My daily driver is a 20 inch Series 1 machine which I've been using for around 3 years now after I replaced my original Series 1 14 inch mower.
The chroming game has slowed right down as there are hardly any Electroplating shops left nowadays, all due to the stringent EPA regulations and thus now if you can get any of the shops left to do your job you'll just have to wait and wait aaaaaaaaaaand wait.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
I finally got my handle bars back this afternoon, I'm happy with the results for the price it looks really good considering the condition they were in before I dropped them off. Only downfall was one pin and C clip in the drive leaver went missing and the other pin was rusted in that when they cleaned it up it now goes straight through the hole and has no head, so I just ordered 2 new pins as I had to order one anyways and couldn't be bothered ringing back to ask if they have the other pin there. I will post photos in the next few days when I bolt it all back on to the frame.
I got up bright and early this morning like a kid on Christmas day and literally unwrapped the handle bars and started playing. It looks great for $130.00 I don't think I could of got it cheaper and quicker if I had to de-rust it myself prime it and then paint it as some people do. Photos don't do it justice as the lighting is dark and sorry I can't work out how to rotate the photos.
I note that you still haven't had the reel and bed knife sharpened, is there a reason why you haven't done this part of the process ?
Also just out of interest I'm wondering why you didn't get the 4 engine mounting bolts and washers bright zinc plated while you had the handle bars at the platers ?
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
In response to sharpening the reel and blade I'm hoping to get that done maybe mid this week, reason I haven't done it yet is $$$. A few bills have come at once this month so had to sort them out first. Also I got to get them into Sydney and would like to stay down there for a few days so I don't have to travel backwards and forwards to drop them off and pick them up. I also haven't decided if I will just take the reel and blade down or the whole machine as he adjusts the reel to the cutter and levels it all up as part of his service once sharpened, so I wanted the handle bars on so it can be manouvered and picked up easy.
Reason I painted the engine mount bolts and not chrome them is because my original bolts were painted orange and I'm trying to keep it as stock as I can, I even Keept the curved backing plate behind the bolt on the head badge zinc and not chrome. If I can get the reel done this week it should be all good to mount the engine on and have it ready to go.
Must admit I've never seen any painted engine mounting bolts as that wasn't the originally done thing. The engine was painted away from the SB Factory and simply mounted onto the green frame using stock Bright Zinc bolts.
If your bolts were orange that means someone else has squirted orange paint over it after the engine was mounted on the chassis.
While I'm at it, as you seem quite particular in what you are doing (which is absolutely fabulous) then I would be reinstalling both bed knife and cylinder myself as these guys that do this sort of work aren't that careful with the paintwork you've done and spent so much time on.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Hi BB, well what you say sounds correct about the bolts as every other bolt on the mower isn't painted but I got a photo of the bolts before they were cleaned up and there seems to be orange paint. Now here's the interesting thing I just went out to the garage and looked at my model 38 Kirby edger that I haven't touched yet and guess what? It's got 3 zinc bolts and one painted orange. Looking at my photo it appears that there was also maybe one painted bolt and 3 zinc. Any info why this might be? The 3 zinc bolts on the edger have no washers or spring washers would these have been replaced somewhere down the track or are these original? It's not a deal breaker if there painted or zinc either way doesn't bother me but now I'm curious as to why.
With the reel and bed knife sharpening this is why I haven't decided yet weather to take the whole thing down or drop off the blades, I thought the same thing about the paint work. The only reason I'm thinking about it is because he will line the reel up to the bedknife and he has nothing but good reviews about his work. I most likely will just drop the reel and blade off and put it on myself as it's not as alkward to lug the whole thing in the car plus I have peace of mind when I do things myself that it's done correct.
I'm confident that BB states the best bet - the 45 had unpainted fasteners. At least that's what the vast amount of evidence suggests, and it has better aesthetics - in my view
However, I would like to make a point about the major mower makers of the day. Because the industry was determined by seasons - weather - OEMs would use unskilled seasonal workers at peak season. Maybe, that's one reason - and a touch-up was needed at assembly. Who knows?
The bolt on the Model 38 edger is hilarious. Not sure who would put a spring washer under the head of a bolt! I think there has been some contamination there.
I like this conversation because it goes to discussion about restorations.
I enclose two images below: one of a 45 with, I think, is a paint touch-up. The other shows the correct Model 38 bolt and nut engine mounts.
Hi CyberJack Thanks for the info and pictures I did my own research and concluded that most did have unpainted bolts, I did find some with mismatched painted bolts but not many. The weird thing is that the engines would of come pre-painted before arriving to the factory, and SB would of had to have had the exact paint code to match the engines, but why paint one or two bolts and not all four. Was this one of the employees signature to identify which machine he built? what are my odds of getting a 45 and 38 with one painted bolt, any indication what year my 38 would be? Also thanks for the parts diagram for the model 38, that will come in handy as I have noticed the Kirby model is different to the Briggs with some kind of leaver which I have no idea yet what it does.
Thank you CyberJack for that info I haven't looked into the edger yet as I stuck it in the garage when I got it and haven't even looked at it. This feature sounds interestingg if it works as I know with my Rover edger that Im currently useing I have to constantly change the depth on a particular edge where the concrete shifts and it's annoying. The weird thing I found about the Kirby model is that there's no throttle control where as the Briggs model has a throttle. Any idea roughly what year model, my guess would be around early 70's as mine doesn't have the dimond logo and it seems to have the older logo on the guard. Also I read there was a series one and series two model, series one having white handle bars and series two having green mine seems to have white painted over in green any clarification?
Hi Bon-Scott I totally agree as to dating ... somewhere between c1972 and c1975.
I do not think a 'series 1' or 'series 2' designation is that helpful here, unless we infer that the green handle was first used with the change to Briggs engines (380031) and the removal of the depth lever.
A remote throttle control seems to have been added a season after the introduction of the Briggs (about 1977).
Love all the knowledge here CyberJack, sorry I got a bit off track from the main topic of the 45 but I'm sure there will be many more questions for my model 38 at a later time when I decide to get stuck into it. As for the bolts I will decide when I'm ready to mount the engine and see what they look like painted but I will most likely strip them back as no doubt they will chip and scratch when I tighten them up that they will need touching up, plus my OCD won't allow me to disfigure the original look.
BB im Taking the reel and bed knife in tomorrow for sharpening and picking up more green paint to finish off the catcher, decals should also arrive this week so I'm at the home stretch of this restoration. I would be guessing it should be complete at the beggining of next week, fingers crossed the engine starts and doesn't leak fuel and all the adjustments and clearances are correct otherwise I could be spending some time tweaking. I also just completed making a roller to bed knife level tool, by the time it's ready to roll the grass would have stopped growing and I won't be able to test it untill it warms up again.
That first brochure image that Jack has put up is most definitely an early to mid 1976 brochure as it sports the then newly appointed Pentagon Logo, but still utilising the Kirby which was replaced with the B&S engine line up later in 76.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Just a correction in regards to alignment. The front roller can not be aligned as there is absolutely no adjustment apart from mower height.
The only adjustment that's remotely possible is if the roller frame has been damaged and thus all you can do is twist it back into shape, but that's an advanced procedure and not a standard type of operation.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Just a correction in regards to alignment. The front roller can not be aligned as there is absolutely no adjustment apart from mower height.
Hello Mod BB Not a correction but a clarification ...
That's exactly what I mean. The Front roller can be aligned, albeit by a torsion twist of the front roller bracket. It's not that unconventional ... given how Victa crankshaft halves were aligned on re-assembly. I've done a few of those too.
