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Good job, well done looks fantastic

G'day Once Again Everybody,

An update on my lawn. It has had three sprays [at half-rates], and today I double-cut it, [West-East], then spread some No. 17 Lawn Food over it, followed by a through wash in. Mind you, that will still not stop me from giving it a good drink in the early morning of tomorrow.

The two photo's in this post, clearly show the effects of the treatment [chemical wise], and we are due for rain and Electrical Storms in a couple of days time, along with the heat, so it will be interesting to see the results in a week or two's time, when I'll do the first double-cut, then most likely "Top-Dress" it, followed by "The Rub-In".

The eradication of unwanted Grasses:- Poa annua~Wintergrass [Especially, as it was a bad infestation & will definately need a pre-emergent spray, such as Endothall e.g., just before the Couch goes into hibernation], Lollium perenne~Perennial Ryegrass, Sporabilis africanus~Paramatta Grass, Digitari didactyla~Queensland Blue Couch, is complete, as are the Weeds:- Hypochaeris radicata,~Cat's Ear/False Dandelion, Trifolium repens~Clover, Taraxacum~Dandelions, Oxalis corniculata~Creeping Oxalis and most importantly Solvia pterosperma~Bindii/JoJo.

BTW: I am going to be in a constant battle to keep my lawns free of all the grasses and weeds mentioned above, due to the fact that they thrive on almost all of my neighbour's "Council Strip Verges" which are outside of our Properties and are between the property boundries and the road itself [and very probably, their own lawns too]. The majority of these are mowed at the Owner's/Renter's discretion, and in some cases, not at all. And, with that in mind, don't forget that Mother Nature has many ingenious ways of seed dispersal.

Footnote: Have you ever wondered why, after Electrical Storms, your grass, or your local Footy Ground, or Golf Course e.g., looks greener the day after? The reason for that is because every lightning flash gives all plants a brief 100% Nitrogen [N] boost, as it is the initial start of the Nitrogen Cycle.

Thanks for reading this, and I'll keep you up to date...

Cheers,

mice_elf

Thanks Max, I will give it go!!!

Regards
Tory

Hi RayRay,

This might do the job for you CLICK HERE

A few years on. A year or so ago Mr 10 year old put it away for winter, leaving it with a full tank of fuel and the fuel tap on. By Summer the tank was empty and the carb was full of gum. Several go-arounds led to :
- A new carb
- Home made gaskets (quality gasket paper)
- A new clutch half (the old one had no set screws left and was flogged out)
- A new clutch thrust bearing (the old one was grabbing even after a flush and re-grease)

So we're back on the grass. My idea of "raked" and his were different, so after what looks like a couple of stones and at least one nail the blades "need some work" and one of the cylinder bearings is screaming like a banshee. Those bearings were replaced last sharpen. This time I'll replace them with units from my local bearing house rather than whatever the local grinder uses.

The Diplomat is still sitting out the back with a full set of brand new bearings, but I've offered it to a guy for parts. Not that many of them around with functioning drive gears these days and it's just taking up space.

G'day Mike

Take lots of photos of the mower from all angles.

Identify missing, broken, or seized parts.

Make a list of what you need to replace or repair (nuts, bolts, bearings, paint, blades, etc.).

Check for historical manuals or diagrams online

This gives you a clear idea of scope — saves frustration later.

2️⃣ Clean and Degrease

Even before sanding or dent repair, give it a good clean:

Remove loose dirt, grass, and grease.

Use degreaser on the reel, gearbox, and handles.

Avoid soaking bearings and shafts yet — just clean the surfaces.

Pro tip: Cleaning now helps you see rust, dents, and cracks better.

3️⃣ Disassembly

Take the mower apart carefully.

Label each part or use ziplock bags for small screws/bolts.

Take more photos during disassembly — very helpful when reassembling.

Order tip for novices:

Remove handles and frame panels

Remove cutting reel and bed knife

Remove gearbox, wheels, and axle assemblies

Don’t force stuck parts — penetrating oil can help.

4️⃣ Cosmetic Work (Rust & Dents)

Yes, generally cosmetic first:

Rust Removal:

Light surface rust: wire brush, steel wool, or sandpaper.

Heavier rust: naval jelly, vinegar soak, or a wire-wheel attachment.

Powder-coated or painted surfaces: consider stripping old paint first (chemical stripper or sandblasting).

Dent Repair:

Small dents: hammer + dolly or soft mallet.

Big dents: consider body filler if it’s on painted panels (not critical for mechanical function).

Final Prep:

Sand all surfaces to smooth metal.

Wipe down with solvent before painting.

5️⃣ Mechanical Inspection

Once the cosmetic surfaces are sorted:

Check the reel bearings, wheel bearings, and gearbox.

Spin the reel by hand — is it tight or binding?

Inspect blade tips and bed knife. They can often be sharpened rather than replaced.

Grease and oil moving parts.

Replace any missing fasteners.

Pro tip: This is easier after paint is cured to avoid scratching new surfaces.

6️⃣ Painting / Finishing

Mask off mechanical parts like bearings, gears, and blade edges.

Primer → Paint → Clear coat if desired.

Let paint cure fully before reassembly.

7️⃣ Reassembly

Follow photos and part labels.

Lubricate moving parts as you go.

Adjust reel-to-bed knife clearance (Scott Bonnar mowers are famous for needing careful adjustment).

Test-roll the mower before using it on grass.

8️⃣ Testing

Start with a small patch of grass.

Check for:

Smooth reel rotation

Proper cut height

No unusual vibrations or squeaks



Take your time.

Use YouTube or mower forums for visual guidance — there are Scott Bonnar enthusiasts with step-by-step videos.

Document everything — even small steps help during reassembly.

If something looks rusty but structurally sound, you can sometimes clean, prime, and paint rather than replace.

Cheers
Max.

G'day Magilla,

The in and out movement is normal but the arm should not have sideways slop.

Check Crankcase Oil Level

Too much oil will push oil out of the weakest point—including the governor shaft.

Drain down to the correct level if overfilled.


Remove the breather assembly.

Clean the reed/flap or disc thoroughly with petrol/brake cleaner.

Make sure the breather only lets air OUT, not IN.

Reinstall.

If the breather sticks even slightly, crankcase pressure blows oil out the governor arm hole.

This alone fixes about 50% of “leaking governor arm” cases.

It just depends on what type of governor arm you are working with and without it apart you can't tell.



✅ 1. Bushing-Only Design (NO SEAL)

In some engines the governor shaft simply passes through a close-fitting bronze bushing in the crankcase.
Oil control relies on:

Tight clearance between shaft & bushing

Crankcase pressure being low

A light smear of oil acting as a film seal

When these wear, they always start leaking.

If yours has no visible rubber seal, this is likely the case.

👉 Fix:

Replace the governor shaft (if worn/grooved at the exit point)

Ream or replace the crankcase bushing

OR install an external retro-seal (see option 3 below)

This is the hardest and least common repair because it requires engine disassembly.

✅ 2. Grooved Shaft + O-Ring Design

Some models have:

A machined groove on the governor shaft

A small O-ring that sits in the crankcase housing right where the shaft exits

This O-ring acts as the seal.

Signs:

You see a thin groove or step machined on the shaft

The hole in the crankcase looks “counterbored” to fit an O-ring

No external rubber seal pressed in

👉 Fix:

Replace the O-ring with:

Fuel- and oil-resistant Viton O-ring

Correct size (often 1/4″ ID × 3/8″ OD × 1/16″ CS or metric equivalent depending on model)

If the groove is worn or shaft polished:

Replace the shaft

Or move to an oversized O-ring if slop is tiny (not ideal, but works temporarily)

✅ 3. Retrofitting a Seal (VERY common field fix)

If the original design had no seal or the bushing is worn, many mower techs do this:

Remove governor arm

Drill/clean the opening slightly

Press in a tiny rubber lip seal (like used on Briggs models—often 3/8" OD)

Reinstall arm and clip

This works surprisingly well if there is enough crankcase material around the shaft exit.

I can help you choose the correct dimensions if you want to measure the shaft.

⚠️ Also check for crankcase pressure

Even a perfect shaft-seal design will leak if pressure is high.

Check:

Breather valve working

No blocked breather hose

No overfilled oil

No stuck rings / blow-by

Install a retrofit lip seal around the governor shaft (the common repair techs do)

Because many old engines leak from this exact spot, mower mechanics often fit a small external oil seal into the crankcase wall.

How it’s done:

Remove governor arm and clean the area.

Measure the governor shaft with calipers

Lightly counterbore the crankcase hole with a drill or end mill to match a small seal OD.

Press a mini rubber lip seal into the hole (e.g.,
Shaft 6 mm → seal 6 × 12 × 4 mm,
**Shaft 1/4″ → seal 1/4″ × 1/2″ × 3/16″).

Reinstall arm and linkage.

✔ Works extremely well
✔ No need to open the engine
✔ Cheap
❌ Requires careful drilling and alignment
❌ Must not drill too deep into crankcase





This is the most practical fix for home and shop use.

3️⃣ Field-expedient fix: install an external O-ring in a shallow recess

If you don’t want to machine for a seal, you can:

Lightly countersink the crankcase hole

Fit a tight O-ring that the governor arm presses against

Apply a non-hardening sealant (Yamabond / Dirko)

It’s better than nothing, but not ideal.

Cheers
Max.

Cheers Max,

Already have a working MTD trimmer although 2-stroke, just thought I'd like to play with something electric. The cat's not a big fan of the petrol stuff either!

Danny

Hi Colin,
Good to hear, I have only had one Greenie here that was fitted with a diff lock and I only clicked it in and out to make sure it was working. With the diff lock disengaged it makes turning them so much easier. Sounds like somebody has scavenged it from a Greenie. I have often wondered how the conversion would go on an earlier Greenie I built for Sheriff in the Club because he is having trouble turning his with both rear wheels driving. Anyway good to hear your drive is now working

Thanks @NormK.

I wasn't planning on buying a new mower, but just had to use my Fathers one.
I managed to get a 2nd starter assembly from the High School I used to work at and it was my lucky day as they had a skip and were getting rid of all the mowers and some other engine bits and pieces from cars and other machines.
Thank you again

It could be better I just got back on the net after my internet provider insisted on me upgrading my equipment. What a nightmare; ended up having to get the local office to straighten things out.

And its chaotic here too with the government screwing things up.

Hi kenny_t ,

You should be able to replace the bearing ,there may be some circlip / snap rings to remove to get it apart.

Number 2 below in the image would be the bearing.

Cheers
Max.

Yes Max, exactly, I have wasted way too much time on this one already

Hi sparksy,

Yes it's a Yardstar STA 17 Chinese copy of a Scott Bonnar 45 ,looks like it shouldn't take much to get this mower running.

One place these were sold was Bunnings.

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/49420/yardstar-reel-mower.html


Cheers
Max.

G'day Everybody,

Here's is one of many available YouTube videos [which I should of included in my McCulloch M T1255 CLS Line Trimmer post] regarding Quick Feeding :"Tap'N Go" Brush Cutter Heads For Almost Any Make Of Model of Line Trimmer, on the market today.

G'day again, Everybody,

A while ago, I had the misfortune to lose a critical part of the Tap 'N Go head. [See attached photo].

Getting a replacement for this American made straight shaft model, became a minor problem. At the time, eBay had only one complete component, and that was from the UK, priced at $AU75.00, thank you very much!! Sourcing it was near impossible, even from McCullouch Australia, themselves. That has changed considerably, as there are now many eBay Sellers [mainly from China, and the odd few in Australia], with variable, but reasonable prices, for the complete head set-up, for this machine model.

As it turns out, I had to go to Lithgow, [not very far from where I live, on another matter], where I discovered there are a plethora of Mowing shops. On going into the second one, the bloke behind the jump said to me he had never heard of McCulloch line trimmers. [I didn't take the complete machine with me, only the damaged head.]

However, he showed me an alternative, a JAKmax 3.75" Quick Feed Brushcutter Head [Part No: JMQF375, which has extra fittings in the box, to suit almost all makes and models.] [see attached photo], which he said would fit straight onto my machine, at a cost of $AU40.00, which, I thought was a fair price at the time, and taking his word that it would fit [which it did!, straight out of the box!!].

The beauty of this replacement head, he told me, is that I never have to take it off the machine when the 2.4mm line I use, runs out. I simply rotate the head until the arrows marked on the bottom, line up with the holes. I can then pull out what's left of the old line, then insert two or even three fully outstretched arms lengths of new cord through the aperture, leaving roughly equal lengths dangling on both sides.

Then, I then rotate the head clockwise until the desired lengths on both sides are left [all of which, I have done on several occasions]. The whole process takes about 2 minutes, and then I'm back at work, with a full Tap 'N Go head. He also told me that "The Tradies" love them, as it saves them hours of work. I agree with him on that, and I can truthfully say that it's the best $40 bucks worth of machinery parts, I've made in a long while.

There are many You Tube videos out there, that explain how these types of heads work [although I haven't found one for this Model, but the principle is exactly the same], and they show in detail the simplicity of what I have discussed above.

I hope this helps you, should you damage your existing head, regardless of the make, or model of your machine, straight or bent shaft...

mice_elf

The old electric Mulchers I come across usually have a red overload switch on the motor and a different switch on a longer wire ,
sometimes the other switch could be a circuit breaker but from memory I think it was a Safety Interlock Switch

Purpose: Protects you, not the motor.

Function: Prevents the motor from running when the chipper’s hopper, funnel, or access door is open.

How it works: The switch must be closed (pressed ) for the circuit to complete. If you open the funnel to clear debris or service the blades, it opens the circuit so the motor cannot start — even if you press the power button.

The switches are bypassed easily or you can hold them in for testing. But you must be careful not to injure yourself or others.

Red switch = overload reset switch ,thermal overload protector.

The Other Switch (on a long wire) = it’s a safety interlock switch, designed to prevent the motor from running when the hopper or funnel is open.
This protects people.

**⚠️ You are NOT meant to bypass or hold the red switch in for safety reasons.** With these Cheap motors I've just sticky taped the switch in
so it can't work as a safety switch , but What Happens if You Tape or Bypass the Red Reset Switch

You remove the motor’s only temperature protection.

The thermal protector reacts to heat inside the motor windings, which your household fuse or breaker cannot sense.

So if the motor overheats, nothing will cut power — it will keep running until the windings burn out, possibly causing smoke or even fire.

I keep an eye out for the motor and don't get the motor too hot or overload the motor if I bypass the safety switch so it's at
at your own risk if you bypass the thermal overload switch and I wouldn't let anyone else use the motor if I bypass the safety switch.

I've never had a problem bypassing the switch but I keep an eye of the motor temp and a replacement switch may not be that expensive.

Also if the motor stalls or jams up with branches you would need to cut the power straight away so it doesn't burn out with the switch bypassed.

**⚠️⚠️⚠️ THERE ARE SOME SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN BYPASSING THE OVERLOAD SWITCH ⚠️⚠️⚠️** It's always recommended
not to bypass the safety switch but should be fine to test if that's your problem with the stop start operation.


The following is just a universal guide to checking the red overload switch.

🧰 Step-by-Step: Testing and Replacing the Red Reset Switch

Unplug the machine completely.
Safety first — disconnect it from mains power.

Let the motor cool down if it’s recently tripped.
It may reset automatically after cooling, so see if it “clicks” back in first.

Inspect the switch physically.

Look for signs of heat damage, corrosion, or a burned smell.

Wiggle gently — it should feel firm, not loose or melted.

Test the switch with a multimeter.

Disconnect one wire from the switch.

With the button pressed in, you should have continuity (a closed circuit).

When it’s tripped (button popped out), it should be open (no continuity).

If it doesn’t behave like that, it’s faulty.

Check for the cause of tripping before replacing it.
A switch that trips often usually points to an underlying issue:

Overload or jammed blades

Worn bearings (motor working too hard)

Dull chipper knives

Undersized or long extension cord (causing low voltage)

Blocked motor cooling vents

Replace with the exact same rated part.

Use the correct thermal protector rating (°C and Amps) for your motor.

These are inexpensive and often mounted with simple spade terminals.

Make sure connections are tight and insulated properly.

B&S engines can be reliable but they can/do fail. B&S are to blame for some failures in particular on their bigger engines with the crappy decomp system that has been known to fail on motors with as little as 20 hours on the clock. I could not imagine how many B$S motors I have taken to the scrap man, it is in the hundreds, and sure a lot of these motors have been destroyed by abuse and lack of maintenance

I can't find much on the VAS 201 H model MM as my model number list only goes to 1991 and it's not listed in that
but found a listing that mentioned the Vas model from 1999 to 2005.

I saw a while ago someone fixed a broken primer by picking out the old rubber primer and then they used a whipper snipper
clear primer but from memory they had to jam a big O ring in to hold the primer bubble in tight. Otherwise most people just buy
a new primer cap.

I don't think the fuel tank / top cowl is correct as it looks from an earlier model ,the parts list for 1999 on shows a later top cover.

Cheers
Max.

It is obviously an early full crank motor and the decomp hose fits on the little pipe on the inlet tube manifold between the carby and the barrel. I have never looked but as some motors came without decomp valves this tube may not have been fitted. Easy enough to drill but finding a bit of steel tube to put in there might be a problem
I have just had a thought, does this motor have a blade carrier fitted?
You must be using the wrong rope or you must have big shoulders if you can break a cord on one pull

G'day Norm,
Just need the lens, the reflector still in good condition.

Laser cutter is the go but probably want to do 50 and would end up out of my price range, I might have to buy a plasma