Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

Andrew
Thanks for that, and you now say engine was probably made by Ransomes can see know looking at parts not quite finished as the old three speed jobs, I thought would have been like barrel sort of overhangs crankcase in parts, carb looks the part and very well machined but design is a bit more than just lacking especially they got things right…[Read more]

Andrew,
Engine is the Sturmey-Archer and looks like a 150+-cc going by piston size I just forgot to measure it but needs a piston but doesn’t knock as bad now as found old and worn but better rings and is running weaker and no smoke, idles in low hundreds just like a sowing machine that was just a desperate try to weaken the mixture off and…[Read more]

Its sort of presentable it runs really well with little smoke as manage to find old rings that were a bit better, but it needs a piston and rebore. Quite a few nuts had to be replaced as rotted away that hold cutting cylinder bearing housings, the special seals were sort of useable but to hold them in place and to stop them turning on the shaft…[Read more]

Andy,
Many thanks, I had forgot oak eats metal as often seen bad stains where nails have been used, friend has off cuts from building thats why I used oak, he also has Accoya and Saple, I have lost all my ash trees one by one, I think there are seedlings still coming up that were a nuisance, There is still Ash round this way they had masse’s of…[Read more]

A update, So a just encase mice had carted nuts up the silencer and blocking that, I dropped it off and found it was quite clean inside, but end was rotted so fixed that, and ran it up for few minutes and what is failing got much worse and even turning it over by hand makes a good thot sound. so some part of cam lobe has gone or the follower,…[Read more]

I have just found the paperwork from 53 through to 62 when it was stopped being used regally it says cast iron head without seat inserts, one fault with old oil was the oil restrictor supplying oil to the valve gear used to clog and nearly stop, now with high detergent oil it hasn’t slowed in years in-fact its quite wet up top and very clean.

We had a large version that looked like a very large fire extinguisher 1930-40s, no idea of make but held getting on for three gallons brimmed, had a carrying strap but a bit on the heavy side. My grandfather and my father used it quite a bit and in the 1963 winter was used to thaw water pipes out to get water for the animals, I never used it for…[Read more]

Grahame, I have had severals things to make conversions for and with parallel inner up to a shoulder and tapered outer and split to work, that could be to save a nasty accident. if working in opposite with tapered inner and keyed the outer but if you split the bush it works even better as long as the driven part has a good strong boss. On some…[Read more]

About what year, engine looks like a Rotor scythe. Looks less Heath Robinson than what my neighbour put together in late fifties always wondered where he got the idea from, using a plough disc powered by a very early Mk 12 Villiers, two pram wheels, can’t remember what he made the frame out of but was very impressed being open consumed little…[Read more]

I tried leather as had it at hand but wrongly used the crocodile fasteners, soon found out they only like going round to bend in one direction over pulleys so the tensioner soon destroyed fastener and belt, I did get it right as have laminated and glued leather for large cone clutches and worked, one hadn’t needed attention in 60 years use so work…[Read more]

My Grand father used one for years and then got a Ransoms that wasn’t ideal late 50’s got a David Brown 2D that ran rings around the crawler, I resurrected the plough Mate in the 60s it was easier to use than most and soon put a wheel up front so if need be going anywhere went in reverse. Belt got bad and Fenner just glued one it worked for a…[Read more]

Grahame, I wouldn’t worry about reinstating how you took it apart, I look at it as some idiot of an idea to cause other issues when in standard form it would be impossible to get. I have seen this before like a lad on the shop floor knew what he was doing wasn’t quite the ticket but expressing his opinion gets told off from above. A certain…[Read more]

Grahame, I would restore to original spec so wouldn’t cause other issues, not a modern? bodge up of an idea, flywheel, locktite and fail safe? key with a nut locked with a roll pin as couldn’t see that saving damage as with speed comes inertia. crank with its assisted flywheel with locktite and safety shear key don’t think parts would survive. I…[Read more]

Grahame, I have an idea what someone has done, the flywheel nut should be done up quite tight without the need of locktite, and with it being held in position with the roll pin and flywheel locktited sort of sends shivers down my back. and it could be penny has dropped. Right the crankshaft should be pulled up tight against that mag sides bearing,…[Read more]

Andy In Grahame’s photo just visible I recon can see hole in the thread towards its end, I have seen all these sort of things bodges get up to, like a nut coming loose so they found one with a tighter thread being a different thread rate. Going back many years the one of the engines I had was a bit flat for some time but always started and checked…[Read more]

Andy Yes reckon the roll pin come the bodge it it up brigade as never seen a flywheel nut come loose had alloy break a few times where the rope hooks onto so fitted a new one and found the alloy is just a tight push fit so skimmed a bit off the steel and welded a nut and pressed the alloy back on this makes it so much easier to fit and all that I…[Read more]

Yes to everything, A for sale and wanted section bit on here think would be good.
David