OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Qualcast Power Mower

This is my P1, I have had quite a few issues with this one. Finally got it all sorted today, I could not get the carb to tune right so in the end I stripped the carb completely and soaked it in diluted CLR. You can't soak it for long, half hour max and then rinse well in soapy water.

Cleaned everything else and reassembled, it started and ran very rich. These mowers run on the main jet right down to a low idle. My settings in the end were main jet on 3 and low speed mixture screw out 1 turn.

I also found that having the spark plug set at .0018" is crucial with this particular engine/magneto.

I am very happy now but would highly recommend bench testing your engine before fitting it to your nicely repainted frame or you will end up with oil stains everywhere. I will be making up a diverter and attaching it to one of the frame bolts to wear most of the exhaust smoke/oil.

[video][/video]

:-) the over tank will be removed now.

I started the mower again this afternoon just to be sure that my final settings are right, I found that for a cold start I followed the following steps:

Move throttle to 1/2 way position.

Place mixture knob to setting 5.

Prime carb until fuel just starts to drip from air filter.

Pull start rope briskly.

Once engine starts allow to run for a minute and then move mixture knob back to setting 3 for normal running.

I have found that I needed to richen the fuel mixture back to setting 5 just for the cold start, once I fit a belt I may have to make some small adjustments for running on the main jet under load.

I also found another exhaust that the previous owner must have struck the same issue of oil splatter and made a very easy modification to the outlet



It looks like a piece of copper blocking off a few holes and held in place by the end nut, may even quieten it down a little as well.

Stripped down the chassis to have a look at the bearings, glad I did as they are buggered! Will clean everything up now and assess what is required.

Hi Paul

Very good information in this topic.
It's odd that three Power Side-wheel are currently projects.

Would those caged bearings be easy to buy?
Also the pinions seem to be made of cast iron...?

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Jack

Hi Jack,
I had another chassis which I stripped down as well and it has a serviceable set of bearings which I will clean up and use. I am wondering about lubrication of these reel bearings as they are oil fed but also greased?

Not sure about the pinions as I haven't had a good look yet, just removed them and put them to one side. :-)

Hi Paul
That's a good question.
I'm hoping Glo Mod Gadge cam offer insight on that.

In the day the expectation was that oiling was required every use.
On bicycles I believe we were told they should be pre-packed with light
grease - but there were no oil caps on many bicycles ...?

Gadge, help!
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Jack

Hi Jack,
I agree with you about the bycycle bearings etc. Greasing is fine if the bearing is to be serviced regularly but then I would not oil them as well., one or the other I would think?

G'day folks,
Well, the grease packing performs one function, and the oil another, in this case.

Remember that the ancestry of these machines is the muscle-powered hand mower! So low bearing drag in use is required there - just as it is with sweatwheels [an old mate's term for pushbikes ].

These are open [i.e. unshielded and unsealed] bearings, and won't retain any lubricant for very long. The function of the grease is to provide initial lubrication, and more importantly, corrosion protection in the period between manufacture and entering field [or lawn] service.

Oil is the in-service lubricant, and of course it will slowly wash the grease out [and the dirt that inevitably gets in]. Older greases also had a tendency to set solid and block lube nipples [I've seen plenty of examples], where these were fitted. Ransomes warn about this in some of their literature. They supplied an oil gun, not a grease gun, with their machines that were so fitted.
No worries, Jack.
Well, I'm not familiar with the current generation of bicycles at all. My last one was a 1971 vintage Aussie-made Hallmark, a present on commencement of high school...

Anyway, with these older treadlies, the steering head bearings were grease lubricated, and the bearings in the front and rear axles and crank were oil lubed in service. This was when only serious racing bikes had Derailleur gears; run o' t'mill bikes had fixed or freewheel single speed rear hubs, or Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub gears.

On my old Hallmark, there was a flip top oil cap on the crank housing, an oil hole covered by a spring clip in the centre of the front hub, and an oil nipple on the rear hub. That one had a freewheel rear hub, with 'back pedal' hub brake. All 'loose ball' uncaged bearings. Of course the initial grease packing had another vital function - to hold the balls in place during assembly.

Thanks Gadge and Jack,

I have one more question, this engine is a Villiers 4G with the suction lift carb, fuel mix is 24:1.
The next variant is basically the same engine internals with now having adjustable timing, the Villiers 5G fitted with a Villiers Junior carb and having a fuel mix of 20:1.

Why the difference in fuel to oil ratio? Is it due to jetting in the carbs?

Sorry that's two questions :-) Is it then ok to run 20:1 in the 4G due to better quality oils available today?

Hi Paul and GM Gadge

I feel I can hazard a guess ...

The difference in mixtures was because of the variances between
suction lift and gravity feed systems.

Having a 'lighter mixture' [oil is heavier than petrol] ratio
compensated for the loss of gravity in a tank mounted lower than
the carby in the 4G; but higher than the carby in the 5G.

I feel this is why the P1 is so temperamental: it relies on the
condition of good suction produced via sealing of the piston
(good rings and piston/bore clearance)) and sealing of the
crankcase (good crankcase seals).

Paul, your question as to ratio: run the higher ratio (less oil) - 24:1.

I hope that is a reasonable point.
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Jack

Thanks Jack, I agree. I will run a mix of 25:1 same as my other Villiers mowers. Have not had any problems, I cleaned up some parts this afternoon, taking advantage of the high temperature to dry them off quickly.



I am happy with the amount of original paint left although the reel will get a coat of paint to protect the blade surfaces. I will be using the mower so I am happy with this decision.

G'day folks,
I agree with CyberJack here; it's to do with the different carby/fuel delivery systems.

As well as the density/specific gravity change between the mixes, the fluid flow characteristics [surface tension, viscosity] will also differ, as will the vapourisation efficiency.

24:1 is of course leaner in terms of oil content, so it might well better suit the more primitive 'suction carby'.

In any case, it will work better with modern two-stroke oils than it ever did back in the day. Even so, I don't think it's advisable to change the mix ratio too much, as that will affect the fuel/air ratio that the carby delivers.

Hi Gadge and Jack,

I find fuel air mixtures a really interesting topic, getting that mix right is the difference between an engine starting and running right or not. Thanks for your thoughts :-)

Hi Paul and GM Gadge

I must say ODK is lucky in recording these Qualcast restorations.

Paul, I love your last image.
Is that a Queensland Rail seat there ...?
The image gives a good idea of the Qualcast aqua-marine colour too.

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

p.s. I'm not sure of the apparatus on the seat (far right).
It looks like a Swiss Army Knife with a teeth flosser...?

RE: "I must say ODK is lucky in recording these Qualcast restorations.". Stored on photobucket presumably?

Hello victatwin
I am working with Paul to restore these images.

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Jack

G'day folks,
I've added localised images as attachments to paul_c's posts above, but left the Photobucket links intact.