OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Victa Two Stroke Engines I'm done with Victa float needles

I am finally giving up on these 2 stroke Victas because of the problems with the float needles. The failure and problem rate is too high, just causes too many issues. I will work my way through the ones I have here but I will not be chasing anymore, they have finally beaten me.

The rate with my 13 is nil. All original equipment Victa plastic needles.
I think it's just an inherent design flaw with the whole set up that inevitably leads to problem carbys. I think getting them to be 100% problem free is chasing rainbows. You can only really reduce the incidence by the sounds of it. Well worth persevering for the end result of a top notch mower power plant.

Done with them MF, I will not be buying any more Victa needles, sick of wasting my time with them

I was given a complete LM last month by a mate - he said the motor was scrapped because it just wouldn't run - yellow needle in the carby was stuck.

MF, I have found the orange victa needles to be the best way to go as well - I have used a couple metal ones but have had some stick.

Its a shame such a small bit often condemns perfectly good engines

Hi Norm,

I thought you changed over to steel needles that are viton coated on the tip ?

Cheers,
BB.

I never had a problem with the plastic needles leaking when paying $1 each for one at the local mower
shop but I think the mowers Norm gets are little more worn out than the ones I've had.

I've had one Victa where someone had just replaced the plastic needle with a piece of alloy
welding rod that had a point ground on the seat side and that worked fine.

The Victa carbies I've had didn't need the brass seat to be re-cut but there
is a repair for them if the needle is still not shutting off correctly .

Might be worth trying if you know the needle is good.


Cheers
Max.

Hi Max,
New viton tipped needles,new primer caps and new floats and they still are causing never ending issues, I am really over them now.

Hi Norm,
I did not know you were using new primer caps and new floats , I would not think you are having any flooding
issues,unless the needles are too heavy for the float , If the needle is sticking closed ,I would try tying the
bottom of the needle with some fuse wire to the float.

If there is not enough room for fuse wire at the bottom of the needle I would drill a small hole in the
bottom centre of the needle and loctite the wire in then drill a small hole for the wire to go through
the plastic float.

If I was having the problems you are having I would experiment with making some needles out
of alloy welding rod.

Just a few ideas but it sounds like it's a frustrating problem getting the needle and seat to be reliable
100 percent of the time.

Cheers
Max.

Yes Max, you can see why I am done with them, regardless if they work today, it is fifty fifty if they will work tomorrow or in a weeks time. I have tried making up a little clip to pull the needle down and that seemed to work for a while but then it started sticking down and flooding out the primer cap. I have tried making needles out of silver solder welding rods, I have fitted Briggs seats in the caps and turned down Briggs needles to fit, but both these ideas were as unreliable as the ones I am using now. They are a fantastic carby but the primer and needle design is just crap and I am now completely over them.

Who knew it takes a needle to be cured of the Victa disease.

Hi Norm,
You move more PTs than me, but I always ask them to call me if they don't work. I know of one lady that I sold a PT to..
It wouldn't start , and she had the tray bids , so just dumped it. It was a powerful mower......
I like to keep a mower for a while , months to see how it goes, and how reliable it is.
Have a break from LM carbs and look at some line trimmers........ fishing.... pallet furniture.
cheers
speedy

Yep I can see Norm why trying to clip or tie the needle to the float would be a problem with the plastic Victa float.

I found that home made needle I removed from a Victa many years ago,it's not made out of alloy as I thought, it's
steel, looks like it's made from ark welding rods, it's a little longer than the standard plastic Victa needle.

The plastic needle would not open by gravity alone but the steel needle opened every time I moved the
float down so it had no problem opening just by gravity and without clipping the end of the needle to
the float.

I will have to try this needle in a mower and see how reliable this steel needle is. I remember this
needle working in a mower it's just that I never tested it over a long period of time but
the steel needle may have been in the carby for years.

Hi Max, I can't believe the steel needle would seal up against the brass seat in the primer cap. I pulled the brass seats out of many of the primer caps, drilled down with a 3/16th drill and the pushed a Briggs viton seal in there for the Briggs needle to seal up against
Yes Speedy I will have a Bex and a lie down, should do the trick.

G'day everyone,

Hi NormK I haven't worked on that many mowers mate only just a couple that I have here. The only thing I can mention is I don't know if it helps all that much but I think it's a good thing if using the standard red Victa needle to always turn the fuel tap off and let the engine run until it stops before putting it away. I don't sell mowers to customers so I don't know if you could possibly also tell them to always do this?

I have had a very good run for many years always doing this with my Victa Commando and when I drag it out of the shed even after 4 months or longer, I just put fresh fuel in and it eventually starts, sometimes it may take 3 or 4 pulls to start it after sitting so long. But once it starts it runs fine all day and I mow the lawns. Maybe I have been lucky I don't know. It just has all standard genuine Victa carby parts in it.

I have also put a standard red Victa needle in that red Victa Pace PT I repaired about 3 months ago. That's also been sitting for about 3 months now. The grass is starting to grow everywhere here now and once the weather starts to dry a bit I might take this out for a mow. I will see if it still runs ok after sitting so long. I do remember I also turned the fuel tap off on that one and let it idle until it stopped before I put it away.

Don't know mate I am just thinking maybe turning the fuel tap off and running the engine until it uses up the fuel in the carby to let the float drop a little bit and also it lets the needle rest and sit away from the seat may prevent it from sticking and then when you want to start it again it might work ok.

I know my green Victa FC usually runs ok after sitting for many months like this. I don't know about that other red Pace PT though. When I get around to starting it again I will see if it runs ok as it's been sitting for around 3 months now also. I just have a standard red Victa needle in it, but I have installed a genuine Victa primer cap and genuine Victa float and also a new genuine Victa jet. I don't know if there is much difference between the genuine and aftermarket carby parts.

Cheers!

Norm, I had a few idle moments this afternoon, and had a bit of a think about this.

1. maybe the regular engine oil you said you use in the mix is causing 'stickiness' of the needle in the seat - and this gets worse as the fuel evaporates. If the engine is shut off then the fuel tap turned, you have the fuel line full and the float bowl full as well - this could run down as the fuel evaporates and clog up around the needle.

I always shut the fuel off 20 seconds before putting them in the stop position. However, 2 months ago it was dark and all I did was stop my PT commando, take the fuel line off and drain the tank ((as per usual). Next week, it took 2 pulls to start instead of the 1 every other time - I have to put this down to leaving the float chamber full.

2. I was going to suggest drilling out the brass and putting in a vitron seat, but I see you tried that.

You have done so much good work with these LM's getting them to idle, to have throttle control and stop reliably, it would be a shame to have one of these other little things to stop such good work


Converse, I personally don't let mine completely run dry, but it clearly doesn't cause any problems if your Commando is any indication. What I don't like to see is when people turn the fuel tap off with the engine flat chat and then run it out of fuel. Backing it off to idle then running it out can't be that harmful.
Regards
Tyler

Hi Tyler, No I always just let it idle at a slow tick over until the engine stops. Never at high revs, although there has been the odd time when I have ran the fuel tank completely dry with the engine surging then it came to a complete stop when the fuel ran out...lol Luckily the engine still runs great even after this has happened a couple of times over the years.

Cheers!

I have done the same thing several times Converse, going along and then revs a bit and carks it.

Also have left the fuel tap off after I have shut it down to go and empty the catcher.

My Standard 2 had the yellow needle in it - didn't have issues for a good while. Then I built the new shed, and suddenly the trip from shed to lawn went from going over a few bumps, to going smoothly straight onto it.

Took 5 goes one time, then the next it just flat out refused - that is why I was mowing in the dark with the PT commando haha. guess the crooked pavers were freeing the needle up

Regards
Tyler

Hi All,

I don't think there should be any problem Norm with the brass seat and the steel needle,lots of
carbies use these components ,remember all the old single barrel stromberg carbies for example.

I can take some measurements of the needle if you like Norm if you want to copy that steel Victa needle.

Cheers
Max.

You won't be getting it any easier moving over to Briggs and Stratton or Honda's.
Maybe you can move your attention to Electrolux vacuum cleaners.

Thanks Max, I can always give a steel needle a try.
MF, I'm thinking of watching TV