I hope this is the right place for this, I have seen a few other posts similar so here goes.
This is the mower that came with a 15 acre property we bought. After getting it going a few times it went for a while then stopped, wouldn't restart. Ominous clacking sound when turning over didn't sound good.
Now, whilst I now know what happened (con-rod brokeded) I don't why, whether it's something I did or didn't do or it was about to go on it's own. Being about 35 years old it's done quite well but the timing of it's demise was suspicious.
I eventually got said mower back to suburbia where I could work on it and pulled the engine off and apart.
Knowing the 11HP engine was stuffed I started thinking about finding a replacement and considered a 16HP Chinese Loncin engine available locally, problem was it had an oil filter the original BnS didn't so I knew it might not fit.
Hence I decided to model the mower a) for fun (?) and b) to help with modification options without having to cut anything first c) play around with different paint options virtually.
Problem with b) is I don't have the engine modelled and wont any time soon
Since then I also decided to go with a "Buy Australian first, Chinese last" approach to life so ended up buying a 11.5HP US made BnS from local BnS guy. Contacted BnS US and unsurprisingly they wouldn't let me have any models of their engines. Poo poo heads.
BnS also has an oil filter so something's gonna get cut.
I hope I haven't crossed any lines or broken any Mower community rules but I have decided to paint it white going forward.
Hey Madmower. cool little ride on. Some people are sticklers for keeping them original. My view is that if you like it white then go for it mate. after all it is your pride and joy.
If my collection is complete ( then how come i keep buying stuff ? ) 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
I did consider keeping it original-like but since it would have an unoriginal engine (the engine block and everything was smashed up internally), seat and some add-ons I let that thought go.
Another thought was (in getting new engine) was that, at the start of the day (because at the end of the day the mowing should be finished and time for beer) I need this to work and be startable/usable by the Mrs.
The original engine was 11HP so was another reason I didn't want to go for the 16HP Loncin, I was worried what it might do to the gearbox. I figured if the gearbox went it could very well be game over.
The parts above are only 3D rendered at this stage but as they are modelled they theoretically could be 3D printed.
The CASE 970 was the first tractor I learnt to drive and the similarities in the mudguards was serving as inspiration but since the mudguards are being removed to fit the engine it no longer made sense.
Hi MM keep the guards if you can, what causes you to have to remove them, if it is only the oil filter then just cut around it, the rest of the motor should fit. Did the Briggs come with a fuel tank, if not as the Chondas don't that becomes another issue.. If you are up to real 3D printing I think gearboxes would be high on the list of must wants. I'm sure a few other people would want those as well just to keep these simple, easily/cheaply repaired machines running. All very well to buy one of the later machines but when the hydro gives up or the deck starts to fail they are too costly/difficult for most people to repair
The Chonda didn't come with fuel tank, another reason I went with the BnS which did.
Unfortunately the fuel tank is one of the things on the new engine that necessitate the guard removal as it's on the opposite side and vertical with a fuel pump rather than gravity fed (?) from a horizontal tank that sat above the guard.
The original engine was a recoil start, new one is electric+recoil (yet another advantage over Chonda), so old one didn't have the starter to get in the way (although original XC had recoil or electric versions, but I don't have to tell you that).
Exhaust clashes on other side as its much bigger, as well as the starter.
As you may have seen from earlier foto of Loncin, I was hoping it was a matter of cutting a hole in the guard and maybe having to remove a wheel to do an oil change.
Have painted a few parts, as it's my first project it's not perfect but I have cleaned it up best I could and even used a primer coat! With any luck I may have it finished by the time this lock down ends
Hi Norm, the engine I pulled off was 11HP. CyberJack has a nice brochure in the history section from ~1985 showing this too. It also has to have a 1" shaft, not sure a 5-8HP would?
How does a 30" cutting disc stack up against others available? Is that bigger than normal? When it did work it cut onion weed/Guildford grass better than anything else I've seen, I put this down to a pretty fast tip speed on the blades due to large diameter disc that you might not get from smaller multi-cutter mowers.
Hi MM, the 5 and 8hp motors have the 1 inch shaft ( that is any with the ride on Briggs bolt pattern, the small push Briggs motors have a different pattern) 30 inch is what these ran, they may have built some a bit smaller, not sure. Greenfield built them in 26,30 and 32 inch. I think their rear engined ones were 5 hp and the front engines were 8 and 12. They may have fitted some bigger ones in the Evolution models
Norm, I have bolted the new one on and run it for a bit, the throttle lever works in reverse to what it was before unless I've got something round the wrong way. I was going to see when I remove the control console if I could turn the mechanism around so it pushes instead of pulls. Cant remember how old one worked, dont have it handy. It sounds then that this engine should be able to do the job without breaking a sweat, maybe why original lasted 35 years, had an easy life?
MM, changing the motor can cause throttle issues mechanisms are all different. Honda into a Evolution Greenfield is near impossible to get past the petrol tank mounted to the firewall.
Well surgery has been done, the mudguards have been removed (so don't look if you're squeamish). I didn't just hack them off I ground/cut the stitch welds and they fell off so if I really wanted to put them back on I could. Just to illustrate what the problem was I knocked up a quick and dirty engine model, I apologise profusely in advance for its crudeness, which shows not only how the oil filter clashes but also the exhaust and fuel tank clash with the guards and more importantly the actual mounting points. So I didn't see any other option, I sure more resourceful and creative people out there could've found a way to make it work. It also makes for better access to the starter etc and hopefully easier cleaning/air flow.
Mystyler, I am using SolidWorks to do my models, we use it at work and they don't mind me faffing around on it in my spare time. It might seem like a waste of time to some but, meh, some people paint pictures, some take pictures, I make pictures. It's a hobby in itself. I remember when I first joined someone showing some photos trying to show someone else how a linkage went together and they were apologizing for the angle or lighting of the photos. I thought gee if only they had a model they could do an exploded or section view. So that's part of my motivation to complete the model, to help others, even though realistically I am probly the one who needs the most help
I had a look at the deck the other day and it didn't look good, pretty rusty, some parts I could make, others..... but then had a squiz around the spare parts section on here and found the deck spindle and bearings. I thought Awesome, I am definitely in the right place!
MM, I must apologise for not getting back to you in the first instance.
And yes. That is EXACTLY the kind of thing I had in mind, and it looks better than I could ever have hoped. Ya gotta do it! I had wild ideas about getting something similar for my old Briggs on the Scott Bonnar, but with a rain flapper. Then I bought a new Honda and remained sensible since.
I have to live vicariously through others now.
I don't collect mowers. I just require Multiple Mowing Solutions™.
I hope no-one is holding their breath waiting for my mower to progress Ran into trouble trying to get deck apart. Was quite an effort to get lock nuts off and almost impossible to get the threaded boss (that the cutter disc bolts to) off. Took it to my brother's workshop and we hit it with some heat. Also ordered new parts (Spindle, bearings, housing) which were promptly delivered. Stoked. Spindle housing had one bolt hole broken off and had to destroy it anyway to get it out of the deck assembly (may have left it if it wasn't broken). Next mission is to start on the front end. Does anyone know of others that have bothered to restore one of these?
Haven't done much on my mower lately but I have managed to get some simple parts 3D printed just to see how they go. Not bad for a first effort, some thought will have to go into orientation etc. AFAIK this part is not available in the parts store so hopefully not treading on anyone's toes, plus it's not made of the correct type of plastic. Original was hard like bakelite.
Just on the off chance somebody is still following my slo-mo resto here's an update of my model. I have added a few electrical items which you can't see easily but added the seat this weekend. One of the better mods the previous owner/s did, can adjust the seat without having to undo bolts. Don't know what the seat came off though but it has a spring loaded lever adjusted slide like a car seat. Actual mower hasn't gotten much further since my brother welded up all the cracks in the deck. Spending too much time and money fixing up cars.
Yes, they are my images. As I pull parts off I try and model it as accurately as possible which at times is tricky as the parts are rusty, bent, repaired or worn so I have to guess what measurement they would be if they were new. Some parts like the cutterhead chute assembly are missing. The new engine has turned out way better than I had hoped, I would like to add the throttle connection which I've discovered was vertical on the original engine but is horizontal on the new one. I'm yet to model a lot of the linkages underneath which put it in and out of gear etc - something it wasn't doing properly when the real one was running before it broke. The gear box will be a challenge also. Previously in this thread Norm and I mentioned 3D printing a gearbox if it were modelled accurately enough but it would more likely be CNC machined from a billet I reckon. Anyway, glad you like the images, I will have to get cracking and finish it off.
Thanks for that, I did look for gearboxes when I started and turned up zip. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough but that is why we join these forums, to share the knowledge! It is indeed a 5 speed Peerless Tecumseh, but it only has one PTO and a disc brake on the other side. I'll keep looking through the examples you found for me. Should I keep posting photo's here or in a gallery or something?
I don't know where the last year has gone but I thought I owed my small group of followers (OK maybe it's just Cyber Jack) a lack-of-progress report. The Real mower hasn't progressed but my Virtual one has a bit. The engine model was bugging me, so I have spent too much time on that. Good news is that because mower is not mowing The Mrs said cut the grass with the Whipper Snipper. Can't, WS also not going. Well buy a new one. Didn't need to be told twice so have acquired a new 4 stroke 35cc Honda to keep the grass in check . Sweet. Have also been doing some poking around and noticed a few things, the newer models didn't even come with mudguards so they could fit bigger engines on, and also found one that was 8HP which Norm was probly referring to. I have seen a few people on here fix up some XC's but none AFAIK changed the engine over. Apart from mudguards two things are the proximity of the fuel line to the drive chain, will have to keep an eye on that, and the throttle use to push up on original engine but now pulls forward so will need a linkage or other to change direction of the cable. Also noted people complaining about cutter not disengaging which was my problem when it was running before it banged n stopped.
I think it's becoming evident why my project is taking so long... Anyway, as my Virtual Mower (at least) nears completion I am getting excited considering I have never finished anything before in my
I had wild ideas about getting something similar for my old Briggs on the Scott Bonnar, but with a rain flapper. Then I bought a new Honda and remained sensible since.
