OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames Victa 18 Project

The main concern with this mower is the carburetor. I have never touched one of these before, so I was flying blind. At first, I couldn't understand how to remove the throttle cable, not realizing how the throttle on these worked. I eventually figured out how the throttle works and determined that the throttle slide was frozen in place, which would explain why the throttle cable was frozen as well. Some light pressure from underneath with a flat blade screwdriver released it from the barrel and allowed me to disconnect the cable and remove the carb from the machine.

After partial disassembly, it was looking quite nasty inside, with aluminum corrosion on the body and float. So, I put everything into a bath of kerosene to soak overnight. I then went and watched some YouTube videos on this carb so that I wasn't flying so blind for the next steps.



The next day, I went about cleaning it up piece by piece. The brass components cleaned up fine, finished off with a light scrub with a scotch pad, then rinsed with carb spray. I needed to use a wire brush to remove the aluminum corrosion present on the carb body and bowl. That corrosion had also set up around the float needle and the classic "tickler", both frozen in place. A blast of carb spray and some light pick work got both free. I then used a torch tip wire to unplug the emulsion tube orifice, then gave the body a good flush with carb spray.



The throttle slide tube that was frozen in place is now moving freely in the barrel, some light scuffing with a scotch pad sorted it easily. All clean and ready for full assembly once the gasket set arrives.

From here, I decided to remove the blade carrier. A little penetrant and a few zips with the rattle gun had it off hassle free. This gave me access to scrape away the dirt and grass cocktail that had been there for 30-years, then a quick blast with the pressure washer. The blades on it are as thin as a piece of paper and in no way safe. So, I have ordered a replacement disk, NOS blades and a new disk nut. Which disk I use will depend on what I find on closer inspection of the original. Apparanly the original owner had a special set of blades made so that they stuck out beyond the deck and wheels, meaning he didn't need to use a trimmer along his fence. Yeah, nah, not keen on that idea.



I just love how form and function combine on these machines. The gorgeously designed spiral muffler takes exhaust gas from the engine and directs it down through the deck and into the lower muffler plate. This type of arrangement was used on those 2-stroke Lawn Boy's in the USA, just without that 1950's design flair.



I have multiple hobbies, the one I'm most invested in is car detailing. While I like to keep my cars spotless, I have to resist that urge when it comes to mowers. Yes, I like to keep them maintained and give them an occasional clean, but they are money makers first, hobby second for me. Still, there is some cross-over with these two hobbies, and frankly, I much rather work on a clean machine, hence the next step......................

I didn't want to be blasting this machine with a pressure washer or use aggressive alkaline chemicals. So, I mixed up some DIY Detail Rinse-less wash at the 128:1 water-less ratio. Why this product? Because it would offer a gentle but effective clean, reducing the risk of damaging the 70-year-old paint, again, I've decided to preserve rather than restore. Being a surfactant-based rinse-less wash, this particular product also lathers up under agitation. Again, having sat in a showroom for so long did me a favor here because it was pretty clean and tidy to begin with.

https://detailingshed.com.au/produc...OA2a_FGOgG7ubAuRdKZTS-XXBwVCF1fjAEdcBK4U



For those that don't know, rinse-less washing provides a blend of lubrication and cleaning ability without the need to remove the residue with water, simply dry with a towel afterwards. I use this method for cleaning cars that are merely dusty, its also great for classic car preservation as you don't end up with water doused everywhere. In this case, I chose this method over heavy duty all-purpose cleaners or degreasers as its gentler and less likely degrade the surface.

I then gave it a spray down with Meguiar's Hyper Dressing mixed at 4:1 for a natural finish. This is purely for cosmetics, a water-based dressing that adds a little luster to the degraded finish. Not a massive before and after difference, but its clean and tidy....................

https://automotivesuperstore.com.au...UBDANQPoAKikQqiLPKBTERghYKxoCiDkQAvD_BwE