OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Victa Two Stroke Engines Powertorques - Carby Needle Issues

Hi Tiger, further sanding of the needle won't help, been there done that. I'm reluctant to try reaming the seat, so difficult to see up in there. Such a pity that they are let down by these needles, I might have to give up on fixing them, sick of spending hours trying to get one to work

I reckon it will be hard to give up on them despite their well documented carby issues. Why? Because these machines are so reliable, they cut through anything, they're relatively easy to service, they seem to outlast a lot of other mowers, they work on all angles and length of grass doesn't bother them. I hear your frustration but are any of the mowers out there perfect?

Are the problem needles aftermarket or genuine Victa?

These are the needles I've been using:



Unfortunately the needle doesn't scan in very well.

That needle looks a 100 times better than the junk I have been getting. I got some needles from a mob in SA just before Christmas, because the ebay pic looked like that one, but what did I get, same old rubbish I had been getting from the supplier in Melb

I got the pack from the local hardware store that had been sitting on the shelf for years. Unfortunately there was only 2 left in the pack of 20.

I know of another old Victa dealer near here who may have some good quality ones, but the new owner has put up the price on everything.

Have you tried GA ones?

http://www.gaspares.com.au/program/...UMB=2048&GROUP=MW%20FSY%20CARP%20VIC

https://www.[Censored].com.au/victa-black-plastic-carburettor-inlet-needle-cr03404a.html

Looking at them they look the same as I have been getting and they state"non genuine"

Thats a shame. Generally GA & Bynorm parts look identical so I wonder if the quality has dropped across the board?

Is it worth hunting for old stock needles then?

Before Christmas Pushmower Repairs did tell me he had another source he was going to try but I have not heard back from him. I have sent him another reminder email

What do you think the retail price should be? The local mower place charges $2 each.

I would happily pay double that if I could get ones that work, put in a new needle and be able to forget about it, at the moment I pray a lot and keep my fingers crossed, and that is after a couple of hours swapping things around. The problem is even once I get one to work, I can't guarantee the next time I turn the fuel on that it will work, it might not seat and flood or it won't drop to allow fuel to flow

What should one look for when buying a needle? Clean edges on the point?

A viton tipped one would be nice

That would be great. Did Victa originally make a viton tipped one?

I wouldn't think so but a man can only dream

Maybe some progress on these, hopefully getting some brass needles made to test

Great news. Keep us posted, could be the solution.

Yes that would be great.

I have bought 2 new needles in the last month, neither does the job. I know it's a long shot but has anyone made any progress in this perennial problem? Do you guys think the needles are too wide and get jammed or is the tip of the needle getting caught in the jet?

I have never needed to buy a needle, I have always had spare ones lying around and one thing I have noticed with worn out ones that make the primer bulb piss petrol out is the tip is no longer pointy and had dulled into a dome shape.
One test I would do to a new one is position it in the bore it goes into with the float in place, saturate it in fuel and test to see if it goes up and down with the motion of the float. Also hold it up to the light to see that the tip is a consistent pointy shape without any fine burrs. Obviously with such a fine plastic part produced by an after market supplier in China, there are going to be more duds than before. Some two bit factory in "Choina" is not going to feel very accountable wit their quality control for something produced for one specific foreign (to them) domestic market.

It is a complete crap shoot, if I come across a working needle in a mower I'm stoked because I know if I have float problems it can cost me a million hours trying to get one to work and then I have no idea if it will work the next day. Tiger don't waste you money buying that junk off ebay, they just don't work, I have told all the suppliers that their needles are junk, but their response is "nothing we can do about it", my response the them has been "then stop selling the junk" Most then don't respond.
Anyway Tiger back to the problem, at this stage I have not ordered the needles from the States, because they are going to cost me $150 plus then I have to hopefully be able to machine them to fit and this causes concern to my missus. Another sticking point that I have pointed out to the seller is the $36 postage for a parcel that would only weigh a couple of hundred grams. I might have to just bite the bullet on this and get them and hope the consequences or Jean doesn't bite me.