OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Victa Two Stroke Engines Powertorques that won't start

I think the problem is that the culture of getting a 200ml sachet or bottle to throw into a 5 litre petrol can to make up 2 stroke fuel, has disappeared.
They used to be available at every petrol station and were very cheap. Now they cost a substantial part of the fuel mix and it's much more economic to buy a litre and dose your own at home. I even make up a litre of two stroke fuel at a time for easy pouring from an old 1 litre metholated spirit, turps or kerosene bottle.

MF, thats got me chuckling.

I do the exact same thing - kero bottle for 25:1, Metho for 50:1 and another different colour labeled kero bottle for 40:1.
Drew the line at 3 bottles - 2 odd machines take 32:1 and 35:1 - they got mixture adjusted for 25:1 - just a bit more smoke.

Used to see the little bottles in coles and at the petrol stations - now some don't even stock it. Then again, the local Caltex has 200ml 2 stroke oil, CJ8's, CJ6Y's, Victa, Masport and Rover Blades.

And I always laugh when I pass the Valvoline 2 stroke 1l bottle in woolworths - the mower on the front of it is a four stroke.

Personally, I just bought 1l of Penrite Semi-synthetic on special for about $13. Took me a year, and I have about 100ml left.

Aldi were selling full synth for the same price. I bought one but still have a couple of litres of the old mineral based mix to go before I make this stuff up. Should last me a couple of years.

Got 7 running from 11 tested , better average than I expected. My son used this to analyse people and came up with the fact that 4 people in 11 are idiots

36.36% sometimes seems a bit on the low side

7 from 11 is pretty good - a few more good engines

Might be higher if what I get in the line of repairs hereis any indication. I spend half my time undoing makeshift repairs.

So far I have tested 21 of these motors and I now have 15 of them that are running fine, pretty good outcome I think.

Hi Norm
Sounds like a pretty good outcome.

As sample size increases, the experimental mean and standard deviation become closer to what could realistically be expected.

15/21 is 28.57%, down from 36.36%. Sounds like this experimental data is the opposite to what is actually happening in the world.


But then again, a good percentage of the idiots probably went 4 stroke or electric or battery years ago.

Glad that most of the engines are good, how many are chinese blocks?

Hi Tyler, Haven't checked on the Chinese block ratio, but at a guess probably 15% I will check tomorrow. I don't find any difference with the Chinese ones, obviously Victa had strict controls on their manufacture. The problem now is I am getting into the "I think I have been through this pile before" so the failure rate will go straight up. The ones I had been going through were all from a pile of motors I picked up from a bloke who was mostly looking for good Victa bases so he could put 4 strokes on them, he didn't know how to get the Victas to sing again, this is why the success rate was high. There is still probably 15 or so that I have previously labeled as not starting so no point in me testing those again. Still leaves a pile that need to be gone through, but it all takes time, everyone has usually had something ratted of it or is broken

Hopefully that good test stand you made makes testing a bit quicker and easier.

What method do you use, throw on a modified carby, check spark, fuel in cylinder and then see if it goes?

I haven't had a good innings with the handful of Chinese Powertorques I have dealt with. The one working one I have sometimes bounces backwards just before coming to a halt. Could this be to do with to much stuffing in the exhaust? I put in more than usual.

Hi Tyler, the test stand saves me having to put a motor on a base, lift it onto the ground, test it lift it back up and remove it again. Still have to bolt the blade carrier (without the blades) on,squirt a bit of fuel down the plug hole,one carby to test them all, motor slips onto stand and held in place with a "G" clamp. Test for spark, check decomp valve and good to go.
MF the only Chinese ones I have had problems with have been straight fueled and that is not their fault. As for kicking backwards, muffler shouldn't be causing that

What is making it bounce and spin backwards for a moment then?
That test stand is a winner, even if it isn't pretty.

PS: I think it must be the decompression valve delaying release after the motor stops, or maybe an instruction in the vacuum hose coming out of it.

MF the decomp valve will remain shut till after the motor stops spinning so that is not the cause.All that can cause it to kick back is timing slightly too far advanced (can't do much about that), compression too high, or blade carrier too light (not enough spinning mass to take it past the last compression stroke. No idea why apart from that. You could try making up a decompression plate to fit between a couple of head gaskets or you could try one of those heads that did not have a decomp valve in the head. If you look closely at those heads you can see the chamber is deeper to lower the compression a little

I'll put up with it then Norm. It has a four blade carrier with all four blades. As long as it's not causing long term damage to the motor, it's not worth forgoing the benefit of a decompression valve on start up.
The main thing is it will still cut grass.

Hi Tyler, I just checked the 15 motors and only 2 of them are Chinese, I would have thought there was more of them