OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Tecumseh / Kirby Engines Kirby-Lauson VK-30 carby throttle connections?

So I made the mistake of disconnecting all the carby mechanisms and springs to do some painting of an engine block. 3 hours later and I was still puzzling over how to put it all back together! But I think I might have it. The funny thing is I am 100% sure this is not the way it looked before. So either I have something put on wrong, or it was wrong when I got the mower. When I got the mower, the part with the little spring on it was facing directly towards the governor. Now it is pointing back towards the engine block.

I would appreciate a heads up or thumbs up, as the case may be.

Here are the positions. What do others think? The thing that worries me a bit is the governor arm is not moving at all. Of course the motor is clamped in a bench vice and not running in these shots.

IDLE:



FAST:



CHOKE:






Note: The spark plug is only an old one that I screwed in there for doing the painting.

Hello vint-mow

This may help ...
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/58949/VICTA_SERVICE_GUIDES_-_1960s.html

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Jack

Thanks Jack,
I'll take a read through them.

will check mine 4u . but in the meantime found these 2 pics and your control arm wire doesn't seem the same position as these.

also quick checked cyberjacks info

Thanks Gizmo, Looks like mine has a different setup to the ones in Jack's info, probably because of the Zenith carby. If you take a look at my photos, the choke wire is the bottom one. It has a really big curve in it, so this position is really the only place it can go to push the choke on. Then when you pull the lever back it allows the spring on the choke spindle to release, thus turning the choke off. I think I must have it right, but won't know for sure until I try to start it.

This shows the wire in CHOKE position.



And here is the same wire in STOP position. The green arrow indicates the screw hole where the coil wire goes. It looks like the throttle wire pulls the choke wire back until it touches the coil wire, which stops the mower.

i will get mine out to have a look too.its a bit hard to get at so give me time. its on the top shelf in my shed.

G'day all
Yes, there seems to be a different setup with the Zenith carbs.

Thanks Jack and Gizmo, Looks like I must have it right. It's a tricky set up, which is why I found it so confusing to put back together.

If only the Kirby manual had that illustration, it would have saved me a WHOLE lot of time.

So there is no need for you to get your H. G. Palmer down from that top shelf now Gizmo. I really appreciate your help.

always learning new stuff.

I must still have something wrong. Got the mower back together. It started first go but ran flat out. Pulled the throttle lever back but it still ran flat out. Then it promptly died. I haven't been able to get it to start since.

Can anyone tell me what brand of carby was used in those other illustrations? The Zenith carbs are problematic - extremely prone to flooding. I am wondering if I tried the other kind of carby if it might work better?

Hey, I just noticed something.

The illustration from the instruction manual shows the throttle to Governor connection in this hole.



But I have mine in this hole.



There's my problem!

The illustration is a bit blurry so it is hard to make out exactly which hole it should go in. The big hole seems wrong, although this is is where it goes on the Southern Cross KXD. It could only be the smaller hole in between, and probably the one on the outer edge?

Hi Ian,
I reckon you are right, shift it over and see how it goes.

Still no go from this motor. It is turning into a painful exercise. I tried all four possible positions but no luck. Then this morning I found the fuel tank had decided to spring a leak through the night. It took all day to air the fumes out of the shed. The carby also has a very bad flooding problem, so probably needs a new needle valve and seat. Fuel starts dripping from the air filter as soon as you turn on the tap.

I am still convinced that I have those wire connections wrong. It looks like I will just have to wait until I can find someone who has an identical machine in working order.

I also wonder if I have the governor lever arm put on the wrong way. There are about three possible positions and I don't know which is correct unless I can see a photo showing the way it should go.

Until then it looks as though this restoration will be moved to the back of the shed and shelved.

have a turner with a VK-30 and is running - I will pop the tank off tomorrow and take a picture for you - cheers

heres the pics of the happily running VK-30

I might be wrong but I think the motor in question here threw itself to pieces some time back