The carbies on these mowers are smoke and mirror technology.
So long as it will start time in time out within 3 or 4 pulls. I call it acceptable.
Fuel on, prime it, pull it, pull it, no go prime it again, pull it. But you need to be %100 sure its not flooding thats stopping it running.
Im sure if each and every one was my mower and i got to know it loveingly i would work out the correct starting procedure so that it would be first pull every time.
Very few will actually go first pull.
Its not possible to prime fuel up hill. To prove that point, try a series 80 mkII they are more likely to start on the first pull. I suppose im biased, they are my favourite motor.
Most primer start brigs motors need 2 pulls, first one to draw the fuel you primed the 100mm to the bit where the business happens. Same deal with a Power torque. Sometimes you might get a little cough at the end of the first pull like it wants to go.
That is a nice clean mower. Its got a plastic door, i would date it mid-late 90's. Id aim for somewhere between $150-200 and move on to the next one. Depending on your market of course. In my rack that would have new blades (if the blades were still ok id put that disc on a cheaper mower and fit another disc to this with new blades) and a price tag of $185.
Painting and decals etc is a waste of time that will not get you any extra money. Well not money that will cover your time. Decals may not be terribly difficult if youve got a good PC and mad putah skillz, but painting is 90% prep and time effort intensive. To complicate the matter the 80's on victas a powder coated and the solvent in spray pacs eats the powder coat and wrinkles it.
I do believe that you need to sell a good product, but if you put the time needed into a 10 year veteran of neglect to get it spot on exact to the manufacturers specifacations that it probably never met when it was new, you would hardly fix enough mowers to make it worth your while.
So far as the RPM went, i would have been looking for a vaccum leak, govenor hose or possibly the back cover on the carb.
As for not starting at start, i assume that the cable was not to blame, if its not adjusted right it can be stopping in the start position.
Id say better than 9 out of 10 of the victas ive had through here have starter in the start position within 2 or 3 pulls reliably. Correct needle in the primer face helps hugely as does cable adjustment.
