OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Cylinder Scott Bonnar 33 Reel Mower

Hi Paul and vccomm,

It's amazing how grass clipping get in these places, just like saw dust does in every machine that's used in a joinery.

Cheers,
BB

New thrust pad fitted



I also removed the flywheel to clean things up






May 1959 build



Also received this great old advert for the 33 from Willingworker



Thanks Grant

It's all back together now, I had a potential problem but luck was on my side today. Started to undo the starter pulley nut and it sheared off, I was dumbstruck for a few minutes then realised someone had welded a nut onto the existing bolt





My heart sank and so I tried hammering a socket on and hitting it with my rattle gun, success ! Off it came, I have a spare engine so I robbed it off that till I source a replacement.

All together



I set the timing and went through the S12 carb because it was missing and spitting a bit at revs under load



Now I noticed that this screw on top of mine was bottomed out, it is spring loaded but is not a tapered screw but a flat ended one



Not sure of the setting for the air bleed, but the engine does seem to run at its best with it closed down ?? Anyone have some information on its adjustment.

Hello Paul,

That's good news.
It's odd that there was no thrust pad there.
The original one would have been bronze with a fibrous washer.

That's a nice advert from Willingworker too.
1960 was the intro date for the Model 33. I have not, as yet, been
able to establish exactly when. My records date to September,
suggesting the Model 33 was introduced for the 1960-61 season.

Such a Bonnie mower!
---------------------------
Jack

So the air bleed controls mixture uptil 1/4 throttle after that the main jet and needle take over. Turning it in will richer the mixture and out to lean things up, I will try somewhere in between tomorrow.

All going well this morning until ...... hit a rock ! Only a small one but I think it's buggered one of the reel bearings



See the shiny metal sitting out from the bearing holder, I think that's the outer bearing shell and its rotating with the reel. I hope that I'm wrong if not I will need to remove the reel and replace both bearings. Looking at the parts list could that part be the bearing shield ? Thoughts please :-)

Hi paul_c,

Yes that is the bearing shield and it should run true but hitting a small rock shouldn't destroy a bearing to that extent.
I'm just wondering if it was like that from the beginning and you didn't notice it until now due to the [Censored] Johnson incident.

Cheers,
BB

Hi BB, so should that shield rotate with the reel or stay fixed and the reel shaft rotate through it supported by the bearing ?

Also would anyone know what colour the original paint would have been. At the moment it is a hammertone finish but would it have been a solid colour to start out. Tossing up whether to repainted it or not.

Hi paul_c,

The shield is held tight against a shoulder on the reel shaft by the bearing thus the bearing inner race and the shield rotate while the outer bearing race is held rock solid in the bearing carrier.

As far as paint goes we have never had the official paint codes from SB as all that information was destroyed by Rover when they took over the company. The best you can do is colour match using the inside of the chain case as that's not been affected by the sun. Your paint supplier would start with a base of silver hammertone and add the various colour tinters to make it up to your sample.

Cheers,
BB

PS. I like your avatar