Oxford Allen / Villiers Scythe – Help Please!

[designer1980]

Hi all, im looking for some assisntance please…

To set the scene – we have just moved to a new house and I need to maintain the land / a large paddock. After spotting this Oxford Allen Scythe on Facebook marketplace it was soon home in a hire van!
I have done some initial research on the Villiers engine, but in the interest of not wanting to mess anything up – thought it best to ask the help of seasoned experts with a lot more knowledge than I. (ID plate is almost illegible)
Can anyone confirm which Villiers engine it is please, and if its 2 stroke or 4?

I checked that it has a spark before purchasing, which it has.
I have removed the carb, and ultrasonic cleaned it to remove old fuel/dirt.
I will remove the fuel tank and using nuts/botls and fuel – clean the inside, this coming week.

Im looking for any advice, help or assistance that anyone can offer please. Dont worry about offending me, please assume I know very very little about this machine/mechanics generally.

I just loved the macnine, which a friend recommended to me. Id like to sympathetically restore it and maintain it to use when required. Apparently it ran prior to the person I purchased it from, but he was never going to tell me anything to the contray i suppose!

I look forward to the education and hopefully getting the machine working again with some guidance from this forum.
I will apologise in advance for any lack of knowledge / stupid questions, keen to learn and have a nagging wife who wants the paddock tidied up! Motivation indeed!

Thank you in advance…

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[andyfrost]

You appear to have one fitted with the MK 20 Villiers fourstroke , when up and running a very reliable engine

[designer1980]

Ah – it is a four stroke is it, thank you Andy for your reply.
Is normal unleaded ok?

After the fueling is addressed – are there any areas of the 4 stroke that i should be looking at please?

Thanks again…

[andyfrost]

Fuel , I would only advise E5, You say you have a spark and that you have ultrasonically cleaned carb , and done a good flush of the tank , on that basis , it should start and run. I’m assuming you have reasonable compression , as exhaust valves have a habit of sticking if left for a period of time.

Andy.

[Author]

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