OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Other Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Rover super four 53 self propelled

G'day guy's....Ive been on the lookout for a mower to do up thats a bit more a challenge and not very common,to what Ive done before..Finally got one this old Rover....I got it from the tip so far it's a good start as it runs fine..Well it should be a challenge and an interesting restoration...Cheers.

I cant find much on the net about it I think its 5.5hp?...I plan to use it to mow with when done as I do with all my mowers...

After a quick clean to see what I have on my hands,its not to bad..The base needs a repair at the front and that's about it as far as damage goes but should be an easy fix....

5hp, motors are oil drinkers but are a tough solid unit, They also give a fantastic cut, I used one for my mowing rounds for ages, if the lawn was one of my regulars you couldnt even tell I didnt use a catcher.

After I sent it to scrap (somone wanted an engine badly so the rest went into the "pile") I did manage to get another one, but have never looked at it, its under a ton of cedar tree leaves.... "one day"

As far as I can read it from the picture, that is a model 130902, type 0424-01, code 75102006. If that is right, here is the Illustrated Parts List:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/Z6kpuBVJ1DajI.pdf
Here is the Operator's Manual:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/msotJO-K_ny7tH217FzoPu.pdf

It was made on 20 October, 1975 in the Murray, Kentucky engine plant.

Thank's heaps grumpy for the info and yep numbers are right so 1975 briggs,bugger me thats getting on...And Joe any chance you could get some pics of the one you have? I only have like 4 pics I found on the net of this kind of mower....I pulled the carby off to give it a good going over,but one thing I will say is the 1st thing I do is take a pic of how the springs and linkages go its a good start even if wrong, and I never remember how they go back on! haha... Talking of carbies here is a good link on Carburetors I found ,thats if its ok to post? well here is the link http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/

That is a great carby servicing link.
I have a 5 hp engine like this on my Deckson slasher.
Powerful but noisy.

Interesting, The self propelled feature reminds me of the older Lawn-Boy Self Propelled method.. The system itself is called a "Capstan Drive" in which a rotating roller of some sort is pushed against the wheel causing the machine do drive..

On the lawn-Boys they worked exceptionally well.. Hardly wearing the wheels down at all..

This is the best picture I could find, I will take some better pictures when it's not -30c Outside..



Kori

Done some work on the tank and carb side of things,am happy with how its looking so far.....

Love the paint job, looks

Chris, your base looks in good nick, hope your engine is good internally.
I have a feeling this machine will be something special.
I noticed the bore size is the same for the 3.5HP engine, like on your orange rover, just a larger stroke giving 206cc compared to 147.8cc.
Could be the same piston, I haven't looked at the part numbers to compare yet.

Thanks guy's and yeah I think it will look the goods when done as well..And mark I did not know that so its 206cc with same size bore as the 3.5hp engine interesting indeed... Im yet to pull the engine in half will know more when I do....Here is a pic of a test run of the blue hammertone paint Im going to use and it looks ok to me so think I will go with it...

Yea the hammer tone looks good :-)

Hi guys looks like i've got a winner with the engine, seems to be in great shape for a 35+ year old engine it may not be perfect there is wear here and there but it will be a runner...It must have had new rings as they seem like new to me. And a question for grumpy is the 2nd ring in the right way? Ive not pulled them off the piston that's how I found them...Cheers

Wow, Very nice Job!

Did you brush or spray the Carby and tank?

Kori

G'day Kori, And thanks yeah its looking good so far......I spray paint everything dont think I even own a paint brush haha....When I paint the block I will show some pics of how I go about masking off when I spray paint...The more time spent in prep and then masking off the better the end result I find...

Chris, that is a somewhat unusual but not rare, scraper-type second ring design. It is called a Napier ring, probably meaning it was pioneered by the Napier cars of the very early 1900s. Yours is installed the right way up.

Thanks grumpy and I see what you mean about the Napier 2nd ring (thanks to google)....Well so far Im getting there slowly but surely with this mower , I was looking for a challenge and so far it has been just that...There are lots of parts to this one and seems to go on forever and ever haha but so far what I have done Im very happy with its looking good I think ,and the only parts I need are head gasket/spark plug/and a carb diaphragm and where I could I just made gaskets.....few pics cheers

Getting there...

No words just smiling.

Working on the wheels and axles, I like the old rover cast wheels very strong and more than likely out last the rest of a rover mower in the day...The 5hp briggs is just about done as well its a big engine...The old briggs and stratton engines have grown on me after working on a few I like them they are easy to work on parts are cheap and there is a wealth of information on the net about them on the karting forums and such...few pics Cheers

Here is a link on how to adjust the governor on a briggs http://www.briggsandstratton.com/us/en/support/faqs/adjusting-the-governor, there are some very good vids that show how to as well out there......I only go over a mower like I do to keep the restoration process going as long as I can,I enjoy tinkering on mowers and its just one of many hobbies..For me to do a basic restore on a mower I can do that on one saturday so to keep things interesting I get right in there and keep it going as long as I can haha...Its just a hobby and Im no expert alot of things I could do better and Im getting there, but I do enjoy tinkering and for me the best part is when I fire them up for the 1st time and put them back to work.. There are plenty of mowers on shelves to be looked at saved for the future ,so I dont mind putting the few I have back to work ....Cheers

Hi guys making progress now base is done,I used fiberglass to repair the base...

Beautiful work and attention to detail. The repair to the base looks great, as does the blue hammertone. Fantastic!

Cheers, Michael

Very impressive.

Fiberglass what an awesome idea

Congrats mate

Thanks guys...Few pics its looking like a mower again ,am going to order new engine decals should look good..Sure is a big beast of a mower Cheers Chris..

Love your work Chris,
this looks like a museum quality restoration....well done mate, I can't wait to see it finished.

Thanks Deejay its getting there...Has been a busy week and ive not had much time to work on it but got some done...The only thing with this mower is the guard that goes over the drive pulley,I dont have one so am looking at making one I have found a few pics of how it looks to go by....few pics

If you get stuck for that peice let me know, I have one of these sitting here doing nothing, I will dig it out and see if the parts any good.

G'day guy's not much of an update on the rover... Got a new muffler for it, it's starting to look to good to mow with lol...Just to give you an idea of the size of the big beast here is a pic next to my little 125...

Joe if you have a pulley guard for sale that would be awesome it would top the mower off perfectly..PM me about the details ...Cheers Chris

Kind of got distracted on this one lol...But am back onto it and should be done soon, Decals are on there way the blade disc is done and on just working on pulley guard and a few odds and ends....End result coming soon .....

looks great man you have done an awesome job and that chassis repair is spot on!!!
cheers tomo

What an encouragement for us to have a go at ours!

Thanks tomo and Christo,and Christo Ive seen the vid of your Rover self propelled looks like it runs great hopefully mine runs as good with all the tinkering Ive done....Being relatively new to briggs I did not know the muffler had a locking ring oh well all fixed now....

Great pics and a very tidy job, love it

Looking good now it's just about done,Im very happy with the way it has turned out its a beast of a mower ....

awesome job man , ive just got a mower very similar hope to do the same ! what paint did you use on the base its almost original !
cheers, tomo

Here ya go tomo, its a good paint out of the can no need to undercoat.....

Hey Chris here's some pics of the guard off mine. hope it helps

Hi Chris and members, here's some info on the 13 series vertical Briggs engines that may be of interest. The images are larger than the in-post preview if you wish to read the specs.

Cheers, Michael

Chris, do you know if forum chaps have identified a good match for the orange/red Briggs engine? (I am colour blind you know) .
I am wanting a decent match for my "Super four 21".
thanks .

Chevy orange is about the best match in engine paint.

Hi Christo,

Chevy orange is available in pressure pack spray cans, and you can get it from most auto parts stores (SupaCheap Auto etc.)

G'day Christo your Rover is looking good mate...Ive not done an orange briggs yet so id go with what Joe and Deejay say is a good match,dont forget to load some pics of your rover when done..Have been abit busy of late but have had mine going and seems it's revving too hard as when I engage the self propelled it spins the wheels and takes off! and I have to RUN after it! HaHa...Am looking at Buying a tach so I can Check Revs and make life a little easier working on small engines......Cheers Chris

Great minds think alike they say. (joke) I would like one of those tacho gadgets too. On the subject of "too fast" mine has the opposite problem. It is a tad slow, but if it is too fast then I would guess it could be a danger eh? The darn things could run over some valuable garden assets if they get engaged and take off. Good thing the technology has put the self propulsion under constant control of the operator now a days.

Good complete example (Not mine)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rare-Rov...rs&hash=item35d3f9af32#ht_208wt_1120

I want to thank Newlife for the pictures. Especially the following picture of the manual from ebay listing he had referred to.

Yes very nice ,if it was closer i'd buy it.

Chris125, I am not doing a restore like yours because I am only a learner. But my super 21
has been looking better since I followed your leading. Still a way to go yet though. Great fun this.

Christo you've done an awesome on your 21,something to be proud of for sure and you've done a great job on the briggs! ...Ive added your pics to my Rover self propelled archive keep up the good work. Cheers Chris...And yeah if you dont have a Rover badge for your base PM me and I will send you one that's if it's the same badge as on my 53, I think the 21 and 53 have the same badge?...

Thanks. I am a but troubled by the carby & enamel having a "run-in".
Chris125, Hold your accolades because mine in no way comes even close to to what you have shown us. Anyway I bought a new "carby to tank" gasket thinking it would help any leakage. But instead of helping it leaked all over the place. The Blue paint not affected but the paint from the spray can of the Chevy orange did not like it at all. So can I ask a few questions?
1)Do you have any advice on preventing leakage at the carby to tank?
2)Also is there any tips out there on preventing enamel from being vulnerable to petrol?
3)Should I use two gaskets on the carby?


I have a Rover edger to fix for someone so I might ask em if I can pinch the badge. Looks same size 133mm.

Bugger mate not good what paint did you use the brand?....My carby to tank was the same but the fuel did not worry the paint,all I did to fix the leak was to make a thicker gasket you could try two gaskets but with the thicker gasket mines fine now..The tank to carby is not what you would call very flat...Good luck and mower is looking great are you doing the catcher as well.....Cheers Chris

Chris, Here is the pic of the spray can. I think this is a worthwhile point to be discussed on the forum don't you? I mean in any restore it is useless to have a paint with this disability. Others can benefit from this? regards Chris.

These types of engine enamels are usually quite good with their fuel resistance, provided they have cured correctly. They will be very sensitive to fuel otherwise. I'm not sure on the correct procedure for curing this particular brand but some will require you to heat the paint to a certain temperature several times, others may have a period of 7 days or more that you need to let it sit before it is exposed to any fuels etc. Bear in mind that the waiting period can extend significantly if you've applied several coats or heavy coats.

As most of us don't have access to a suitable oven for curing, I would suggest leaving it for a week or so after painting and then sticking it out in the sun a few times on some warm days. You can also utilise the heat generated through engine operation but be careful that you don't let the engine get too hot on the first couple of times that you run it after painting. For example run the engine for say 60 seconds and let it cool for the first few times, then run the engine for a little longer each time until cured.

I have used all of the popular brands of aerosol engine enamels over the years for various jobs and have not experienced any issues once the paint has sufficiently cured.

Thanks rolla, I am listening. It is a learning curve.

Also to Chris125. I have attached a pic of what Rover called their drive. If you want the pdf of the rest let me know. They called it a "posi-traction drive mechanism".

do ya Like that?

regards
Christo.

Never used that particular paint before myself...I have had good results using Motospray paint out of the spray can with no paint reactions to fuel, rust gurad paint is good stuff also...Interesting so they call this setup a "posi-traction drive mechanism" whatever that means .

Hi Chris. I am a newbie to this site and am looking for some assistance I recently acquired a Rover exactly the same as yours (nice restoration by the way). I used to use one about 20 years ago in a lawn run I had and always thought it did a great cut so I am keen to get it up and running and relive the glory days!
The biggest problem I am having is finding the drive dogs. The ones in your pics appear to be new. Can you tell me where you got them?

Robomow, I also am a newbie. Not an experienced re-builder like some here. But I am a watchin! Sorry that I cannot help you with the source of the cogs because I have not replaced mine. They are original. My Rover came in undamaged condition from a great chap in our Adelaide Hills. (The only problem with these engines though is the strength needed to pull starter cord javascript:void(0)).
I trust that someone else will reply to your question as from what I have seen ODK is pretty good at advising such stuff. regards Chris.

In case I have posted a reply to Robomow that was intended for Chris125 I apologize.

No worries Christo. Hopefully Chris125 or someone else on ODK can help with the drive dogs.

I have a question too. In regard to the "super four 53" by chris125: can you give me a tip(s) on repainting the ROVER badge? My attempts at the red letters look tragic.

G'day Robomow, The drive dogs on mine are not new thats how they came on the mower..sorry I can't help you as to where to get a new set..

Painting the rover badge,was a pain for me to lol..only tip I have is use a very small paint brush and lots of patience...

Hi guys, Ive done a fair bit of mowing with my 53 now and got it all sorted one thing it does weep oil out the governor shaft and is nothing I can do there but its not to bad....Ive never had a mower with this much power it will power through anything!...I really like it but one thing is it's a big mower and there is no way Id push one around without the self propelled setup,which works great and does not slip if you hold it back the wheels just spin and dig holes lol...Cheers Chris

Hi Chris125, glad you like the mower now that you have used it. I used to use one the same over 20 years ago on a mowing run. I found it to be very powerful too and it did a great cut as well. I mowed everything from a manicured buffalo lawn to a 1 acre hobby orchard with 2' long grass - all with ease. I especially loved the way you could cut a lawn without a catcher and leave virtually no trace of the clippings (I assume you know the knack to this).
I am happy that I have been able to locate another one - I have to get it going yet but I am more concerned that I have not been able to source new drive dogs. They do wear out and that reduces traction and speed. I'll let you know if I find some.
One other question, what blades are you using?
Cheers
Gary

G'day Gary the blades are still what came on the mower but look the same as what's on any rover push mower,but I will know for sure when I go to get a new set...Yep just flip the side chute up and say bye bye clippings and I do wear safety glasses but the way the side chute is way out the side nothing comes back at you its good like that... I picked up all the sticks and rocks and mowed this strip to split the paddock in half for when Im burning off in winter the 53 powered through it like nothing,still have about 20m to go so yeah giving the old girl a good work out.
.....Cheers Chris

Must have been on the moon when this was posted....For like 3 months! Damn Chris If thats not one of the best Detailed Restos Ive seen!...Fantastic work on a little rarity. Well done mate,looks like it was a lot of fun and something different and challenging always makes for a more rewarding job!. Love It!!!

Nice work guys.

Chris125 you need the hang on plastic catcher that ive got here.


and Christo, you need the steel one.




Ive got two or three of these burried in the pile up the back.


I did have the special 19" one that converts to a rotary hoe (didnt have the rotary hoe), sold it too a guy a while back.

Welcome back Bob, long time no see.

That goes for me too Bob, great to see you back mate.

G'day Bob and thanks , good to see you back hope you hang around your a wealth of knowledge....And yeah on the 53 Ive never seen a catcher for one didn't even know they had one...

Thanks guys.

Typo up there. Was meant to be hang.

The catcher hooks onto the hinge rod for the side door.
The one for the 53 is plastic. Similar to the old metal setup.

Hey Guys, I know this post is over 12 months old, but I just got this one today when I sold my 1988 Little Wonder Deluxe Edger. Looking at the photos in this thread, it's missing all the self-propelled gear, along with the catcher (?), and I haven't looked at the motor yet, but is it worth fully restoring for resale? Had to clean all the oil and grease of it and lost some of the labels with the hose down. :-( Engine information is Model 111902 Type 0418-01 and Code (incomplete) is 770926-0(?). The base looks in good nick, but side shoot may have a gash out of it at the rear. The one here was white, and this is orange. I guess may be because this is a 77 model compared to the 75 model that has been restored. Very nice work on the restoration. Well done. :-)
Thank you
Daryl

To reactivate an old thread I wonder how much parts interchangeability between the Super 4 21 and the later 53 in the SP section.

To reactivate an old thread I wonder how much parts interchangeability between the Super 4 21 and the later 53 in the SP section.