Many thanks Charlie.
Yes it is the Mk12 and as far as I can tell it is a 15 and the belts have been ordered.
Apologies for doing things a bit backwards but I was keen to get going on sorting things out…
I am a Norfolk based allotment holder that is fed up with digging!
The Monrotiller series 3 that I got running a few years ago is very good at chopping up the weeds but that is about all, so I thought I would invest in something that I could plough with, hence the Atom.
I acquired a non runner (not much compression) a couple of weeks ago and it came with a plough and a cutter bar along with a few assorted bits and pieces.
First look at the engine showed a good spark and a possible little end knock so out with the spanners. The only thing found amiss was a badly sooted and corroded exhaust valve.
An hour or so with the grinding paste along with some new rings and big end shells (might as well as it is all in bits) should see the Mk 12 going again.
Looking more closely I found that the movement of the hubs was the hubs on the axle rather than the hubs themselves. A strip down found very little in the way of both wear and muck in the ratchets. I think the first was down to luck and the second was down to the lack of grease.
The axle is also worn where it passes through the gear box, giving what appears to be a worrying amount of movement, but by inserting the un worn axle ends and wiggling I can see that the bearings have no movement.
I don’t intend to do anything to the gear box except to drain and refill with oil.
The wobbly plough wheel appears to be down to wear between the shaft and the wheel, I will have to see what I can do in the way of bushes or re machining to reduce the wobble.
Next on the list will be to have a closer look at the cutter drive and bar.
The advice now required is…
Is it worth flushing the gear box out with anything to clean it before refilling it with the correct oil?
Is it worth stripping down the cutter drive before I try to use it, or just give it a good dose of grease and see what happens?
Is there a recognised way of setting up the reciprocating cutters or is it just a case of fiddling to get a compromise between performance and friction?
Once again, many thanks for the advice.
Simon (Poxihen – don’t ask!)
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