OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers My Model 2 Restoration

Well at last I made a good start on my restoration of the Model 2 given to me some years back. The engine has been totally rebuilt with new bearings, seals, gaskets and believe it or not still only required a new set of standard rings. The bore had only 0.003" wear from the standard size. This was an average from top to bottom and everywhere in-between. All of the frame that is to be painted has been repaired and straightened out and is now in primer ready for painting in 2 pac when the weather is more suitable. I only need to sort out the handle and get it in primer and it will be ready for paint as well. As some of you may be aware I did ask about getting a set of the plastic wheels for this project but when they are available they are out of my price range but I just may have a set of new ones arriving soon and at a very good price.

G'day Cobba

As you know I have been following that one with interest on the
Vintage Mowers website.

It is a great topic in that the posting covers a complete restoration
done to high standards, and with expert commentary from others, with
clever and interesting asides from Max.

It has also steeled my resolve that restored mowers can increase
their value when restorations are carefully considered - even when some
aspects may not suit 'the purists'.

For me, it is the story that a mower tells - and your careful recording
goes to the provenance of this particular machine - your Model 2.

I also hear your concern about paying sensible prices for components,
rather than the extortionate prices asked on auction sites for some stuff.
Wheels are a particular issue - it's not as though the new ones are genuine!

All the best for the restoration, mate.

-----------------------
Jack

p.s. I'm not a collector and do not really have the skills for restoration.
I do own a Model 1, but I don't think the carby is original.
Here is my 'arty photo' I took whilst wearing a french beret and scarf,
[and other clothes] whilst sipping on a Chardonnay, and smoking a cheroot.

Thanks for the support Jack. I tried to upload a pic but couldn't work it out so left it out.

Are model 1 wheels different to model 2 wheels? The wheels for my Model 2 are different to the ones on CyberJacks, they were all a bit different, had to modify some to fit on...

G'day Kye

As you know, your Green Book shows that the Model 1 and Model 2
shared a complex wheel set. The book also shows that the plastic wheel was
offered at some time in the Models' life - as both metal and plastic
wheels are in the Green Book's parts list, covering both the Model 1 & 2.

The earliest reference from a Victa ad (for self-lubricating wheels)
occurs in late 1956 - but I am unsure whether this is a reference
to a change to oil impregnated metal sintered bushes; or to the nylon bushes
used with the plastic wheels. My best guess is the latter.

However, the stub axle diameter remained the same, and metal and plastic
wheels should have been interchangeable (I think). There was a change from
split pin to circlip fasteners though. My best guess is that the circlip
axle ushered in the plastic wheel. There was no interchangeability be-
tween the components of both wheel types (the tyres were different).

I think your question is just about metal wheels. Was there any
substantive change? My best guess is 'no' - but four factors come into play:

[1] Merv Richardson was said to be a stickler for service and spares.
I feel the parts books must be correct in showing replacement parts,
but not in showing the changes in those parts. Part A could have replaced
part design B, or C, or whatever.

In other words, any change in metal wheels should not have prevented
their interchangeability with other metal wheels. I am unsure whether
metal wheels were interchangeable with plastic wheel axles. It may be
that the split pin axle was for the metal wheel; the circlip was
introduced for the plastic wheel - although note that the list shows a
circlip used on both the metal and plastic wheels (indicating interchangeability).

[2] In the early days, Victa was a parts assembler. Most parts were outsourced
by various suppliers - meaning that there may have been more than one wheel
hub maker and wheel tyre maker (as volume and forecasting went mad). It may be
there were minor cosmetic differences in the metal wheels. But this should
not have affected interchangability.

[3] When Victa created its Plastics Division it showed it was serious
about being more self-sufficient - and brought plastic parts in house
(as it did with paint). I guess that by the Model 4 & 5 Victa had come
of age. Victa was a true 'manufacturer' rather than 'maker'.

[4] The passage of time is problematic. We really need early parts
lists and/or factory documents to back up any claims we make on this.
It's an interesting question you ask.





----------------------
Jack

I think it would have just been different makers like you said Jack, mine are very similar, just not as complex looking as yours, might just be the lighting in your pic too. But at least mine has the metal wheels it needs and it will soon have the correct numbers, and I will slowly add model 1 parts to keep it a cross over (it is using later donor parts at the moment).
I also note the green book says the Rotomo uses the Cigar tap, that would be late Model 2 wouldn't it? I have a Cigar tap here but its missing the slide, spewing!

Cheers everyone!

We also have a quote from a March 1957 Victa newsletter, in a past thread, which narrows the intro down a bit more:
That's from THIS thread, which is worth working through for detail stuff on the Rotomo's.

It would be logical for the change of wheel type and fastener to have occurred at the same time. Unless it happened earlier - unlikely that we'll ever know for sure.
Yup, the early Victas, up to the end of the Model 5 series, used 1/2" diameter axles. The later models used 9/16".

Victa must have expected the axles on the Model 4 and 5's to wear as quickly as the earlier steel wheel models did.
The OPE business my family took over in 1973 had NOS Victa parts dating back to the 1950's in stock. I recall that among these was a box of 1/2" stub axles, with circlip groove, to suit the Model 4 and 5's. I don't think we ever used more than a couple of them.