OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Four Stroke Lawn Mower Frames Turner Self-Propelled Mower - needs V belt

Hello,
I have a Turner self propelled mower that I hope to get going. I think it has a Tecumseh engine but this is the first Turner I've come across. The engine starts but I have not got a drive belt for it. Past experience tells me I need the exact belt size or I end up buying half a dozen of the wrong ones. The model is a VK40. I would be grateful if anyone here has this knowledge to share. I have attached some photo's. It's odd the way the cable runs alongside the v belt; I thought it would wear in that location. OH!...and Grumpy, yes, the drain screw leaked like crazy.

God help me! I've just realised there's a second belt from the engine to the one you can see in the picture. It's missing too. To get at it, it looks like I'll have to take off the blade holder, the blade boss and then take the engine off as well!! No wonder they went broke...

Hi Sparker. A VK40 would be a vertical crankshaft 4 hp Tecumseh-Kirby-Lauson engine. I don't know the model - 2.5 and 3.5 hp seem to be the usual. There should be a metal plate on the engine indicating the model and that it was made by James N. Kirby but by some mysterious process (commonly known as a licensing agreement) it is actually a Tecumseh or Lauson engine (same thing of course: Tecumseh bought Lauson and inflicted its brand on the new subsidiary). I'll tell you a trade secret: I pick those small Lauson engines out by glancing at the carburetor, especially the air cleaner. Here is a picture of it from another thread.

That strange structure, especially the wire clip, is distinctive.

I've never heard of a self-propelled Turner, the Turner brand came and went a long time ago. There seems to be a screw hole that would once have retained a belt guard.

If it is a standard V belt you can identify the specification by taking two measurements. First, check the width of the groove in the V pulley just below the outer circumference. An A section would be 1/2" wide. If it is 3/8" that is below the ordinary industrial sizes, but is designated as 3 section and is common for automotive purposes. If you run an inch tape measure around the outside of the pulleys you'll find the outside circumference of the belt. The standard part numbers in the belt trade consist of the section followed by the outside circumference, such as A33 (a 33" A section). You can get into the nauseating detail here:
http://www.gates.com/catalogs/file_display.cfm?file=Belt_ID_Chart_bkmrks.pdf&thisPath=gates%5Ccatalogs

If the grooves are V shaped it will originally have had a V belt, but I doubt it will be as big as A section. I wouldn't waste my time trying to track down a second hand 40 year old V belt, it would shatter if you dropped it. I also wouldn't waste my time trying to find a Turner spare part, since the firm has been gone 30 years or so and was socially insignificant when it existed.

Hi Grumpy, yes that's the carby but the aircleaner has been replaced by the "tenant" and converted to use a Victa snorkel. Thanks for the belt info. What a nuisance job it's going to be.

Think positive, sparker. After you try six or eight belts until you get one that's perfect, you'll be able to post the correct information here, and save the next member going through the same thing. You'll really feel great about the help you'll be giving.

Maybe I should be called Grumpy.

But I'm a positive thinker, Sparker - I'll keep this thread open so you can report back. Best of luck - it can be done, it's very unlikely to have been a special belt.

I'm having trouble understanding where the measurement should be made. Is the photo correct? Once again, grateful for help.

No Sparker, you need the width of the belt, so you measure inside the sides of the pulley groove, not outside them. Sounds as if it's a 3/8" belt, which is an automotive size.

Ahhhh... Thanks Grumpy.

OK. I've measured the two belts as 3/8" wide. The belt from the engine to the first pulley is 18" long and the final belt to the wheels is 28". I don't have old ones to measure against so I used a 3/8" rope and then checked it mathematically (as best I could).

Sparker, the way I do it is just to run a pull-out rule around the outside of the pulleys, pull it firm, and read it where it reaches back to the tape reel. I am uncomfortable with your reference to rope. The mathematics should work though, for a simple two-pulley system: twice the center-distance plus half the outside circumference of each pulley. If you had another pulley it would become quite unwieldy, of course.

Go find two stuffed old belts the same section but longer.

Cut them. Drill a hole in one end of each. Wont be easy, dont drill your hand.


Put them on, and put a screw in each one, do the over lap central in between the pulleys.
Mark and unscrew. pull the belts off.

Screw back together. Take the belts to someone who has a belt measurer and size them up. Hey presto youve got the exact right belts.


Bob.

Hi Grumpy,
Yes, the maths you did was the same as mine. It's not possible to measure the length insitu for one of the belts because you can't get at the pulley under the engine when it's in place. If you take the engine off it becomes a bit of a guess where the pulley would be. I tried to order from one place but got tangled up with effective length and overall length and
metrics got in the way too. I did a trip to Supacheap to see if they had the belts - no luck. I've emailed a belt supplier for help. I'll keep you posted. Rodeobob thanks also for the tip. I'll see what comes back from the supplier and, if no luck, I'll do what you suggest.

It wont matter if you cant get to it, with the hole in the end you could use a bit of wire and feed it through.


You dont have to pull the motor off till you go to fit the belt.


Just make sure you mark the belt clearly as well.

A History Record is now made available for the Turner Self-Propelled.
The record explains more comprehensively this lawnmower.

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...p-62-self-propelled-c1962.html#Post90233