OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Tip & Curb Side Finds Found SPFC and PT Victas.

I saw a hard rubbish collection going on last Sunday night so stopped the car and got out for a look and it didn't take long before I found a complete steel deck SPFC Victa and a steel deck Victa catcher with plastic flap inside, in the same street. I wondered what became of the missing mower. After almost doing a lap of the block on foot, looking at other piles, I saw an object right on the street corner at the side of my eye and it actually gave me a fright as it was dark, and alas it was the missing mower as it had the missing flap. It was a PT with the nice top B_B has talked about. A lot of surface rust but no rust penetration on first examination. The SPFC is the same as Converse model but has the older type wheels, which suggests it's the slightly older 80/81 model.
Haven't had a chance to test them out our take pics yet as they're still in the ute. Photos to follow.

Feels like winning Tattslotto doesn't it MF, well almost, good score

G'day Mowerfreak and NormK,

Sounds like some great finds there Mowerfreak, can't wait to see some pictures of the SPFC mate!

When I attempted to to start the full crank, I thought I detected a slight whimper but didn't run. PT test to follow. Last pic -this is what the surface is like all over.

Still a lot of these FC commandos around - another testament to the longevity of a FC. Also probably helps they sold so many of that particular model.

Mine flat refuses to start first pull - second go every time.

Nice garden you got there Tyler.
That cover fools the eyes into thinking it's a powertorque. It was obviously a stop gap for things to come.

Millions of those cover/tanks around MF, biggest problem I have with those is they are the screws holding them down are screwed into steel nuts in the steel fan shroud and usually they are rusted solid and are a real pain to remove without damaging the plastic. I put them back together with a bit of grease on the threads to hopefully prevent problems in the future

Thanks MF
Those covers do bear a resemblance to the PT.

A few months ago a mate of mine though they were both the same basic engine (he is not very mechanical) and ended up quite perplexed about a mower with the flywheel underneath the engine.

It is very easy for someone who is unfamiliar with these mowers to not know the difference between a PT and a F/C, in particular that model that they made look very similar to the PT, probably as a run out model so the dealers could off load them without most customers noticing the difference

It's funny to think it's the same engine as the 1960s Corvette with the hammer tone metal cover and wind up starter.
Shows what a plastic cover can achieve.

Victa has done that for years, think of all the PT plastic top variations all to make people think it was a new model. The later style catcher was another "new" model innovation, which was a bigger catcher, but then they cheaped out on those with a rubbish screen that is of poor quality, similar to the Rover catchers

G'day everyone,

That SPFC looks pretty original there Mowerfreak, the deck doesn't look that bad in the photo, probably just surface rust.

Hey it's great to see your Commando aswell Tyler, yet none of us has an original surviving "Commando" decal from one of these to be able to reproduce..lol Oh well something might turn up one day.

With the starting on first pull, I don't even bother using the primer bulb anymore, It usually starts after a couple of attempts.

Cheers!

I went mower hunting last night on another council kerbside collection, and found an all plastic small electric mower that looked like an import with Victa stamped on it and found a red Rover with the vertical pull B & S motor. The rear wheels had been pulled off, as well as the starter and carburettor. A shame as the base was in excellent condition and motor very good cosmetically. Even the decals looked near pristine. I noticed the flimsy catcher mesh NormK had mentioned.

Wish I was a bit closer MF I have so much of that Rover stuff that will eventually go to the tip one day.

Just thought of something I could do with it and when I went back, it was gone. The catcher and handles remained.

I always grab it, worst case is I take it up to the scrap metal bin at the tip

I finally got around to having a play. First the SPFC, I discovered it had water in the cylinder when I pulled the spark plug off. After I tipped it sideways and gave it a few sprays of WD40 and a few more pulls with the rope, in went the plug and I tried again.
After some hesitation it ran but with a large concerning plume of blue smoke drifting down the street. I was starting to think I'd get complaints. After a few more test starts, it improved. It starts first pull but has hopeless throttle control. Either medium high or high.
Weird thing is it stops at either end of the t-bar throttle.
Champion mower all the same, ready for 30 years happy mowing.
As for the PT, it wouldn't so much as make a pop despite having spark. When I pulled the primer cap off, the float was sticky, as though someone put solvent on there. Same with the bottom of the float chamber. There was a strange smell like old cooking oil coming from the rag that caught the fluid dripping out as I undid the cap. Cap o ring didn't look the best either. This will need further investigation.

These things are just so tough, all sorts of abuse and they just come back for more. With the F/C just do the carby mod and it will be a fantastic mower for another 30 years as you say. With the PT, nothing unusual about what the fuel,looked like/smelt like. If you want a quick check pull the carb off the F/C and give that a go and then quickly you have an idea what is going on

I was chuffed to see a motor with water in it only a few minutes prior, respond to a dose of water dispersing spray and fire back to life. I ran it a few times so it would heat up and hopefully flush out all the water.
Maybe I should have taken it for some recreational mowing up the street where there is a patch of nature strip that would make for a good proving ground.

After swapping out the carby, snorkel, throttle control and handlebars as one unit with another I had on hand, the powertorque started right up. Another one ready for work once it's rear flap gets reattached.

Nice top on those as well and such a beautiful motor

It runs like a top! Both start first pull and will plough through the toughest lawns like marauders.
Not bad for two mowers found unwanted. It's a despairing thought there amount around the country being chewed up by a garbage compacting truck every week with minor causes of non starting.

G'day everyone,

Hi Mowerfreak it's great you got those mowers running again!

Did you end up fixing the throttle control on the SPFC? In an earlier post you said it didn't have much in the throttle control?

On the mowers I have found I think I have to clean and rebuild all the 3 carbies! lol.

Cheers!

I'm glad you like it Converse.
The throttle control could be better but I'm happy to leave it rather than pull apart the carburettor unless there is something badly wrong with it. I'm just thankful it runs and stops and will turn grass into lawn.
The PT has excellent throttle control and has a very low tick over in the mid position, to the point it sometimes stalls lol. Not to worry, it gives me a chance to experience another one pull start LOL.

Got a job mowing a nature strip outside a disused bowling club, giving me the chance to put my finds through their paces. The SPFC went okay at first but after a while of use it became temperamental to start and eventually wouldn't start at all after some intensive mowing. I did notice the primer bulb didn't feel like it was pumping fuel when you pressed it. Is that a sign of a stuck needle?
I brought out the PT to finish the job. It felt nicer to use and felt easier and more nifty to use.
In some thick weeds it bogged down abit and got clogged with very wet clumps of weed cuttings. I had to unclog the underside a couple of times and it wouldn't fill the catcher properly. In these more extreme conditions, the hi arch thumb latch catcher models definitely handle it much better, from experience.

Easy work for a Victa but they do clog up a bit when the grass is wet and when it is long they don't seem to be able to throw it right back into the catcher so it clogs towards the front. With the F/C it is most likely a sticking float needle not sure if you have noticed but needles are my pet hate with these carbs

Funny MF, my identical Commando did the exact same thing on similar height grass. Stalled it in the thick grass and took about 15 pulls to get her going again.
Next week, wouldn't go at all - no spark. Cleaned the coil face and it lived again.

We have sandy soil over hear, so clogs even on the thick grass (or at least on our nature strip) are unlikely as the sand blasts it out. Not kind to alloy decks though

G'day everyone,

Hey Mowerfreak it's great to see those old beasts out there mowing the nature strips mate! Yes on my SPFC it doesn't really like wet grass at all. It just mostly chews it up and some of it makes it into the catcher when the grass is really wet. I try not to mow with the Commando when the grass is wet unless I really have to. I try to wait for a few dry warmer days for the grass to dry a bit before mowing.

With my SPFC though, it starts real easy after it's been running for a while. All it needs it's just the slightest pull on the cord just to get it to tick over and it will fire up again no worries.

Cheers!

Hi all,
I didn't mention that a guy came over to me to complain about the smoke fromthe SPFC when I started mowing. He said it was drifting toward the child care centre next door. I told him it should clear once the motor gets going and burns up the oil in the crankcase. Just to keep him off my back I started mowing the opposite end and hoped it would indeed clear and noticed that it still smoked a bit at middling revs even after five minutes but seemed to clear at higher revs but didn't want the unnecessary noise and fuel consumption over the short sections of grass.
I am wondering if the popett valve is in the wrong position to be making this smelly exhaust or is it a generally worn engine? It went through the thicker kikiyu grass alright though.
Converse, it's good to hear your unit is running dependable but this one is proving a problem child at the moment. I'm glad I got to find out though this outing though. Some tinkering will follow.
Tyler, is yours better now you've cleaned the magnets?

I turned the poppet valve from a to b then c on a VSX160 and got no RPM change - unloaded - no idea what happens under load. From memory, my FC Commando doesnt have the ABC markings, just the black poppet - not sure about yours MF.

MF, The coil was really rusty muck on the poles - a bit of sanding on it and the flywheel, and I had spark again. Same on an old Briggs (1993 classic 35), spark instantly vanished, remove coil, clean rust, and back to bright blue.

Now I think I am going to have to go outside now and jump start the car - I accidentally left the door slightly ajar (first latch) overnight. Bugger.