I have just been given a Victa 2 stroke that the person throwing it out claims has sat in his basement for 20 years without being run. It is the last full crank with the first steel base, with side starter and Super Start logo. Probably dates from 1982 -84.
I just want to ask what precautions and steps I should take in attempting to get it going again. I am concerned with lack of lubrication on initial start up. The starter rope turns the engine fine, so is it right to prime and go? The condition of the mower really does suggest a time capsule, albeit a humid one as there is a lot of surface rust on the deck and engine cowl, but the labels are all in place and in remarkable condition! The tyres have very good tread, not to mention the wheel covers are in good nick and axle bushes look new with no loose movement on the front axle.
Will post pics soon.
PS. The blades are in good shape, but are very loose on the bolts. You can hear them as you pull the starter. Do I need to tighten them? The nuts feel like they are all the way down on the bolts.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
MF what I do in this situation is remove the carb, bring the piston up to TDC, with the mower tipped on its side I pour in a few teaspoons of fuel in through the inlet, rotate the mower so a bit of fuel gets to the top and bottom bearings and a bit gets on the bore. Depending on how much fuel you put in through the inlet controls how long it will take you to get the crank cleared. Pull the plug out and pull it over a few times, put the plug back in and give it a try. As for the blades it sounds like they need new plastic washers fitted
Thanks. I was just about to ask the same question, only for a 4-stroke Tecumseh.
I have given old engines a good spray inside with water dispersent in the past, which is basically hydrocarbon. I guess "Start ya bastard" is a similar product. Then I've cycled the engine a few times by hand prior to starting. Probably someone will tell me this is "bad practice", but I've never had any problems. A mate of mine uses a small amount of oil and gets everything lubricated prior to starting. Then sets it to idle until the oil has dispersed. Of course you get a fair bit of smoke after starting. He swears by it, but personally I don't like all the smoke and wonder if it is actually doing more harm than good. Probably is, because it just blackens the plug to start with!! Norm's advice sounds the most wise to me.
Thanks CJ for the links confirm that Victa sold the full crank along side the Powertorque, which allowed Victa to capitalise on it's long running proven 160 2 stroke design as the PT took hold. I always found this model ungainly looking but from front on, it has quite a mean stance. Definitely has grown on me somewhat and is a solid little performer (as long as it runs!). The high mounted fuel tank aids fuel flow. I
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
MF I doubt they were sold alongside the PT intentionally, I would think they were just left over old stock they had to get rid of and they put a different looking tank on them to make them look a bit different to the previous model
Hi Norm Ah ... no ... Factory documents make it clear the PTs were introduced gradually across the range. This is typical marketing for up-selling. Victa had been doing it for decades, the most obvious example being the 125cc / 160cc thing. Another would be the low / high arch thing. All very deliberate and intended stuff.
Well there you go Jack reverse marketing, keep pushing the old models while bringing in the new. I doubt that would ever happen these days, it is hard to keep up with what a manufacture is selling today because tomorrow they have a different model. I guess they could do that back then when brand name was important and Victa had sold good products for years to the domestic market. These days brand name is only relevant to people such as contractors who want quality and are prepared to pay for it. Even then they struggle to find good quality products because they are also driven by market forces that push manufactures to try and produce cheaper products
It certainly goes to show that Victa haven't learnt a thing !
Even as far back as this machine they had that stupid method of attaching the handle bar, something they still have to this day.
Without a doubt this is just one of the most deplorable examples of ultra poor design which inevitably has become planned obsolescence if nothing else.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
That's only the case in 2 Strokes that have oil used in their fuel supply, 4 strokes are very prone to failure and also 2 strokes without oil. Funny about that, but that's the case with all 2 Stroke power equipment used by the uneducated.
All in all the handles in Victas have never felt solid like Rovers, Masports and Greenfields. Sadly Victa just became a rubbish product over the years with it's blatant cheapening of design.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
One of the handle stems on one of my 80s alloy base Victas has a fatigue crack almost half way around. I have temporarily solved that by drilling 2 mm holes at each end of the crack and hope the remaining metal will be strong enough. if not, I'll either replace it or get someone to hit it with a welder.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I've always maintained that the handles need to be attached to the sides just above the rear wheels, this way all the force is placed on the mounting bolts creating a shearing action which won't happen due to the tightness of the bolts opposed to being mounted on a broad flat area of sheetmetal with absolutely no strength being flexed constantly and eventually failing due to metal fatigue.
It's just basic engineering design and how Victa have gotten it so wrong is beyond me. Honestly if Victa were an automotive manufacturer they wouldn't be able to sell a car as no one would buy them.
Also with this type of design used makes the Victa feel so cheap in ones hands opposed to a Greenfield Enduro series mower or even the very common Scott Bonnar 720 for that matter which was made in the 1980's and were as common as muck.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
It certainly goes to show that Victa haven't learnt a thing !
Even as far back as this machine they had that stupid method of attaching the handle bar, something they still have to this day.
Without a doubt this is just one of the most deplorable examples of ultra poor design which inevitably has become planned obsolescence if nothing else.
Cheers, BB.
Same applies to cars. You'd think the amount of time humans have been making mechanical things like cars, all of the problems would eventually be ironed out. Well I know sometimes they create new problems when they try to introduce new technology on to old designs, but when they just keep replicating old problems, there seems little excuse. It really makes me wonder sometimes.
I suspect in some ways poor designing is a good thing from a commercial point of view. Make things last just long enough that they begin to fall apart by the time the next generation of machines comes out. In the old days flaws and weaknesses were probably not deliberate, just the result of bad designing and engineering. Today it is more likely deliberate. How many of us have bought cheap Chinese screwdrivers, only to find the steel end has simply been inserted into the handle, which is soft plastic? After using a few times the steel end part turns inside the handle. Or bought a Chinese made spanner for $2 and had it break in two the first time you've put a bit of strain on it?
I see this all the time in modern chain stores like Bunnings. They will release a prototype edger or trimmer in some unheard-of brand name. Sell them cheap with 12 months warranty. The machine lasts 1-1/2 years. You realize it is "out of warranty". You go back to buy parts, only to be told the item is now "obsolete" so no parts are available. You are told to buy another cheap one in same brand, next generation, on which all parts have been deliberately made a bit different to the model before. Sometimes they have ironed out the problems with the earlier model, other times not. All very hit and miss. Today we are seeing consumerism gone mad and despite "Clayton's" recycling, we have become the most wasteful period in human history.
Yes some fuel with oil in the plughole , and pull it over a few times with spark lead disconnected... to get some in top an bottom bearing.... even turn it upside down to get oil in top bearing. nice mower
speedy
........................Keep your blades sharp......................
