OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Victa Two Stroke Engines Did Other Makers Use Victa 2 Strokes?

Just wondering if any other mower or other equipment manufacturers, here or overseas, buy Victa power plants?

Hello Mowerfreak

The vast majority of Victa power-plants are now Briggs.
I think New Zealand is the only market (apart from AUS) still offering
2-stroke Victas. To my knowledge, Victa 2-strokes, as separate power
units, have not been offered or sold to any other OEM for decades.

We now know the 2016-17 season will be the last for the 2-stroke Victas.
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/news-room/limited-edition-aussie-2-stroke-range.html

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Jack

Probably a reason nobody else used the Powertorque motor on their mowers is because it required a specific base as the Victa was. Bolt pattern while similar was in a different position to the Briggs, it has the 4th bolt to help support the barrel and the barrel/head being so low it requires the height adjuster shaft to be really low to clear them

There were heaps of rebadged Victa's sold through various retailers, such as Betta up here in Queensland, and also a lot sold as Sunbeams. I think they were actually produced by Victa though since the bases were the same just without the Victa logo cast in.

Mowerfreak, if you mean use of Victa 2-strokes by other mower manufacturers, the answer is - not in recent times.
Greenfield did offer a Victa-engined ride-on [!] variant in the early 1970's though.

However, these engines were used in other applications into the 1970's. Examples were the Tiger industrial engines, which were used in some Deckson and other brand mini-bikes.

And use as an outboard boat motor, from the propeller types in the 1950's to the last one in the 1970's, the Cox Mowers 'Gulpy' jet outboard. That model was discontinued when Victa brought out their own jet outboard, and subsequently cut off supply of engines to Cox.

One thing that I never quite understood from the first I noticed it probably 30 years ago with the Victas is why they turned the motor sideways. There probably was a reason for it,but the first time I played with one of these east/west motors, the sideways vibration was increased and this in turn caused extra wear on the wheel bushes. With the north/south configuration the wheels take a lot of this vibration out of it because they can move back and forth, not bash sideways all the time

G'day Norm

The transverse design was needed for the new high arch designs,
and some engines. Space couldn't be found for the muffler.

Note how Victa got around this with the Victa Twin ...
they put the muffler under the base.

Cheers
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Jack

Also Jack, the horizontal flat twin should have been a much smoother motor, but it must have cost them a lot more to produce. I have no idea how the price on these compared to the single cylinder ones but I would assume it was quite a bit more expensive, so sales would have been low and this is why few still survive

Yes Norm

The Twin was another Victa folly - expensive to make and
sold at the premium end of the market in smaller quantities.

Remember, at this time, Victa were also interested in the Sarich engine.
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=63018

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Jack

Either that or the fact they were garbage. I bought one brand new and it had to have the engine replaced under warranty after mowing about three times. The agent said it was cheaper to just throw a new engine on than spend the time trying to get the original running smoothly. That was the early dual carby model.

And I guess the rear cylinder was prone to overheating with not enough airflow over it

G'day Norm and Aussietrev

There was never a dual carb model Trev, as this was a reed valve design,
acting through a single G4 carb and reed assembly, directly
mounted to the crankcase.

Your story - of engine replacement - is well-founded in the
Service Bulletins (see link). This must have been a costly
exercise for Victa!

Norm, to my knowledge, the problem was not with engine cooling,
but check the bulletin dealing with overheating of the carby!

The best post on this comes from the great Mr Davis, who reproduced
Victa Service bulletins. It appears the Twin was rushed into service
before adequate testing in the field ... a bit like the infamous Predicta
system on the Automatic.

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=38878

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