After the recent good gumtree finds over east seeing a few really good solid mowers being saved, I have been on the lookout for a similar find.
Well, it happened on Sunday when I spotted an old victa on gumtree
It was advertised as running but smoky – which I put down to a rich fuel mix (correctly) I picked it up on Monday, being told beforehand that it actually couldn’t be started that morning.
It was originally owned by the sellers grandfather and clearly hadn’t seen much use since.
The primer was of course hidden at the back, but turning on the tap and 3 primes, push to run, then back to start, it went 2nd go (although clearly no decomp valve), and eventually stopped when I put in near to the slow position (the idle thumbwheel was missing).
I found the idle screw on the deck when I was tearing it down. I cleaned and set the points, added a decomp valve of a scrap machine (having to take the head off to get the makeshift plug out), cleaned the exhaust port, head and piston.
The split snorkel allowed some water in during the recent rain (stored at the edge of a verandah). Fortunately it was below the intake level.
After new snorkel, carby clean and 2 cans of degreaser, I reassembled it.
It went first go, although it has stuff all throttle control. I will put a thicker washer in the carby (Bunnings brass ¼ inch washer slightly filed out) as I couldn’t get it anywhere near idle. And I might do Norm’s carby modification on Friday.
But I am happy, it’s an absolute pearler and runs very nicely, plenty of power right up to 3640 rpm top speed (checked with tach).
I lightly slashed the side council block with it (after carefully checking for any sticks or wire) and did it easily, packing the catcher.
Here are some photos to document the find, and I actually managed to take a 15 second video as well, so will try to attach it.
Great find Tyler! The tread on those wheels look like new. Also looks like a beefy larger air filter housing on that one.
I know you have probably checked this but you could check the engine top and bottom seals to make sure you don't have an air leak somewhere, also the carby inlet rubber seals might have a leak somewhere. If it all checks out then you probably need those brass washers installed in the carby as I did to my Commando years ago which fixed the fast idle problem.
With adding video's to these forums, I don't think you can add a video directly to this forum like you can add pictures here. I just upload my video's to a youtube account then just add a link from your youtube video to these forums.
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
Hi Converse, the top and bottom seals had no signs of leakage, however the inlet o-ring did have a slight age hardened spot and I would have replaced it if I could have found the ziplock with the o-rings in it. I found it this morning (I sorted 5 large boxes of spares last month and sorted them so well I couldn't remember where it was.)
I am out working on my Sunbeam Lawnkeeper 160 since I am enthused to get it going now - piston is buggered (lots of play around the gudgeon) so am swapping in another
It was a bit of a shame Bonnar_bloke, it took a little time to locate the other couple of coins to make the call and then jog the 4km to the phone box.
Hello folks, it's essentially a green VC Mustang with a top swap. The plastic looks chalky up close but crack free to it's credit and makes for a much welcome relief from drab all over green of it's much more numerous counterpart. Good score Tyler and dare I ask how much?
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
It was even closer than that Wce, I had my phone on silent and didn't hear her text, when I saw it 10 mins later, there was immediately another incoming text asking if I was still interested as someone else was.
MF - $25 Good score I think
I have spent the day outside putting another piston in the 1972 Sunbeam Lawnkeeper in a similar good condition, I will try to get a photo tomorrow afternoon when it will again come out of hiding
Very good Tyler for a model that is so sought after by collectors. That amounts to a cheap finder's fee to the seller.The base is nice and scrape free on the LH edge. Good work giving it attention so quickly after getting it home. You could do a RH conversion to the snorkel and flip the carby the other way so the float cap is facing out, unless it has a remote primer and you want to keep it original. BTW, how do you test the seals?
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I try to at least get them running quickly after I get them, just in case of water entry or other issue that will damage if left.
I just look at the seals - if there is lots of grease/grime at either end of the crank, there might be a leak. Can dump some 2 stroke mix into the crank and see if it leaks out/weeps as well
I must just quickly apologise to wce - I was wondering if the other party interested was a local ODK member. If any good ones come up south of the river wce, I will be sure to let you know.
No apology required mate, It's the quick and the dead and I think I must be starting to smell ! It's gone to the best of homes. I'm glad the seller did the right thing by holding it for the first person as plenty don't.
I also did miss out on 2 other nice Victa 2 strokes some weeks back during hard rubbish travels. I saw a pile of hard rubbish with what I thought was a cheapo mower from far away. When I saw it up closer it was an old Victa Sunbeam FC of some sort. It had a yellow coloured top cowl and I think yellow coloured plastic wheel centres. Yep you guessed it, I went home and went back to pick it up about 20 minutes later and it was gone!
Another one I missed was one of those blue coloured Victa Tornado powertorque 2 stroke mowers, it was complete with catcher sitting on top. It was on a busy main road. Another one I went back for and was gone! Oh well can't get them all.
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
As Mowerfreak exposed I actually thought that most of the VC Sports were that striking Red colour, I think there was a Purple and also maybe something else but not that particular Green.
I actually have access to a few more of those VC's here in Adelaide but as I discussed with Norm it's just not financially viable to ship mowers around the country unless they were totally mint examples that required no work or parts.
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.
If you sent a mower, you would somehow probably end up with a whipper snipper, or a damaged vintage mower (a new mower might be vintage by the time you get it) if the package arrives at all
Or maybe you could try shipping it with Toll, I think they have even better online reviews than Fastway! LOL! I'm sure if they haven't misplaced or lost your mower in transit then they will be using it to mow the nature strips at their depot for months or even years!
Then again speaking of items taking a while to get delivered. I ordered a Victa 2 stroke fuel tap through Bunnings online special orders on the 15th of May and I only just received an email today which is the 27th June that it's ready for pickup from my local store. After about 5 emails during that period I was told the item was delayed, the supplier was doing a "stocktake" and this also delayed delivery by 5 more days. Oh well I guess I can finally pick it up later today...lol
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
Good score I think
