cover, the float, floated ok.
Anyone any ideas?
From what I can tell these are not that common a mower.
Thanks

Firstly to our happy home here.
Yes you are right they are not a common mower.I don't believe there were many produced to start with.

One thing it may well be, Did you put back the original jet back into the carby? As these guys were only 85cc so they only required a smaller jet.Putting a jet that would run say a 160cc engine could cause this problem.After all it will get fuel to start and then suffocate due to too much fuel.Your question (the tube from the jet screw (white) is in the jet screw itself is that right?)Yes for the G4 carby they do have a white stem on them.Yes this mower is suppose to have a G4,but as I said before the actual hole size is different.So if you haven't changed it from when it was running,you should be good.

Also the primer bulb should be intact,they should only have a small hole in the middle.I had one not long ago that had a tear right through it.The mower did run,but not well,also dribbled a lot of fuel out of it.

Your question Could the needle be sticking closed,and is the orange one I have right? It used to work.Yes the needle could stick especially if it is dirty try and clean it out.I can't remember now what colour needle they had in them.If it had the orange one in it that's the one I would put back in it.I would have to go and look at mine to see what colour they were.I could do that soon if you get to stuck.

Your question and Is my black poppet valve in the carb right assume there is no 'A,B,C' adjustment that is possible with this poppet valve? Not real sure what you mean by poppet valve. I'm thinking your talking about the diaphragm at the back and I don't know of any adjustments there.

I'd also be checking the plastic hoses as well if mice have chewed other parts they could have chewed them.Like the hose from the carby to the decompression valve.Hope this helps a little.

sounds most likely a fuel problem to me. with those symptoms.

do you keep it stored indoors ????
not likely this but .you could check this anyway.

i had an older 2 stroke mower that had been kept stored outdoors for a long time. in all types of weather. eventually water had made its way into the sump of the engine. the engine would start and run for a while. at least until the spark plug got saturated with sumpwater .it just kept starting and running for a while.then would stop.

i do agree with Blumbly though. for a carbie assembly problem.

Hi Ianmcg, yes, the poppet valve on your model is the black one with no markings(a,b,c) so any way will do.
Youve changed the primer face and used the same float and needle as i understand it, so my guess is the problem lies therein. Different primer faces have different needles and sometimes the float arms stretch so one float will respond differently to another. My suggestion would be to play around with the needles, or to keep it simple, use the same float and needle combo that the primer face you are using came with, but use your original jet and tube.
If this fails let us know, there are still some other things to check with needles and floats but we'll get into them later if need be.

Hi All,
Big thanks for replies..
All my parts are the same as they have always been. Only thing I've done is clean the tank, fuel filter, carby, and de-comp v/v. I have got hold of another 'primer face' or float chamber cover and am just using the primer (original external one chewed at) from the new one with a piece of tube, not sure if it's a genuine so haven't put it on properly as have heard on here they are rubbish.
I think i will try new primer face tonite with original float, needle and jet.
Can't see any hose issues the decomp v/v lets by v v little when tube sucked on and valve seat closes ok.
It is kept in a shed so not out, not the driest shed in the world, but doubt theres any significant water been getting on it.
It's nice to know I have the right poppet v/v as most talk on here is of a white one with the three settings. The needle used to be ok but has faded colour a bit so i wonder if its going soft and sticking in the seat a bit?
The jet tube is well in the jet but clear to blow thruI daren't try and remove it incase it snaps! I have read some good service papers on here from victa via mr Davis and they talk of putting tube in carby body then screwing jet in? so it seats well. Anyone know the score with that?
It's never started first time really but once started it was always good to mow.
I'm convinced its the needle sticking in the seat but it seems ok and free to move and all is clean.

I'll go down and change the face plate and let you all know how it goes or not.
Think I've replied to all your q's.
Very Much obliged to you all :-)

HI
Update, so went to change primer cap, while the original grey cap was off i hooked up the fuel tank to check the needle action, and there is defo some sticking in the seat action doesn't take much to move it but hey it sticks in the seat and so changed primer cap to the new (non original) white one with integral primer.
Well now it was better, but not anything to write home about, maybe got 15meters of mowing out of it and died again. It will start again but just varying amounts of time running then dies still.
So I'm still thinking needle is the issue and it's just sticking even in the new primer cap, though bad light stopped play at this point.
As an aside I notice the jet screw has no 'groove' 'man':-) which it should have right? for an 85cc?? Anyway it ran well enough before so I've ordered needles and other stuff and can't find a 'Groovy' jet anyhow so when the needles arrive I'll let you know how it goes.
Here's a picture of jet screw head on new primer cap.
Theres also no little bit of gauze over the jet hole, I took the plastic tube out and there is no obvious taper to the hole either.

i have an idea to test your theory. sticking needle!.the float , floats up and stops the flow of fuel by pushing needle into hole. if you loosen jet screw and rotate the primer cap so that the float cant float all the way to the top and push needle in.then your fuel will flow constantly. it may leak out of the primer bulb a bit but at least you will have constant fuel supply and test to see if mower runs for more than a few minutes.

Sounds a bit like you could also be getting a fuel blockage.Just check your fuel cap make sure that the small hole is still open and not blocked.I have had this a few times myself.If the hole is blocked it can and does cause the same problem.

good idea blumby , lossen the fuelcap ? see if it runs longer and try replacing the 'o' rings on inlet while your at it . a few minutes running and they might leak just enough . lean out !! not good

Come on man I only have good ideas.lol.

. i know

Hi all,
Well needle arrived, bright red, guess the fuel had faded it over the years.
Changed it and not much better really if at all, managed to mow a bit more grass but apart from one time when it ran for at least a few minutes it's still not happy:-(
The intake o ring looked and felt fine to me vccomm, the hole in the tank cap is well clear bumbly.
Tried taking the fuel filter out as tank is spotless, i did clean filter through, but getting desperate now! no better.
Tried it with air filter off and that was the time it ran for the longest? I have one on order anyway.
I must say it's got me stumpted. maybe the coil is breaking down intermittently hard to check really as spark looks good when i check it. could megger it i suppose.
It did rev a bit hard at times so I may check top and bottom seals but not real optimistic the cutter plate is gonna come off! the top fan may be an easier prospect but not sure i can get a seal or if there is one anyway?
It seems to start/run best after a good prime if thats a clue but god knows now really.

Hi all,
Update, took the top fan off to check and points look ok, the only seal i could find was a small foam one round the spindle, crank bearings are ok, replaced and tried again.
Now I seem to have found a 'trick' to keep it going which might give someone a clue, as its about to die if i pull the throttle back to stop position(the stop wires aren't connected) it comes back to life then i can push the throttle forward again and keep it goin like that??
At least I've got all the grass cut now!

Had a similar issue with a late fullcrank, tried everything, cleaned the filter a number of times, would run for 5 mins and die. Same with the throttle, idle all day, no go at Full RPM. removed filter completely, Perfect. Filter looked clean, was cleaned with Brake cleaner, compressed air etc. But no good. New filter, all fixed (that will be 5 hrs labour sir). Maybe try another fuel supply??