Monro tiller

[john-e-w]

Hi Charlie – I have a Monro tiller, I think it must be a Mk3 as it has a reverse gear lever. Everything works except for the engine(no compression). I have checked the valves and they both go up and down, but I can rotate the engine without any resistance. I note that it has a +40 rebore, is it possible to take it up to +60?
Also could you give me some info please – the Ser No is 363B 34638

John EW

[charlie]

John, these engines don’t have a huge amount of compression, have you checked valves and seats for pitting or any burnt areas? Can you feel any sign of compression if you take the plug out and put your thumb/finger tightly over plug hole?
I need the machine serial number which will be on the makers plate, and sometimes on gearbox near one of the dipsticks. The number you have given looks like the engine number.
I don’t think there was a +60 option on piston size, obtaining one if there was may be a problem. If needed it might be worth honing the bore and fitting new rings. The workshop manual says end gap of ring should be 10 thou and replace if it is 30 thou.

[john-e-w]

Thanks Chris
When it warms up a bit I will venture into the garage and have a look. I thought the engine number would be the one you wanted.

There was the number 15 just under the number I provided, so I assume that it is a Mk15 rather than a Mk12. However, it is a side-valve and I thought I read somewhere that the Mk15 was an overhead valve – confusing.

It does/did burn a fair bit of oil once it has warmed up and is difficult/impossible to start when hot. I have tried grinding in the valves and I was surprised how little force there was in the valve springs when I removed them. Are new valves and springs available?

I hope the weather warms up otherwise I will be bringing it into the kitchen!

[charlie]

John, It sounds as if someone has changed the engine, is it the same colour as gearbox, an odd metallic grey/blue or green?
Try Meetens for engine parts, ask for Paul. I have owners manuals and parts list for both engines.

[john-e-w]

Hi Charlie
It was a tad warmer this afternoon so I ventured into the garage. There is a plate on the engine cover that says:- Type S3 Machine No 034069. Is that the info you are after?

Having taken the head off last year to find out how much play there was in the piston and noted that it said +40 on the top of the piston, you would think that I might have noticed if it was overhead or side-valve – it is of course overhead.

However, it’s difficult to say if anything has been changed as the whole machine has been hand-painted in pillar-box red!!

John E-W

[charlie]

4069 was despatched on 15-3-61 and delivered on 21-5-61 to L H Hart, The Rattle Gardens, Westham, nr Pevensey, Sussex.
Can you see if the red paint extends under the plate on engine cowl? If it does it may be that the machine was originally red, I have read that there was a choice of colours but only ever seen the standard colour.

[john-e-w]

Does anybody have a service manual/exploded diagrams for a Mk3 Villiers engine fitted to a Monro rotovator. I am just about to venture into the “rebuild world” and would like to have some idea of what I will be letting myself in for.
John E-W

[john-e-w]

Hi Charlie – the red paint laps over the edges of the engine plate – underneath it is a sort of “rusty grey”. Interestingly the plate is held on with two brass self-tapers.

John E-W

[charlie]

John, it sounds like it may be the original engine which someone has painted. I will send you some engine information. I have attached a photo of my series 3 machine, with genuine Monrotiller trailer trailer and my son driving. I had a go, not too successful, at matching paint colour which is why the engine cowl is wrong colour.

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[charlie]

Copy of engine manual sent via e mail.

[john-e-w]

Good-day all

I have just rebuilt (successfully) the Mk15 engine for my rotovator. Now I need to know about the oil requirements for the two (gear trains?) just in front of the tiller unit. How do you drain the emulsified oil out as there doesn’t appear to be a drain plug, and what oil do I refill them with (20-50??). I was also surprised that the tiller shaft did not have any grease nipples at either end and the free end appears to be a plain bearing.

Does anybody out there have a users manual for the Mk3 Monro rotovator?

Thanks in advance
John

[charlie]

John, I have sent you a pm regarding operators manual.
Gearbox oil should be a non EP grade,( ie GL4 not GL5), sae 140, I use Morris Oils AG140
To drain the gearbox oil there is a drain plug located towards the front of the right hand half of the gearbox casing, near the join between the two halves of the gearbox case. DO NOT attempt to undo the bolt towards the rear as this holds the gearbox oil pump in place.
Fill gearbox through the hole for long dipstick, operators manual details how to check levels. The level on the short dipstick can only be checked after running machine in neutral for 2 minutes as the oil is pumped up by the oil pump.

[john-e-w]

Thanks for info Charlie

Having posted my message on the forum, I then read some of the backdated newsletters, only to find that back in the day you were advertising “User Manuals” for sale. Is this still the case and if so could I purchase one please.

Unfortunately I’m not really clued up on the new “digital speak” – what is a pm?

Regards
John E-W

[charlie]

John,
I have found a photograph showing the underside of the gearbox.
The drain plug can be seen at the bottom of photo, with the oil pump fixing bolt towards the middle.

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[charlie]

John, a pm is a personal message, these can be viewed when you are logged in by clicking on your user name, then selecting the messages tab.

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