And so it begins. I will soon be in possession of TWO Victa power torque mowers at my home residence. As soon as I saw it on fleabay, I had to have a go. Put down $30 bucks and ended up winning it for $21. Here is the entry;
Looks very similar basewise to the oldies Corvette, so I am guessing it is mid 80s? Anyway, I have my work cut out with a problem to fix, and god knows what else, but that is what I was hoping for.
Hi Sapper, I couldn't find it but the PT pull start is a doddle to fix, if the spring has broken just bend a new hook on the end and it should be good for another 20 years, and winding a new cord on only takes a few minutes they are a breeze. As long as it runs you have a good deal
Congratulations Sapper. Is the catcher damaged or patched? That base is the same design as your parent's full crank except for mounting holes and exhaust port for PT engine. That will be a joy to use if the engine is still good. The catcher will fit your parent's mower if you don't get this going.
The bloke says the catcher is in perfect condition. He does have a 100% feedback, and I will be picking it up in person, so I am quietly hopeful that this could be a really great deal. From the prices I have seen those catchers go for, really, I am still in front if the whole rest of it was junked, but I am quietly confident of this one.
Glad to hear the catcher will fit the Corsair, that pretty much makes it a total win already.
So would you say that is one of the first PowerTorques on the market MF? There were no big changes they made from the first models? No teething issues or anything to watch out that they changed later on?
That was a hell of a find MF. Outside a block of units? Mower around the corner?? and the handle bars missing!?! what kind of a world do we live in....
the catcher alone will make it worthwhile, even if it's a long drive. Hopefully you can make the most of the trip. There were no known teething troubles and the only significant change to the engine itself was when the casting of the engine block was outsourced to China sometime in the 1990s. You can tell the Australian block by having more cooling fins on the barrel as you will see with this one you have won on EBay. Both main block castings are as good as each other from others observations I have read, despite misgivings by some of the lesser number of more widely spaced cooling fins as on your Tornado engine. I would be very happy having a Chinese block as long as it's in sound condition. Yes that is among the earliest Powertorque models, dating from 84 or 85 at the latest. It could have easily head an engine swap in it's life as you can chop and change a lot over the course of PT production. The PTs had variations of starters over the years, permitting different dress cowl designs to be screwed on. Also two different inlet manifolds, the dog leg (majority) and the straight through like your Tornado likely has. Most parts, though, should be interchangeable between the earliest and the final PTs.
It's quite interesting to find this item in such close proximity to Sydney's CBD in this day and age as Sydney has lost a lot of its traditional Australian feel as it tries so hard to appear super cosmopolitan these days.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Thanks for that. It will be good to get my hands on this puppy and get her back up and running. After that, I will be on the hunt for one of the 19 inch alloy decks to move my Tornado engine over to.
I remember years ago there were still a number of 'big enough to mow' lawns over that way, though most of it now consists of yuppy townhouses with enough green space for a pot plant or two. Or another phenomenon I have noticed that is blowing through yuppyville like a whirlwind; fake lawns. Even out my way quite a few big blocks are getting snapped up and townhouses being plonked down.
The base is in good condition, not too many scratches, labeling good, no cracks or holes, handles bars fine with light surface rust.
Wheels; right back wheel is missing rear plastic cover plate.Tread is pretty good on all. Something seems to be rolling around in the left back wheel, so I will be getting them off for a gander. Maybe the ball bearings have died? We shall see.
Looked inside the muffler, no real scoring to be seen, no crap inside the crankcase, again nice and clean. Top starter oring (big one) though, while still being nice and flexible with no cracking, appears very slack and it seems oversize for where it is supposed to go, is this normal?
Sparkplug looks in good condition, black, with no hint of brown. Seems to be plenty of compression. No wobble or movement underneath from the blade plate.
I haven't taken the head off. I plan to get it in operating condition and seeing if it starts before I do that. However...
The starter cord does not retract. I already knew that, so that is on the list to do. I have a general idea of how to do it, so will report back on progress.
Now for something else I would like your opinions on; The throttle control does not move back to the stop position, only so far as 'start', and it is very difficult to move too, very creaky, not smooth like my Tornado controls. I am assuming this will have something to do with the throttle cable and the carby, so that will be my next area, a carby teardown, check and hopefully find out what the issue is.
I recently pulled the starter off a powertorque and had trouble putting the o ring back in as it had expanded and wouldn't go on the starter snugly. I used a spare and then thought up the idea of checking the old one the next day. Sure enough, it had shrunk and went on snugly, allowing me to reinstall it.
Regards starter rope tension, I found it's a balancing act between having the spring tension strong enough so it retracts fully and not so strong the rope jams when to pull it out to the limit. Adjusting tension is child's play on these. There is a slot on the black plastic pulley that you just slip the rope into while you either wind the pulley up or down until the desired tension. I had such a problem with the rope jamming at the limit. I just dewound the pulley one revolution and that solved it.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
No, its the throttle cable tension that seems to be the problem. It wont let the control go back to 'stop'. And it is very stiff.
The starter rope won't retract, so I will need to get into the guts of the starter and I am guessing from what I read in the gregorys, reattach the starter spring to its catch inside the starter unit.
The catcher is in decent nick. No cracks or holes, it attaches to the mower well. Just a little bit of damage on the lower lip, but I am guessing this affects a large percentage of these catchers. So long as I am not brutal with it, it should keep on doing its job for many years.
That sounds like a mandatory carby pull down to me or a swap if you're lucky enough to have a spare snorkel and carby assembly ready to go. I'm lazy and will always choose the latter over the former lol.
My green catcher like yours has the start of lower lip wear showing. These need to avoid rocks and branches as the lip will suffer for it and the population of good thumb latch catchers without grotesque back yard repairs will continue to plummet at a greater rate than good thumb latch bodies. I have Vortex beater I got free and it has catcher repairs and I still love it warts and all. It adds character and it still looks impressive to my eyes despite obvious flaws.
These are the best looking mowers in the world and I continue to marvel at their styling to this day since my fascination with Victa thumb latch series began in 1988 when a family we knew had a 1974 VC 125 mark III.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Just the one on the mower. I should be able to see what going on, and really, that is why I bought it in the first place, to get something that has seen better days, but needs repairs that are doable without specialist tools (ie; not straight fueled that would need a rebore), learn how these engines work, and thereby gain a spare mower I can alternate with the Tornado. I will also inherit the FC Corvette at some stage too, though I am happy to wait for that, for obvious reasons.
I like the thumblatch catchers, but as you say, they are falling off the perch faster than the mowers. And goons like us seem to be able to repair the mowers easier than the catchers. There has to be a way to fix these things up haha.
Just have to make sure I avoid looking for bargains though. So tempting to keep snapping them up. I will see how long I last.
Hi Sapper can't remember what I said but with the thumblatch catcher problems the flymo catcher is a good fit just have to make a new flap which is pretty simple. Also Rover catchers can be fitted the same way. W ith the pull start first check to see if the spring still catches by rotating the plastic pulley clockwise and letting it go to see if it will spring back. If not you will have to pull it apart and re-bend the spring. Not too complex. If you want to refit the starter and you don't have a new "O" ring a wipe of silicone on the ring will do for testing purposes. Do you know how to get the cable released from the cam and carb body? Once released you will be able to tell if the cable is the problem, they don't rust often but they do get bent when people try fitting them to the carb and they get a kink in them. That will do for the moment, just work your way through one bit at a time and ask questions as you go and we will try to get you the answers,
The pulley doesn't spring back, so it is an inside job. I have a new o-ring I ordered, just in case, so I will fit that one at the end of the operation.
I also have a new o-ring for the front of the carby, which I will inspect first. After that I will take it apart from the side and see what I can see with the throttle cable. I will follow the gregorys guide to the letter, and if I have any issues, I will let you know. Something is definately not right with it though. The cable will not allow the throttle control to go back to start, and even going the other way towards run, it is creaky and hard to push.
Spring is dead easy fix not like some of the others. If you start playing with the carby the first thing you will need is a viton tipped float needle, the plastic ones are too unreliable. See how you get on one step at a time. Fix the pull start first then you can test for spark and then see if it will fire with a dribble of fuel in the plug hole, seeing you are waiting on carby bits.
Ok, so I tried taking off the starter housing before work, I was faced with the nut on top and underneath a catch to engage the crank where the gregorys says use special tool tl18040v. You may also use a suitable ring spanner. I don't have a size 24 ring spanner, but I have a socket that fits the tops nut perfectly.
So, I tried a spanner on the catch underneath and tried a socket on the top nut but the nut refuses to shift, and the spanner comes adrift. I tried two screwdrivers, one in each side of the catch (as it spins open if you try to attach it the wrong way), and they came adrift. I tried locking pliers on the catch, put it in a vice, and use the socket on the top nut. The locking pliers come loose even though I have them clamped tight. I tried multiple times with each set of tools, no go so far, even after spraying the nut with wd40 in the hopes of unseizing it.
So, is there an easier way to do this operation? I am worried I will start buggering up the catch assembly as there are a few scrapes and bits of metal coming adrift now. Or do I need to use a ring spanner on the nut?
Had a moment, ducked home (I work literally 5 minutes from my house), and got it off. I held the bolt in the socket, in a vice, and used a shifter on the catch. I did it that hard that the starter flew out of the vice and crashed on the garage floor. Oops I bet that stuffed it. But no, I could now undo the catch bolt and hold the nut with my other hand! It must have been a bit seized up and the jolt allowed it to work free. The spring was a bit rooted, but I saw how it had a hook that faced the centre ring. Cut off the stuffed bit, recurled a new hook same as the last one, but right against the centre hole, put it all back together (that clip with the loop threw me off until I checked the gregorys). Screwed it up, with the starter cord wound on and last bit in the little notch, pulled it through, put the handle back on and another knot to hold it, and using a spare big o-ring I had ordered earlier just in case, it is back on the mower and working like a champ!
G'day Sapper, I think I'll invest in a 24mm spanner after reading your account. You've done the hard yards so we fellow novices don't have to go though that adventure like you did. Well done getting it working in the end. It's promising to be a very well spent blood orange!!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
We shall see! Just looking around the carby aaaaannddd....the decompressor pipe on the back has been snapped off....
Now I have to see from the experts here whether is can be reattached with some kind of adhesive? Or is this carby body dead in the water? I have managed to get the end out of the decompressor pipe, taken the carby apart now (the throttle cable and cam were not moving properly, but we shall get more into that after the current crisis with the decompressor attachment is sorted), and have everything lined up in a row; parts seem in ok shape. Even the diaphragm is looking ok. No cracks or anything else to report.
Sapper, I think another body is in order. Here's a shell of a G4 off a Victa twin that's been sitting in my garage for years, showing the outlet. I don't get what the metal bracket on the intake is about on this early example.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Strange, that is where the vacuum hose and throttle cable go, isn't it? Maybe it had a different attachment for the vacuum hose? Maybe to stop the throttle cable coming out?
I have had a look for LM carby bodies. Good sweet jesus, they want the earth for the things. Cheapest new is $40, which kind of makes buying a sh!tter to get running a moot point. I will have to keep my eyes open to see if I can see one floating about somewhere.The price shocks me as people are selling dead mowers, with working carby bodies, for less than a tenner! What a weird economy...I will give them $10 for the bloody carby! Keep the mower!
In any case, since this one is kinda dead, I might experiment to see what might work. First attempt will be seeing if polystyrene cement will melt this stuff and make a connection. I use it for making my models, but it depends on what kind of plastic the carby is made out of.
Sapper, it would certainly be interesting to see what you can pull off ..,erm put on, since you have the plastic piece. I would carefully clean the contact areas with a wipe of acetone, as it will slightly melt the plastic and remove oil and grease residue thoroughly I have heard. I would use a new pliable piece of vacuum hose so you don't have to use as much force to get it on and a film of oil to assist further in getting it on without breaking it would be a good idea after the cement has had a good amount of hours to set.
It should work as there is no real load on it once set up. Best of luck.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Sapper don't buy a carby, I just picked a PT up on hard rubbish 5 mins ago, just keep a look out they are still out there and people still chucking them out, although not like they were a few years ago.. Once a few people know you are playing with them they also look out for you, that helps. I haven't seen a pic of your broken decomp port but if it is just the white end that has broken don't worry about it . MF that is a bodge done by somebody to keep the cable in place. Pity you aren't closer I have boxes of those carbys but I will not post any thing any more
It snapped off just over halfway, so it requires surgery. Now, the polystyrene cement doesn't work. So, I got my dremel out and honed the two sides so they were nice and flat. Made sure the hole in the middle wasn't covered, and have joined them with very strong super glue. I will wait for that to dry, while also regularly pushing through some fuse wire to make sure the hole stays ungummed. I will then apply a second coat of super glue to further strengthen the area. After that, I will use some silicon or putty around it to keep the base strong. Then we will see if this bodgy job works.
Sapper , you should have just left it alone, a new piece of hose will fit fine on the stub, even clear plastic hose is fine as it is only a vacuum hose
Ok, so the fix has worked. She is all back together and starts perfectly. Bloody loud though!
Now, these are the problems;
The throttle cable seems to be too short. When putting it back in the cam, the bit that slides out needs to be around the 'start' position in order to get the head into the little bowl/slot in the cam where it operates. Having the throttle control back at 'stop' does not allow the head into the cam.
The mower can only be turned off when the throttle is in the middle of 'run' and 'start'. Putting it back to 'start' (remember, with the throttle cable problem above, 'start' is the new 'stop') puts it at full revs again. Naturally putting it to 'run' also has full revs'.
Ok, I am all ears experts, what do you reckon about the above?
Congratulations, how is throttle control and idle? Does it overrev in grasscutting mode?
Sounds (!) like the exhaust has either a rupture or it's in need of stuffing. I was fortunate to have a couple of spares last time I swapped one over. I just used needle nose pliers to pull out the mesh stuffing from the old one and put it into the other. They are fiddly to put back on for a novice but the key is the angle you do it in. There are plenty of youtube vids on the subject.
This is a good one to watch.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
