OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Reel Lawn Mowers, Atco & Villiers etc. Royal Enfield Mower

Picked up this Royal Enfield mower today, it is 14" the motor is seized but it is complete except for a spark plug. It needs a lot of work to get it going but if I did not buy it it was possibly headed for the scrap yard. I haven't un-sized a motor to date and any pointers would be very much appreciated. I believe these mowers were made from 1932 to early fifties with a break during the WW2 period if any one can help with a date of manufacture that also would be appreciated.






Last photo is only numbers I can find.

Congratulations, was that on Gumtree ? I saw one on there and wished I lived closer. Nice piece of history you have bought, it does look to be complete. Freeing up the motor depends on how bad it is, I have freed a few but they have been left to sit and surface rust in the top of the bore was the problem. You will have to pull the motor off to have a good go at things, I think the the head and bore would be one piece. You could start with some penetrating oil of some kind down the plug hole and after letting that sit for a while give it a try. If no luck try some gentle heat then cool then more heat and cool.

Hopefully it will free up and the bottom end is ok. Below is an interesting thread that may help in your restoration

https://www.outdoorking.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=26015&page=1

Hopefully members can add some of there successes regarding freeing up a seized engine.

Hello exfarmer and Paul C

I'm glad a member has saved one of these.
They represent the best of British engineering.

I have yet to write a history record on them, but I can date your machine.
It is a post WWII machine, sold on these shores from early 1950 onward.
I think this is the last model.

These were expensive, top-line machines selling for almost 100 quid.
They competed with imported Ransomes, Greens, Qualcast, and the like.

I would be curious to know if behind the cover is an all-gear transmission,
like the earlier designs.

Hope this helps.
-----------------------------
Jack



http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Royal_Enfield
http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/1940s/...argo-bike-1930s-royal-enfield-lawnmower/

Thanks guys for all that info am trying the soak method now the piston is at the bottom of its stroke and the fluid runs into the crank through the intake but we will persist for a while. The motor has not run since sometime in the 1960's I an told so it hasn't run for 50 years.
Yes it was on Gumtree as part of a deceased estate - guess I was lucky to be in the right state on this occasion and only 15k from the seller.
Took the cover off to satisfy your curiosity Jack this is what I found.


Thanks again

Yep,

that's new information to me.
The later models had all-chain transmission.

The pre-war models had all-gear.
Ridiculously over-engineered for small machines.
I guess the post-war machines had to be made at a cheaper price
in order to have a market. There was stiff competition and I do not
think these machines sold beyond the mid-1950s.

Cheers
--------------
Jack

Looks like the motor is different or been turned around too as muffler is under the fuel tank on the one with gear drive. My muffler is at the front.
Thanks Jack

Yes,

I think the motor is still a midget, but RE were playing around
with early forced cooling.

Yours does not appear to have a factory cowl either.
Would it be possible to get a photo of the flywheel side?

This is the earlier version's cowl (on the PTO side!):-

Hi Jack

Yes I will take a photo when the motor is back together, it is now un-seized, turns out that it was not the piston that was stuck it was much simpler the backing plate was corroded to the flywheel. Got it loose by running a engraving bit around between the two. Woke up to this when I tried to remove the flywheel and the backing plate started to buckle as the flywheel just started to move. Have removed piston from the cylinder to check both - they are fine and rings are free in the groves, can still just see the cross hatch on the cylinder.
The above photo shows an extra bolt in the crank case mine only has in total four bolts in it. I will get some photos of the motor in bits tomorrow when light is better and its not raining.
Regards

Hi exfarmer

Yep, more photos for the record would be appreciated.
It is great news that the engine is not seized.

That your machine only has 4 crankcase bolts does not suggest a Midget.
I wonder if this is Royal Enfield's own engine?

All very interesting.
---------------------------
Jack

Hi Jack
The engine has bore of 1 7/8" (haven't worked out the stroke)
The backing plate for the magneto has SPEC No FW and can't read the other no's then under that serial 167498. The flywheel has SPEC No FW 1 39. Both have Wi


co Electric Co on several places. Carburettor has AMAL LTD.
As you may be able to see the cowl has baffle in it to direct air flow I think you may be right that the motor is one of Royal Enfield's own.
Regards
Regards

Hi exfarmer

Great photos!
I have discovered that the RE Club has a dating service.
I better clarify that ... they have factory records...

The magneto - Wico - looks the same as Victa used.
This suggests to me this is a RE engine using some outside ancillaries-
Wico and Amal. [I do believe, now, this is not a Villiers engine].

http://www.royalenfield.org.uk/index.php?PageName=lawnmowers

This is a great story!
----------------------------------
Jack

Great news that the engine is not seized, looking forward to seeing it up and running. Well done !

Hi Jack & Paul
Yep according to the RE sight they made all of their mowers after the war with their own 98cc motor. Hopefully tomorrow I will find out if its got spark after adjusting the clearance on the magnets and setting points. The piston is back in the cylinder and a new gasket between cylinder and crank case and it has compression------- so far so good.

Regards and thanks again
PS Jack if you want to delete the double up please do

A haze of exhaust smoke and grass in the catcher First time in 50 years!!!!!! Yes it runs, clutch slipping needs sharpening and bearings, needs paint and decals but motor is fine now.

Thanks for the info and help it is appreciated. Will post photos when all the work is done which will take much longer than sorting the motor.

Easy fix ! Well done, good feeling when you get an engine going after years of sitting idle. Any chance of a video ?

Hello exfarmer & Paul C

What a great result - and after so long!
It is rewarding when these old mowers are given a new lease
of life. These machines were the best of British.

Thanks for saving this one.
----------------------------------
Jack

G'day Paul & Jack

Yes it is a great feeling when a machine bursts into life after years of neglect and with little trouble.
I was going to take some video but the clutch is slipping badly and had to help it so just did I bit to sus out any problems so can fix while it is striped down for painting. Will do video when it is all spruced up.

Regards
Andy

Before deciding to repaint be sure you can obtain a new decal otherwise I would be tempted just to give it a tidy up. You can try Grant, Willingworker on this forum and he also sells on EBay as Silensmessor. His decals are first class and very reasonably priced, he has a lot on offer.

I know this is an old thread but this would be a rare sight in England- never seen one running .The engine, while not a Midget, does bear a resemblance to it . The Wipac magneto looks like the early Suffolk 75 cc large flywheel version and I would bet parts are interchangeable. Its really good to see one in good condition being conserved

I'm thinking of refurbishing a Ransomes cylinder mower where the paint work is in a similar condition. My preference is to try to keep the original paint and patina and just deal with the surface rust pitting. Have people succeeded in tidying up old paint whilst still combating the minor rust?
Any previous links to search for?
Regards Duncan