8 Comments

1. Absolutely awsome

2. Hi lads,

   How would you adjust the cable so that the cam is hard against the carby body and cable at its longest but when you move it on the throttle control it winds the cam in the carby to fully open?

   It feels like the cable that is on this machine needs adjustment or is too long.

   At the moment I have a nice idle but moving the cable in the trottle housing does little to effect the revs…even though the machine can rev higher.

   Ps The kill switch was a top idea. Makes it so much easier.

   • Hi Matt

     There is a Phillips head screw on the housing of the air filter which allows a small amount of adjustment of the throttle cable. If that does not provide enough adjustment a new cable may be required

3. Hi Lachlan,

   Found that adjustment. Tried it but it didn’t help. Symptom : Engine fires first pull, runs smoothly and no knocks. It just doesn’t want to increase RPM much when the throttle is moved. I took the cable end off from the aircleaner housing end and moved it fully in and out without much change in RPM. It certainly doesn’t want to run to max RPM. Maybe slightly above idle?

   I’d thought I might have to ‘zero’ the cable. I even double checked the carby end was connected perfectly. New O-ring on intake manifold, Carby seems sealed up nicely. Hoses all connected.

   I did modify ignition wires with the kill switch. The gromet is over the carby port where the insert but nothing else blocking that area.

   Poppet valve is in the A position. Good fuel flow from tank. Main jet and any airways inside carb nice and clean. All parts move freely.

   Suggestions? One google search showed up an issue like that with a blocked muffler but I keep thinking its gotta be intake related.

   Vacuum?

   • Hi Matt

     From the detailed information you have provided I would agree that the problem is likely to be intake related. There will be too much air getting in you can test this by starting the mower with the air filter off and blocking the hole that air comes in through, The mower should stall and shut down, if the air leak is large the mower may only slow in revs and continue to run. if this test confirms too much air is getting through you will need to check your intake hose for cracks or holes and also confirm your carburetor has no points where air leaks can occur. It is sometimes worth using some silkaflex or threebond on the air-hose fittings.

     Additionally worn carburetors can exhibit this problem and this can be adjusted by adding these small washers under the throttle cam https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/product/victa-g4-carburetor-poppet-valve-spacers/

     Regards
     Lachlan

4. Hi Lachlan,

   Thanks for your reply mate during the holidays. Well, in short…its fixed! Your test blocking the air intake end proved that there was no inadvertent air being sucked in. It stalled nicely. Also checked hoses and carby…nothing to create an air-leak. That had me still baffled until I fiddled with the vacuum system (decompensator?) off the cylinder head which seemed to be leaking some exhaust fumes. I sealed everything up with some high temp exhaust sealant and put in some newer vaccum hose. Still no good. Until ‘light bulb’ moment (the ones that make this kind of thing so fun). It dawned on me that the motor wasn’t ‘sucking enough air’ or this wasn’t being channelled to the carb somehow. Turns out I had mistakenly connected the vacuum hoses of the carb to the wrong points. Once I connected them properly it went brilliantly. I confirmed the connection points in your video at 3.43 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERYy3X1mx0c) and then slapped myself on the back of the head mouthing ‘idiot’. Urgh. Thanks for your videos…I even sorted the pullstart mechanism spring using the videos as well. Oddly enough, even though this mower isn’t mine (I’ve been a Honda snob) I’ve kinda developed a fondness for its bog simplicity. So few parts to make something so useful. Thanks again for your time and hope my experience might be of use to anyone else who needs to troubleshoot.

5. Hi guys,
   I enjoyed reading about all the problems that have been voiced and the advice offered on how to get the problems solved.
   Here is my little contribution, and I offer it with no sarcasm or put downs.
   It’s just not worth all the agro and swearing, frustration and cost to get a mower going if you look at it in the light of economics.
   I buy a brand new mower around the $300 dollar mark at Bunnings. I cut the grass in a season of 32 weeks 16 times. I work on having the mower for 4 years before selling it for $50. That means I have done 64 cuts. Dividing $300 by 64 = $4.70 rounded off per cut. Taking off $50 for selling the mower means $3.90 per cut! Therefore, why the hell would I frig around going through all the frustration, swearing, and giving myself a hard time for $3.90 a grass cut? Think about how much it would cost to hire a mower, or get someone to do the job and the $3.90 seems so much more appealing than frigging around trying to get a mower going.

   Just some food for thought to all frustrated and angry would be mower mechanics.

   Tim.

6. Hi Lachlan,
   Thank for posting Tim Tyler’s comments on mower economics.
   What Tim said makes a lot of sense.
   I’ve been trying to get an old mower going without success.
   The only thing I succeeded in doing was all the things Tim said, anger, frustration and swearing etc.
   I have taken the advice on board and sold the crappy mower for $25. Went to Bunnings and bought a new mower for $299.
   Can’t wait for the cutting season to start.
   I think most of us hang on to old crappy mowers out of sentimentality and not sound common sense.
   Thanks Tim for your thoughts about new mower v old crappy one etc.
   Lee.