OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Victa Twin Not Starting

0.58 - 0.64 points mm , UJ12 spark plug 0.76 - 0.030 mm

Thanks, going to have to take the flywheel off but will probably need a puller to do it. Flywheel pullers for old Victa lawnmowers don't seem to be all that readily available. Checked on Ebay but not much there. Could only find one "universal" type for lawnmowers from the US for about $70. Wondering if anyone would know where I could get a suitable type for this in Oz at maybe a more realistic price?
Thanks in advance for any help.

No need. Use a rattle gun to remove the nut. The shaft is tapered so once it's loose it'll slide up. If it needs it soak in wd40 until it moves.

Good luck!
Pete

Thanks everyone for the help. Hope to have a go at it on the weekend. Hopefully get a few photos as well!
Cheers!

Have uploaded a few photos. Flywheel came off real easy. Points look good. Gave them a clean up. Would anyone have any suggestions on what else I should do before I start putting it back together?
Thanks for any help.

mate i usually fix things with a hammer but do you see the rusty parts on your coil pack and the flywheel in your last two pics, give em a bit of clean with some sandpaper or something abrasive. you have to get the twin going. make them shiny. good luck mate

What Sean said. Clean up the coil and magnets with fine sandpaper.

The kill wires in the back of the carby aren't installed correctly (First photo). That could easily be killing your spark. Make sure the first wire (Fits straight into the carby and is moved by the cam inside) has a new rubber boot on it and the kill wire that slides in the side (The one you can see in the photo) fits nicely in one hole and out the other. If you have never dismantled and reassembled a G4 carb get on youtube and search victa g4 carby. There are a few good videos that will show you how to do it.

Short of that I cannot see anything you need to fix. Have you checked the points gap? You will need a feeler gauge (Again if you have never checked a points gap search youtube).

Let us know how you get on.

Pete

and to be sure , clean under the coil and all other bits , goood clean contackts are always a good thing

Cleaned everything up as can be seen on attached photos. Cleaned and checked points. Brand new plugs. Put back together. Tried it but spark seems to be worse than it was before. Very weak and intermittent. Tried to start it but as suspected a waste of time. Absolutely nothing despite a liberal dose of Aerostart. I'm at my wits end with this mower! Very disappointed with this weekends results. Wheeled it out of sight for now! Maybe magies toast? Any suggestions on where I should go from here?
Cheers and thanks in advance.

sounds like you flooded it mate. are you still pull starting it? if so pull the front plug out and get someone to put there hand over the spark plug hole and see what comes out when you pull a few times. use a drill. dont over prime twins as need less priming the cylinders fire at the same time. good luck

Didn't actually put any fuel in it this time, just Aerostart to see if it would fire (but nothing). Thats a good idea using a drill to turn it over. Will have to try that one next time. I guess just take the cover off and use a suitably sized socket on the flywheel nut.
Cheers.

Tried it again this time with fuel and starter fluid. Took out the kill switch wire just in case this was causing problems. Hooked up a power drill and turned it over many times. Just about burnt the drill out. Absolutely nothing from the mower. Checked spark while turning it over - fairly weak and intermittent. Tried everything and really at a loss to know what to do next?

mate i told you i was rough but. i recon you need the seal in the hole that the kill wires go into. may have something to do with vacume or pressure or what not. i took mine out and filled it with melted plastic. so i can only shut it off by turning fuel off, i dont recon a hole in a plastic carby is good, make sure the small plastic grommet type thing that goes on the center kill wire is in the carby all the way before you put the wire in then the boot then the other wire. simplze.
hope this is hepful

Thanks seanw, didn't actually pull it right out, just enough to make sure it wasn't going to cause a problem. The end of it was still in the rubber boot to seal it. Guess I didn't make that clear in my last post.
Cheers.

Sorry if this appears to have changed: I had to change computers and edit to complete this post. It appeared unfinished and unauthorised and I also lost several chunks (and therefore thoughts). Firefox on Android seems as bad as Firefox on PC is good - Patrick

Hi,
just my 2� worth, trying to be a very insipid shadow of Grumpy. Especially since I'm unfamiliar with the mower.

Old italian car jokes aside, for the basic ingredients for combustion I think of FIAT: Fuel, Ignition, Air and Timing. Yes, you also need pressure/compression for an engine, and the timing goes with the ignition.

Here goes, in no particular order:

Air:
- Just to be sure, the choke and throttle are working properly? No air=no go.
- Also, the exhaust isn't blocked?

Compression:
Assumed OK

Fuel:
Given you're getting absolutely nothing in terms of firing and you've tried various inflammable products at various times in various combinations, I think it's most likely in the ignition.

Timing and Ignition:
- Check the spark with one plug wire only: Leave plugs in, disconnect both plug leads and cable tie one where it can't short to ground. Use the other to evaluate the spark. If it's not strong and consistent you have an ignition issue, it will only be weaker or non-existent in the chamber with a compressed air/fuel charge.

- Given the timing's (supposedly) fixed ignition should seem OK but there are some things that can throw it off:
1) Is the condensor OK (partially hidden in one photo). A failed condensor will mean a weak/intermittent or no spark (had it stop a car dead once). The points may also be abnormally worn or burnt.
2) Is the points closure spring strong? If not, the points may not close and/or follow the cam profile.
3) Double check you have the right points and spark plug gaps (not swapped by mistake)

Hope this helps,

if everything else turns out fine I would unfortunately suspect the coil.

Pete

Thanks for above help. It could be the condenser which is the problem. Would anyone know of a suitable replacement part? May be worth a try.
Cheers and thanks in advance.