Monro Tiller MK2 Restoration

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hello all. I am based in New Zealand and have started a restoration of a MK2 Monro Tiller. I saved it from scrap several years ago (actually it was going to be buried in in offal pit) and have just only got on to it now! It has at some stage has the later MK15 Villers engine fitted. The engine is stripped awaiting oversized piston and rebuild. I have stripped the gearbox etc to assess noisy bearing and multiple oil leaks. I am in contact with George Shead for engine parts but the Tiller is a different story!! I will add some photos at a later date. Thank you for allowing me to join your community.
Alastair

[charlie]

Alastair welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place, I am custodian of the Geo Monro factory records which the VHGMC have. I can date your machine from the serial number, although this may have been lost when engine was changed. In my own collection of literature I have manuals for all models of Monro Tiller and related engines. I am also a volunteer at MERL where the drawings for Geo Monro machines are held and I have been catalogueing these for MERL.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi Charlie. Sorry I have been so long in replying. I had to get an engineer to remove the hub assembly’s for me as I didn’t have a puller man enough to remove them. I have split the gear case and found the input shaft bearings are badly worn. The clutch is covered in oil and there is some light corrosion damage. I am having a new clutch plate made at present and am sourcing 2 new shaft bearings(sealed) and a new spigot bearing. I am concentrating on one component at a time and will start with input shaft and clutch. I hope you don’t mind a few questions!!

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[charlie]

Good to hear from you. Bearings and seals will be imperial sizes, not metric, this will make them harder to find and more expensive if UK prices are anything to go by. If I can find anything about sizes of these I will let you know.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks Charlie, it is so good to have contact with an expert!! I am in the process of sourcing bearings at the moment! I have sent the input shaft to the machine shop to have a large groove repaired and the shaft polished. Could you please tell me what you think of the condition of the brass gear? Im not sure if its stuffed or not!
Again I really appreciate your assistance Charlie!

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[charlie]

The brass worm wheel is worn but not as bad as some I have seen where you could cut your finger on the edge of the teeth due excess wear. I think it should be OK. It would be horrendously expensive to make. The drawings are at MERL !!!. I do have a spare which is in slightly better condition if you should want to change it.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks for that Charlie. On one hand I would like everything as good as possible as this is turning into a serious restoration, but on the other hand it will not ever do much work other than our little plot here at home. My bearings and seals arrived today, including the clutch thrust bearing so I am only waiting on the machine shop now to repair the shaft and that stage will be complete. New tyres arrive next week and I am still hunting for axle seals but am pretty confident I can source them. I would be interested in your spare brass worm, how much would you like for it?
On the engine side of things, the machine shop has bored it +30 and the new piston and big end bearings are ready for fitting. Lots to do but I am enjoying the challenge of bringing this marvelous wee implement back to running condition.

[charlie]

I will get photos of worm wheel and work out postage.

[vhgmcbuddy]

I have had a further inspection of the internals and the only worrying thing I can find is a lot of play in the axles, I am going to have to machine these out and fit bushes, or sleeve the shafts. It seems like a lot of work, which it is but I am committed to the rebuild!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Oh and I forgot to ask, could you please let me know where about I should look for the oil pump that supplies oil to bronze gear? I believe that it should be somewhere in the depths of the gearbox?

[charlie]

There should be a nut on the bottom of the gearbox, see photograph, this holds the pump in place. Note earlier machines did not have a pump. Series 2 machines from serial number 4298 had pumps fitted. This was at the start of 1955 production.

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[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi Charlie, I thought I would post an update!
The clutch is now finished, a local firm has crafted me a clutch plate from the same kind of material and I have resurfaced the clutch disks. The input shaft has been repaired and is ready to assemble with new sealed bearings and seals. The gearbox casings are at a fabricators and they are going to dress all the internal shafts as well as oversize the casing outputs and press in sleeves. I have dropped off the 030 oversize piston at the engine shop together with new big end and main bearings and hope to have that back next week.
A new old stock cylinder head has been found and I am now into the laborious task of cleaning up the mill!! So far so good!
Alastair.

[charlie]

Alastair, good progress by the sound of it, will soon be as good as new.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi Charle, the rebuild is going well, all bushes fitted and have re assembled the gearbox, although I can’t for the life of me remember where these 2 washers go? Any ideas?

[vhgmcbuddy]

Sorry, photos were too big, try these!

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