OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Ransome Minor MK 4 - 14"

Hi all, I've had this "that I think is a little beauty" given to me today. I can get a spark every now and then ,so if someone could tell me if the points are adjustable and if it has a condensor. I would like to get it running but keep it original. It seems to be alltogether and it even came with a crank handle and heaps of compression. I've taken the flywheel off and it looks very clean but that is far as I'm willing to go as I'm not sure if I should take the clip off the points cover.

Nice Score....

your right..it is a little beauty...

hi roebuck. the cover over the points just comes off easily. dont worry nothing will fall out.a lot of old villiers engines have lost that cover anyway.

on your pic you can see the notch for tdc in the threaded shaft.
the timing on these can sometimes be a little tricky if you havent experienced them before. a lot different than the victas.could possibly be the cause of erratic spark.
the coils for them are readily available on ebay too.sold as the long version.ther are quite a few videos on youtube about restoring the engines timing so you shouldnt have a problem there.i really like this particular style with the crank starter. ive recently just acquired one myself. we had one when i was a child and it ran so effortlessly, it was a nice piece.the crank start i never forgot about and have always wanted one.
oh and i forgot to mention that they have a condensor. its a little square thing under the points housing.

Thanks Newlifemowers and Gizmo,
That's great information ,I'll have to watch a bit of utube, I am getting the catcher for it aswell .
The flywheel looks as though it's nearly all brass.cheers.

The cutting blades are grinding at the moment so do I adjust the two turn knobs to lift up or down and how much space do I have to have to make it cut ok.
Thankyou.

Hi roebuck, awesome score mate, I'd absolutely love something like this to cruise the lawn with

Great pics!

Cheers, Michael

Thanks rolla 16v, I've always had an interest in the older engines, but never had much to do with them so as i get enough info on them and time to actually work on it Im pretty sure it will be another fun project. They made these pretty tough too,what an era it must of been.
Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob,
You have said that you wish to keep your Ransomes Minor in original condition, but to have it in good serviceable cutting condition, the cylinder reel and bottom blade (bedknife) will need attention.

The reel and soleplate, complete with the bedknife attached, need to be removed from the machine.
The reel should have all the rust removed....sand blasting is a good option and then a protective coating applied....if you do not wish to repaint it...otherwise it will rust again very quickly.

The reel and soleplate complete with its bedknife need to be taken to an engineer/machinist for re-sharpening. The reel bearings need to be checked for serviceability and replaced if necessary.

Once this has been completed, we will step you through the adjustment procedure to achieve a good cut.

Thanks Deejay, it will be a couple of weeks before I start on it but I will pull it apart and do it properly . I have of these 1. Ransome 14". 2. Kirby lawson 17 I think,
3. Briggs and stratton 17". 4. Greens of london 14"
So im looking forward to having a go . I don't know hardly anything about these as you can tell, and they look a bit complexed to work on . In the meantime I'll try and find an engineer that does those things. Is it possible to get a picture with basic names of parts so I know exactly which part you are talking about eg soleplate. I'm not sure where to start . Thankyou.

Hi roebuck,

Have a look at this video myself and Joe Carroll made, to show how a cylinder reel and soleplate is removed....this features my Scotty 45, but it is similar to all cylinder mowers, and will mention the names of the common parts.

Grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy the show!

Great video for beginners like me , I will get started soon and hope mine is that easy to pull apart , I have already soaked it in penetrating oil but havn't done under the side cover yet but I will tmrw. Thankyou.

Hi again roebuck,
Don't forget to take some pics with a digital camera before you start.... and as you go along....that will not only help you at re-assembly, but you can upload them here, which will make for a good Ransomes archive.

Ok Deejay, no probs, looking forward to this ,photos and upload as i go ,cheers.Thankyou.