OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Old Mower Pictures Victa Mustang 160 S80 Mk IV 2 stroke / full crank

Victa Mustang 160 Series 80 Mk IV 2 stroke / full crank




Ok, here is mine in purely original condition after 30+ years and well over 3,500 hours of use. The original green catcher still hangs in the garage 'as new' as it was replaced by a bigger capacity catcher after only a few runs initially!

This Mustang was bought new in the early 80's and has run perfectly every weekend cutting a lawn tennis court, side lawn strips and a large front lawn. The Mustang 160 Mk IV full crank is still quiet, smooth and a pleasure to use.

The only updates are new blades and a Vortex catcher. It is only fed Castrol GTX and RON 95 unleaded as the mix. It uses an NGK copper plug one stage hotter than standard so there is no ash build up in the combustion chamber and on the plug. Chrome gets a brisk rub down with mild steel wool and a rust converter to check the rust before it starts.

Blades are ground razor sharp and the mower only sees grass, no dirt or rocks. People still say "what a beauty" and the cut is as 'flat' as my trusty Web drum roller self drive!

While it seldom gets left at full revs, the fully balanced crank shaft allows for a smooth half throttle mostly. If I use it to pick up dead cut grass only then does it get the full throttle.

The mower was first run in using a non detergent, non friction modified running in oil mix and only then graduated to a friction modified oil once the rings had seated with full compression. The engine gets an extra 100 ml dose of Caltex Techron 5000 km de-carbonising fuel additive in one tank every six months to keep it running at peak performance.

All going well it should see me out. I only like having to buy things of quality once and unlike the designed obsolescence of today's throw-away products the old Mustang beats all the new models 'hands down'!

It's nice to have quality, especially in a mower...


















...enjoy!

It does look very good for it's age.It would look much nicer with it's green catcher on though.
Thanks for sharing and glad to hear it's still running well,they did still have quality control back then,which clearly shows here.

hi bert

what a great well looked after old mustang and still earning its keep.
thanks for the pics I,m impressed
cheers damo

G'day Bert,
yes, thanks for sharing, read all your recent posts, cheers

Well, I have decided to fit an electronic ignition.



I'm not going to replace any thing but just add a controller so that the breaker points don't carry any large current any more but only act as a switch to activate the ignition controller. Have done this to heaps of cars when they had breaker points and I have a spare controller lying around still for the purpose.

Should be interesting as this controller dramatically smooths out rough idles and the breaker points never wear out or need adjusting when this controller is fitted.

Any potential issues with this, let me know...

Seems like an arfull lot of work for a mower that's working. Just mine opinion but then again I'm a restorer and like to keep them original and not a modifier. So good luck then. How much is that set-up worth? I mean I know there's a lot of people that have troubles with the Victa twins,maybe that set could help. Although it would still rely on the original coil. Or could that be changed as well?

You're right...

It's actually a very simple install and can be removed in an instant without any cosmetic change. I'll give it a test and if there is no noticeable change in performance then it'll come off.

One thing I have found is that when I upgraded the recommended Champion plug to this Japanese made NGK variant the performance is increase by a far more stable spark under load...



https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/accesso...lugs/ngk-spark-plugs/ngk-spark-plug-b2lm

Nope, no noticeable change with the elec ignition test, so it stays original...

Hi Bert,
And thanks for letting us know the outcome.
As you said, with the controller fitted, the points only act as a switch, therefore increasing their life...You also mentioned that it "dramatically smooths out rough idles" but in this case you are dealing with a 2 stroke rather than a 4 stroke engine in cars, so it is not surprising that a noticeable difference was not evident.

No, it doesn't look nicer oddly enough as there is too much green everywhere when on the grass!

The Vortex catcher in black separates the functional elements and balances out the four colors nicely.

The green catcher does not exactly match the faded green metal case paint now so it does look shabby.

I like it, as in my pics...

Don't choose this plug because it's too long and can be bent if you knock it on something. I say this because I bent mine because it protrudes past the head bolt lugs on the cylinder head.

The plug performs without issue but is too long and hence can be exposed to bending or breakage as it is unprotected from knocks!

Yup, the exact equivalent [short body and 3/4" hex] plug to the Champion CJ-8, is the NGK BM6A.
I've chucked the Champions, and run those in my mowers and chainsaw, for many years now.

Bosch and Nippondenso are also excellent plugs, but it can be harder to find the right one for a small engine.

Cheers, I needed that part NGK number...






PS: I find that the Champion plugs that are still stamped 'USA' made last forever!

But they are hard to find...

Wow, I just did a wet tennis court as I was half way thru when it started to rain!

It does just as well on wet grass too...

Just added a new Victor side ejector chute from 'Squizzy' to save the Vortex catcher from stone damage when entering the rough.

Perfect for those like me who let the grass grow high in the off season...

It's been a decade since my last post here. How time flies. Sorry the picture server has gone defunct. I'll try to get them back up with help of the moderator. Now where did I store those pics...