OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames Victa VC160 Auto Drive V109

Hi All,

For a while now I have been looking for one of these, I don�t know how common they are in Australia nowadays but I cant recall seeing any for sale here in the UK for the last few years... anyway, I found one..!! (sorry I cant figure out how to link pics to the post)




It has the original green catcher but it is going brittle and has cracked in a couple of places. Is there anything that can be done to repair/treat them or is it just a case of shutting it away in the dark for the rest of its days?

It�s obviously had a few parts replaced over the years, the throttle lever and engine cowl are not original. The air filter snorkel is split in several places where it joins the filter housing and the filter housing itself is broken off its mountings but I have the cap with the "V109" code on it. I really like the retro �Auto Drive� lettering on the base; it would be great to find these parts including that original lime green engine cowl and get it back to somewhere near how it should be.

The engines piston, rings and barrel look fine through the exhaust port, it has good compression and no signs of scoring. The engine number is: 20720 71 92 (does that make it 1971 or 1972?)

I am starting to wonder if this will be too expensive to restore back to near factory condition? I found what I think is a 1982 Victa Power Plus last year that needed a bit of work, mainly a good clean up, new handle bars, carby overhaul some paint and a new drive cable. I love it and use this mower regularly now. I don�t think I will put this one back into service though, maybe just start it up now and again. Is there an alternative catcher I can get for it? Also, does anyone have that lime green engine cowl for sale?

Thanks

Alan.

Hello Alan

A warm welcome from us here in OZ [even as we approach our Winter].

Victa made a huge impact in the UK at this time.
... And I feel they showed the world what a good rotary would look like.

Linking pics is easy-peasy HERE.

I hope someone has an answer to that - but some plastics seem to be time-limited.

I don't think so, but I am not a collector or restorer.
I hope our experts will comment.

These are not common machines nowadays, and this was a great model
that consolidated Victa's reputation.

I feel this is a project that would require some dedication though.
We appreciate you reminding us that Victa had a significant presence
in the UK in the 1970s.

Great to hear from a UK enthusiast.

----------------------
Jack

The catcher is a model 27 and I am not sure but I could have a new old stock one available but the freight would be more than what the catcher is worth as they cube the box.

Thanks Bruce,

I thought that might be the case with shipping the catcher but at least I now what model it is to look out for.

How about the engine cowl, I don't think I stand a chance of getting one of them over here?

Thanks Jack,

I love these mowers. The fact that these machines are still going strong 60+ years on says it all. For me it wouldn't be a summer if I never got a whiff of 2 stroke from a Victa when cutting the grass.!!

Is your other one from the early 80s with the silver chassis and black engine cover and chrome wheel caps with black centres?
I have that model too as well as the auto drive you have pictured.
Both of mine have no catcher and have things wrong with them. No auto drive system on the older one and busted cable and engine seal on the other!
Believe me, bits are getting hard to come by for these classics in oz as well but admittedly you do see complete auto drives in various states on eBay sometimes, but never with the auto drive specific catcher!
We exported shiploads of the VC series to the UK at the time didn't we? I wouldn't be surprised if close to the same amount were sold there as in their home market. I'm sure there are a few barns and sheds in that vastly populated island of yours with the stuff you require.
One advantage you have is your country is smaller and if you were to discover someone has a bit you need, chances are, it will be within a drivable distance, unlike here in Oz where the distances are too great to collect a mower that is interstate.

Hi Alan, these Victa 2 strokes are by far the best mower engine ever made world wide, no reason why many of them could not see out a hundred years of service

Yes, That's the one, great machine. I could also do with a couple of those chrome wheel caps, mine has them all but 2 of them are cracked and in bad nick.

Do you still have the outer cable? Its not ideal but I bought a new inner brake cable for a tandem bike (heavy duty) on ebay and used that. As long as it has the small barrel type connector on one end, just cut the other end off and Thread the cable from the gearbox up to the black handle an around the pin, double back on itself and use a connector to join the cable. I think I had to grind away the barrel connector a little bit to make it fit properly. I dosent look that pretty at the handle end but it works fine and it's a lot cheaper that the �100+ for the proper replacement (if you can get one that is.!!).


"Vastly populated" you are not wrong there mate, this country is completely ruined now thanks to us opening the flood gates to Europe..!! It's a bit late to close our borders now as everyone is already here. You guys had the right idea with a points system for immigration, we just let anyone in, terrorists, murderers, rapists you name it. It will never be the same again, real shame. Getting back on topic though you're right, there must have been massive Victa imports so the parts I'm after should turn up at some stage, I will just have to be patient.



I totally agree NormK, the full stroke 160 and 125's are superb engines. The alloy high arch mowers with the full stroke engines are bomb proof, the steel base models don't take kindly though to our lets say "damper climate".

Hi Alan, the steel bases are a problem out here as well. I have a number of alloy high arch ones and my fix on those so they can continue to be used is by modifying the rear flap and fitting a Rover catcher to it. Not sure how this would work on your auto drive

Guys, just reading on the label that the gearbox oil should be changed every 12 months? How do you do this and what type of oil should be added?




The drive dosent seem to be working well, the mower dosent seem move at all when the drive lever is engaged with the flywheel rotated?

Thanks in advance.

How do you do this Norm? thats Interesting. Only trouble is I cant ever recall seeing a Rover mower/box for sale here? I will have to have a look on ebay.

Hi Alan, what I did on the first one was pop rivet a Rover flap onto the existing Victa flap, with the others I have just folded a new flap out of sheet metal. Not for the one who wants original but works perfectly for someone who wants to mow and catch grass. Rovers are a dime a dozen here and like Victa they have used the same catcher on their mowers for years so there is plenty of catchers about

There is a socket head drain plug in a bottom corner of the gearbox - probably an Allen key hex socket.
Dunno about a fill plug though - the exploded drawing in the Service Manual doesn't show one; so have a look.

Victa says that 25mL is the correct quantity, but the Service Manual only gives a Victa part number for 'Victa Gearbox Oil'. However, I see that the sticker on the flap of your mower says to use quality SAE10 oil. This is most readily available through the motorcycle trade, as SAE10 Fork Oil.

Avoid any oils that claim to be 'EP' though, as common EP additives aren't friendly to 'yellow metal' parts, which are common in small worm gearboxes like that one.
Well, it won't move far on one revolution of the flywheel! Keep in mind that full throttle governed speed is 3800-4000rpm, and this is the setting Victa recommends for catching.

Anyway, to take the simplest things first, is the drive belt turning the gearbox pulley as it should?

Is this modification reversible without leaving to much scarring?
Reason I ask us that I may need to roverise my self propelled down the track as thumblatch catchers for self propelled are damned hard to find in any condition, let alone damage free and I have found what looks to be a Rover catcher with off set tongue that may accommodate the diff.
Will have to experiment.

Probably not easily reversed without another flap. If you offer rhe Rover catcher up to the mower you will see what needs to be done. I have one here that has the spring down the outside which I think is probably similar to the one pictured here, not sure how well these fit, I did look at it once but it was different to the others so I just pushed it back in the pile

Sorry Gadge, I got myself in a bit of a panic there and overlooked the obvious..!!

It does seem to drive, as you have rightly said it takes quite a few revolutions of the flywheel (in the right direction..!!) to see this when the drive bar is engaged.


Yep, there is a hex head bolt on the bottom of the gearbox, I will though have to get hold of a set of imperial Allen keys to remove it. I guess it would be re-filled through the same opening as there dosent seem to be anywhere else this can be done.

Thanks again for your advice, I will have to get hold of some SAE10 fork oil now. Cheers for the heads up on EP additives, I will have to look into that.

I think this is one of these catchers, looks in very good condition.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/west-footsc...-immaculate-perfect-condition/1143874643

Wow..!!

Norm.. Please don't do this to me..!

I just wish I could get hold of that.. it's less than �20..!! That's an absolute steal, now somebody just has to snap that up and ship it over to me...

Does anyone have any idea how much shipping something roughly that size and weight to the UK would cost by any chance??

Hi All,just thought I would show an image of the black model 27 catcher,the
green one is a model 22.

The Autodrive catcher has clearance on one side so it does not contact the self propelled gearbox.
With out this clearance the catcher will not fit on. These catchers are not in new condition.

For the time I was able to view it ( my phone browser keeps closing it down due to security certificate message popping up), it doesn't look to be the version for the auto drive model (as described by the previous poster).
It looks to have been wiped down by oil to give a false impression in the pictures.
They weren't that shiny from new.

Hi Alan a very nice find you have there.Yes this model is getting very hard to find even here in their birth place.
This means that it is in fact from 1972 the 20 at the front is the model code and the 72 is for 1972 the rest is just a serial number.So the good news is that is the original engine.
Here is a few pictures of one of mine.


This is the screw for changing oil.

I noticed that Bruce put a picture up of a catcher as you were talking about cracks in yours.I'm sure you realized that the catcher that was pictured won't fit the auto drive due to it doesn't have the cut out section for the diff.
It is intersting to see all the different decals that Victa put on the catcher flaps.My second auto drive has this decal on it's flap.

It's funny how nobody knows what Victa 25cc oil is.
Here is a few pictures of my 2nd auto drive.



Unfortunately the cowl on this one has a hole and a crack from the hole,and it at some point has had it's diff and all it's auto drive parts removed.So I call it an auto push now.I'm going to put a diff etc back on it but at the moment the only part I don't have is the lever handle so it will just have to wait until I can find another one.
I hope you do decide to restore it,it would be good to see.I'm going to restore at least one of mine.I just have a few to do before it's turn is up.
Any questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to give you the answers you need.

maxwestern you are 100% correct.Allan these other catchers you are bring shown will not fit you mower.You will need the model 27 as max has shown.
Like this catcher here.

G'day all,
Actually, we now do - Alan has made a welcome contribution to the ODK knowledge base, via one of his pics.
Many thanks for that, Alan.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts in this thread, the viscosity is SAE 10 grade. And this is easy to get from motorcycle shops, as 'SAE 10W Fork Oil'; it's usually in 500mL bottles, too, which is handy.

The warning I give about avoiding 'EP' rated oils, is because most EP additives are of sulphur based chemistry, and these will chemically attack 'yellow metal' [i.e. the brasses and bronzes] components, such as bushings and worm gear wheels. And there do exist Fork Oils which claim to be of 'EP' rating.

That doesn't necessarily mean it's the same oil.Alans was for export to a colder climate.Which is most likely why the decal was different,the oil would have to be a different viscosity to here.I'm certainly not sold on that's it's the correct oil.I have plenty and still have plenty of VC-Auto Drives and not one has got that sort of oil on there dacals.So I'm not sold and won't be putting engine oil in any of mine without further research.So really that doesn't prove it is Victa 25cc oil is.SAE 10 is just engine oil I'm sure here in Australia the oil would need to be thicker than engine oil.We get a lot hotter here then the UK.

That Wally on Gumtree has sprayed that green catcher with clear and not oiled it at all. How silly some people can be. All that's going to happen now is that the clear will fall off rather quickly due to bad adhesion.

Blumbly and folks,

Yes, of course we do have hotter ambient temperatures than the UK. And while this considerably affects engine operating temperatures, it has very little effect on those of gearboxes!

Another consideration is that the critical component, with respect to the correct oil viscosity requirement, in this model of Auto-Drive gearbox, is not the gearset. It's the multi-plate wet clutch assembly.

As it happens, I am very familiar with this type of clutch and its workings; most Japanese-made motorcycles use this type, and have done for decades.
BTW, I have the official Victa-endorsed Service & Repair Manual which covers this model, open in front of me as I type these words. That's Gregory's #424, p. 123-125, to be precise.

I would say that the reason that only the export Auto-Drives were actually marked with the oil viscosity grade, is that Victa dealers in the destination countries were very likely to be much further apart in distance, than they were in Oz at that time.

And Victa wanted to ensure that a critical maintenance procedure, i.e. regular gearbox oil changes, would not get deferred/neglected due to difficulties in obtaining Victa-branded oil.

This service item is flagged as essential in the S&R Manual...

I think BB it was done to make it look more impressive that and really is.I guess for someone who doesn't know this would work,but we know better.

I can't get over you doubting people, the add says in immaculate perfect condition

we're all doubting Thomas's around here Norm that's for sure.

As I always say it's hard to polish a turd and turn it into gold.

Also that's why you always find twits who sell cars with buggered paint wet them before taking photos. Gives the same effect and makes them look like con artists in the end.

I've seen that done with mowers on Ebay as well. A VC Auto drive was one of them.