Landmaster / gardenmaster 65

[thelasershark]

Hi, I won this old machine on ebay for a tenner. The plan is to clean it up and use it as I am sorting the garden. Once I have finished with it in the garden I plan on stripping it all back and painting etc.
In my rush today to get it running, I took the pull cord and housing off, removed the flywheel etc. cleaned and reset the points as there was no spark.
whilst I had better access I removed the carb and cave it a clean and a blow through with the airline.
Reassembled the carb and put it back on the engine, this is where my two brain fade moments start. …When putting the flywheel back on there is a white plastic thing and a large spring. I cannot remember where these were located so I have put them under / inside the flywheel. Not too sure if this is right though!
Built it all back up and then realised i cannot remember which holes that the the throttle and the governor etc went into!

Any help will be greatly appreciated indeed.

I have had it running by manually using the throttle on the carb.

Thanks in advance.

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[wristpin]

Some images more specific to the areas of concern will help. At the moment I’m not immediately recognising the engine from the angle of your shot, may be an Aspera but the cowling doesn’t look right, so maybe a JAP?

[thelasershark]

Hi wristpin, thanks for replying. Took it apart again this morning to take some pics as requested. I think it is an aspera engine. It’s the spring etc that goes on the magneto that is confusing me the most. The spring is on the last photos. In my head it seems to make sense for it to be located in the underside of the magneto with the white nylon bush thing pushing against the throttle rod spring thing in the last photo. I’m fact you can see where something has been rubbing

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[wristpin]

Definitely an early Aspera with the early pattern recoil starter. I’ll try to dig out and post the appropriate shop manual pages . Your question re the throttle / Governor linkage is a bit more tricky. I can’t remember anything resembling your image and am fairly sure that it pre dates any manual that I have but I’ll have a look.

[thelasershark]

Well, I put it back together and it runs. Difficult to start but I think that’s something to do with the linkage issues, but could also be something to do with that big spring and nylon bush not being in the correct place? I have the bush against the vane arm in the last pic with the spring around the spigot inside the magneto. It ran for about 5 mins, and actually dug a little hole. Then stalled and was a bugger to restart. Do you know what carb kit / gasket set I need by any chance? It’s a lovely little machine and I think will come in quite handy when up and running properly.

[wristpin]

Progress! You appear to have sorted the starter and the outstanding issue is the governor. It appears to be of the “ flyball” type and I’ve never seen one , let alone worked on one, but it would seem to be as shown in the manual as the” Flyball type governor on V51 and AH51 and I hope that you can relate the attached image to what is in front of you. As I see it, The principle would appear to be that the throttle is held permanently open via a spring ( the governor spring) attached to an adjustable/bendable anchor. A link connected to the flyball mechanism under the flywheel exerts a closing force as the speed increases.
Hope that this helps.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by wristpin.

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[thelasershark]

Perfect thank you! Figure 5.3 shows my first issue perfectly. It would seem that I am missing “B” and “D” the links and springs that keep the slide ring “C” in place inside the flywheel.
The million dollar question is are these still available and if so, from where?
It would explain the difficult starting etc as without the links and and springs to keep it in place, the throttle is stuck wide open most of the time.
It also explains how I was able to start it easily once I’d built it back up, but not so after I dug the hole as the slide ring must have spun around and now be in the wrong position.
1028503 is the engine number 1 being the first number indicates the year on newer engines, could this thing actually be from 1951?

[wristpin]

Good luck with finding parts, I would start with Jon Cruse at the Hailsham Mower Centre. After that , hopefully an Aspera specialist on this forum will come to the rescue. Meanwhile I’ll see whether I have anything with part number info.
Starting issue – is the choke closing fully?

[wristpin]

Unfortunately, none of my Aspera parts books go back far enough to include an engine with the flyball governor, so I’m unable to assist with part numbers. Hopefully someone else has an earlier parts manual.

[thelasershark]

The choke is closing yes, I do think that the issue is the slip ring and spring. The big spring pushes the slip ring away from the flywheel. I suppose this is then multiplied by centrifugal force when the pull cord is pulled.
But without the link springs to keep the slip ring in the hollow notches then the slip ring will be fully out all the time. I’m wondering if I could cobble together some link springs from old governor springs off an old lawnmower – I will try!
Thanks for all your help so far Wristpin, it is very much appreciated.

[wristpin]

If governor springs are not strong enough, maybe chainsaw or trimmer centrifugal clutch springs. I had a similar issue finding springs for a British Anzani Powermow clutch. Took a bit of experimenting and even now not 100%.

[thelasershark]

Well, this thing is royally pee-ing me right off now. It was running and even dug a little hole.Then stopped. I have tried everything apart from actually finding the original spring links for the flyball / centrifugal governor. (they don’t seem to exist anymore)
Now the thing just will not start at all, it has a good spark, the plug gets wet so fuel is reaching the cylinder. it even tries to splutter sometimes.
I’m considering just selling it on at this point as I need a working machine to finish the garden!
Does anyone know of any working engines available that would fit this contraption?

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