Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

Going back the 23 years got good backup and sensible helps to a problem, and looks like the new engine might have had known ignition issues and the firm should I would have thought known this and sorted it, and fist engine also had carburettor issues especially at idle, new ones have fixed air bypass adjustments? where as the old were adjustable.…[Read more]

Forgot to attach the bit of info on electronic ignition I was sent this.

David
Here’s a write up on how the Briggs electronic coils work to advance the timing at higher rpms. I suspect your coil on the weak side is out of spec.

“The simple, but very effective, spark control system advances the ignition timing, causing the plug to fire earlier…[Read more]

This is if any one is thinking of updating something with one of the Briggs & Stratton V twin Vanguard as have had over a year in getting one of those engines to run nearly as it should. I have one of the first now 23 year old V twin Vanguard Briggs that still runs as new and was made in Japan and few people know that, to start with the old engine…[Read more]

Poulan Sweden? however brain leaked but I have an idea they made chainsaws.

I must have had several over the years, they’re a absolute nightmare being temperamental they altered them I reckon hourly so very difficult to find interchangeable parts if not complete, Its a funny feeling working on those that had been in service, one had the barrel bent so was tight to turn over, being all alloy I was surprised it hadn’t…[Read more]

Homelite were used on many generators to chainsaws, Drones and Ken Wallis them in his Auto-Gyro, one that was used during the war used for the emergency generator that sat under wireless operators desk? in the liberator was bit unusual being two stroke with a governed rotary inlet valve, a no float carburettor sat on-top of the tank with hand…[Read more]

I suppose going back many years just took it for granted some engines although looked the same but weren’t and a real pain to work on, Aspera made light duty engines without the needle roller big and little end bearings and industrial with, Teles used them on there chainsaws, I had one brought to me that was running a bit under powered and flat as…[Read more]

Unless its worn out every where else its worth repairing, the pump would not be worked by the big end dibber, would have thought off the camshaft, I get really cheesed off with peoples attitude nowadays, many new things you take them out of the packaging use a few times and they’re scrap. Yesterday helping my daughter took my three chain saws all…[Read more]

Engine sort of sounds ok apart from the spitting back that’s not quite like an ignition type fault sound causing the spitting, I have had early veteran car engines do something similar as the inlet valves are atmospherically opened and not mechanical, you have to get the valve spring strength fine tuned, to strong and you loose power and to weak…[Read more]

I have been restoring engines in size from small to large, the older bronze carbs are slightly easier as can heat parts but the die-cast monkey metal ones can be very delicate and more care is needed to get stubborn screws and jets out, many years ago just by accident after washing my hands left a real badly petrol varnish encrusted carburettor in…[Read more]

I can see why the O rings are not a fix and forget as taps wear in use and wouldn’t accommodate the wear. If the taps are not fully on or off the O ring is allowed to expand and if then pushed fully home it can cut a bits out of the O ring, it all so happens to the modern ball valves if not turned fully on or off and left. Whats wrong with keeping…[Read more]

Carb looks early and tank looks a late type, they spanned many years.

That flywheel is die cast, can all ready see one fan blade broken off, mostly the wico flywheel has cast in a centre steel insert, and shafts are normally parallel, mostly there are three threaded holes near the centre for draw bolts and if so just be careful not to screw any set screws through to far to catch the coil, if the alloy crankcase is…[Read more]

I have come up against all-sorts of barriers trying to get replacement parts for old machinery. often people are not interested its a one off so not worth there while, however there are ways of finding things just think out of the box, I have seen cam timing belts used turned upside down, they are very strong, I use them for making strap wrenches,…[Read more]

I don’t like small engines nowadays, what with plastic and catalytic exhausts, Ive had some really bizarre, like a briggs four stroke with a two stroke petrol mix and thought alright just to have oil in the petrol and poked a rod out the side, bore was ok though, just recently had a new Stihl to fix, good spark and wet plug should have gone, shot…[Read more]

Just a thought, carb to engine gasket, some have a hole in to allow crack case pressure to work the carb diaphragm, can be fitted up the wrong way.

Most have a main jet that the faster its run more it sucks fuel through, compensating is like a tank with a leak in it and runs into a bowl no matter how much fuel is sucked the bowl will only give whats running into it and no more, then there is a slow running jet with a adjustable air bypass to give ideal idling characteristics, this carb comes…[Read more]

Got this back from the supplier, If I read this right, they say the later for high altitude makes it run richer, well higher you go theres less air so need a smaller jet to run weaker,and this engine runs weak at hight speed 3600 rpm and rich at idle to half throttle. so main jets would be of no use.

Honda engine parts lists usually give you…[Read more]