OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Cylinder Hi from a new SB 450538 owner

Hi, I need a reel mower so figured I should get something cool and collectable. I found a nice 450538 for a couple of hundred bucks. The old guy is cleaning it up before I pick it up. He removed the engine and is cleaning with a tooth brush. I wish he won stop! Worryingly he's sprayed the chain cover with Hammer Time paint but is the wrong shade.

Hello Agrid,

Firstly a nice warm welcome to the ODK Forums

Well it seems you've managed to pick up a rather well kept example of a 20 inch Series 2 model 45. These don't come available very often in Series 2 without from what I can see no fractured rails, but only good close up topographical photos around the engine mount area will confirm this and also some close ups of the drive train and reel and bedknife contact area. If nothing's wrong, then you've got yourself an absolute bargain.

If you can supply us with the sequence of numbers stamped into the engine cowling that's located adjacent to the carburetor area then we'll be able to more accurately date the machine as I'm sure it still has it's original B&S power plant.

Looking forward to seeing more photos soon.

Cheers,
BB.

Here's an example of where to find that number.




PS. Have noticed one slightly negative thing and that is that the catcher resting rubber blocks are missing from the square steel mounts on the chassis side plates. This will no doubt have already had an effect on the resting points of the catcher and will eventually wears holes through and thus make the catcher sit much closer to the ground.

I picked it up today. It looks fantastic, but unfortunately the old guy repainted it when it didn't need it. Here's the engine number.

80202 0607�02 77032509

Hi Agrid,


Well the engine was assembled on the 25th of March 1977 and with that date it pretty much looks to be the original engine fitted, thus the mower would have been assembled in the Thebarton factory in Adelaide around July or August of that same year. The building of the mower chassis's themselves is not possible to an date exactly as Scott Bonnar records were all destroyed when Rover took them over in 1980.

All in all it looks to be a fairly good mower.

Cheers,
BB

Here's what it looks like now. I had agreed to buy it but the seller wanted it to look nice when I picked it up so repainted it. It really didn't need restoration so I am a little disappointed, but it runs well and was only $250. He stipped everything down but I suspect didn't put the drive chain joining link back together properly and the chain came off. I picked up a new link from Small Motors in Morley W.A. for $4.50 so hopefully will be able to give it a proper run tonight.

BB, are those rubber blocks for the catcher you described readily available? Or should I make one up?