It runs like a top! Both start first pull and will plough through the toughest lawns like marauders. Not bad for two mowers found unwanted. It's a despairing thought there amount around the country being chewed up by a garbage compacting truck every week with minor causes of non starting.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Did you end up fixing the throttle control on the SPFC? In an earlier post you said it didn't have much in the throttle control?
On the mowers I have found I think I have to clean and rebuild all the 3 carbies! lol.
Cheers!
The throttle control could be better but I'm happy to leave it rather than pull apart the carburettor unless there is something badly wrong with it. I'm just thankful it runs and stops and will turn grass into lawn. The PT has excellent throttle control and has a very low tick over in the mid position, to the point it sometimes stalls lol. Not to worry, it gives me a chance to experience another one pull start LOL.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Got a job mowing a nature strip outside a disused bowling club, giving me the chance to put my finds through their paces. The SPFC went okay at first but after a while of use it became temperamental to start and eventually wouldn't start at all after some intensive mowing. I did notice the primer bulb didn't feel like it was pumping fuel when you pressed it. Is that a sign of a stuck needle? I brought out the PT to finish the job. It felt nicer to use and felt easier and more nifty to use. In some thick weeds it bogged down abit and got clogged with very wet clumps of weed cuttings. I had to unclog the underside a couple of times and it wouldn't fill the catcher properly. In these more extreme conditions, the hi arch thumb latch catcher models definitely handle it much better, from experience.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Easy work for a Victa but they do clog up a bit when the grass is wet and when it is long they don't seem to be able to throw it right back into the catcher so it clogs towards the front. With the F/C it is most likely a sticking float needle not sure if you have noticed but needles are my pet hate with these carbs
Funny MF, my identical Commando did the exact same thing on similar height grass. Stalled it in the thick grass and took about 15 pulls to get her going again. Next week, wouldn't go at all - no spark. Cleaned the coil face and it lived again.
We have sandy soil over hear, so clogs even on the thick grass (or at least on our nature strip) are unlikely as the sand blasts it out. Not kind to alloy decks though
Hey Mowerfreak it's great to see those old beasts out there mowing the nature strips mate! Yes on my SPFC it doesn't really like wet grass at all. It just mostly chews it up and some of it makes it into the catcher when the grass is really wet. I try not to mow with the Commando when the grass is wet unless I really have to. I try to wait for a few dry warmer days for the grass to dry a bit before mowing.
With my SPFC though, it starts real easy after it's been running for a while. All it needs it's just the slightest pull on the cord just to get it to tick over and it will fire up again no worries.
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
Hi all, I didn't mention that a guy came over to me to complain about the smoke fromthe SPFC when I started mowing. He said it was drifting toward the child care centre next door. I told him it should clear once the motor gets going and burns up the oil in the crankcase. Just to keep him off my back I started mowing the opposite end and hoped it would indeed clear and noticed that it still smoked a bit at middling revs even after five minutes but seemed to clear at higher revs but didn't want the unnecessary noise and fuel consumption over the short sections of grass. I am wondering if the popett valve is in the wrong position to be making this smelly exhaust or is it a generally worn engine? It went through the thicker kikiyu grass alright though. Converse, it's good to hear your unit is running dependable but this one is proving a problem child at the moment. I'm glad I got to find out though this outing though. Some tinkering will follow. Tyler, is yours better now you've cleaned the magnets?
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I turned the poppet valve from a to b then c on a VSX160 and got no RPM change - unloaded - no idea what happens under load. From memory, my FC Commando doesnt have the ABC markings, just the black poppet - not sure about yours MF.
MF, The coil was really rusty muck on the poles - a bit of sanding on it and the flywheel, and I had spark again. Same on an old Briggs (1993 classic 35), spark instantly vanished, remove coil, clean rust, and back to bright blue.
Now I think I am going to have to go outside now and jump start the car - I accidentally left the door slightly ajar (first latch) overnight. Bugger.
Hi Mowerfreak I know mine emits a bit of smoke mainly on first cold start up, then it's usually not that bad once it gets up and running. I think it smokes a bit more when it's just ticking over at a slow idle than what it does when it's up and revving during mowing. You could have an old tired engine maybe, I did have my engine rebuilt back around 2008 or something.
Hi Tyler, yes I also think on my carby there is no letter markings on the poppet valve it's just a plain black valve. Sorry to hear about the flat battery on your car mate. The last time that happened to me was once I forgot to turn the parker lights off after a drive. Tried to start the car the next day and the car wouldn't turn over at all. Ever since that happened I make sure I check all lights are off before I leave the vehicle. I even look at the lights as I walk around the car to make sure they are all off...lol
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
I had a 95 Toyota Lexcen (VS Commodore) that switched of the headlights when you opened the door. My 89 Laser lets of a high pitched noise when you leave them on and turn of the ignition and 1992 Fairlane Ghia beeps at you with the beeps gradually speeding up and getting louder.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Hi Converse & MF, managed to start it (just) with its own power. Cranked slowly, but kicked into life. The door was on the side near the wall, so I didn't see it. The headlights go off when the key goes out of the ignition, but the door marker light comes on every time the door is open/ajar.
I put the old faithful standard PT over the lawn today (bit thick and a little high), it has the poppet on A - it certainly smoked more under load only than my PT commando on Poppet B (not the FC commando) and didn't like revving up as much on the thick stuff. Governor is fully operational with good diaphragm, spring, etc. Will change to B mark one day and see if there is any difference
I just set them all on "C" and I don't use the black poppets. I know this works so I don't mess with it I set all the carbs up the same with 3 washers under the cam but the occasional one requires 4 washers to get the poppet to close off and bring the revs down for idle position
