OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Modern Replacement Parts for Southern Cross KXD-2

I always prefer original parts, but sadly some can no longer be bought or are very difficult to find, and/or expensive if you do find them. I thought I would share my experiences with researching alternative modern parts that will fit a Southern cross KXD-2 mower. These can be used at a crunch if you really want to use your mower but cannot find the original parts.

Blades: Originals are long since defunct. I have successfully used standard Rover blades (but would not recommend the rear-catch mulching style of blades).
Best by far are 18 Inch Masport / Morrison Hardened Lawn Mower Blades & Bolts Part number # 529594
* NOTE: Always gently rotate the disc to check the curved bits on the blades are not going to hit the mower carriage. Test this by lifting and lowering the cutting height too. You may need to grind off a few mms from the top of the blade curves. Do this slowly to prevent overheating the blade.
High tensile bolts and washers and nyloc nuts can be bought from the hardware store.

Muffler: Briggs and Stratton OEM 89966 with 1/2" 45 degree plumbing elbow (stainless steel or black steel, NOT galvanized). Thin half inch nut from hardware store.

Starter recoil: I know of only one modern recoil that fits the Southern Cross KXD-2, but will not post the information until after I have fully trialed and tested it.

Starter cap: It seems Kirby made a starter cap back in the 60s that not only looked similar but had very similar dimensions. However I am not sure if their winders will match with the bolt holes on a Southern Cross.

One correction for above list.

"18 Inch Masport / Morrison Hardened Lawn Mower Blades & Bolts Part number # 529594"
Turns out these are the wrong blades. I was told by a mower shop that they would fit, but the hole diameter on the blade is a couple mms too wide. Also the curve on the blade is not sufficient to reach below the disc. They would be suitable blades if only the "step down" bends were greater. But even then it would be a case of having to alter the bushings on the disc to suit the bigger blade hole.

So it looks like Rover blades are still the most suitable replacement, e.g. # A01118K & # A00672K. They can be mounted flat against the bottom of the disc in the same manner as the original Southern Cross blades. Always use high tensile bolts (Grade 5-8) with high tensile washers and nyloc nut.

Updates:

It turns out there was one Kirby mower starter winder and cap from the 1960s that will fit the Southern Cross and is virtually identical. I will post up the part numbers when I have them. The problem is of course that Kirby mowers from that era are also getting rare.

Looked at two different Howard blades recently which may be a better fit for a Southern Cross. I have also consulted with an engineer friend who may be able to make some high tensile bushings to replace the old ones, which can fit the more common 13mm blade holes. Stay tuned!

The spark plug to suit Southern Cross is said to be NGK B6HS SPARK PLUG (thanks Paul!).

Bendix "Type K" air filter is long gone. I am currently looking at suitable replacements, both housing and filter cartridges.

If it's a wind-up [i.e. impulse, not recoil] starter, it's extremely likely that SC used the same units as found on Kirby engines, including Kirby-powered Victas of that era. Victa used the Kirby part numbers, so they can often be found via that route.

The other thing about these starters is that they were US-designed, so there are Lauson or Tecumseh part numbers for many of their bits.

Hello vint_mow and Gadge

Gadge got me thinking about this issue.
SC did use the Kirby Starter and cup.
The GE-D numbers are Kirby.




This starter is the high energy spring one that raised
concern in service (with un-trained folk attempting to
remove the spring from its case.

As Gadge said, Victa used them on their engines.
Note that the starter cups are different as explained in
Service Guide 17 & 21.

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/58949/VICTA_SERVICE_GUIDES_-_1960s.html

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

Thanks Gadge and Jack,

That would certainly explain the reason why the Kirby winders fit the Southern Cross.
I found it interesting that when I asked someone who had a Victa Impulse starter for the measurements (between the adjacent and opposite holes), it was completely different. The starter cap was also the wrong size.

Yes those springs could be frustrating and also potentially dangerous.

Here is a modern equivalent recoil starter that will fit if anyone gets stuck finding an original SC winder or recoil.

Tecumseh Engine Recoil Pull Start Part # 590420
Use with Tecumseh Starter Cap Part # 590551

I've still been puzzling over the original blades. A mate of mine was sent this illustration from someone who has an original blade. It was a bit knocked about and worn, so he had to "extrapolate" to determine the original specs. It was a double sided (reversible) "twist" blade - a neat design with blade on both edges, so you could simply turn it around whenever one side got blunt or damaged. I'm sure these went out of fashion because they would cause balance issues if one blade got more worn than the other. Anyway he copied the blade diagram from the manual and added the dimensions.

G'day vint_mow & Gadge
I think there was a real concern with backyard repairers
hurting themselves -even when the spring case had a
caution notice on it!

The new designed starters started to enter the market in about 1963.
I should also note that the new design didn't just use a low energy spring
(that was removable from its alloy case), but the new design had an
extra safety feature - a separate trip release lever.

That is very probable, given that Victa used both types.
In fact, Victa used adapter plates on a number of models to
compensate for the different mounting points to the cowl.

Here is the SC KX-D starter on a 1960 Victa 4-star with Kirby Lauson engine.
It, of course, used the finer teeth starter cup.



On this 1965 Mayfair note the new design starter with an adapter plate:-



For the record, the wind-up starter was by far the most common starter
used in the 1960s. This includes Victa 2-strokes (which had no decompressors).

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

G'day all
I am currently about to write about the Southern Cross KX-B, so I
thought I would discuss mower blades.

Reversible blades were quite popular in the 1950s.
That reign came to an end with the advent of fluted blades,
when catchers became popular and readily available (in about 1960).
Fluted blades were not reversible.

Southern Cross did offer a catcher for the KX-D.
However, extra lift was not generated by a fluted blade but by
a central twist. It is the angled blade that gave some lift.
The blade was reversible - because when you turned the blade over
the cutting face remained the lowest part of the blade.

Note the differences in the models.
It appears the KX-B and KX-D used the angled blade.
The KX-C appears to be flat (because no catcher was offered ...?)
The KX-B had the most modern design - in lowering the drag
of the bolt and nut and using modern plastics.






vint_mow, you have given members some sound and clever advice on
replacement parts for the wonderful Southern Cross. Thank you!

All very Blade Runner.
--------------------------
Jack

Thanks Jack, You have provided some excellent information here. Yes there was a lot of drag on the KXD blade plate. In fact when I first looked at my dad's old KXD-2, I found he had been using some very long bolts that he must have purchased from the hardware store. He had put two nyloc nuts on top. So the whole thing, with the bushing, was around 5cm long, making for a huge amount of drag. I guess the hairline cracks I found in the disc around the bolt holes were a testament to this fact. I've since found some shorter high tensile bolts. I got the blade plate welded up and the welder assures me it will be stronger than original. My chances of finding another blade plate in good condition will be very slim and there do not seem to be any suitable modern replacements.

The original design of the KXD blade plate obviously relied a lot on those nyloc nuts, with just a round bolt and washer in between. But I can't say I ever heard my dad complain about bolts coming loose or falling off. The Howard blades that he had on there were worn down to about half their width! The bushings on the plate are still original and do not look to be very worn either.

I can relate a funny story about the blade plate. When the welder started mending the cracks, all of a sudden the bushings dropped out. He wondered what was taking place. Evidently they have a polythene cushion around the bushings and these melted on heating and released the bushings. Luckily he had some thick poly on hand to re-position the bushings when he had finished welding. I'm not sure if some kind of polythene or nylon material was used originally, or if this was brass or some other material? I can only guess that the bushings were designed to move, so the blades could swing back if they hit something hard.

G'day folks,
I'd say it is more correct to refer to this component as the 'single wound' spring type - I don't really think that they were 'high energy', from what I recall of using them, back in the day.

That clearly makes them distinct from the later 'double wound' spring type. This one:

Pic credit: CyberJack.

Jack, that KX-B blade setup looks to have a lot in common with the blades Pope used on their 3-blade models.

G'day Gadge
Many thanks for that - I will refer to them as single wound from now on.
My reference was to the energy released when incorrectly
[and ill-advisably] removed from the casing.

I guess the trip release springs had fewer turns of a thicker multi-wound
spring. These springs were safe to remove from their casing, and required
little effort to 'wind-in' a new spring. The casing also acted as the pawl
carrier - a serviceable part in itself.

I note the KX-B, using the Villiers 4-stroke, used the trip-release
design, not the earlier 'single would' style.



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

Here are a few pics of the starter, air filter and blade that are on my mower.

Wow, you have the original blades there Paul! But the blade disc is clearly off something else, as it does not appear to have the bushings. I wonder what your disc came off of? I have never been able to find a replacement disc with the same dimensions as the original SC.

And there it is, the good old Bendix air filter! I've been wondering what they looked like. Was there an earlier (or perhaps later) variant that had spring wire clips to hold the cover on?

I notice the perforated mesh "grass screen" under the starter is missing, as is mine. I would like to make one for mine, just to keep it looking original, but am wondering what it looked like. Judging by the illustration in the manual, it appears to be a vertical screen, rather than the more horizontal type of screen cover that is common today.

G'day all
I would like to address Gadge's observation made about the similarity of
blade designs.

In preliminary research on the KX-B I came to realize something odd.
I knew the KX-B was referred to as the 'Tin Mower' - because the base
was pressed steel - probably not a favourite for foundry-men...

It was clear to me that the base styling was very similar to a Pope 320.
The optional catcher and windrower were almost perfect copies.

I just looked at the blade holders from a KX-B and a Pope 320...
[The patent holder for the design was Pope]



It may be the twisted blade originated with Pope too.
vint-mow, it does look like a mesh vertical (perforated dish) screen.

A caution about blade holders.
The KX-D was manufactured until 1973! It would be highly
unlikely the older style blade-holder was used on later machines.

We are in unexplored territory, but I am glad Southern Cross
lawnmowers are being saved, explored and recorded.

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

Thanks Jack,

Re the blade holder, what I as getting at is the blade holder shown in Paul's photos does not have the bushings, so cannot be original. This begs the question, what did his blade holder come off of?

G'day vint-mow

Point taken on that. I wonder about that too...
Bushed blade holders were common in the 1950s, but were considered
an 'old design' for the 1960s, when SC entered the lawnmower market.

This is a great topic.
----------------------------
Jack

Hi Jack,

I thought I would post up some pics of my SC KXD-2 blade holder. Finally cool enough to walk over to the shed today! There has been a very real risk of heat stroke just walking outside to fetch the mail lately!

Some dimensions first.

Distance between centres of outside holes: 300mm

Distance between centre of central hole and centres of outside holes (straight): 150mm

Distance from centres of outside holes to rim: 21mm

Central hole diameter: 12mm

Outside holes total diameter: approx. 21mm
Polythene "cushion" thickness: aprox. 2mm (Was this cushion made of brass originally?)
Bushing outside diameter: 15mm (note bushings are also "wrapped" perhaps due to wear?)
Bushing inside diameter: 10mm
Bushing length: 22mm

Blade holes each braced on top side of disc with 20mm X 30mm X 20mm (X 6mm high) brace.

Blade holes raised approx. 3mm from plate surface on bottom side.
Blade holes raised approx. 13mm from plate surface on top side.

Blade plate has a 12-13mm flange angled up approx. 45 degrees on outer rim.

Here are pictures of the bottom of the blade holder ("plate"):








And here's the top side of the blade holder ("plate"):








P.S. I guess there is a very real possibility that my blade holder is not original?

G'day vint_mow

I really don't know.
The parts list I have shows six strengthening ribs.
Perhaps it has just been repaired as you described here?
My preferred view is that it is original.



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

Crikey, I only just saw in your earlier photo that the blades were 1/8" thick! You could have used them to cut lucerne.

Getting back to the air filter, I have been unable to find an original Bendix Type K air filter. I am currently using a K&N chrome air filter with 28mm insert. I chose it because it was fairly close to the shape of the original, so I will use it for the time being. The only modification required is a short piece of aluminium pipe (I used the pipe off an old vacuum cleaner). This bridges the gap between the rubber insert on the filter and the original snorkel pipe on the SC and is fully concealed. These filters are a clearance item from K&N, but work perfectly. The screw on top is a bad fit and looked odd, so I've changed it for one that fits flush and looks more like the period. I'm also wondering if I should drill a series of holes around the base of the cover, as there isn't much space for air intake through the bottom.

Hi Ian and Jack,
The air filter will be a much better unit than the standard one. Mine is packed with a felt like material which probably doesn't breathe very well.

I have had a look under my mower and would say that the blade plate is a replacement, mine has four blades fitted instead of the two. I would say it was replaced so as to fit the extra blades. Good news is that I have found a brand new set of blades

Incredible find there Paul.

I'll be keen to check them against the measurements on my illustration posted earlier.

P.S. Perhaps your disc is a 20" Rover plate? I should imagine they would fit reasonably comfortably. And the O.E.M. "Big Bob" and Supaswift plate (Part #900172) might also be a "fit". I did come across one generic "unbranded" blade plate that looked like a very good fit, as it had the 10mm centre hole and the outer holes were just over 300mm from the centre, but for some reason I can't find it again. I will post it up if I ever come across it again.

Masport also make a similar blade holder. The big problem with the brand names is companies tend to be very protective of their products and do not like seeing them used "inappropriately" on other brands. If you ask an online merchant for dimensions, you generally get a reply like "Please send us the make and serial number stamped on your machine and we will be happy to provide the information on the correct part." I guess this is mainly because of modern health and safety concerns, as they think we are all stupid and will do stupid things like try to install a blade with a 12mm diameter hole on to a product with a 10mm hole, for example. They also cannot guarantee their product under circumstances outside of their control and they have problems with people voiding warranties. They think all old machinery is dangerous and should be scrapped so that people will keep buying new products. etc. etc. etc. This is all fair enough, as I realize there are a lot of stupid people out there who would do silly things, which is why I have been mainly investigating the "universal" or "unbranded" blade holders. But modern compliance issues do make life difficult for people trying to retrofit old and outdated machinery. I knew an inventor who also found such issues challenging.

Interestingly, the parts merchants have no qualms about selling O.E.M. parts that fit many different makes and models. I guess this is because they have tested the parts for themselves. But one thing I've learnt is they never listen to the advice of the everyday "stupid people". I once argued with a merchant that a O.E.M. belt would fit my mower, but he refused to listen and I ended up ordering a very expensive "brand name" belt with the official part number. He had to eat his words, because when the part arrived it was the same O.E.M. belt that I had wanted him to order in the first place, just sealed in a brand name packet!

For those who have an original Southern Cross blade holder, I have an engineering contact who can manufacture high tensile bushing adapters to convert the 10mm hole on the SC blade holder to suit modern 12mm blade holes. If anyone is interested please send me a PM.

Of course there is nothing like the genuine original parts!

Evidently, the air filter was originally positioned at the rear of the engine, not on a snorkel.

G'day vint-mow
I guess that could well be correct - although snorkels may have been an option.
That's a wonderful colour photo there. It must be an early machine; as SC moved to
the trip-release started by the mid-1960s. I also note they used more than one
make of carby over the life span of their most-successful model, the KX-D.

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

Photo comes from a scan of a colour advertising brochure that was sent to me by Ian Matthews. Hope he doesn't mind me using this clipped photo from the brochure. Yes it was the early model KX-D.

Generally speaking, I wonder in which year did the first mowers come out with snorkels? They seem to become popular in the late 60s and were pretty much standard from the 1970s on.

Thanks to Paul, I now have all the correct blade specification for the KXD mowers.

Please forgive crudeness of my illustrations! As for measurements, please note that some "smidgens" were brought up or down from the nearest whole mm.

Hi vint_mow,
That's an interesting question.
You inspired me say something HERE.

I think you are more than a bit humble there.
Before we had nothing; now we have more than something! Thank you.

I have argued that a reversible blade in the 1960s is pretty much
unheard of in residential lawnmower design. But SC did it!

Is your intention to reproduce the blade?

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

Thank you for answering my question regarding the likely date of the earliest snorkels.

I was planning on making a few inquiries about getting those blades re-made, but I'm not sure if there will be enough interest. I could end up with hundreds of blades and only end up selling a few. I admit it is a very tempting idea to follow up on.

Jack, I was also asking you about the original design of the flywheel screen. At present I am none the wiser. However I have learnt that the following modern replacement parts fit the KXD-2 housing perfectly.

Tecumseh Starter Cup 590551

Tecumseh Engine Recoil Pull Start 590420

Tecumseh Flywheel Screen 590417

This begs the question, did Clinton/Tecumseh share some design features with SC, or was this entirely coincidental?

Just to explain what I have been getting at with the flywheel screen. I wonder if the original screen on the KX-D was stationary or rotating (fixed to the flywheel) and also whether it was horizontal or vertical?

Sadly these screens were often the first things that people threw away or lost when doing some maintenance. Most vintage mowers no longer have any screens. They were possibly more of a hindrance than a help if truth be told, and they did significantly cut the amount of air flow back by as much as 40-50%.

The only illustration that gives us some idea is the one in the manual, which suggests a vertical (upright) screen that was separate from the flywheel. I can only guess that the screen was fastened to the recoil bolts, but the illustration does not really show this. Perhaps the screen tucked neatly under the opening in the cowl and there was a metal ring that held the screen firmly in place with the recoil starter bolts. Otherwise I am at a loss to know what could have held it in place and prevented it from making contact with the fins on top of the flywheel (presuming of course that it was not spinning with it, which seems highly unlikely).

Is this design unusual? I have been unable to find anything like it on any other engines from the period, but then again, I admit I have not seen many. It seems to have more in common with more modern concepts of a "finger guard" than a grass screen. This is what makes me wonder if it was a stationary screen. The way the illustration shows the screen fixed to the cowl and separated from the flywheel does suggest that it was a stationary fixture.