OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Off Topics So, just won myself a mower on fleabay

Hey MF,

What else would you reckon is usable for muffler stuffing? Steel wool?

And does the stuffing take up all of the muffler inside? I can see there is only a tiny bit in there, on the left hand side looking in the rear hole. None in front of the hole, nor can I see any on the right, unless is is further over.

The engine doesn't so much as over rev, it just goes to grass cutting at the top or bottom (bearin gin mind it only goes as far as start when you move it backwards due to throttle cable seeming to be too short), while cutting out about halfway on the throttle control. It is hard to find idle due to this problem.

The cables vary in length, the length from the end of the cable to the ball can vary up to 10mm. You can creep a bit on the adjuster screw plate on the air filter housing but not a lot

Hey Norm,

I have played around with it a bit more. I intend to try and mount it a bit further in, but it is pretty short of where it should be, easily a good 2-3cm. This also has an effect on the cam, where pushing it forward to run doesn't quite make the cam fully turn to full power. I am guessing all of the problems stem from that throttle cable.

For all intents and purposes, once used to its wackiness, you could now use it as a lawnmower. It starts fine, it cuts fine, it uh stops halfway between run and start...and you can can have either run or start as your preferred grass cutting setting on the throttle control!

I will have to keep my eye open for a new throttle cable. There are some online, but once again, the price of them is the price of another s-box old mower and change, so not an option.

Keep an eye out and you will find one Sapper

I was lucky enough to happen on a pile of them at the tip - paid $8 for about a dozen. I would send you one, but aus post are rip off merchants unfortunately

Hey Tyler,

I was having a think about this; the throttle cable. When first attaching them up at the control column, do you first have to make sure there is enough already played out to attach to the cam? I am just wondering here if I take it off entirely, first make sure there is a certain amount already played out to reach the cam slot from the 'stop' position, then attach it to the throttle control section, and job done? Is this making sense?

Perhaps this is how it happened in the first place. Someone previously had it entirely off, and reattached it up the top when the throttle control was not at the stop position.

Let me know if this doesn't make sense and I will try to explain again.

Sapper
There is not a lot you can do with it up in the filter housing, you can try but I doubt you will get anywhere with it. I tried years ago without much success

Hey Norm,

Right. I am just struggling to understand how this can happen, where the cable somehow becomes 'shorter' without something happening in installment. What the hell, it won't cost me anything to take a look, and I will learn how it all works up there by fiddling. Stay tuned for the next part I stuff up haha.

Sapper,
I don't think the cable becomes shorter, that is how they were made, but don't ask me why because I have no idea and there is little you can do about it. I tried drilling a new hole in the lever down lower so I could get more lever travel, I think it worked but I wasted a lot of time trying to achieve very little in the end.

I personally hate fiddling with those things. I'd rather put up with faults if I can get away with it.
Wait for another snorkel and cable to come along. There are tonnes out there.

You got it going, happy mowing I say.

Hey guys,

Ok, nothing doing yet. I think with some major surgery I could get it going, but I have about the same possibility of permanently stuffing it up. I have found some old steel wool, so I will be restuffing the muffler, and also will hit it with some cheapie heat resistant paint I picked up on sale at super cheap for $5. I also picked up an o-ring set on clearance at the mower shop, one left in the bargain bin - contains head gasket, starter ring (already put a new one on so this is a spare), front carby ring and two manifold rings. There is already a washer in the carby, so I will leave it there. And a new filter and sealer I got as part of a box of 20 small filters/sealers that I picked up on clearance. Apart from that..

It is running good and strong now, not over revving. idle is just a bit down from start, full speed is run, and stop is between run and start...naturally. I will keep my eye out for donor mowers, but will not be spending a cent on new parts.

Just need to keep my eye out for the next acquisition.

Have to say, I have learned more getting this thing up and running than all the time with my perfectly good mowers I use. Well worth the few dollars

Just made a discovery on the old Mustang.

After looking at another motor here, I noticed the piston was much smaller. I ripped the head off the Mustang again and yep, it is huge! I would say it is a quite a bit larger than a normal pt piston head. I am guessing this has been rebored at some stage and one of those oversize pistons I have heard of has been installed.

Good. It had attention but also indicates it's done many hours to have needed one, unless it was done to fix a straight fueling. You heave a Victa 165 now.
Hopefully that means it has plenty of life in it, if not, it sounds like it won't be possible to do any more rebores in future, only a hone or two before it has to be scrapped.
Does it handle the thick stuff without bogging down too easily?

It is very powerful MF, and has a deeper bass to the sound. I just thought it must be how the old school power torques sounded, but I guess this is the reason.

Not sure if this is also a symptom of the big piston, or whether it is because I replaced all of the orings and head gasket, but the compression is also pretty mean. It takes more force than usual to pull the cord to start it. Compressor is working fine too.

I will let you know how it goes in the mow off I plan over at the oldies place; This PT Mustang vs the FC Corvette. See which one of them can defeat 'The Sponge' easier. 4 Strokes need not apply (already tried and failed haha)

Can't wait for the great mow off. Sounds like you got a ripper with your FleaBay purchase.

I'm betting the PT takes the crown. They are incredibly capable. Councils used them for years.

Maybe a large capacity Honda OHV may give it a red hot go but no hope for any domestic grade for stroke.
Would love to see a pic of this fabled spongy lawn.

I love my red thumb latch with the retrofitted later style black top I showed here recently. It has a deep sporty engine note to it as well. It might be a bored out jobby as well. I took it off a rusted steel base as well as the motor on the white one.