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After first checking for British seagull Villiers carb spares (it seems v508c was more common on those?) I’ve come across this part:

V355 Fuel Needle

The length seems appropriate, can anyone confirm if that would be right part? Much appreciated!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Received my copy yesterday, excellent new two column layout, the only flaw is my phone number is wrong it should be 07778 128914 in the for sale section all the best to our new editor, Charlie did a fantastic job

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi
Yes we will have all the manuals you require in our archives, but would help if you add a photo as there were different models post-war, you can contact me via our web site http://www.hdtrust.org

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Thanks guys l have been exploring this project for a while and you are right most engineers don’t want to be bothered with a small single cylinder in aluminium!
But the motorbike repairer is an avenue worth exploring l hadn’t thought of that ,
Many thanks David

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Just had this email from Titch sanders. I’d appreciate any information that could help him

Hi Steven,
Ok thanks.. sadly I’m not too knowledgeable referencing Model no’s. However, I would suggest contacting The Old Lawnmower Club, there are some very helpful people on there that I’m sure could help identify your mower in a way that assists with the decals/transfers.
Mention my name by all means too.
Regards for now,
Titch Sanders

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Hi Gareth

I have also acquired a Martin Markam trailer which I am starting to renovate. I see from your post back in 2017 that you were asking about paint colour and parts. Did you manage to establish waht the paint colour was and whether anybody was able to help with parts?

Thanks

Denis

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No luck with any of those. Thanks guys

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Hi, not had a chance to post pics yet, will try again this weekend!

Cheers,

Richy.

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Had a similar problem with a Kohler K181 engine after inspection when I took it apart. Got a rebuild kit from the USA with an oversize piston and struggled to find an engine reconditioner that would do the rebore. They had the machines set up for large engine blocks and one said just breaking it down and setting it up for a small block would take the best part of an hour. But did eventually find a chap at Kidderminster who does them. You may have to make many phone calls, but will find someone somewhere. A tip maybe is look to see if they do British motorcycles, there are several in the West Midlands. The Kohler rebuild kit only cost about £70 and was a bit sceptical if the parts were of reasonable quality. Should not have feared, they were fine, with ideal limits and fits tolerances. Have a mate with a Honda GX160 on a Merry Tiller that smokes like a steam engine and runs terrible. Am going to take that apart this winter and if the bore is within service limits, will get an after market rebuild kit for that too. Can you believe they are less than £20.

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Brilliant advice, especially about water getting into gearboxes. Have a Toyota Hiace and have to have the gearbox oil changed every year because it has water in it. No one who has looked at it could understand the reason why, but now David has explained it. As air cools it becomes denser and reduces in volume. Its why the float contracted then crumpled under severe cold and water around the Hiace’s gearbox was drawn into it. Have seen it as low as -14oC on more than one occasion. On a Zenith float would try to pull out the creases with heating, but if that did not work, de-solder it and knock out the dents from the inside. Or go to Villiersparts and buy a new plastic one. If I ever get a float thats just leaking and not malformed, will follow David’s method.

Many thanks

Grahame

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When I have recovered carb’s that have been left outside for years, found the opposite affect to expansion on the float. Some have crumpled due to the action of contraction in extreme cold. Put one into a cup of boiled water to see if it would recover its shape, but bubbles came out instead.

The ultrasonic cleaning did improve the Zenith’s performance at tickover on the Jap 5, but it was not perfect. After looking at the sectional drawing of the carb, I just get a feeling that some of the blind passageways still have a partial blockage due to corrosion deposits leaving an uneven surface.

Finished scuffling with the diamond feet yesterday using the new Jap 6 Trusty, it went like a dream. Raining this morning, so am sorting out a shed to fit it in. Will not need it now until the December ploughing. Now have a reserve gear can back it in, can even move it around on a hard surface because of the rubber tyres. Its a different world to the old steel wheeled Jap 5 Trusty. Used to leave that outside all year under a steel bath, just like most of the Trusty’s were kept around the Vale of Evesham. Gong to dig out the Davis toolbar this morning to use as a counterweight on the Trusty. Wonder if anyone had heard of one and know what it is.

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Think before I use something I am not sure about on a carb I will trial it with some scrap material. Some carbs are made from different alloys, so need to be careful.

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Just done a quick google search about things to use for removing corrosion from ali. What ever you use, its got to be acidic, not alkaline. So caustic soda if definately a ‘no no’. Will be getting an ultrasonic cleaner at some point. Its good to know what cleaning fluids I can use with it. Have some brick cleaning acid, so may give that a go if the parts are corroded.

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An update, the adjustable tapered screw does work very well with Zenith 24T2 carb that has a fixed jet. The Jap 6 in my newly acquired Trusty was obviously running rich. Had to take the head a barrel off as part of the re-commissioning and there was a lot of sooty type deposits. It was not hard baked on carbon, which I would have expected if it was burning oil. I set the fuel/air mixture with a plug chop and after a couple of efforts with doing adjustments, I have the plug with the correct brown coloured deposits on the end. The engine sounded beautiful and pick up from tickover was smooth. But currently only scuffling with 7” diamond feet on 5 legs, with at 2” deep in ground I have already gone over both ways with ducks feet at 3” in clay soil that was padded down well. So did not need much power on the already roughed up ground. Find when I put a SV engine to harder work and if I have the correct brown colour on the plug, I get a bit of a hunting type misfire. A tweak to richen the mixture usually cures it, even though the plug colour changes more to a charcoal shade.

The Zenith carb on the Jap 5 was taken off a Trusty that must have been left outside uncovered for decades. It had thick corrosion deposits inside and out, could clean off what I could and blew everything through with an airline. Have also recently had it ultrasonically cleaned. But the air mixture screw makes no difference to the tickover, unlike to carb on the Jap 6. Where I could adjust both main and idler jets. I think that the blind holes and passageways still have corrosion deposits in them and was thinking of soaking it in something like drain cleaner or caustic soda. Would be interested if anybody has any advice as to what is the best solution.

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Many thanks for the replies. My old Trusty Jap 5 has now done its time, the transmission is worn out. Had rebuilt the engine and it was working very well before the transmission system broke. Have a Clifford Mk1a, so am going to put the engine on that and scrap the Trusty. The Jap 6 Trusty has a graunching sound from the very slack primary chain hitting the casing. Had this problem before so at the weekend am going to see if a half link will fit. Put some new clutch springs available at the club shop on my old Trusty, they made a big improvement. So at the weekend, if the Jap 6 clutch shoes have less resistance that the Jap 5 one, will take them off and fit them on the more recent machine. Will be saving the springs anyway, have two Douglas engine Trusty’s awaiting restoration.

The Jap 5 has the adjustable carb needle, so am going to put it on the Jap 6 and see how it goes. Have nothing to loose and can always return it back to the fixed jet. Many thanks for the offer David, but have a spare Zenith carbs with an adjustable needle. When I get round to restoring the Gravely D I might have a go at fitting a modern carb to it. Think the Zenith is too big so such a small slow reving engine. But thats for another day.

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