OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Tech Talk Pope Ezi Start 2-Stroke.

Here's an interesting old one I found today, I haven't worked out much about it yet, but the metal catcher tells me it's a bit older.

Anyone know much about Pope?

Tecumseh motor i think.


Ive one here that similar. Mine looks older.
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showpic&id=1737


Motor is different. Its looking for a home.
The pulley is gone off the top.


Ive got a feeling that they might have been a long lived but not common design. Ive seen a couple of orange ones and at a glance they could nearly be early 80's looking with Briggs motors. Dunno, could be tricked by condition.

Wow, your sleeping as well as I am!

I'll have to see if I can get a good look for a serial or engine manufacturer next time I duck out for a smoke (soon) hopefully I can get this old girl u and running, It's in bloody good nick, I'll say that much!

So is the mower looking for a home, or are you searching for a base to re-home the engine?

It's still ugly.

I actually don't mind the look of this one, nice classic look!

Nah if you want the pope ive got here your welcome too it.

I wont use or fix it.

Only thing i would use it for would be on top of a pole out the front. Im sure i can find something else.

Pope always had a good name up this way, I don't mind them at all. Getting back a bit now though, I'd be thinking in the 70's.

I'd tend to agree with Tecumseh, the carby layout looks it anyway. Even the old Kirby / Tecumseh had the same design.

You are sad Ty.

I might have a good pole mower here for you Bob!

I'm hoping to clean this and the Sunbeam up tomorrow, I have High hopes for how this one will come out, the engine also seems good, perhaps a clean up of the carby and she might go.

I had a look for markings on the engine, all i found was the number 161, I'll get some photo's up of the engine when I can.

Dont stress Ty, im not light on for up the pole cantidates.

Do you have a video of this pole mower?Does she (I'm assuming it's a she) wear some sexing clothing? Wow I want to see this.

Not to drag up old threads but...

That engine is a Wisconsin "robin" 2stroke... An american made, short lived engine... You were right on the fact that that's a tech carby tho... Tech made the carbs for Wisconsin...

They run well.... and have lots of power.


Kori

Something different there Ty. Good to see!
My old man loved the rotary valve version of the pope. (I hated the %*&% thing with its wheel adjusters) I have only ever seen one of these and it didn't run and that was over 20yrs ago, good score!

Now that I know a bit more about it, I'm very excited to get this one up and running, especially considering the condition it's in.

Hopefuly some time during he next few weeks I will have time to look at it.

So I't a rotary valve engine?

Iv'e not worked on one before, so this should be quite interesting, and thankyou for the engine ID Kori, There was something about the crank case that just didn't seem like techumseh to me.

No infact I'm almost positive it has reeds... Tho I haven't seen one in awhile...

They run like tops when they are going... but they sound like crap (rattle clang bang slam backfire etc.) But that's normal...

Pull the starter in short yanks, because they like to kickback...

The gas mix should be 15:1 don't use 20:1 in it (overheat.

But it's an interesting engine none the less..


Kori

Ty, the Pope rotary valve 2 stroke engine was from the late 1950s as I recall. I'm not really sure, but I thought Pope may have made it themselves in Australia. The engines had a certain popularity on very early go karts here.

Also, as far as I can tell from internet reports, in general the Wisconsin Robin engines are Japanese Robin (i.e. Subaru/Fuji Heavy Industries), sold by Teledyne in the US under their Wisconsin brand. Most Robins are 4 stroke, but they also made 2 strokes. Fuji registered the Robin brand for their industrial engines in 1960, and made a sales agreement for the US with Wisconsin in 1971. You can read the history here:
http://www.subaru-robin.jp/what/text2/jigyoubu.htm

For interest, see this workshop manual:
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/pdf_documents/robin%20engines/Manuals/TTP30084.pdf

It doesn't seem to be the same as yours in detail, but may be similar.

So, you have a very decent engine there. Fuji/Robin is the world's fourth largest engine manufacturer, and Japan's second largest.

I've seen Pope engines... they were and still as far as I sold as tru-cut ( ) That one has a later model robin but they are made by pope and as far as I know you still can....



[EDIT]: It doesn't appear they are made by pope anymore... shame...


Kori

The Australian Pope company was founded in 1925 in Adelaide. It mainly made various garden products, but added the rotary valve lawnmower in 1959. These days they are owned by Toro and probably don't make much at all, though they still have a range of garden products from various sources.
http://www.popeproducts.com.au/about-us

Yeah, I knew that they were made by Toro, But I didn't know how old they were! woh!

And I looked at the Tru-cut website, and they have much degraded...

Now there mowers have welded square bases, and 4stroke briggs' engines probably made in china...

I remember, back when they had 1-1/2 inches (50mm) thick cast alloy bases and 2stroke engines..... long time gone....

Kori

Ohh I started something here..... That is NOT the rotary valve model!

The rotary valve model carby track is cast into the bottom half of the crank case and the valve is cast into the output shaft of the crank. The inlet air fuel mix goes through the centre of the crank output shaft and into the engine crankcase that way. The timing is controlled by the location of the inlet port cast in the lower crankcase housing which lines up at the correct time with the on core cast into the crank.

Ty I'm >99.999'% confident that you have a piston port controlled induction motor there.

There is a rotary valve model same as the old boy had is appearing in the Random photos as I type (the orange one with the cowling misssing and the "T" push handle with the individual wheel hieght adjusters, which the old boy tells me were for running along the concrete to get a neat egde on the lawn).... note the inlet although not as clear as I would to really prove the point, however if your know what your looking for......

John

I thought we had sorted that out, no?

Yes it is a side port model.. at first I had thought it was a rotary valve (reed) model but I was wrong....

Go back and read the other posts FAST, You'l learn something

I cant wait to see a video of the mower going... I've only seen one of these in person... and it was almost completely worn out and sounded like it was going to explode but the mower it was was a beautiful contraption that's for sure...


Kori

Fastgrass, the engine in the pics in this thread seems to be a Fuji Robin sold by Teledyne under the Wisconsin brand, there are several pics of them in US Youtube posts. What would be nice to have, is some information on the 1959 Pope rotary valve engine. Is this the picture you were talking about?

Yep thats the one Grumpy!

Spent many afternoons pushing one of those around the yard as a kid! Heaps of torque they were hard to stall out even in high over grown tough grass. Finding any specific engine specs would be a task beyond me I'm afraid... That would be a tough one I think (any old dealers out there?)..

I read (1 of) your post links re: Teledyne engines and skimmed through the manual, the engine construction didn't match well, but I can see where they might of got the design from? Bit like Kirby tecumseh 2 strokes they made them here but the yanks dont have em...?

Just to clear something up for you mate, rotary valve is NOT another term for a reed valve engine.

A reed valve engine uses a metal 'reed' to create a one way valve on the crancase, through wich fuel/air mix is drawn when the crancase forms a vacuume as the piston ascends the cylinder.

A rotary valve engine uses a rotating valve (as FAST has described above) of one form or another to control the flow of fuel air mix into the crank case. the position of the valve is controled by the position of the crank, and is fixed, unlike a reed valve (ie, if you turn an engine till a reed valve opens then hold it, the valve will close over once the vaccume inside has gone, however a rotary valve will remain open)

The frame shoen here and also the engine are dead ringers for the early model Pope Rtry Valve model I have one of the starter pawwl thigys sitting on my benc Brand new Als got a used muffler which again is a dead set ringin as that on the pic . All of the old Popes I had have gone now but may have some pics still The mowwr in the pics have the T bar handle Just the same set up again Cheers Joe

Gah... I was dead tired last night...

My post should have gone " At first I thought it was a rotary valve or spring plate (reed) valve".... oops

Kori

Thanks for confirming that is a rotary valve Pope Joe - any pictures of rotary valve Pope mowers and especially engines would be appreciated. Here is one set of pictures of the engine available on the internet (slide down to bottom of page):
http://www.vintagekart.4t.com/photo_46.html

Wow, that really would be an interesting engine to work on, you can clearly see the inlet track FAST was discribing.

I'll hopfully be starting to work out my pope soon, as mentioned, so I will make sure to provide pleanty of detailed photo's and information once I get inside that engine!

I wish I could get my hands on one of the rotary valve ones, that would be a real treat!

I think I've spied the stone guard / chute that drops into the base slots on the rotary version around the old boys sheds some where for future info...

Anyway... back to topic...

Hope the Ol Pope fires up for you Ty!