OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions On Victa Ride On Mower Frames Victa 8/34E

Hi, I have been given a Victa ride-on 8/34E. It has a B&S 8HP with electric start. It is not running but I want to get it going and use as a yard tractor so I won't be putting the cutting deck back on. I am not familiar with ride-ons and have some problems with the engine and brakes which I want to research. Is there a workshop manual available that I can download. Cheers

Wecome to Outdoorking, Bobbybrian. The nearest item I can find in the parts and manuals section is a 12-38 illustrated parts list. The overhaul manual for all Briggs and Stratton engines made in that time period is here:
http://www.tpub.com/content/recoveryvehicles/TM-5-4240-501-14P/css/TM-5-4240-501-14P_70.htm
Just use the "next" button or type a higher number in place of the 70 in the URL at the top of your browser, to get other pages - there are 224 of them.

I haven't seen a workshop manual for your mower. If you care to post details of your problems here, with pictures, we may be able to help you solve them.

Thanks Grumpy. When I get stuck I will post my problems.

Post up in here, i have a couple of them here. Both 8/34's but both different. And i fixed one a while back for a guy and his was different again.



Whats your cutter deck like???




As far as getting it going.
First thing would be to check for spark.
Second is a compression check/test. Aim for 80-90PSi or better. (screw in tester is cheap)
Third would be to check the valve clearances, especially if comp is low.
Fourth would be to check out the fuel system. Clean the carb out and fresh fuel. etc.

See if it will go.


Actually first should have been check the oil. If theres none you should ask yourself why and start wondering if its worth the $10 of oil to tip into it and mess about trying to get a motor running that could have been run without oil.


Those are an easy motor to convert to pull start too. You just need an 8Hp pull lid and the sprag spindle.
Bob.

Thanks Bob. I have done all those things but with clean clothes on if you know what I mean. This weekend is when I will get into it seriously. One thing though, the wiring had cut and disconnected wires all over the place, so I took them all out and basically just had power going to the starter motor. I noticed a switch on the clutch pedal and wondered whether there were any electrical issues that I need to have connected to make it run correctly. When it does start it barely idles and wont rev at all.

That model Briggs doesn't have an anti-dieseling solenoid in the carburetor does it? The symptoms seem fairly consistent with a solenoid that isn't activated or is defective. From your description you don't have power on the safety devices, including the solenoid if it has one. You are lucky you have ignition - the safety system sometimes grounds the kill wire if there is no power.

Thanks Grumpy.The carby doesn't have any electrical solenoid on it. I have been looking at some wiring diagrams but couldn't find one for my model specifically. (If there is one can you post the link?) Anyway the one I was looking at shows a yellow wire going from the ignition switch to the magneto (via the kill switch on the throttle cable??) I didn't have that wire attached because I didn't think the magneto needed power. ie produced its own electro-magnetic pulse for the spark. Maybe I was only getting a weak spark and so the engine wouldn't rev or even keep running. I probably need the proper wiring diagram to reinstate the wiring before I try to start it again. Any ideas.

The wire to the magneto MUST not have 12v applied to it, it is the kill wire you short it to earth to cut out the spark.

There is no need for any external connections to the magneto unless/until you want to stop the engine, which in the end is important, particularly if the machine bolts across the lawn toward your neighbour's cat. If you had a pull-start it would be easier to test various things, but you might try something like this. Arrange the wire coming from the magneto's only external terminal (i.e. the kill wire) so you can ground it easily but in the meantime it won't get wound around anything and strangle somebody. Clamp the metal base of a known good spark plug to a cylinder head fin, and connect the plug wire to it. With the kill wire not grounded, operate the starter and watch the spark plug gap. You should expect to see an even series of blue sparks.

Hi again. Having looked at the wiring again I now understand the yellow wire from the ignition switch to the magneto. It is just to earth the magneto out to stop the spark either by the throttle switch, the ignition switch or the reverse safety switch. So I am back to square one which is OK because its part of the learning process. I still would like the correct wiring diagram though if it is available.Victa 8/34 B&S 193707 0321 01 89050412 Magnatron 8HP Cast Iron Bore. Links to any available info would be appreciated.
Cheers

Wow you guys got in quick!! My last reply was done before I even saw yours!!
Got to go out for a while now so will test the spark later today. This site is really great and I appreciate everyone's help. Catch you later.

Over the weekend I managed to get it going. The flywheel key had sheared putting the timing way out. Now runs sweetly even though it had sat idle in a shed for the last 8 years. As I said previously I still would like the correct wiring diagram if it is available. Victa 8/34 B&S 193707 0321 01 89050412 Magnatron 8HP Cast Iron Bore. Links to any available info would be appreciated.

Bob, I hope you replaced the key with a genuine Briggs one. They are made of zinc so they can shear when the blades hit something unyielding, like a tree stump or water pipe. You would probably have a broken crankshaft right now if the original key had not been made of zinc.

You need to put the flywheel on loosely without the key, then slide the key between the keyways in the flywheel and shaft with the flywheel in correct position. If you put the key in the crankshaft keyway first then lower the flywheel over it, you are likely to have the key move downward slightly and jam the flywheel slightly crooked, and with excessive stress on the hub. The flywheel is likely to come loose, run eccentric, etc. if you do that. You might even crack the flywheel eventually.

Because the key was sheared, something horrible has happened to the cutter disk, blades and drive. It would be a good idea to take a look at that system: a stitch in time saves nine.