OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary One man went to mow,

Went to mow a meadow.
I have lived in city type dwelling most of my life and my younger brother was the "Mower Nut" in the family.
About 20 months ago I came to own a 1.8 acre block on the outskirts of a lovely country town.
Previously my mowing area was marginally bigger than the average bedsheet so the mowing thing was no big issue.
My Bro gave me an old utility and I actually used my late fathers Honda 215 and used a Flymo H40 for the front (I don't think that anything gives a better cut).
Anyway, back to the fairway and the fact that even with an autodrive Honda it was 4.5 hrs and a 25km walk. Add to this the fact that there were some less than pristine areas, the Utility was looking good.
I have a background in R/C cars and have moved toward 5th scale with 30cc 2-strokers and radical tunes.
How hard can a mower be?
My first effort...

Ta Da...


She goes like a train.
I throw it into my heavy stuff and she bogs a bit and then revs her heart out.
I now have a collection of similar units including a Super 600 and a Rover Rancher to add to my mower mania.

From a carpet to a fairway I'll get there.
Thanks to all on these forums as it has made the whole experience relatively painless.
I have a really cool Mustang, a Vortex, a sport (for spares really) a beautiful Imperial, another few utilities on mid years with a G3 carby and of course the Super 600 to go. Several chainsaws and a few brushcutters (one in particular is a vintage japanese one with a build quality that makes a stihl look like a woolworths brand)
Of course everyone has a rotary hoe don't they?

whilst I do these I have to get my Rover Rancher going ( a gift ) so I can spend more time on my restos and less walking behind the mower.

Here she is after 4 tankfuls, less than 5hrs after her first spin.
She spins like a top and idles down to a "Harley thump" and power through anything I've thrown it at, what a LEGEND.





She'll earn her keep.

My next is a full crank with an AMAL carb and some mild porting, and an expansion pipe. We'll see 12,000 rpm (reinforced, balanced lightened blade plate) High tensile bolts and some more adventurous porting.
We get over 6hp from our 30cc R/C engines with almost no extreme work, so 11-12hp from a fullcrank should be an easy task with a pipe, carb, a bit of port work and a HC head.

Next on the agenda...

Great stuff Brycevr.
Nice job on the utility.
Are you putting the full crank on the Super 600? They go like the powers of #### as a HC anyway. Did a little mild porting on mine, not much idea what I was doing though. They cut a lot of grass with the power and width.

When you do the porting work would really appreciate some detail with photos, if possible. The AMAL and expansion pipe would be just great to see.

Your right though, get the ride on going first.
Looking forward to your future posts.
Cheers.

Nice work mate,and practical. So we gonna be paddock bashin that cortina on those 1.8 acres? I bet you could hook up a slasher and knock the mowing over in 20 mins...lols.
And my bro in law owns a hobby shop and race/drift track and is really mad into the rc cars...I actually prefer the real thing,but anything with an engine can be fun!

Bluegmhtmonaro
The 'Corty is a hillclimb, track day car getting some cosmetics dealt with at the moment. 300hp/375nM and 920kg makes a HSV seem tame. It's got a 6 point cage, triple webers, I have 2 different diffs and a lot of wasted time on it. I'm shooting for over 350hp on the next donk. Paddock bashing in my place won't see it get above a fast idle but she fair hoots when you get the revs up. Smokes in 1st, 2nd and 3rd with a chirp into top, by then you're going 180km/h. 4.3secs 0-100.
12hp for a mower seems tame by comparison but should be fun, I figure one of the most important things will be balance.
I'm into anything that spins fast so, mowers, bikes, cars, planes all have a place. I'm loving my mower adventure and hope to finish with a nice collection of 15-20 in the end.
Yeah, the first issue with resto was, it had earn its keep so the base is Dulux metalshield epoxy finished and everything was wire brushed and either painted with epoxy or brush coated with WD40 before reassembly.
Bushie
Yeah, the plan is a +040" full crank and a G3 carby for the super. I've done some very effective porting on the Zenoahs so I'll start small on the Victas and see how we go. From my current efforts the issue is actually getting air into them.

I actually don't mind walking for the mow but sometimes it has to be done when you REALLY don't want to do it, so the ride-on will be a fallback. The yard is so big that I go out the back and fire up the mower for 30-40 minutes between other jobs.

Here's a few of some toys



and with the lid on...


And...
5HP @ 18,000rpm

This one is my current project (I have 2 of them actually)
4wd belt drive. I'm doing a small bore long stroke (for torque) 29cc.
They say they are ready to run but without a full, proper rebuild they'll explode in 2 tanks.



I just did a service on the Mustang and it goes really well. Needs some tuning as it doesn't rev the way it should but a great complete mower in very good condition.
She's a full crank side start with a G4 but doesn't rev out as she should. I only did a basic plug, filter, O'ring and needle so far but I'm sure that a carby rebuild and new set of seals will get her spinning like a top.
I'll spend a day or two on it this week then the funky brushcutter.